Bulldogs close out the season on the "Smurf Turf"

As Fresno State winds down the 2008 season, they have one more game yet to play, and it's a fitting way to end the season if you ask me.

Friday night, Fresno State will be on the "Smurf Turf" in Boise, ID to take on 9th ranked Boise State. The Broncos of Boise State come into this game with a perfect record and have everything, including a BCS game, to lose by losing this game, which is why Fresno State should be the looser of the two teams going into the game. They know they having nothing to lose, they should be a lock for a bowl game, whatever and wherever that game happens to be so win or lose, they will have a post season.

Call Fresno State's season a disappointment if you wish, but let's look at it this way. The Bulldogs had Wisconsin and Hawaii beaten in the final seconds, but missed field goals would eventually lead to a Bulldog loss. If Goessling makes just two of the six combined field goals he missed, we're talking about Fresno State sitting at 9-2 overall and 5-2 in WAC play. So, I don't think blaming a 7-4 record on Pat Hill is exactly fair, do you?

With all the talk about San Diego State firing Chuck Long after 3 seasons and now Charlie Weis being on the hot seat at Notre Dame after four seasons, I'm sure rumors have started about Pat Hill also being on the hot seat, but isn't that the case every year?

With the players Pat Hill has recruited and brought in to learn the Bulldog system, I think they are the verge of a breakout season, a season like a lot of us Bulldog fans saw back in 2001 when David Carr led Fresno State to a Top 10 ranking and a win against a high powered Wisconsin team, on the road no less.

So now that I got sidetracked with what I was writing about, let's finish talking about this big game coming up. Do I think the Bulldogs can win a game of this magnitude against a team like Boise State? My biased answer would be yes, but the realistic side of me says absolutely not. This is a very good Boise State football team and one that could have a date with another high bowl game come January. If Fresno State can just stay with the Broncons, I'll call it a success, but somehow, I don't see that happening either.

Either way, it's been a fun season to watch and I look very much forward to seeing where Fresno State ends up playing and in which bowl game. After that, we'll hang up the cleats and we'll focus on Fresno State basketball and look forward to the 2008 College World Series Champion baseball team starting up spring drills. Let's get past winter before we start talking about spring shall we?

Bulldogs may be in a win or go home situation this Saturday

Fresno State looks towards their home finale, just under 48 hours away, as a win or go home situation when New Mexico State comes to town. If the Bulldogs are unable to get a win against the Aggies of New Mexico State on Saturday, it's likely that Pat Hill and his staff will start to look towards the 2009 season.

Fresno State did get a few pieces of good news yesterday as they learned that defensive tackle Jon Monga and the teams' leading rusher Ryan Mathews will make their return to the Bulldog lineup. Both players should be a huge boost for this Bulldog football team and especially in the situation they're in. Monga has been a big part of the defensive line and could be a much needed boost for a defense that gave up over 400 yards rushing to Nevada last Saturday. As for Mathews, he'll be a definite boost and will take the rushing load off the shoulders of Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding, who have struggled in recent weeks, especially with Miller missing the entire Louisiana Tech game with an injury. With all three seemingly at full strength, it should also take a huge load off the mind of quarterback Tom Brandstater, who has had to throw the ball more in the past two weeks because of the limited action that Miller saw and not having Ryan Mathews at all.

Say the Bulldogs do get a win this weekend, which I believe they will, they will need absolutely heroic efforts to knock off San Jose State and 9th ranked Boise State, both games will be played on the road. That's why the Bulldogs absolutely need a win on Saturday.

Have the Bulldogs had their chances to win games, absolutely they have, but this team was horrendous on defense last week against Nevada, they missed crucial field goals against Hawaii and Wisconsin that cost them both games as well as turning the ball over way too much. It's not time to look towards 2009 yet, but if they can't get a win on Saturday, it'll be time to head from Bulldog Stadium over to The Save Mart Center to support the basketball team who, though they are young and somewhat inexperienced, could surprise a lot of teams this season if this team is able to come together.

Time will tell...

Bulldogs in danger of missing the postseason

Fresno State is in danger of missing the postseason for the 2nd time in three years, not playing in a bowl game in 2006 after going through a rough 4-8 season, then turning it around in 2007 with an 8-4 finish and a 40-28 victory over Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl.

The Bulldogs will need at least one win in their next three games starting this Saturday against New Mexico State, Fresno State's home finale. They'll finish up the 2008 season at San Jose State then at 9th ranked, and undefeated, Boise State, neither of which I expect Fresno to win so it's win or go home against the Aggies this weekend.

