‘And capping off an undefeated season, the Bulldogs shock the college football world and are the Fiesta Bowl Champions.’
That would be the absolute perfect ending to the football season for Coach Pat Hill and his Bulldogs, but a lot has to fall into place for that to happen.
While it is still too early for the Bulldogs to start booking their plane tickets to Phoenix, it is not too early for the Bulldogs to realize their potential and accept their expectations.
Since Pat Hill was hired as head coach in 1997, he openly stated his goals for the program to go toe-to-toe with college football̢۪s big boys and crash the end of the season party known as the BCS.
This season will be no different.
This may be the year that the Bulldogs will have their best chance to finally reach their ultimate goals.
The 2007 season was a statement for the Bulldogs, a redeeming season following the 4-8 campaign in 2006.
The team ended the season with nine wins, including a victory in the Humanitarian Bowl over Georgia Tech and that is where the talks of a 2008 BCS bowl began.
Even though a preseason top 25 ranking and discussion of an incredibly tough schedule have surrounded the team during the offseason, the “hypeâ€Â has not gotten to the veteran group.
“We don’t believe in hype; we believe in preparation,â€Â safety Moses Harris said.
Preparation will surely help, but it will not be enough to win 12 straight football games and make a BCS bowl.â€Â
If this team, or any other “mid-majorâ€Â team, hopes to crash the BCS party, then it must be talented and it must have a strong enough schedule to climb the top 25 polls.
Fresno State may have both of those for the first time since the historic run in 2001 that catapulted the team as high as No. 8 in top 25 polls.
From top to bottom, Hill may have his most talented team ever.
Fresno State returns 10 starters on the offensive side of the ball and six on defense.
The offense was able to effectively move the ball through the air and on the ground last season, and hopes to continue the success in 2008.
“I honestly and truly believe that this offense has started right where it left off last year,â€Â senior offensive tackle Bobby Lepori said.
Leading the offense will be quarterback Tom Brandstater, a three-year starter at the position who threw for 15 touchdowns and only five interceptions in 2007.
Lining up right behind him will be three talented and capable tailbacks. Ryan Mathews, Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding will be splitting carries.
“Right now [the running backs] each have different strengths and they compliment each other very well,â€Â Hill said.
The defense will be lead by its six returning starters, including safety Moses Harris, linebacker Ben Jacobs and defensive tackle Jon Monga.
Kick returner A.J. Jefferson should follow his 2007 All-American season with a season just as strong in 2008.
So it seems the Bulldogs may have the necessary talent lined up and they definitely have a strong enough schedule to gain respect from poll voters.
The highlights of the schedule include a Labor Day meeting with Rutgers, a home opener against Wisconsin and a trip down south to play UCLA in the Rose Bowl, all three teams in major BCS conferences.
The Western Athletic Conference title and BCS hopes may be decided in late November in a game between Fresno State and their strongest conference foe, Boise State.
With the pieces seemingly in place, this team now must continue to prepare themselves to be perfect.
Even though perfection may never be attainable for the Bulldogs, if they prepare themselves for it, things should turn out alright.
“If you’re striving for perfection all the time, eventually you’re going to get pretty good,â€Â Brandstater said.
David Russ • Aug 25, 2008 at 5:21 am
Let’s go out and do it this season. The one thing these Bulldogs need to keep in mind before they go into a haughty frame of mind is that the four win team was the most talented Bulldog team on paper since the Freedom Bowl team. That team was basically made up of returning players who had a lot more success in the previous two seasons than this current team has had in its previous two seasons. All of the papers were writing about how they had the best shot at being the first big BCS buster from the WAC. Yet that team managed to be about the worst Bulldog team since the Fresno moved out of the Big West. Pride truly goes before a fall.
So it all comes down to execution and preparation. It is okay to believe in what you can do, but you have to go practice with a pure hunger for precise perfection. You have to perform your techniques and not blow your assignments. You have to watch game film and ask your coaches for criticism. You have to give your all on every play and never let up. If you do all of that, success will follow. If you rest on what the papers say about you, little teams like San Jose State and Toledo will come at you with more desire and preparation and pop you in the mouth so hard you don’t get back up.
David Russ • Aug 25, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Let’s go out and do it this season. The one thing these Bulldogs need to keep in mind before they go into a haughty frame of mind is that the four win team was the most talented Bulldog team on paper since the Freedom Bowl team. That team was basically made up of returning players who had a lot more success in the previous two seasons than this current team has had in its previous two seasons. All of the papers were writing about how they had the best shot at being the first big BCS buster from the WAC. Yet that team managed to be about the worst Bulldog team since the Fresno moved out of the Big West. Pride truly goes before a fall.
So it all comes down to execution and preparation. It is okay to believe in what you can do, but you have to go practice with a pure hunger for precise perfection. You have to perform your techniques and not blow your assignments. You have to watch game film and ask your coaches for criticism. You have to give your all on every play and never let up. If you do all of that, success will follow. If you rest on what the papers say about you, little teams like San Jose State and Toledo will come at you with more desire and preparation and pop you in the mouth so hard you don’t get back up.