Fresno State Football

After the Fresno State Bulldogs’ disappointing loss to the Cal Bears on Saturday, the team needs to embrace a short-term memory and set their sites on the No. 10 Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The team must forget about guys like Cal quarterback Zach Maynard and running back Isi Sofele and start thinking about Nebraska’s quarterback, Taylor Martinez, and senior defensive tackle Jared Crick.

Although the team must move on, it’s important that they learn from their mistakes while doing so. 

Offensive Line Has a Tall Order

When starting center Richard Helepiko went down early in the Cal game with an ankle injury, it caused coach Pat Hill to do some major reshuffling to the offensive line.

That one injury made it tough on the Bulldogs, as the coaching staff was forced to move three players on the offensive line in order to adjust to the absence of their starting center. 

“It’s coming along good, we’re ready to play, but we're not polished in all areas,” said Hill about the revamped offensive line. “We still have a lot of work to do with these guys as a group.”

This group has been put in a baptism-by-fire situation and Hill doesn’t think this is a bad thing.  “They’re getting great experience against good opponents, and it will pay big dividends down the road,” said Hill. 

Bright Spots to Build On

If the Cal game was any indication of how a now-healthy Devon Wylie will perform this year, Bulldogs fans should be very excited. Wylie caught five passes for 75 yards, including a 56-yard catch and run. The speedy wideout also caught a screen pass from quarterback Derek Carr, but Wylie slipped to the ground, possibly keeping him from breaking off another big gain.

Wylie didn’t really agree with my assessment of his performance against Cal. “I definitely left a lot on the field, my legs felt heavy,” said Wylie. “I just didn’t make plays that I could have got more out of.”

With that game now behind him, Wylie is looking forward to the trip to Lincoln. "I’m excited, they play a lot of man, I’ve gotta have my mind right to get more out of every play,” added Wylie.

The running game was another encouraging sign for the team. Running back Robbie Rouse had 86 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. If Rouse continues to play like this, the running game should be just fine. That being said, the Bulldogs still have UCLA transfer Milton Knox and A.J. Ellis waiting in the wings to help the run game as well. 

Defense Must Learn From Loss

A few days before the game against the Bears, Bulldogs safety Phillip Thomas broke his leg, leaving the Bulldogs with a void in the secondary.

Cal quarterback Zach Maynard didn’t set the world on fire, but he did just enough to exploit the Bulldogs deficiencies on defense to get the job done.

Defensive tackle Logan Harrell talked about the importance of learning from Saturday’s game.  “Coming off last week's game, I think it’s something to look back on film and realize our mistakes and just build on it,” Harrell said. “This week's going to be a bigger challenge, a way bigger challenge.” 

My Two Cents

Fans care about wins and losses and that’s understandable, but win or lose this Saturday, the team could gain experience that won’t show up in the box score. This could be a giant step in the right direction towards that WAC title that the fans, coaches and players so desperately crave. 

Notes

To prepare the Bulldogs for the 80,000-plus fans in Lincoln on Saturday, the team piped simulated crowd noise into the stadium during practice.

***All quotes were obtained firsthand by Gean May after the Bulldogs practice on 9-7-2011.

The Fresno State football team has lost their last 11 games against ranked teams.

This Saturday the Bulldogs will be in Lincoln, Nebraska with a chance to snap that streak against the No. 10 Cornhuskers. A few Cornhuskers, including the head coach, had a few things to say about Fresno State at their press conference on Monday, September, 5, 2011.

Jared Crick Expecting Tough Game

The Bulldogs will face a tough Cornhuskers defense led by defensive tackle Jared Crick. The defensive standout had this to say about the Bulldogs: "They're a hard-working bunch. A great coach. They're all well-coached," said Crick. "We're expecting a fight to win the game. We're expecting a great game."

Head Coach Bo Pelini Praises Pat Hill and Discusses Dogs playing in Nebraska

The Bulldogs and Cornhuskers have never played each other, but Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini is well aware of their opponent next week. "Fresno State is very athletic. They're very aggressive," said Pelini. "They're a physical team that is well-coached."

