Fresno State Football Game Preview

Analysis by Darrell Copeland III
The Collegian

BULLDOGS

In all of the years of Bulldogs football, none have reached as low of a point as the 2006 version.

Fresno State has dug a hole so deep, it is on the verge of reaching a magma core. For whatever reason, the Bulldogs have failed to answer any the bell on any challenge this season, but perhaps the biggest challenge will be thrown at them this week (more on this below).

Not much has changed since last week’s breakdown. The struggles from games before are still lingering: the passing game still has yet to catch fire, the defense has really struggled to get a turnover and the special teams may still be the team’s weakness to this point.

Pat Hill has shown incredible support and loyalty to his players — at least when he’s talking publicly. Hill wants so badly for his players to play with the passion and desire to win the way his successful teams of the past have. At 1-4, you wouldn’t think there is much left to dig deep for, until you realize Hawaii is the opponent.

Laugh at the Haka:
The Warriors have implemented pregame ritual called the Haka for the 2006 season. The Maorian ritual has been made famous previously by the All Blacks rugby team in Europe. The ritual includes yelling and body gestures that the team performs in unison as a form of intimidation and respect. This may be just the thing to get the Bulldogs to start playing with more emotion. Fresno State, in a sense, will be called out by Hawaii in the form of the Haka, which will only add to the already strong emotions that will encompass the Bulldogs created by the longtime rivalry between the two teams.

Persona of years past:
In 2001, and even more recently than that, Fresno State was synonymous in the way that its defense was viewed. You could describe them as the most rabid, gang-tackling, fear-pumping, hard-hitting group of sob’s that any college had to offer. That perception has quickly changed, likely because nearly all of those elements have vanished. It would do the Bulldogs’ defensive coaches well to bring back the swagger the defenses of the past have, and if they don’t want to do it, the players should do it themselves. The impact of a knockout hit and the momentum change a turnover has can be immense, and it wouldn’t hurt to see a return to those days this weekend against the Warriors.

Spark plug:
It helps to get motivation from your opponent, but if you can motivate yourself, it makes success that much more likely to happen. The spark from within this week — if it comes at all — will likely be from backup quarterback Sean Norton. The threat alone of Norton on his heels should make starter Tom Brandstater play better. If not, the fans would not mind seeing Norton succeed, and his uncanny high school success makes it a likely possibility that he will if he sees time. Bottom line is, whoever lines up under center needs to play at a higher level. That’s nothing they don’t know already.

Warriors

Before the season began, the Hawaii game was looked at as one of those “scary games.”

That would have remained the case if Fresno State had performed anywhere near the expectations it had pre-season. Now the Warriors — already looking for revenge from last year — are expected to win.

Hawaii is a quick and often scoring team, and if weeks past are any hint, the Bulldogs may be allowing a season-high in points allowed this week. The Warriors use the run-and-shoot offense, which will test the Bulldogs’ secondary the way no other team has this season.

Along with that, the Warriors will be bringing in a never-die attitude, something the Bulldogs have been lacking. Hawaii head coach June Jones mentioned earlier this week that many of Hawaii’s players from previous years cited their all-time biggest win as a Warriors player being the win over Fresno State in Fresno during the 2002 season.

This year’s crop will be looking to do much of the same.

Air-mail:
The Warriors will throw the ball a lot, especially since the Bulldogs are such a young team in the secondary. Five-wide sets will not be uncommon, despite the fact that rain may be on the docket at some point during the game. Hawaii quarterbacks have attempted a pass 224 times this season, compared to the 105 times the ball has been carried past the line of scrimmage. The oft-passing Warriors offense does give the Bulldogs more chances at an interception, but they’ll have to work hard for it as they have yet to take one away this season.

They play defense too:
Seven interceptions, 19 passes broken up, four forced fumbles and two blocked kicks: these are the standout areas for a Hawaii team that likely has its best defense in 10 years. Give credit for that to defensive coordinator Jerry Glanville, who has molded his defensive guys into a new, more aggressive mindset. A change-up from years past, the Warriors will present one of the toughest challenges for the Bulldogs offense this season. Ever worse news for the Bulldogs, the Warriors do it as a unit, not with a couple of individual superstars, although there are some in the making. Sophomore linebacker Solomon Elimimian is a stud to keep an eye out for.

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