BOISE, IDAHO—Now is not the time for a letdown.
Fresno State is known to have major letdowns, especially when the team comes off a deflating, heartbreaking loss.
Five years ago today, the No. 16 Bulldogs made the 277-mile trip to the Los Angeles Coliseum to face the No. 1 team in the country: USC. The game was considered by many as the most entertaining event in Fresno State history.
Led by quarterback Paul Pinegar, Fresno State built an impressive 21-13 lead heading into halftime, until Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush carried the Trojans to a 50-42 victory after cutting, juking and slashing the defense for an eye-popping 513 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
After that emotional loss, the ‘Dogs dropped the next three games to end the season on a four-game losing streak, capped off by a 31-24 defeat at the hands of Tulsa in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
In 2006, with the four losses behind them and a fresh outlook on the season, the ‘Dogs opened the season with a 28-19 Western Athletic Conference win against Nevada.
Things looked like everything was on the way back up for Fresno State after that close game, but Oregon flew into Bulldog Stadium in the second game of the season and escaped with a 31-24 win after Tom Brandstater had tied up the game with a 1-yard plunge in the fourth quarter.
The narrow loss would then propel the ‘Dogs to lose the next six games to give head coach Pat Hill the longest losing streak in his career. Fresno State played so bad that season that Hill stripped the Bulldog decals off of the helmets in the middle of the 2006 season.
Then came just last year, after traveling midway across the country and jumping out to a quick 14-0 lead in the first quarter, the ‘Dogs collapsed despite having a two touchdown lead to lose 34-31 in double overtime.
Guess what happened next?
Yep, a letdown. The ‘Dogs would drop the next two games to open the first-third of season 1-3 through the four games with its only win against Football Championship Subdivision UC Davis.
After last week’s agonizing one-point loss to Nevada, Fresno State is prone for a letdown. Will it happen? Its likely. But now is not the time for a letdown. The ‘Dogs will be playing No. 3 Boise State tonight, who has a good outside shot of playing for a national title.
If Fresno State has a letdown against the Broncos, it will get embarrassed. Hill even said it himself at his post-game press conference.
“We’re going to need to play at a very high level,” Hill said after the Nevada game. “I told them in the locker room that its a bunch of baloney when you talk about emotional letdowns. We can’t have any emotional letdowns.”
If history repeats itself, expect the ‘Dogs to have an emotional letdown.