Nebraska plays their home games at Memorial Stadium, which holds 81,091 people. Coach Pelini doesn't think the Bulldogs will be hampered by the big crowd. "The venue isn't going to bother them. They've played in a lot of different places against a lot of good football teams," said Pelini.

Taylor Martinez: Was he almost a Bulldog?

Besides worrying about Crick the Bulldogs will also have their hands full with sophomore quarterback Taylor Martinez.

The fleet afoot quarterback didn't really have as much input as Pelini and Crick. "We really haven't gotten into that game plan much. I played with one player that's on the team right now, Ben Letcher, he's a defensive end. I don't know if he's starting there right now. Other than that, they recruited me and that's pretty much it," said Martinez at the press conference.

When the quarterback was asked if he ever gave Fresno State any thought when they recruited him, his answer was straight to the point.  "No because I was fully committed to Nebraska."

Moving Forward

It's time for the Bulldogsto put the loss against Cal behind them and focus on the task at hand.

Wouldn't this be a great way to snap the aforementioned losing streak?

Fresno, California, Fresno State Football Coach Pat Hill seemed somewhat upbeat during his weekly press conference on Monday morning.

Coach Hill’s Bulldogs are coming off a 36-21 loss to Cal on Saturday and are getting ready to prepare for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Lincoln on Saturday.

Hill wasn’t happy about the loss to Cal, but he did see a silver lining in the defeat. “That was a tough one to go through, but it’s a lot better losing when you can see a lot of room for improvement,” Hill said.

Hill on the Bulldogs' Run Defense

The coach was pleased with the way the Bulldogs' run defense played against Cal. “I thought we did a very good job against the run game against Cal, except we did not do well on a couple of option plays,” said Hill.

Pass Defense Gave Up too Many Big Plays

The Bulldogs gave up a few big pass plays in the game that definitely didn’t go unnoticed by Hill.  “Our pass coverage was a little soft at times. They made a couple of big plays, the second one from Maynard was huge when he dropped it in over Deron Smith, Deron makes a leap for the ball and just missed it by inches on a third and 10 which kept the drive alive,” said Hill.

Run Plays vs. Pass Plays

Quarterback Derek Carr made his first start as a Bulldog throwing the ball 33 times. Although Hill didn’t criticize Carr at all, he wished he wouldn’t have relied on the passing game as much as he did. “We probably should have run the ball more, looking back at it,” said Hill on the Bulldogs' running game. “Robbie Rouse played at a very high level."

Offensive Line Update

In the first half against Cal, the Bulldogs' starting center Richard Helepiko went down with an ankle injury. Hill addressed his status and the effect it had on the offensive line. “We will probably be missing him for a few weeks,” said Hill on the Helepiko injury.  “I thought Leslie Cooper, you know he had to switch right over to center, as the game went on he got better and better there."

With Cooper moving to center, right tackle Austin Wentworth will move to guard and backup right tackle Cody Wickman will now start at that position. “That group will be our starting group against Nebraska this week and probably for the next couple of weeks,” said Hill on all the shuffling that had to take place after their center went down.

Overall, speed seemed to be a big concern for Hill against Cal and heading into Lincoln on Saturday. “We just didn’t play fast,” said Hill.

There are still 12 more games to play in the 2011 season and coach Hill is very optimistic moving forward. Hill said,  “I still believe this team can be a very good football team.”

If Bulldog fans have any other questions regarding the press conference, feel free to post them in the comments section and I will get back to you.

Quotes were gathered by Gean May at Pat Hill’s press conference at 9AM, Monday September 5th, 2011.

If you’re supposed to be nervous before your first start as a Division-I quarterback, Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr didn’t get the memo.  Approximately 39 minutes before kickoff, No. 4 looked cool, calm and collected as he smiled and waved to the crowd.

After an interception by the Bulldogs deep in Cal territory Carr was set to take his first snap as a Bulldog.  On the first play Carr fired a pass to Devon Wylie for a three-yard completion.

