Two years ago, a lot rode on Fresno State kicker Kevin Goessling’s left leg, probably more than head coach Pat Hill would have liked to put on his young freshman.

The same year, a lot of groans and disappointments engulfed Bulldog Stadium, usually because that same left leg.

In 2008, Bulldog football was flying pretty high. A season-opening road win resulted in Fresno State’s first national ranking since 2005; that was until tenth-ranked Wisconsin came to town.

A lot of fingers could be pointed at Goessling’s horrible evening as resulting in the 13-10 loss, but the offense itself was poor, at best, through the first three quarters after moving into Badger territory just twice in the first half.

His Bulldog Stadium debut was difficult to watch with three missed field goals when just one could have sent the game into overtime. But the rough start to Goessling’s career was far from out of sight.

Three weeks following the Badger meltdown, the ‘Dogs retained their national ranking with a pair of road wins and hosted a hapless 1-3 Hawaii club that had issues of its own at the quarterback position. But the Warriors came to play that early October evening and forced Goessling into a familiar, but uncomfortable position. Goessling’s chance at redemption in regulation was blocked, and a short time later pushed a 40-yarder wide left on the first possession of overtime. When he was bailed out by a controversial running-into-the-kicker penalty, his 35-yard retry sailed right and was greeted with a smattering of boos.

Hawaii went on to pull the upset, and Goessling retired to the locker room with a swirl of doubts””some fair and some foul””for what appeared to be his second big mistake in four weeks.

Since then, no matter how many times the talented kicker knocks through 50-plus yarders (five) or game winners (two), Goessling’s dissenters linger in the stands, waiting for him to crumble under pressure for the third time in a Bulldog uniform.

But while the Kevin Goessling Hate Club still remains, I am waiting for the opposite.

Last season, Goessling buried his Badger memories of 2008 by drilling a 41-yard field goal at Camp Randall Stadium to give his ‘Dogs a chance in overtime. Fresno State went on to lose the game, but it took two overtimes, and this time it wasn’t Goessling’s fault.

Last year’s game at Hawaii provided Goessling with little chance at salvation, mostly because the ‘Dogs dismantled the Warriors from start to finish.

But with an explosive offense that leads the nation in passing yards, expect Hawaii to force a more competitive contest Saturday in Bulldog Stadium that just may come down to Goessling’s left leg””again.

Now obviously I’m being a little subjective, and could almost guarantee that, if asked, Goessling would give the politically correct response that it’s just another game and what happened in 2008 is far behind him.

But no matter how far back his freshman season may be, putting a couple kicks through the uprights this Saturday, and perhaps a game-winner, would put to rest a lot of Goessling’s doubters, and even bury his own demons.

That is, if he has any left.