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Bulldogs’ fate depends on play in November
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Who would have thought that the hard-nosed, blue-collar Fresno State Bulldogs would be 1-6 coming into their anticipated match-up against Boise State?
Most fans expected the match-up would decide the Western Athletic Conference championship. Gone are the thoughts of Fresno winning the WAC and the thoughts of Fresno competing with Boise State.
At least that’s what a lot of people outside the Fresno State camp are saying, but Bulldog Head Coach Pat Hill remains confident in his team.
“I’m not worried about our team playing hard, I won’t worry about our execution or the ability to make plays,” Hill said coming off a tough loss at LSU.
Fresno State is 1-6 on the year and even more surprising is their 1-2 record in WAC play.
The Bulldogs haven’t won a game since Sept. 1 and their
defense has been torched in their last two contests by Hawaii and LSU.
“The games in November are the ones you remember, and it’s Nov. 1 so we got to get to work,” Hill said.
Mathematically, if the Bulldogs win the remainder of their games they could still win the WAC and get themselves into a bowl game. Of course they cannot look any further ahead than Boise State, who is next on their schedule and comes into the contest with a perfect 7-0 record and a top 15 ranking in the
national polls.
Recent games between Fresno State and Boise State have been the premier match-up in the conference. Even with Fresno ’s struggling record this season this year’s game between the two foes will surely have a fair amount of hype.
“I think they’re an outstanding football team,” Hill said. “We look forward to this challenge playing in Boise. It just gives us a chance to not only play hard, but to play against a great football team and have a chance to go out and prove ourselves once again.”
If Fresno wants to prove anything this season they had better start winning in a hurry. Currently some poll voters are ranking the Bulldogs as low as tenth worst in college football, a reputation Fresno State has not be accustomed to in recent years.
Boise State has controlled the recent rivalry by winning four of the last five games since 2001.
Fresno’s lone win against the Bronco’s in the new millennium came last year in Fresno when the Bulldog offense rolled up over 500 total yards and Boise State only mustered up 294.
Fresno must win all of its remaining games to have any shot at a post-season bowl game.
Like Coach Hill said, games in November are the ones you remember and he knows his team has to take them as they come.
“What we need to do is just keep staying positive, working forward,” Hill said.
“We got to tell our kids to win the month of November and winning the month of November gives us six wins. We got to just keep working in that direction. It starts
with the biggest game of them all in the next game and it happens to be Boise.”
KYE JOHNSON
Assistant Sports Editor