Nerves or no nerves, Carr had a rough outing in his debut going 21-33 with one interception, and he was sacked four times as the Bulldogs lost their opener to Cal 36-21.

Carr’s interception came on a deep sideline pass with single coverage on wideout Jalen Saunders.

A key injury to the the Bulldogs' starting center Richard Helepiko didn’t help matters for Carr.  The injury caused coach Pat Hill  to play musical chairs with the offensive line.  “One guy goes down and we have to move three people, that’s not usually what you think about doing,” said Hill.

Carr made no excuses even though his offensive line had him under duress all game.  “You just have to be tough, when you get hit you have to get right back up,” said Carr.

Before things started to go bad there were some bright spots for Carr.  Trailing 19-7 late in the first quarter, Carr completed a pass over the middle to Wylie on a slant for a 56-yard gain.  The drive stalled at the 18-yard line and kicker Kevin Goessling missed a 35-yard field goal.

There were some miscues as well in Carr's first game; on a second down in the second quarter, Carr took the snap from center and slipped for a 6-yard loss on what seemed like a miscommunication between quarterback and running back.

Carr’s not-so-great day wasn’t helped, due to some of his receivers having the dropsys.  On a third down in the second quarter Jalen Saunders dropped a pass that hit him right in the hands; had he come up with the pass, it looked as though he would have got the first down.

Carr was able to get the first touchdown of his career out of the way on a seven-yard pass to redshirt freshman Josh Harper.  Even with the game out of reach, Carr thought it was important for the Bulldogs to score at that point.  “That was crucial.  We needed that.  That is what I told the guys after, we scored too,” said Carr.

Carr’s brother, David, had a similar experience in his first start as a Bulldog when he had to travel to Ohio State and take on the Buckeyes in 2000.

Things are only going to get tougher for Carr and the Bulldogs as they have to travel to Nebraska next week and take on the Cornhuskers.

My Two Cents

Let's keep in mind that this was Carr's first start.  I have mentioned in the past that his two prior years in the program will help him immensely even though he really didn't play.

I stand by this, but fans have to remember he basically went two plus years without out playing in a real game.  It's not quite like coming off the couch, but it does make a difference.

The game will slow down for Carr and I believe he will develop into a very good quarterback.

The talk is almost over. Tomorrow in San Francisco, the game between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Cal Bears will kick off the 2011 college football season for both teams.

I said the talk is almost over. By now fans have looked at the matchups and know their respective teams rosters and don’t need a full-on preview.

Following is a list of things I think Bulldogs fans should keep an eye on while watching Saturday's game. 

Cal Quarterback Zach Maynard

The Bears will run out Zach Maynard on Saturday for the first time.

Although Maynard is making his Cal debut, unlike Derek Carr for the Bulldogs, Maynard has already set foot on Division I soil for an entire season. Maynard is a strong-armed lefty transfer from Buffalo.

Maynard left Buffalo after the 2009 season, during which he passed for 2,694 yards and 18 TDs.

If the game comes down to quarterback play, it will be interesting to see how things play out.

Fresno State Quarterback Derek Carr

Fans have been waiting for two-plus years for Derek Carr to don the red and white on game day.  Now it's time for Carr to step between the lines and leave all the anticipation in the rear-view mirror.

Like I said, Carr has never played in a D-1 game, but he is far from a wet-behind-the-ears rookie.  Besides his much talked about football pedigree, he has been in the system for two years watching and learning. But is this enough to hush all the naysayers who say it will take him time to adjust and that he may not be ready?

Will there be growing pains? Most likely, but Derek has the advantage of having his big brother David Carr as his wing man to guide him through this thing.

So, by saying that Carr is something to keep an eye on, I mean it, don’t blink because this kid could hit the ground running and not look back.

The Cal Defense

The one bright spot in Cal’s 2010 season was its defense. The Bears were first in the conference in total defense, allowing 319.1 yards per game.

