Fresno State Athletics
Football Travels to SDSU for Key League Contest
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
November 2, 1998
"That was a hard win."
- Bulldog head coach Pat Hill on the New Mexico game
Practice Schedule Date Time Location Nov. 2 Off Day Nov. 3 4-6:30 p.m. Practice Facility Nov. 4 4-6:30 p.m. Practice Facility Nov. 5 4-6:30 p.m. Practice Facility Nov. 5 TBA Walkthrough Qualcomm StadiumNov. 8 *6:30-8 p.m. Practice Facility
*time may change
Fast Copy
Kickoff time for Saturday's ABC-TV regional game is listed at 4:05 p.m.
PST ... Roger Twibell and Stan Humphries will call the action ... WAC
Offensive Player of the Week Jaime Kimbrough calls San Diego home and
will play before family and friends this weekend ... Kimbrough walked
onto the Fresno State squad as a true freshman, but earned a scholarship
almost immediately ... Kimbrough is the WAC's all-purpose yards leader
with 156.1 yards per game ... the '94, '95 and '96 games between San
Diego State and Fresno State were all played in San Diego ... Fresno
State was victorious in the '94 outing, 49-42 ... the Bulldogs picked up
their first road win since a 53-12 victory at San Jose State in 1997 ...
after posting their second straight win, the Bulldogs are looking for
their third consecutive win, the last skein coming at Air Force, vs.
UNLV and at San Jose State a year ago .... San Diego State is the third
Fresno State opponent to have extra time to prepare for the Bulldogs
after playing last Thursday night vs. Brigham Young ... Utah and Nevada
both had open dates prior to their meeting with Fresno State ... Fresno
State opponents with an extra week are 2-0 against the Bulldogs ...
junior quarterback Billy Volek had a string of 73 completed passes and
118 attempts without an interception; those streaks were broken in the
first quarter vs. New Mexico ... Volek's threw an interception vs.
Nevada ... 28 players posted a spring semester GPA of 3.0 or above ...
23 players have cumulative GPAs of 3.0 or higher ... junior DB Payton
Williams aced the spring semester with the highest GPA possible and owns
the team's highest cumulative GPA.
Billy, Come Out and Play
Junior quarterback Billy Volek, somewhat quiet in person, is anything
but on the field. Volek who passed for a career-best 349 yards against
Texas Tech, currently ranks third on the WAC passing efficiency chart
and is 33rd in the nation in that category. Son of current Sacramento
State coach John Volek, the younger Volek is definitely a leader on this
Bulldog squad. This year, Volek has thrown 211 attempts with 122
completions and only two interceptions. Volek can even handle the
defensive side, recording an unassisted tackle for stopping the last
player to intercept a pass.
Injury Update
DL Kevin Jordan (fracture left novicular) out until mid-November; LB
Allan Nicholas (strained left knee) out indefinitely; OL Russ Harding
(multiple ligament injury) out for the season; RB Carl Holmes
(fracture and dislocation of hip, right side) out for the season; DB Sam
Wilson (left knee sprain) questionable; LB Craig Lingenfelter (broken
thumb), out for the season; LB Jeremy Luginbill, doubtful; WR Rodney
Wright (broken rib); out for the season, TE Scott Thompson, did not play
vs. New Mexico; probable.
One if by Land, Two if by Air
Fresno State's rushing offense (12th in the WAC) will test its mettle
against the WAC's fourth-best rushing defense in San Diego State. The
San Diego State passing defense (12th) must go toe-to-toe with Fresno
State's passing offense, ranked fourth in the conference. On the flip
side, San Diego State's rushing offense ranks sixth in the league and
will matchup with the sixth-best rushing defense in the league. Fresno
State's passing defense is ninth in the WAC and will face the Aztec's
passing offense (14th).
