With the Bulldogs just a few days away from hosting the Hawaii Warriors, I thought it would be great to get a few minutes with Andrew Marden of CBS 47 and he was kind enough to give me a few minutes for an interview.
Todd Kaufmann: How much of an impact did the injury to Cole Popovich have on the Fresno State offense and how disappointed is he to be missing his senior year?
Andrew Marden: Cole Popovich was a four-year starter at left guard so not having him in the lineup is a huge blow to the Bulldogs. I haven't had the chance to talk to him since he injured his quadriceps tendon the week before the Wisconsin game, but I'm sure he'd say he's as disappointed about not being able to play as the Bulldogs are by not having him play.
Todd Kaufmann: I'm sure you get asked all the time about why Fresno State plays teams like Oklahoma, LSU, Tennessee, Wisconson, etc when they end up losing those games. How do you respond to that and is it beneficial for the football program to play teams like that?
Andrew Marden: It really depends who you ask. I am a big fan of the way Fresno State makes its schedule because it continually keeps the program in the national spotlight. You can never have enough exposure, especially when you play in a non-BCS conference. Also, it helps with recruiting because players come to Fresno State knowing they'll be playing those types of games. Plus, for every "big" game the Bulldogs don't win, there are plenty where they do: Rutgers, Wisconsin and UCLA this year, USC in 2005, etc.
Todd Kaufmann: Fresno State, in the past, has been called Quarterback U but with guys like Ryan Mathews and Lonyae Miller has that now changed to Running Back U?
Andrew Marden: Don't forget about Anthony Harding, his numbers are very similar to Miller's! Mathews is dominant and will definitely be ranked among the NCAA leaders at the end of the season. That being said, though, Tom Brandstater continues the tradition of talented, well-coached signal-callers at Fresno State. He is very poised in the pocket and many college football experts say he has a decent chance to make it in the NFL.
Todd Kaufmann: We all know how Pat Hill was pursued by NFL teams to be their head coach a few years ago, how close was he to leaving?
Andrew Marden: I doubt we'll ever truly know the answer to that. Pat Hill is a terrific coach who has a great relationship with his assistants as well as his players. He also has the respect of opposing coaches as well. Hill has always said that he will listen to offers if they come his way but without knowing exactly what would make him leave, it's tough to guage where his mind is at. I do know he is happy right now with the way things are going at Fresno State.
Todd Kaufmann: Let's talk about the defending National Champions, with the recruiting this coaching staff did over the past few months, does the 2009 team have the potential to be even better than 2008?
Andrew Marden: Well it's tough to be better than National Champions! I'd never say never, but the 2008 team did overachieve. Fresno State's best pitcher, Tanner Scheppers (a 2nd round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates), was injured and didn't pitch the last two months of the season. And we all know how head coach Mike Batesole had to scrape together a pitching staff during the College World Series. The Bulldogs lose several key members of that team: OF Steve Susdorf and P Clayton Allison were seniors, juniors 2B Erik Wetzel, P Justin Wilson and P Justin Miller all opted for pro careers. It's way too early to tell what will happen in 2009, but Fresno State should be favored to win the WAC again. And once you're in the NCAA Tournament, as we know, anything can happen!
Big thanks to Andrew Marden of CBS 47 for taking the time to do the interview. We hope to have him back more than a few times during the remainder of the Bulldogs season. Check him out at www.cbs47.tv, scroll down towards the bottom left hand corner and click on '47 People' and you can find Andrew's previous stops along the way before his arrival to the Central Valley.
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