Ryan Tubongbanua / The Collegian
It was a big weekend for both college and NFL football, but the Fresno State Bulldog football team was not a part of the action.
Coming off a hard-fought game on the road against Rutgers, the Bulldogs were ready to take Saturday off and rest up for their home opener against Wisconsin.
The team left Piscataway, N.J. following their game against Rutgers on Labor Day and did not return to the campus until 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
Many of the players attended morning classes on Tuesday and the whole team was back at practice that afternoon. The Bulldogs were thankful to have extra time to rest following their long journey.
“It’s pretty hard, we didn’t get very much rest,â€Â sophomore tailback Ryan Mathews said. “That’s part of being a student-athlete; you have to do stuff that other students wouldn’t do.â€Â
Fresno State̢۪s game against Rutgers was last Monday and playing a game on the following Saturday would have been a very quick turnaround for the Bulldogs.
So, instead of having two games scheduled within five days, the bye week has given members of the team an opportunity to do more than just rest their bodies after the game and a cross-country trip.
The extra time has allowed the team to get a head start on Wisconsin game planning, improve on players̢۪ techniques and to get out on the never-ending recruiting trail.
“In the game of football, there are areas [of the game] we always have to keep working on,â€Â coach Pat Hill said.
The coaches and players spent the first few days of the bye week just working on mistakes made against Rutgers and combating the weaknesses shown during the game.
According to Hill, one area the team focused on has been improving the receivers̢۪ catching, as there were multiple drops against Rutgers.
Having the weekend off from coaching, Hill was able to attend two local high school football games and keep building his next recruiting class.
After using a few days to recruit and improve, the coaches and players began game planning for Wisconsin yesterday, a day earlier than usual.
On top of the fact that the Bulldogs have an extra week to game plan and recruit, Wisconsin has already had two games on tape and Fresno State has only played one.
And in the game against Rutgers, the Bulldogs̢۪ offense was very conservative and seemed to show only a small portion of their offensive playbook.
According to Mathews, the bye week came at the right time and has helped to give the Bulldogs an edge over the Badgers.
The matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers has been billed as one of, if not the biggest, game ever in Bulldog Stadium.
After a 51-14 route of Marshall on Saturday, the Badgers have climbed to No. 10 in both the AP and USA Today college football polls.
Despite the fact that the Bulldogs did not play this past weekend, the team remained ranked No. 21 in both polls.
The Bulldogs have had the chance to get some early preparation for the Badgers and the team seems to be ready to play for its home crowd at Bulldog Stadium.
“It’s going to be electric, it’s unimaginable,â€Â Mathews said. “I just can’t wait.â€Â
As for the fans looking to get into the game, all general public tickets for the game have sold out. Some student tickets and Bulldog Foundation member tickets did remain as of Sunday.
Any unsold Bulldog Foundation tickets will go on sale Monday morning at 7 a.m. exclusively on the athletic department Web site, gobulldogs.com.
Student tickets are still available at the Web site or in the University Student Union.
This is the first sellout of Bulldog Stadium since Oregon came to Fresno in 2006.
Getting to know the Wisconsin Badgers
2007 record:9-4 (5-3 in Big Ten), lost to Tennessee, 17-21, in the Outback Bowl.
The story so far: Wisconsin beat Akron, 38-17, week one at Camp Randall and also beat Marshall, 51-14, this weekend to start the season 2-0.
Impact players: Offense РJunior tailback, P.J. Hill РHill is the catalyst of the Wisconsin offense. In week one against Akron, Hill rushed for 210 yards and scored two touchdowns. Hill also scored twice Saturday against Marshall, but only ran for 57 yards. He is a power back that could give the Bulldogs trouble if they don̢۪t sure up the run defense. Against Rutgers, the Bulldogs allowed Kordell Young to rush for over 90 yards and a touchdown in his first collegiate start.
Defense – Junior linebacker, Jaevery McFadden – This redshirt junior leads the Badgers with 20 tackles this season. He has 10 unassisted tackles and 10 assisted tackles. In the season opener against Akron, he had 11 solo tackles for the Badgers. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, McFadden is a force to be reckoned with in his first year as a full-time starter.
The Buzz: Fresno State fans have been waiting for this game since 2002. The Bulldogs have made two trips to Camp Randall and the series is tied 1-1. The Badgers are ranked at No. 10 in the latest polls and are seeking redemption for the 32-20 loss the Bulldogs handed them the last time the two teams played each other in Madison. The game is sold out and could be one of the biggest in program history.
Wisconsin tickets are going quickly
̢ۢ According to the athletic department̢۪s Web site gobulldogs.com, the general public seats for the Bulldogs̢۪ Sept. 13 matchup against the Wisconsin Badgers have sold out. But, students tickets are still available for the highly-anticipated game.
