Fresno State enters the 2013 season after finishing eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in receiving yards and sixth in touchdowns.
And with an arsenal of players such as seniors Marcel Jensen and Isaiah Burse, junior Josh Harper and redshirt sophomore Davante Adams, the Bulldogs are aiming for a higher ranking in 2013.
And one thing is certain: they will not settle for anything less.
“I’m blessed to have all the weapons that we do have,” quarterback Derek Carr said. “I’m blessed that we have a system to put them all on the field at once.
“Davante had a great year last year, and when they want to double team him then Harp’s out there. And when you want to plow him, then you have to cover Burse with your third-best one. And when you want to cover him, then we have Marcel, who runs like a deer.”
“Now it’s all about just putting them to work.”
Josh Harper
Harper’s main focus is to stay healthy. In 2012, his sophomore year, he missed opening night with a hamstring injury and did not play in the final seven games of the season with a sports hernia
“I want to continue production on the field every day: get better and keep producing,” Harper said.
In Fresno State’s first game against Rutgers, Harper produced. He tallied 94 yards for two touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ overtime victory. His longest play was a 16-yard completion during the third quarter. Eight plays later, he would score on an 11-yard play that would give the Bulldogs the lead.
Harper’s most important play came with 38 seconds remaining in regulation. Harper made a two-yard reception that tied the game. This play would send the Bulldogs to their first overtime game since the New Mexico Bowl in 2009, when they lost to Wyoming in two overtimes.
Davante Adams
Adams, the sophomore from Palo Alto, is looking to add to his resume. The Mountain West Freshman Player of the Year, Adams was only the second freshman in MWC history to be named to the first-team. He was Carr’s main target, leading the MWC in every receiving category.
“We have a lot of guys that are making big plays and we have a lot of threats,” Adams said. “With Josh and Isaiah, it takes a lot of pressure off of me.”
And that status has continued. In the Bulldogs’ opener, he had 148 receiving yards (leading the MWC) and two touchdowns.
Isaiah Burse
Burse, the 6-foot, 187-pound senior from Modesto, suffered an injury during fall camp, but rebounded in time to play in the opener. He had 118 receiving yards in the game, and 47 yards as the punt returner.
“I didn’t know that Derek [Carr] was going to try to use me that much,” Burse said after the win. “But when he does, I try to make the most of it.”
Burse ended 2012 third in school history with 4,504 career yards. Despite being third place in total yards in the MWC last year, he led the conference in longest play: a 97-yard touchdown reception at New Mexico that set an MWC record.
Marcel Jensen
Jensen, a tight end, is still adjusting to offensive coordinator Dave Schramm’s spread offense. At 6-foot-6 inches and 270 pounds, the need for him to stay agile is a challenge.
“Whatever the need from me, I’m going to go out there and give 100 percent,” Jensen said. “
Adjusting from a pro-style offense to a faster-paced spread offense has proven to be a challenge for Jensen.
“It’s been a battle trying to stay in shape, because I’m a bigger guy and not a receiver,” he said. “I see it more as half-receiver, half-offensive lineman because I have to get out there and block.
“My coaching staff and [strength and conditioning coach Joey] Boese did a great job with us over the summer. It’s definitely a huge difference from the pro-style to the spread offense.”