Kimbrough Doesn't Rhyme with Anything
Senior FB Jaime Kimbrough's stacks up career outings, rushing for 184
yards against the UTEP Miners, the 15th best total in Fresno State
history, scoring a touchdown and two-point conversion on the opening
drive. Kimbrough also had three receptions for 20 yards and three
kickoff returns for 79 yards. Against New Mexico, the Doak Walker
candidate ran for a career-best three touchdowns, including one of a
long 80 yards and had one reception for 20 yards and a kickoff return
for 25. He currently leads the WAC in all-purpose yardage at 158.4 per
game. His performance against then-16th-ranked Colorado accounted for
60 percent of the Bulldogs' offensive output. Though Kimbrough only
scored one touchdown, he had a hand in the scoring drives of the other
two as well. Take a look at Kimbrough's top five outings rushing and
receiving:
Date Opponent Carries Yds TDs 10-24-98 UTEP 15 184 1 15th best in FS history 9-26-98 NEVADA 26 164 1 26th best in FS history 10-31-98 at New Mexico 20 161 3 27th best in FS history 9-12-98 at Colorado 22 107 1 9-07-96 at Auburn 19 89 0 11-02-96 BOISE STATE 6 74 1 9-06-97 BAYLOR 8 65 0Date Opponent Rcp Yds TDs 9-20-97 at Oregon 4 92 2 9-12-98 at Colorado 6 91 0 11-23-96 at San Diego State 5 90 0 10-17-98 at Utah 8 56 0 10-18-97 at Air Force 7 55 1
Games with TDs Rushing and Receiving Date Opponent Carries Yds TDs Rcp Yds TDs 9-20-97 at Oregon 12 59 1 4 92 2 10-18-97 at Air Force 9 33 1 7 55 1
Wide Receiver University
Wide Receiver University got a big boost from its underclassmen against BYU with the tandem of Rodney Wright and Charles Smith. The two combined for nine catches for 135 of Fresno State's 189 total passing yards and two touchdowns. The week prior against Nevada, Atnaf Harris and Saleem Mahdi each pulled down passes for a score. Harris, Mahdi and Eric Mahanke, who stepped in as a backup after Wright went down against Utah, all caught TD passes against UTEP.
Total Long TD
Opponent Top 2 Receivers Rec. Yds TDs catch
at Colorado Kimbrough (6), Mahdi (3) 9 119 0 -
at Texas Tech Kimbrough (5), Smith (5) 10 135 0 -
NEVADA Smith (5), Kimbrough (3) 8 136 2* 32
BYU Smith (6), Wright (3) 9 135 2# 39
at Utah Smith (8), Kimbrough (8) 16 173 1& 37
UTEP Kimbrough (3), Thompson (3)@ 6 66 2 5
at New Mexico Branstetter (4), Harris (3) 11 160 0 36
* Mahdi and Harris caught TD passes; # Wright had both TD passes
Wright suffered injury, did not return to the game; & pass from P Jeff Roberts
@ Mahanke caught the other TD pass
Top of the Hill
Bounding into his second year as head coach of Fresno State, Pat Hill's infectious enthusiasm has fired up the San Joaquin Valley. Hill guided the Bulldogs to their best record (6-6 overall, 5-3 WAC) last year since 1993 with a third-place WAC finish. His career record is 9-11 overall with an 8-5 mark in the league. A former assistant coach under Bulldog coach Jim Sweeney from 1984-89, Hill returned to Fresno State after five years on the coaching staff of the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens.
For the second straight summer, Hill has rallied the Valley around the Bulldog athletic program, serving as the main attraction on the Bulldog Caravan. His commitment to restoring pride and tradition to Fresno State football goes far beyond the coaching field. Working in the community, Hill has raised funds to construct an NFL-quality practice area, outdoor weight area and meeting building as well as dedicated practice fields for the men's and women's soccer programs. Hill has his players focus on academics as well, stressing the Academic Game Plan to put the "student" back in the term student-athlete.
WAC Players of the Week
So far this season, Fresno State has made its presence known, twice winning the WAC Defensive Player of the Week honors and this week picking up the award for Offensive Player of the Week. Senior Doak Walker candidate Jaime Kimbrough pulled off another career day with three rushing touchdowns and 161 total rushing yards in the Bulldogs win over New Mexico in Albuquerque. Sophomore defensive lineman Justin Johnson won the award after a spectacular performance against Texas Tech. The Fresno, Calif., native returned a 33-yard interception for a touchdown which put Fresno State in the lead late in the fourth quarter vs. the Red Raiders. Senior linebacker Bobby Brooks earned player of the week after the Bulldogs beat BYU. Brooks totalled eight tackles, including four for loss of 27 yards. Three of his tackles were sacks for a loss of 22 yards.