The biggest problem for Fresno State this season has not only been the horrible defense, but injuries, turnovers and missed opportunities have been this team's downfall all season long. Against Wisconsin, a 13-10 loss, kicker Kevin Goessling missed 3 FG's that would be been the difference between a 3 point loss and a Bulldog victory. A few weeks later, again at home, against Hawaii, Goessling would again miss three FG's that eventually would cost them the game, one of which came at the end of regulation that would have given Fresno State the victory. Notch a victory in both those games, and instead of currently being at 5-4 they would be sitting pretty at 7-2 going into Saturday's game against New Mexico State.

Will missing the postseason mean that Pat Hill's job is on the line? I doubt it, but the rumors will begin to swirl I can almost guarantee that. I don't believe Hill is responsible for missed FG's in crucial situations, the injuries they sustained that have really cost this team or the lack of ball control this offense has been plagued with, but Hill will always tell you that he's responsible for getting the team ready. The two injuries that have hurt this team the most were Sr. lineman Cole Popovich and Sr. defensive tackle Jon Monga, both players were lost early on in the season and it's shown how much of an affect it has had on this team.

We'll see what this team has the final three weeks of the 2008 season. Are the out of gas? Only time will tell.

Do Bulldog fans expect too much?

Ok, so usually I write about something majority of fans already know, so I thought I would take a different angle and throw out something that may rile some of you up and some may agree with me.

I used to live in Fresno, so you can't say that I don't know what I'm talking about, because I've heard the same talk when I was living there. I hear the same things with San Diego Padre fans as well. What am I hearing you ask? Fans constantly complaining, about Pat Hill, about the football program trying to do too much, playing teams they have no business playing (USC, Ohio State, Wisconsin, etc).

So with all that said, let's start on the obvious topic which is how much longer is Pat Hill going to be at the helm? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he just sign a ten year contract extension prior to this season starting? So, if in fact, that is correct it means Pat Hill is the head coach of the Fresno State Football team for another 9 years and unless the team has consecutive losing seasons at any point over those next 9 years, don't count on him being fired any time soon. Now, I heard post-game 'Dog Talk on KMJ-580 AM after the loss to Hawaii, I understand fans' frustrations because I felt them as well, but people pointing the blame at Hill? Anyone forget that kicker Kevin Goessling missed 3 FG's, one of which should have been the game winner? Anyone miss the fact that Tom Branstater had a horrendous game, responsible for half (3) of the teams six turnovers, not throwing for a single touchdown? I have a hard time believing that Pat Hill should take the blame for that, but again, this is just my opinion.

As far as the teams Fresno State plays in their non-conference schedule. I've heard a lot of people ask why they even bother, why not focus on a WAC title first and not a BCS Bowl bid? Here's what I have to say to that. For the past several seasons, Boise State has just been that much better than Fresno State and they play the same kind of non-conference schedule that Fresno State does, not shying away from anyone, so it would have been hard to challenge them. With that being said, should Fresno State go out and schedule UC Davis, Cal Poly, Harvard, just to pad their record before you start conference play? If you say yes, I hope you have a good reason for saying yes, because I have no interest in going to Bulldog Stadium just to watch a blowout. I would much rather see how they stack up against the top teams in the country. Anyone hear about San Diego State playing Cal Poly this year? No? Didn't think so.

Are there some die hard, be there through winning and losing seasons, Bulldog fans absolutely there are but there are also a fair share of bandwagon jumpers. Let's get one thing straight, as long as the BCS is around, Fresno State will NEVER play for a National Championship. That is, unless, they play Florida, USC and Ohio State, win all 3 games, go undefeated in conference and win each of those games by 20 or more points, then they might get a consideration, but it's still a long shot. I know there's a lot of excitement about the Bulldogs winning the College World Series and rightly so, I loved watching the celebrations spill out onto Shaw Ave but still able to keep it peaceful (other college towns pay attention, notice no cars turned over, no riots, no looting?), but Pat Hill and his coaching staff are going about this the right way.

Fresno State's one problem right now is their defense, they've had a lot of injuries and their defensive line needs to figure out how to stop teams from running down their throats. Let me put it this way, if Goessling makes FG's against Wisconsin and against Hawaii, we're not talking about losses in either of those games and noone is calling for Pat Hill's head.

Let's put blame where it belongs, and where the players know it should go, squarely on their shoulders and theirs alone.