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2007: A Make or Break Season
2007-05-25 18:14:00
by NSCI was going to write about the financial situation the Bulldogs football team is currently experiencing but a thread on the BarkBoard changed my mind. Today I actually wonder what would happen to this football program if it were to experience another sub .500 season. I know I would continue to attend the Bulldog games as would many other fans but I am quite sure a decent amount of fans would quickly disappear. I cannot blame Bulldog fans for giving up hope because I know that many of you feel let down by the way the Bulldogs have played since the loss to USC. But what ramifications would another losing season have on this program? Would the Bulldogs begin a pattern of losing for years to come or would it just be another down year with much hope for 2008?First and foremost 2007 will be one of the more important years with respect to Bulldog football. The Bulldogs football team directly affects the financial situation of the athletic department. If the Bulldogs can go out and pe...
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The Beau Sweeney Dilemma
2007-05-24 19:01:00
by NSCOver the past week Beau Sweeney has been one of the more discussed topics in the Bulldog world of football. Some of us feel like Beau Sweeney is a talent that Fresno State let get away while others feel that Sweeney never showed any interest in Fresno State in the first place so why go after him. There have been various posts that have covered the Beau Sweeney dilemma and I feel like I want to throw my two cents in on the subject.Sweeney is an outstanding high school QB. He has many of the tools that a college football team would most certainly be able to utilize. Sweeney throws the middle 15-20 yard route just about as good as any high school QB I have ever seen (Aside J.J. Jelmini, his arm was unreal). Sweeney is fast, can break outside on a run if he needs to and knows how to use both his vision and his speed to find his way out of trouble. However, Sweeney is not a wonder kid by any stretch of the imagination. Sweeney plays on a team that features the run first. Matt Jelmi...
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Is Pat to Blame for Sweeney Flying the Coup?
2007-05-24 06:44:00
The naysayers are going to be coming out on BarkBoard.com talking about Hill let Beau Sweeney get away. Then the Hill supporters will spout off about Sweeney never wanted to attend Fresno State. But who really knows?But I can say without a doubt, Coach Hill did not recruit Sweeney as hard as the BCS schools that offered. In a few years, we'll see who was right, Sweeney can be a starter at Cal or be riding the pine. And whoever Hill recruits at QB in 08 could be a stud or a flop.Move on, time to turn our attention to Jerry Davis...©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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NSC is Back and He Asks...Are We Just Another WAC Member Now?
2007-05-23 19:01:00
by NSCYesterday I was listening to the Paul Swearingen show as they were talking about Fresno State and where the football program stands when compared to the rest of the WAC. One caller said he wanted to move out of Fresno because the Bulldog football team had become a mediocre member of a mediocre conference. The question that needs to be asked here is: Is Fresno State Just Another WAC Member?I realize that 2006 was a tough season for the Bulldogs and those who followed the squad. Injuries, poor coaching, poor execution, and the overall drive of the Bulldog team were just a few of the many reasons this team failed to celebrate victory week after week. As Bulldog fans we have become accustomed to eight-nine win seasons and a bowl game each year. 2006 left us wanting more as we were thoroughly disappointed not only with the results of the season but also with the efforts of the players both on and off the field. But there is something here that is more important than one season of f...
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Spring Review: Running Backs
2007-05-17 22:13:00
Replacing record setting back Dwayne Wright was supposed to be one of the biggest storylines of spring 2007. However, the Bulldog rushing attack looked solid throughout spring -- thanks in part to great offensive line play. Sophomores Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding played last season as true freshmen. Each was expected to battle to replace Wright this spring. Miller emerged as the starter after Harding went down the first week of spring with an injury. Harding did return the last week of spring but it was little to late...read more at BarkBoard.com.©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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Walk On RB Coming Aboard?
