The 2009 football season is going to be gut-check time. It’ll be rough, and sometimes agonizing to watch. There is even a chance that it will end with more losses than wins.

We’ll have flashes of brilliance and moments of pride, as well as things that will leave everyone shaking their heads. And that’s just going to be the first game against UC Davis next Saturday.

You can’t say that you haven’t been warned, Red Wavers.

OK, so maybe I am sounding bitter, even before a single down is played, but it isn’t pessimism. It’s just that I’ve have been here before. Think back to that 2006 squad, which was my first year on campus.

There was that quarterback battle between Tom Brandstater and Sean Norton, the strong running game lead by Dwayne Wright and corps of talented and experienced wide receivers, including Paul Williams. And of course, the high expectations and hope for the post-Paul Pinegar era.

That season included a seven-game losing streak, coach Pat Hill’s first and only loss to San Jose State, a 4-8 record and bleacher bums with bags over their heads in Bulldog Stadium.

Now take a look at the 2009 group.

The ’Dogs have a quarterback battle that could define the season between Ryan Colburn and Derek Carr.

They have a running attack powered by Ryan Mathews, Anthony Harding and Lonyae Miller – three running backs that, when healthy, could all be stars in college football.

And even senior receivers, Marlon Moore, Chastin West and Seyi Ajirotutu, that should be solid targets and playmakers to help out our new quarterback. And on top of all of that, there is the hope of the post-Brandstater era.

The seasons compare right now on paper, except we haven’t had any bleacher bums just yet. And that’s where the similarities end for me.

I, along with most other Bulldog fans, was miserable throughout the 2006 season and couldn’t wait to be put out of my misery. But that was then.

I have grown up a bit and learned my fair share as a fan of these ’Dogs over my last three seasons at Fresno State (and the 17 seasons before that).

The one lesson I will carry with me throughout this season and the rest of my days as a sports fan is that it’s never OK to throw in the towel on your team. It’ll only make things worse.

Joseph Edgecomb / Collegian File Photo

But it is smart to have realistic expectations.

So what if our quarterbacks struggle, especially in the early parts of the season. Colburn is the only one that has ever lined up behind center in the college game. He’s thrown five passes, all in mop-up time against Oregon in 2007.

He isn’t supposed to just step in and immediately end up on Heisman watch lists. And fair warning, Carr isn’t going to be any better if he gets the chance.

So what if the ’Dogs lose three of their first four games this season. They’ll be at Wisconsin, home against Boise State and at Cincinnati. Hey, that sounds like a learning experience to me.

Fresno State is sure to lose football games this season. The team and the fans are all going to be experiencing growing pains together. But, that doesn’t mean that anyone should be giving up or trying to sell their red shirts on Craigslist.

Accept what you’re getting into. And remember that there is no excuse for quitting on these Bulldogs. The worst that can happen now is that we all get a few surprises along the way.