̢ۢ Student tickets have not yet sold out, but are moving fast. To buy single game student tickets, visit the ticket office in the University Student Union, the Bulldog Stadium box office, or visit gobulldogs.com.
Randy Lee / Huntsville, AL • Sep 9, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Wisconsin has had 6 good quarters of football and two bad ones so far against two so-so opponents. Fresno State will be a true test for UW.
If the Badgers stick to their game plan and use their strength, speed and size advantages; they will wear the Bulldogs down and get a W. If FSU plays its typical scrappy game and follows the leadership of one of the Nation’s best coaches, they could upset Wisconsin.
It will be an interesting test for both squads. My prediction is the former rather than the latter.
Coach Beilema’s Badgers have worked out the kinks and remember the embarrassments of 2007’s melt downs. The defense is better and UW’s powerful line will lead its trio of backs to victory. It will likely be a narrow one and UW will need to play every down hard for four quarters, but the Badgers will return to Madison victorious. As Tiger Woods says “a W is a W”.
The Badgers will incorporate Coach B’s 1-0 philosophy into a 3-0 start.
On Wisconsin!
Randy Lee / Huntsville, AL • Sep 10, 2008 at 4:55 am
Wisconsin has had 6 good quarters of football and two bad ones so far against two so-so opponents. Fresno State will be a true test for UW.
If the Badgers stick to their game plan and use their strength, speed and size advantages; they will wear the Bulldogs down and get a W. If FSU plays its typical scrappy game and follows the leadership of one of the Nation’s best coaches, they could upset Wisconsin.
It will be an interesting test for both squads. My prediction is the former rather than the latter.
Coach Beilema’s Badgers have worked out the kinks and remember the embarrassments of 2007’s melt downs. The defense is better and UW’s powerful line will lead its trio of backs to victory. It will likely be a narrow one and UW will need to play every down hard for four quarters, but the Badgers will return to Madison victorious. As Tiger Woods says “a W is a W”.
The Badgers will incorporate Coach B’s 1-0 philosophy into a 3-0 start.
On Wisconsin!
Eric • Sep 8, 2008 at 11:50 am
While i think some of your points are valid, it is hard to believe what you say when you dont even have the facts right. I think this FSU team is very talented and may be fast, but everyone thinks the big 10 is slow, and it isn’t. Big 10 gets that rap from OSU’s poor performances against the SEC.
The reason why its hard to believe you is that you have watched Wisconsin for 3 games this year, well…. they have played 2… and if you dont think we have speed you will be very surprised how quick the backs are, especially when a 240 lb redshirt freshman runs a 4.4 40…. I think it should be a great game, but i see wisconsin wearing down FSU in the second behind 3 great running backs and a line that avgs 6’6″ and 319 lbs.
Eric • Sep 8, 2008 at 6:50 pm
While i think some of your points are valid, it is hard to believe what you say when you dont even have the facts right. I think this FSU team is very talented and may be fast, but everyone thinks the big 10 is slow, and it isn’t. Big 10 gets that rap from OSU’s poor performances against the SEC.
The reason why its hard to believe you is that you have watched Wisconsin for 3 games this year, well…. they have played 2… and if you dont think we have speed you will be very surprised how quick the backs are, especially when a 240 lb redshirt freshman runs a 4.4 40…. I think it should be a great game, but i see wisconsin wearing down FSU in the second behind 3 great running backs and a line that avgs 6’6″ and 319 lbs.
LOOKING IN • Sep 8, 2008 at 5:15 am
This is why college football is so great. After being raised in Wisconsin I was educated in the California State University system and have followed both programs.
Wisconsin will have 3 excellent running backs and a good Q back behind a very big and good offensive line which tends to bog down every now and then. However, their d backs are young with average speed and the ‘California athletes’ should have their way.
After watching Wisconsin for 3 games this year and F.S.U. for 1……I think F.S.U.’s speed should overcome. F.S.U. by 3, but it should be one of the years best games.
Don’t miss it!
LOOKING IN • Sep 8, 2008 at 12:15 pm
This is why college football is so great. After being raised in Wisconsin I was educated in the California State University system and have followed both programs.
Wisconsin will have 3 excellent running backs and a good Q back behind a very big and good offensive line which tends to bog down every now and then. However, their d backs are young with average speed and the ‘California athletes’ should have their way.
After watching Wisconsin for 3 games this year and F.S.U. for 1……I think F.S.U.’s speed should overcome. F.S.U. by 3, but it should be one of the years best games.
Don’t miss it!