2007-05-16 22:58:00
RB Lamon Muldrow from Cordova HS in Rancho Cordova (Calif.) was a Sacramento all-city selection after rushing for over 2,300 yards in 2006. He was getting looks from a host of schools out West and had two offers but has not signed a letter of intent...read the rest and check out his 2006 highlights at BarkBoard.com Muldrow is expected to walk on this fall.©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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The Go To Reciever
2007-05-14 22:21:00
Fresno State has a recieving core that may be the deepest in overall ability and talent. Something we have not really seen here in Fresno. I cant recall the last time we had a team that had 6 recievers that could bust a play at any moment during a game. I believe that this is what we will have as just one of our weapons on offense. With the experienced Chastin West leading the way to the inexperienced Darren Newborne, they will have the speed and the hands to be the go to reciever. So the question is, which one of them will step up and be the main man? They all have the ability to do so.©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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Spring Review: Quarterbacks
2007-05-14 20:41:00
Fresno State was the last Division I-A school to start spring football practice (April 9) and concluded May 1. The Bulldogs pushed back spring ball to lengthen their strength and conditioning program. The philosophy worked. The ?Dogs looked great and escaped with no major injuries. BarkBoard.com will breakdown the key position battles that took place and what to expect in the fall.The top storyline heading into and out of spring 2006 was the quarterback position. Tom Brandstater was the starter in 2006 and after a subpar season at the helm, he entered spring 2007 as the detested incumbent by many Bulldog fans. Again, the quarterback position was the big storyline of spring. Did he do enough this spring erase the bad memories of 2006?read more at BarkBoard.com...©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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Los Banos FB Favors 'Dogs
2007-05-07 19:50:00
Los Banos (Calif.) FB/LB Casey Cotta had a strong showing at the Scout.com San Francisco Combine April 28. But he is still waiting to get noticed. Only one of his favorites has had any contact with him...read the rest at BarkBoard.comCotta favors Fresno State but is still waiting for the Bulldogs to contact him.©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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Long Beach Poly Interview...
2007-05-05 21:07:00
Check out what Long Beach Poly CB Jeffrey Johnson had to say about his day at the 2007 Scout.com SoCal Combine at the Home Depot Center.Johnson is friends with 2007 Bulldog signee Isaiah Green and 2007 recruit Kenny Rowe, who signed with Oregon. Fresno State had a pipeline under former Coach Jim Sweeney of signing LBP defensive backs, Marquez Pope and Omar Stoutmire to name a few. Coach Pat Hill has not quite had the same success.Coach Hill signed Ray Washington out of LBP in 2001 and did sign TE Jeremy Johnson a few years earlier. But with Green and maybe Johnson the word about Fresno State is abuzz again at Poly.©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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Dwayne Wright at Buffalo Rumblings
2007-05-03 22:29:00
The FSFB hooked up with the Buff alo Bills blog, Buffalo Rumblings, and answered some questions about future Bill Dwayne Wright.To read the story click here...©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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2007 Scout.com SoCal Combine
2007-05-03 10:38:00
BarkBoard.com attended the 2007 Scout .com SoCal Comb ine at the Home Depot Center in Carson on Sunday. Over 300 of the top high school prospects in the West were on hand for what it is arguably the top combine in the nation.to read more click here... (note TAP subscription to BarkBoard.com is required)I will post some general video from the combine through YouTube later this week or early next.©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.

Content...
2007-05-02 22:45:00
I know this site has been neglected the last month and a half. But until someone steps up to contribute the content will suffer.Meanwhile, I will post short entries to links to stories on BarkBoard.com or on the web.If you would like to contribute drop me a line.Go Dogs!©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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FSFB Changes Background in Honor of VT
2007-04-20 17:29:00
VT family members across the country have united to declare this Friday April 20th, an "Orange and Maroon Effect" day to honor those killed in the tragic events on campus Monday, and to show support for VT student, faculty, administrators, staff, alumni, and friends. "Orange and Maroon Effect" was born several years ago as an invitation to Tech Fans to wear orange and maroon to VT athletic events. We invite everyone from all over the countryto be a part of the VT family this Friday. To wear orange and maroon to support the families of those who were lost, and to support the school and community we all love so much.©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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Spring Impressions to Date
2007-04-12 17:36:00
by NSCWith spring practice beginning this week I expect to see the Dogs playing hard and improving as each day passes. But what I have seen so far has surpassed any hopes I had for the Dogs and where this team may be headed in the near future. I am aware of the problems that are caused by a person who is overly optimistic about the football team?s situation and that is something I do not want to come across as being. Do understand my optimism for this team solely comes from what I have seen at the first two practices of the season. Anyhow on to the positives of the team to date and the impressions the team has left me with. Do remember I rarely review defense. Mario wrote about the defense and who has done a great job to this point over on BarkBoard.com. Just to show you how lost I am when it comes to defense I didn?t even notice that Chris Lewis was on the field yesterday. So as always my impressions will solely focus on the offensive side of the ball.Quarterbacks: As Mario said Br...
