California State University, Fresno

Poised for greatness

Fresno State’s football program is back in full force.

With a 40-28 victory over Georgia Tech in The Roady’s Humanitarian Bowl, Fresno
State completed its turnaround from last season’s disappointing 4-8 record to finish 9-4.

Senior running back Clifton Smith showed America why he was voted team MVP for the Bulldogs. Smith ran for a career-high 152 yards and scored twice, on top of the fact that he was picked as the game’s MVP. Talk about a swan song.

Junior quarterback Tom Brandstater wasn’t too shabby either, finishing off a solid season by passing for 285 yards with a touchdown against the Yellow Jackets. He also ran in for a score.

Fresno State was the only team from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) to win a bowl game this season.

Nevada lost to New Mexico 23-0 in the New Mexico Bowl, Boise State lost 41-38 to East Carolina in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl and formerly undefeated Hawaii was pummeled 41-10 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl by Georgia.

Fresno State football fans have a lot to look forward to in 2008. The Bulldogs took a huge step forward this season and are now poised for greatness.

Brandstater now has his primary targets in the passing game with Marlon Moore starting to emerge, along with Seyi Ajirotutu and Jason Crawley. If Bear Pascoe stays for his senior season, that will make the offense even more electric.

An additional bonus for the passing game will be the much-anticipated return of star wide receiver Chastin West, who sat out this season with an injury.

The ground game will be even more lethal than the passing game with Lonyae Miller, Ryan Mathews and Anthony Harding all coming back for the Bulldogs in 2008. I better start thinking of a nickname for the three of them.

However, the road to glory will not get any easier for the Bulldogs in 2008. Their non-conference schedule consists of UCLA, Wisconsin, Cincinnati and Toledo.

Don’t start groaning, it wouldn’t be Bulldog Football if Pat Hill didn’t schedule these types of teams. And don’t forget that the Bulldogs have to travel to Boise next season and try to beat the Broncos on the smurf turf.

Boise State was undefeated and went to BCS bowl game in 2006. Hawaii did the same thing in 2007. Could Fresno State be next in 2008?

Opening night is August 30 in Pasadena against the Bruins, see you there.

 

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Views expressed in the comments section are not representative of The Collegian unless so specified. Comments must be approved by a moderator before they are published. Comments that are inflammatory, profane, libelous and/or posted under a false name may be removed at the discretion of The Collegian. Comments may be used in the print edition of the newspaper. Be sure to pick up next Friday's issue of The Collegian for featured comments.
 
  

20 Responses to Poised for greatness

  1. Allen Xiong says:

    The schedule is mostly fixed. Cincy bought us out and wouldn’t come to the ‘No. Still, I expect only 5 home games next season since we can’t play a 13th (Not making the trip to Hawaii in 2008).

    Still, it’s the Bulldogs and BYU as the frontrunners for ‘BCS Buster’ in 2K8. Let’s keep the WAC streak rolling.

  2. Allen Xiong says:

    The schedule is mostly fixed. Cincy bought us out and wouldn’t come to the ‘No. Still, I expect only 5 home games next season since we can’t play a 13th (Not making the trip to Hawaii in 2008).

    Still, it’s the Bulldogs and BYU as the frontrunners for ‘BCS Buster’ in 2K8. Let’s keep the WAC streak rolling.

  3. FSDogs1 says:

    Since my previous comment was removed, let me try to be as “polite” as I can in pointing out that the story is factually misleading in that Fresno State does not play Cincinnati next season.

    The Bulldogs non-conference schedule includes:
    at UCLA
    at Kansas State
    Wisonsin
    at Toledo

    Also, Bear Pascoe announced after the H-Bowl that he will be returning for his senior season.

  4. Dirk Diggler says:

    ok Joseph Hollack, I’m gonna call you the Collegian Nazi.

  5. Dirk Diggler says:

    ok Joseph Hollack, I’m gonna call you the Collegian Nazi.

  6. willy limp lump says:

    Word out of Reno is that a 4th WAC bowl will be added. This one will take the final WAC qualifier and match that school with the MWC entry at the cancelled New Mexico Bowl. The MWC and Sun Belt will have a bowl played at Cowboy Stadium in 2008.