This year could be another story. Six starters have departed, including two standouts in defensive end Cameron Jordan and linebacker Mike Mohamed, who left for the NFL.

Coaches are now hoping Fresno native Mychal Kendricks will anchor the defense. The Bears are also high on Viliami Moala, a 6’2" 350-pound nose tackle from Sacramento.

Fresno State Running Game

Robbie Rouse will be the lead dog for the team in 2011, but Milton Knox, a transfer from UCLA, will get plenty of touches as well.

Knox is similar to Rouse when it comes to size, giving opposing defenses two little guys to find and chase around. Knox may be used more out of the backfield in passing situations than Rouse though. The bulldogs averaged 150.6 yards per game in 2010, which ranked 65th in the nation.

Rouse was a nice surprise last year. After an inconsistent start, he got his legs underneath him and finished the season with 205 carries for 1,129 yards for a 5.5-yard average and eight TDs.

A.J. Ellis returns as well, so the team has a great chance to improve on that average per game stat.

Fresno State’s Defense

The team suffered a big blow when star safety Phillip Thomas went down with a possible season-ending injury.

Thomas broke his leg in practice on Wednesday afternoon. This is definitely something to keep an eye on. As Carr is the leader on offense, some would say that Thomas is the leader on defense.

The Bulldogs still have have Logan Harrell, who brings his 10.5 sacks from 2010, which ranked 11th in the nation. Fans should also keep an eye on linebacker Kyle Knox as well.

Now the talk is over. It's time for the Bulldogs to start their last season in the WAC and prove that they belong in the Mountain West Conference.

Paying the Bills

Fresno State football coach Pat Hill stood in the hot sun near the south end zone at Bulldog Stadium with what seemed like a sense of pride and anticipation concerning the new field turf.

“Our field is about one day out,” said Hill. “We hope to be on it maybe even tomorrow night and Saturday for sure.”

Hill talked about the birth of the fundraising for the turf, mentioning that it all started last year in Visalia, California during the bye week with the South Valley Field of Dreams fundraiser. That dinner raised over $100,000 for the night.

Former ex Bulldog Logan Mankins, currently with the NFL’s New England Patriots, played a big part in bringing the new field to Fresno.

“Logan was a very large contributor, and he’s very excited about being able to help us.” said Hill.

To show appreciation for what Mankins did, in big black letters on the southwest sideline it reads, "The Mankins Family ."That will be on there for ten years," said Hill when asked if the thank you to Mankins would be on the field for the whole season. "That will be on there for the life of this turf," Hill added. 

Quinn Caterpillar of Selma, California will hold the second annual Field of Dreams on Sunday August 28 at 5:00 P.M. The slogan for the event is, “It’s fourth and goal; let's get 'er done.”

Last year's event featured people mostly from the South Valley, but Hill wants this to change. “We need our fans from Fresno to come join.” said Hill.

Field of Dreams Fundraiser $250.00 per couple, call for reservations at 559-278-4112

Notes From Fall Camp

This Saturday the Bulldogs scrimmage for the second time, and Coach Hill is ready for his team to slow things down.

“We have a few last things we want to scrimmage before we really slow down on the full speed contact; we’ve had a lot of contact this spring. We have had a great spring.” said Hill.

Today, Coach gave the guys the day off, and they will head to the water park.

Back in Business

The Bulldogs have been bit by the injury bug this fall, but this situation should be resolved by Saturday’s scrimmage.

"Everyone is back practicing, and Saturday night, we should have a full team and ready to roll,” Hill said.

Last Saturday’s scrimmage was a big night for the receivers, and only a handful of them were on the field. This won’t be the case for Saturday's scrimmage, as Hill says he will have all eight receivers back.

Hill Big on Young Offensive Line

A big part of quarterback Derek Carr’s success in 2011 will depend on his young offensive line. Coach Hill is pleased with their effort so far.

“We are getting better every day at the protection part of it,” said Hill. "Throughout the season, we will get stronger as it goes on; there is a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.”