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Tom's New Beginning
2007-04-11 20:50:00
NSC sent me this blog via email...by NSCIt was a season we would all rather forget. Fresno State had just finished 4-8 with a loss to the San Jose Spartans for the first time since 1990. Tom Brandstater threw four interceptions and could do little to move the Bulldogs down field against the Spartans, something Bulldog fans had become accustomed to throughout the 2006 season. Fresno State would endure heart wrenching losses to Oregon and Washington in back to back weeks. Later in the season the Bulldogs would lose to Utah State in what could possibly have been their worst loss in school history. The Aggies of Utah State had long been considered one of the worst programs in D-1A football. They would finish the season 1-11 with their only win coming at the hands of the Bulldogs from Fresno State. Bulldog fans during the course of 2006 would begin calling for a replacement for Brandstater as he continually failed at the QB position. Brandstater rushed throws, threw into double coverage ...

Spring Practice #1: Who's Who
2007-04-10 18:23:00
Spring football kicked off Monday and the 'Dogs looked very enthused. The 4-8 season is behind them and it was time to start focusing on 2007.But as a fan, it is hard to focus on 2007, when you can not even figure out who's who anymore? It's bad enough gobulldogs.com has only the 2006 spring roster available. It's even more frustrating come spring when players usually change their number.Some were easy to spot, like the starting running back. One is wearing #22, that is Anthony Harding, the other #1. By power of elimination only Lonyae Miller could be #1. Some were not so easy.Three new receivers were on hand in spring ball, #87, #17 and #18. There was also #86 who I am assuming is Darren Newborne who wore that number last year. The top four receivers returning all kept their same numbers #6 (West), #13 (Crawley), #19 (Ajirotutu) and #5 (Moore). Shannon Dorsey was moved to receiver and it looks like he kept his same number, #25. But what about the three mystery players?One had t...
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Bulldog Football Play Hard
2007-04-10 14:41:00
I was bored, enjoy!©Copyright 2006, The Fresno State Football Blog/barkboard.com and Scout.com. All rights reserved.
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Does This Recruiting Class Excite You?
2007-02-09 22:14:02
Time Out Looking on During Fresno-Utah StateLet's be honest here, we have all been Bulldog fans for as long as we can remember. Anyone who spends time reading this blog has devoted countless hours to talking, watching, and following the Fresno State Bulldogs. With all that has happened over the past year the Fresno State Football program needed something exciting to pump life back into it. The Bulldog football program needed something from either Pat Hill or the fans in order for us to once again believe that we have the talent to compete with the BCS schools of the world. Pat Hill came through for the Bulldogs program by recruiting exactly what we needed in order to become a complete team again. Not only did Hill address the number one need (that of speed), but he also brought in countless defensive, offensive, and all around athletes that will make this Fresno State team one to reckon with in the upcoming seasons.The key here as fans is to expect improvement but not all at one ti...
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Fresno State's Rock: The Offensive Line
2007-02-09 10:14:01
Over the years as a Fresno Stat e Bulldog fan I have encountered many conversations about the strengths and the weaknesses of this team. Since I became a large scale follower of the Bulldogs in the late 1990's (I have always been a fan but did not devote my time to the team until this period) there have been many problems this team has endured. At times the QB position has been a mess (Grady although talented was injury prone and we all know about Brandstater's struggles). There have been instances where the WR's have not done their job. We have seen the safeties struggle as well as the corners and LB's from time to time. However, one theme always seem to hold true with Fresno State: We will have a talented and productive Offensive Line . You have to look no further than the past three seasons to understand how dominant the Bulldogs Offensive Line has truly been.In 2004 Fresno State lost one of the Better RB's ever to set foot in the program in Dwayne Wright. Although this did af...
