Brianna Campbell / Collegian File Photo
When the phrase “every game is big” is thrown around, most people hear it and think it is just cliché to elaborate, but to coach Pat Hill and the Bulldogs, this saying couldn’t be more true.
After rebounding from their devastating loss to Hawaii two weeks ago by defeating New Mexico State over the weekend, Fresno State will square off against long-time rival San Jose State. Coach Hill has stressed numerous times that as a team competing for a Western Athletic Conference Championship, the Bulldogs need to take a one game at time approach. The concentration should always be on the upcoming match and their focus should never go pass that Saturday’s game.
With the season through the halfway point, Hill stresses that every game left on the schedule becomes increasingly more important, and that every win the Bulldogs collect is big. And not just big, but monumental as Hill and the Dogs’ look to win out the rest of their schedule.
Yet for Fresno State, this upcoming game on the road against WAC rival San Jose State stands in their way for a quest at the WAC Title. The rivalry not only has a heavy impact on the current participants, but also past Fresno State faithful that remember the long-standing fued between in-state rivals.
“This has been a good rivalry over the years from when I was an assistant coach here in the ‘80s,” Hill said. “It’s a great game for a lot of our fans to go to. Sometimes we have as many as eight-to-10,000 fans over there. It should be a nice migration through the Pacheco pass.”
Coach Hill insists his players are up for the task and are determined to help the Bulldogs gut out a huge win over the Spartans.
The rivalry dates back to 1921 when the first football game was played between the two schools. Counting from the first game until San Jose State moved from the Big West Conference to the WAC in 1996, the two teams have played a total of 74 games.
Currently, Fresno State leads the all-time series 38-33-3, and will look to beat the Spartans for the fourth consecutive year.
“It’s the oldest standing football game played at this university,” Hill said. “More games have been played against San Jose than anybody else. A lot of the teams that Fresno State had for rivalry games over the years, a lot of them have dropped football or no longer play.
In addition to the fact that both teams play in the WAC, the influence of both schools being such close proximity has led to immense division and hatred. Although San Jose State has struggled through a treacherous schedule and multiple injuries, Hill noted his players cannot take the week off, especially with the rivalry on the line.
Hill also stressed that if his team underestimates San Jose State’s offensive capabilities, it could be a long game.
“They’ve played a very, very tough schedule, no doubt about it,” Hill said. “We need to go in there and play a very good game. They’ll be very, very hungry for this one. That’s a tough schedule. I can understand what they’re going through there. But, you know what, they’ve played very hard every week, they keep battling, they’ve got great character and this is going to be a tough football game. If we go over there thinking this is going to be not a physical football game we’re wrong.”