Football schedules defending champions

By EDDIE HUGHES

The 2005 Fresno State football schedule included some big names already, but the newest announcement tops them all.

Fresno State announced Friday it will visit the defending national champion USC Trojans on Nov. 19 at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

“I’ve been working on it for over a year, and over the last two months, the conversations got stronger and stronger,” Fresno State athletic director Scott Johnson said. “I know they had other options, and I’m sure they were weighing a lot of that versus us. And I think the MPC bowl victory helped a lot. It gave us a lot of credibility.”

The Bulldogs are coming off an MPC Computers Bowl win over then-No.17 Virginia that vaulted Fresno State to No. 22 in the final rankings.

It was also announced the Bulldogs will open the season at home against Division I-AA Weber State on Sept. 10.

Fresno State’s other two non-conference games are at Oregon on Sept. 17 and a midweek home contest against Toledo on Sept. 27.

It will be just the second time ever the Bulldogs and Trojans have met — the first time in the regular season.

Fresno State defeated USC 24-7 in the 1992 Freedom Bowl in Anaheim behind quarterback Trent Dilfer and running backs Lorenzo Neal and Ron Rivers among others.

That USC team boasted of such players as quarterback Rob Johnson, receivers Curtis Conway and Johnnie Morton and defenders Willie McGinest and Jason Sehorn.

This USC team boasts of Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Matt Leinart and All-America running back Reggie Bush.

“This is a game we have wanted for a long time,” Bulldogs coach Pat Hill said in a news release. “I have such great respect for Pete (Carroll) and the job he’s done at USC. It is one of the most successful programs in college football history. We always want to play the best, and with them on our 2005 schedule, there’s no doubt in my mind we will be playing the best team in college football.”