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Fresno State's Defensive Gems
2007-02-07 22:12:02
As we all recall the Fresno Stat e Bulldogs defense in 2006 lacked many components needed to be successful. The most glaring need for Fresno State was that of speed. While players like McCauley ran relatively quick forty times he was forced to do far too much on his own which led to numerous breakdowns in coverage. If Fresno State can hold on to the recruits that are supposed to sign today the defense in the next two years will see a vast improvement with respect to both speed and talent. Fresno State had to address the issue of talent on the defensive side of the ball and it looks like they have done everything in their power to make this happen. With the addition of players such as Jermaine Thomas, Chris Carter, Tim Lang, and Sharrod Davis the Bulldogs defense should be much more athletic and that much faster in the end. Although he was not a recruit from the 2007 class Lorne Bell should be able to step in this upcoming season and make a name for himself as well.Chris Carter will b...
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Devon Wylie - Fresno State's Version of the Flash
2007-02-06 22:11:04
As 2007 bids adieu to a player commonly referred to as Batman it also welcomes in Fresno Stat e 's version of the flash. Anyone who has watched the recruiting videos of Devon Wylie knows exactly why Wylie would be called the Flash . If you have not had the opportunity to see the elusiveness of Wylie take a few minutes out of your day and access youtube.com to watch his high school video highlights. In 2006 Fresno State more often than not struggled with field position as the Bulldogs outstanding kick returner Adam Jennings moved on to the NFL. While at Fresno State Jennings was one of the most electrifying players ever to step in Bulldog stadium. Jennings played with no fear and had no desire to fair catch anything kicked to him. Jennings had the uncanny ability to run backwards ten yards and turn the mess he created into a fifty yard gain. Losing Paul Pinegar turned out to be a big blow to the Fresno State offense. However, losing Adam Jennings may have been the dagger to the hear...
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24 and Counting....
2007-02-06 22:11:04
Here is the list of the 24 verbal Bulldog commits. The positions listed is their projected spot at the next level, not neccessarily their position in high school. This list in detail can be read here at Barkboard.com. Now how many of these kids will likely see action as freshmen.The All-Important Legend :Bold - Solid Contributor - could start one or more games.* - Contributor - could play as a true but not necessarily be on the two-deep.Red - RedshirtGray - GrayshirtQB Matt Faulkner (Marcus HS) Flower Mound, TX 6-3/185/4.65 QB Nick Anderson (Oak Ridge HS) El Dorado Hills, CA 6-3/200RB Ryan Mathews (West HS) Bakersfield, CA 6-0/195RB Bryson Hodges (Golden Valley HS) Bakersfield, CA 5-9/200WR/KR Devon Wylie (Granite Bay HS) Granite Bay, CA 5-10/185/4.40WR Matt Lindsey (Clovis HS) Clovis, CA 6-2/180TE Ryan Skidmore (East Bakersfield HS) Bakersfield, CA 6-5/225*OG Eric Sproal (El Dorado HS) Placentia, CA 6-5/285OT Bryce Harris (Tulare Union HS) Tulare, CA 6-6/240LT Devan Cunningham (Gra...
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Faulkner Provides Hope at QB Position
2007-02-06 22:11:04
Fresno State fans have become accustomed to QB's who throw the ball with extreme efficiency. With QB's such as Trent Dilfer, Billy Volek, David Carr, and Paul Pinegar can you blame Bulldog fans for expecting the best out of their QB? Each of these QB's did an outstanding job of keeping the Bulldogs in games the rest of the nation thought the Bulldogs had no chance to win. In 2006 the Bulldogs QB position took a step back as Tom Brandstater did not perform at the level that Fresno State Bulldog fans have become accustomed to. Far too often Brandstater looked lost on the field of play. It was almost as if Brandstater had never studied what to do when the #1 option on the field wasn't available. Time and time again Brandstater threw into double coverage forcing balls that should have never been thrown. In 2007 Brandstater will once again be the starter for the Bulldogs, but his leash is going to be much shorter than what Pat Hill gave him during the 2006 season. His immediate backu...
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The Offensively Challenged Bulldogs
2007-02-03 10:08:01
With signing day only five days away I began to think about the Bull dogs and where they are headed offensively. I know that the Dogs are not nearly as potent on offense as they have been in the past, but the question that reamins in my head is do the Dogs have enough talent on offense to become an explosive team once again? I believe without a doubt that the answer is yes. Unfortunately putting trust into a QB that faltered game after game this past season is going to be very hard for many Fresno State fans to do. The fact that Brandstater more than likely will be our starter should not shy fans away from attending home games this upcoming season. Fresno State may have had a terrible 2006 season but that does not exactly reflect how 2007 will be. Part of our offensive problem this past season had to do with team chemistry and continuity. As you can see above the picture I put at the top is of Fairman running while Fernandez is blocking. Fairman was lost for the season relatively ear...