As the press conference was winding down, one of the media members asked, “you about ready to go?” I’m not sure if this guy was talking about the media session or the season, but the way Pat Hill answered might point towards the latter.

“Yeah I’m ready to roll,” Hill said with enthusiasm.

Quotes for this article were taking from Fresno State head coach Pat Hill's press conference at Bulldog Stadium on 8/18/2011

The Fresno State football team unveiled their new uniforms with a fashion show today at Josephine Theater, on the Fresno State campus. 

Central Valley Today’s Alex Delgado hosted the event and introduced a few of the players to model the new digs.

Among the players showing off the new Nike Pro Combat Elite uniforms were quarterback Derek Carr, running back Robbie Rouse, linebacker Kyle Knox, and defensive tackle Logan Harrell.

The players actually had to practice for the unveiling.

“They asked us to rehearse yesterday,” said Harrell. “I was like, we’re just going to be standing up there; there’s really nothing to rehearse.”

The way he was posing, flexing his arms, and flipping his long hair, Harrell looked as though he had either rehearsed or done this before.

The next-generation battle gear will be tighter, sleeker, and lighter than previous uniforms.

For the first time in Fresno State history, the name “Bulldogs” will be on the front of the home jersey above the players number, which is smaller than in years past.

On the away white jersey, “Fresno State” will be on the front.

Fresno State will be wearing red pants with a blue and white stripe and a red jersey at all home games. 

On the road, they will don white pants with a red and blue stripe and a white jersey.

The new pants also have the pads built into them.

Also, for the first time in years, the jerseys will have the names of the players on the back. Fans have been asking for this for quite sometime and finally get their wish.

Players have also wanted their names on the jerseys.

“Everybody loves having their names on their uniforms for people to see on TV,” said Harrell. “Everybody wants to get their name out there.”

Not only are the uniforms new, but the helmets got a make over as well.

Still visible is the Bulldog logo and the signature ”V” on the back, but now the helmet (pictured below) includes a  blue stripe outlined in white. This stripe is wide in the back and gets narrower as it comes to a point in the front of the helmet, in a fashion similar to that of the Denver Broncos.

Rouse and company were left in the dark about the uniforms, as well.

When asked when he got his first look, Rouse responded, “Today.” 

He then explained: “We had to meet in the back equipment room, and they had them laid out for us. Once I saw them I was like, 'Oh my gosh!'”

Even head coach Pat Hill had to wait until today, like the rest of us, to get his first look. 

"I really wanted that material," said Hill. "That was the new uniform that Nike put out in the bowl games last year. TCU and Boise wore those uniforms. Florida and the top-notch Nike schools wore those uniforms, and I just wanted to have a chance to put our kids in them within our budget.”

Let’s also put to rest the talk of an all-black uniform for the Boise State game.

It’s not happening.

“We don’t have the budget for that, ” said Hill. “I would love to have that and the different combinations like other schools, but we just can’t do that from a financial stand point.”

Today was a light and fun day for the players and the media, but the real fun begins September 3rd in San Francisco against the Cal Bears.

The quotes from this article were taken from interviews by Gean May at the Josephine Theater in Fresno, Calif., on 8/12/2011

The Fresno State Football team is ready to pull its new "Carr" off the showroom floor and hit the road.

Fans have been patiently waiting for Derek Carr to become the Bulldogs' starting quarterback for two years, and that time has finally come!

The car puns have and will be coming fast and furious, but is Carr tired of the media going "puntastic" with his name?

"I mean honestly, it's a blessing to even be talked about in that kind of sense," Carr said. "Just them saying my last name is really cool."

There has been plenty of hype since Carr landed at Fresno State. Derek, the younger brother of former Fresno State standout David Carr, has to know he has a lot to live up to; David compiled 7,849 yards and 70 touchdowns as a two-year starter and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 NFL draft.

When asked if he felt he had to step out of David's shadow, Derek seemed to embrace the fact that he could be in the shadow of his big brother.