  7. willy limp lump says:

    Word out of Reno is that a 4th WAC bowl will be added. This one will take the final WAC qualifier and match that school with the MWC entry at the cancelled New Mexico Bowl. The MWC and Sun Belt will have a bowl played at Cowboy Stadium in 2008.

  8. joe sucks says:

    look, this is the internet, grandPA.

    what kind of moronic policy is it to delete sigs on a message board? in case you were too myopic to notice, YOUR leave-a-comment form prompts its users to enter a Web site!!!

    and then when they put a web site in their message it’s somehow crossed a line? this policy is a copout, and whoever came up with it is a spineless fascist.

    how can you work for a newspaper, a champion of free speech, then turn around and try to regulate internet interactivity?

    we’ll see how long this comment lasts. though there’s no debate whether it contributes to the open discussion on a pathetic policy that only drives readers away.

  9. joe sucks says:

    look, this is the internet, grandPA.

    what kind of moronic policy is it to delete sigs on a message board? in case you were too myopic to notice, YOUR leave-a-comment form prompts its users to enter a Web site!!!

    and then when they put a web site in their message it’s somehow crossed a line? this policy is a copout, and whoever came up with it is a spineless fascist.

    how can you work for a newspaper, a champion of free speech, then turn around and try to regulate internet interactivity?

    we’ll see how long this comment lasts. though there’s no debate whether it contributes to the open discussion on a pathetic policy that only drives readers away.

  10. Allen Xiong says:

    Fresno State is adding women’s swimming and lacrosse in 2008-09? This is stupid. Why not add indoor sports like gymnastics to boost the Savemart center?

  11. Allen Xiong says:

    Fresno State is adding women’s swimming and lacrosse in 2008-09? This is stupid. Why not add indoor sports like gymnastics to boost the Savemart center?

  12. jeff spicoli says:

    “willy lump lump” is wrong. Blogs are reporting New Mexico Bowl is going nowhere. The Sunbelt and WAC are playing ina new Reno Bowl.

  13. jeff spicoli says:

    “willy lump lump” is wrong. Blogs are reporting New Mexico Bowl is going nowhere. The Sunbelt and WAC are playing ina new Reno Bowl.

  14. TacoNoodleDinner says:

    What a joy it was to watch Fresno win that bowl game. It really capped off a great holiday for our family. Keep up the good work. We are really looking forward to next year.

  15. TacoNoodleDinner says:

    What a joy it was to watch Fresno win that bowl game. It really capped off a great holiday for our family. Keep up the good work. We are really looking forward to next year.

  16. NoDoginthe Hunt says:

    “The Collegian Online is a public forum for student expression.” See below. If you scroll down to the bottom of the screen you can read this.

    If you are not a student, you really should not be blogging here (including me, but people are getting out of control and I had to say something). Stick to your own regular blogs and everything will be fine.
    Thank you

  17. NoDoginthe Hunt says:

    “The Collegian Online is a public forum for student expression.” See below. If you scroll down to the bottom of the screen you can read this.

    If you are not a student, you really should not be blogging here (including me, but people are getting out of control and I had to say something). Stick to your own regular blogs and everything will be fine.
    Thank you

  18. NoDoginthe Hunt says:

    The only point I will disagree with Joe on is that blog owners reserve the right to delete unnecessarily negative, derogatory, and inflammatory comments, especially those that employ character assasination. That is a blog owner’s right.

    If you were a little more respectful and diplomatic in your comments, most of the reading public would have some respct back for your opinions.

    And..that’s my opinion, for what it’s worth, but it is based on experience.

  19. NoDoginthe Hunt says:

    The only point I will disagree with Joe on is that blog owners reserve the right to delete unnecessarily negative, derogatory, and inflammatory comments, especially those that employ character assasination. That is a blog owner’s right.

    If you were a little more respectful and diplomatic in your comments, most of the reading public would have some respct back for your opinions.

    And..that’s my opinion, for what it’s worth, but it is based on experience.

  20. FSDogs1 says:

    Since my previous comment was removed, let me try to be as “polite” as I can in pointing out that the story is factually misleading in that Fresno State does not play Cincinnati next season.

    The Bulldogs non-conference schedule includes:
    at UCLA
    at Kansas State
    Wisonsin
    at Toledo

    Also, Bear Pascoe announced after the H-Bowl that he will be returning for his senior season.

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