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A&M for Cincy, Smart or Stupid?
2007-02-03 10:08:01
Texas A&M is one of the most storied college football programs in America. Cincinnati is just a few years removed from being just another "mid-major". Texas A&M has Kyle Field, home to the 12th Man and a crowd of 82,000 plus. Cincy has aging Nippert Stadium that on average will see between 12-15,000 fans.With those comparisons why not play at A&M, not too mention a loss to the Aggies does not seem so bad compared to losing at Cincinnati. I am not saying Fresno State is going to lose, but after a 4-8 season the prospects of winning are not what many would expect compared to other seasons. I would have to say playing at Texas A&M would be the smartest thing Pat Hill has done thus far in 2007.The Aggies are not the juggernaut they have been in the past. They certainly don't posses the speed say an LSU does. But they still are capable of wiping the floor with Tom Brandstater and the rest of the Bulldogs. But with improved quarterback play, the right team attitude and good coach...
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Signing Day!
2007-02-03 10:08:01
FSFB readers you are, as well, invited to the World Sports Cafe for the BarkBoard.com Sign ing Day Party! Wednesday Feb. 7 from 3-6 p.m. next to the media room near the bar.Come one, come all, let's celebrate the 2007 recruiting class and talk some Bulldog football.
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The Recruiting Battle
2007-02-01 22:06:01
We have reached the final week of recruiting and it looks as if Fresno State is sitting at 22 recruits for the time being. While we lost out on Duncan that does not take away from the talent that the rest of this class may be able to provide. Last year the Bulldogs lacked in speed far more than any other area on the field. In 2007 the Bulldogs will possess far more speed than they did in 2006. Sharrod Davis, Terrence Dennis, Ryan Mathews, and Devon Wylie all run 4.5 40's or less. Fresno State seems to have addressed the one area they truly needed help in. At the same time players such as Wylie look to have that playmaking ability that the Bulldogs have sorely missed over the past season. Adam Jennings was far more important to this team than many of us realized as the kick return game was non-existant in 2006. As I have said before I have nothing against Chastin West who is a good player for the Dogs, but he is not a kick returner. Hopefully Clifton Smith can figure out th...
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Fresno State's Scheduling Suprises
2007-02-01 22:06:01
I have to say when I first heard about Fresno Stat e taking on Texas A&M I was not the happiest of fans. I thought the Cincinatti game was a much better fit with respect to the players and the level we are on right now. However, I never thought 2007 would be the season to make a run in the first place so I guess playing this game is not going to be nearly as horrifying as I first thought it to be. I compare this game to the one David Carr went through when the Dogs traveled to play a decent Ohio State team in 2000 and were handled by the Buckeyes. If Fresno State cannot handle the atmosphere of the twelth man (pictured left) then that is fine, it will be an experience that will only help the Dogs in the years to come. I had originally thought that 2008 would be the year to make a run at the BCS but the schedule seems to be shaping up to be very tough to do so. With three out of four OOC games on the road against K-State, UCLA, and Toledo the Dogs are going to have to play their...
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The Recruiting Winds of Change
2007-01-31 10:05:01
Teenagers change their mind. If one thing is for certain it is that teenagers don't always realize what they truly want to do until the last minute. While one choice may look more lucrative than another, the situation may change as time passes. Schools such as Fresno State may receive verbal commitments from recruits only to have the recruit retract their statement at a later date. Many may wonder why a recruit would possibly do something of this sort and honestly can you blame a young man? When recruiting reaches the final weeks schools such as Washington, USC, and UCLA may lose out on a recruit they counted on acquiring. When this happens it leads these BCS tier schools to search elsewhere for a quick replacement. A school such as Fresno State is liable to take a hit more so than any other mid-major school in the nation because of the level of recruits the Bulldogs continually get. Schools like Fresno State have to worry that another program such as Washington will swoop in and t...
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