"My whole life I've been called 'David,'" Derek said. "He's my hero. It's kind of cool having your big brother as your hero."

With no disrespect to Ryan Colburn (the Bulldogs' starting quarterback for the past two seasons), it's safe to say that a lot of fans have been looking ahead to Derek. A lot of that is due to the fact that head coach Pat Hill dangled the possibility that he would start as a freshman.

During the 2009 preseason, Hill did not name a starting quarterback right away and made it an open competition between Colburn, Derek and Ebahn Feathers (who is no longer with the team). We all know how it ended up, and whether or not it was the right move, Derek is the starter now, and a new era has begun.

Derek has no doubt he could have handled being the starter as a freshman, but he admits waiting two years might have been the best thing for him and the program.

"Of course I wish it would have turned out a different way," he said. "I look back on it now, and two years have gone by, I have gained 20 pounds, I have dropped my 40 time down tremendously, I'm throwing the ball harder and I know what I'm doing now. I think it's better for Fresno State fans that I actually sat out for those two years."

With that being said, Derek still thinks he would have been able to handle it.

"I still feel at that time I could have got the job done at a high level," said Carr.

With a new era come old rivalries. Boise State is no longer a conference rival, but is a rival nonetheless. Aside from obvious reasons, Carr has added incentive to beat the hated Broncos. His brother hung a Boise State flag in his room and said he couldn't take it down until he beats them.

"It's kind of been bugging me that I have to stare at blue every night," Derek said.

No. 4 is chomping at the bit to get to the Broncos.

"I can't wait for them to walk down this ramp," Derek said.

All signs point to this young man being something special. The fact that he was competing for the starting job as a freshman is testament to that. Hill (for the most part) usually brings his quarterbacks along slowly, starting them in their second or third year; David didn't start until his junior season.

We have all heard the cliché "no situation is too big" or some variation of that. It can definitely be argued that it may apply to Derek Carr. He's thrown passes to NFL superstar Andre Johnson, and he stood on stage with his brother during the 2002 NFL Draft, telling then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue, "I'll be back."

He also faced Stanford Cardinal quarterback Andrew Luck when he was playing high school football in Texas—oh, and by the way, Derek's team won.

The Bulldogs' 2011 schedule could present some great challenges for Derek though, with four out of their first five games against University of California (in San Francisco), at Nebraska and home against Mississippi and Boise State. This could be a lot to ask of this young man as he starts his career at Fresno State.

Bulldogs wide receiver Devon Wylie, a good friend of Derek's, has no reservations about playing a tough schedule.

"We have talent, athletes and effort. That's all you need to win," Wylie said.

The debate about Hill's reputation for playing a tough non-conference schedule has been raging for years, but Wylie is all for it.

"We signed up for it," he said. "When he came to recruit us, he said, "You will be playing the best teams that we can play,' and it's no doubt true."

Minus Jamel Hamler, Derek will be throwing to a lot of the same guys Colburn had in 2010, including Rashad Evans, Jalen Saunders and Wiley.

Wylie enters his senior season with high expectations. A sure-handed receiver with good speed, he has been plagued by injuries and is ready to take the field with his good friend throwing him the ball.  The speedy receiver has posted times of 4.25 and 4.27 in the 40-yard dash, the two fastest times in Bulldogs history.

Running backs Robbie Rouse and A.J. Ellis also return on offense, giving them a nice young core of talent, along with the returning receivers. All of these familiar faces and the experience that comes with them could definitely help their new quarterback.

Derek is a very humble, yet confident young man who not only thinks there is no situation too big, but also seems to think he's not too big for any situation. Win or lose in 2011, Bulldogs fans should know they have a quarterback they can be proud of and know he will leave it all out on the field each time he steps between the lines.

Derek seems very grateful for the situation he is in, and he doesn't have a sense of entitlement that a lot of young athletes seem to have. He exemplifies the term "team player" and compliments his teammates every chance he gets.

After talking to him for a while, I got the impression this kid will do whatever it takes to win—I could see it in his eyes.