Friday's match-up for WAC championship

By Zack Walton

Fresno State’s 41-7 win over San Jose State on Saturday set the stage for a showdown against Boise State for first place in the Western Athletic Conference, according to Fresno State football coach Pat Hill.

“ Friday night is for the WAC championship in my eyes,” Hill said at his press conference on Monday.

Boise State comes to Fresno for Friday’s nationally televised game at Bulldog Stadium with a No. 20 ranking in the Associated Press poll.

The last meeting between the two teams came last year at Boise when the Broncos manhandled the Bulldogs 67-21 en route to the WAC title.

In 2001, Boise State ended Fresno State’s magical run at a Bowl Championship Series bid, when it beat the eighth-ranked Bulldogs.

When asked if the losses to Boise State over the last two seasons would motivate his players in Friday night’s match-up, Hill said it wouldn’t.

“ Once we walk down the ramp it doesn’t matter…its going to be a heck of a game,” Hill said.

The Bulldogs are awaiting arguably one of the most important home games in Fresno State history.

And they’ll be looking to secure first place in the WAC in front of a large crowd Friday night, Hill said.

“ Like John Baxter [Fresno State special teams coach] says all the time ‘the execution of our team fuels the emotion of the stadium,’ and that’s what we have to do,” Hill said.

• Fresno State is coming off a dominating performance last week against San Jose State. The Bulldogs racked up more than 500 yards of total offense while the defense held the Spartans to less than 300 yards and seven points.

• Saturday’s crowd of 39,453 fans at Bulldog Stadium outdrew the attendance of four Pac-10 teams at their home games: Arizona, California, Oregon State and Washington State.

• Linebackers Bryce McGill and Marc Dailey, wide receivers Bernard Berrian and Marque Davis and free safety Dee Meza are a few of the 12 seniors who will be playing their final home game Friday night at Bulldog Stadium.

• Boise State enters the game against Fresno State with the most explosive offense in the WAC, averaging nearly 500 yards and almost 44 points a game. The Broncos also represent the best defense in the WAC, allowing a stingy 16 points and less than 340 yards a game.

• Boise State senior quarterback Ryan Dinwiddie has the highest pass efficiency rating in the WAC. Dinwiddie has thrown for more than 3,000 yards and 22 touchdowns, while tossing only two interceptions.