Stat Men
Ind. Category Player WAC NCAA
Rushing Jaime Kimbrough 3 25
Receiving Charles Smith 12 -
Scott Thompson 18 -
Passing Efficiency Billy Volek 2 33
Field Goals Jeff Hanna 5 24
Punting Jeff Roberts 5 32
Punt Returns Payton Williams 2 5
Interceptions Efrfain Guizar 8 -
Total Offense Billy Volek 4 40
Scoring Jeff Hanna 8 -
Jaime Kimbrough 13 -
All-Purpose Yardage Jaime Kimbrough 1 13
Charles Smith 8 -
Fresno State San Diego State
WAC NCAA WAC NCAA
Rushing Offense 12 68 6 31
Passing Offense 4 45 14 105
Total Offense 8 57 13 91
Scoring Offense 7 60 13 69
Rushing Defense 6 62 4 58
Passing Defense 9 52 12 75
Total Defense 11 62 9 59
Scoring Defense 8 43 8 43
Punt Returns 3 10 1 1
Kick off Returns 5 34 12 58
Penalties 9 7
Quarterback Sacks 2 9
3rd Down Con. Off. 12 14
3rd Down Con. Def 12 10
Net Punting 2 23 11 80
Turnover Margin 3 18 10 69
Academic Honors (a.k.a. Ask Us About Academic Game Plan)
Achieving recognition for the Spring 3.0 Club, 27 Bulldog football players recorded a 3.0 grade point average or better for the spring semester: Kevin Adams, Jeromy Blackwell, Vince Branstetter, Donnell Burch, Lawrence Deck, Matt Fisher, Ben Focke, Ken Foersch, Vernon Fox, Rob Gatrell, Efrain Guizar, Jeff Hanna, Grant Harrington, Eric Mahanke, Mario Miranda, Jake Probst, Jeff Roberts, Maurice Rodriguez, Jeremiah Ross, Jared Savage, David Shabaglian, Tim Skipper, Charles Smith, Anthony Tucker, Ramsey Venner, Billy Volek and Payton Williams.
Academic Personal Record Club: Kevin Adams, Vince Branstetter, Bobby Brooks, Donnell Burch, David Carr, Steve Daniel, Lawrence Deck, Chad Ede, Matt Fisher, Ben Focke, Ken Foersch, Rod Gatrell, Tyrell Grayson, Russ Harding, Grant Harrington, Bryce Jackson, Thabiti Lockhart, Eric Mahanke, Mario Miranda, Javier Ortiz, Armando Rosales, Charles Smith, Scott Thompson, Brock Torresdal, Billy Volek, Arlan Wells and Payton Williams.
Constructing Dreams
Once a lonesome ponding basin on the outskirts of Bulldog Stadium, Pat Hill and his crew have made some alterations to the area to add two full-sized, lighted football practice fields. Dedicated women's and men's soccer practice fields were resurfaced. In addition, a combination storage and auxiliary weight training facility will be constructed on the north side of the football practice fields.
Fresno State Football Awards Banquet
Join the Fresno State football team as it recognizes the achievements of the team at the Awards Banquet Sunday, November 22. A no-host hospitality hour begins at 3 p.m. Dinner and the program begins at 4 p.m. Reservations may be made at $20 per person or $200 per table of 10. For more information, contact Sandy at (209) 278-3015.
Miracle of Modern Technology
Now it's never too late to get the information you need for this weekend's game. Fresno State football information, as well as all other Bulldog sports information, is available through Fax-On-Demand. Don't forget to call the customer service number (770) 399-0096 to set up an account and obtain a PIN number. Dial 1-800-300-2050, the request numbers are: 1603 (release), 1604 (game states), 1605 (roster) and 1606 (cumulative stats).
Build It and They Will Come
Fresno State's events center project moved onto the drawing board as the University selected the Denver architectural firm of Sink Combs Dethlefs, in conjunction with Cannon of Los Angeles, to create the concept design for the new multi-purpose events center. The new building will be located at Shaw and Woodrow, near Chestnut.
The firm's credentials include the Thomas & Mack Arena at UNLV, the San Jose Arena, The Cox Arena at San Diego State and the new Value City Arena at Ohio State University.
Save Mart Supermarkets of Modesto and Pepsico Inc. have pledged $40 million over 20 years and Fresno businessmen Ed Kashian and Bob Duncan, have been named chairs of the fund drive. Kashian and Duncan and their corps of volunteers will seek money from gifts, luxury-suite and seat-option sales and opportunities to name parts of structure and government support.
Groundbreaking for the events center could take place as early as fall of 1999. The center is scheduled to open in November 2001.
Fresno State received a jump start in fundraising when Gov. Wilson approved $4 million in the 1998-99 state budget for the event center preparation and planning.
Weekly meetings are in session with various groups and community interests to obtain information and recommendations. While the architects are gathering ideas, the University is proceeding with the necessary steps to complete an environmental impact report.
Over the Airwaves
Every Fresno State football game is broadcast live throughout the San Joaquin Valley on KMJ (AM 580). Veteran sportscaster Bill Woodward, now in his 26th season of covering Fresno State sports, handles the play-by-play duties. Jon Anabo, a former Bulldog quarterback who also spent time as a Fresno State assistant coach, is in his 13th season as a color analyst. KMJ's extensive game-day coverage begins with a two-hour call-in show, "Dog Talk" and is followed by "Countdown to Kickoff," a one-hour pre-game show. The "Bulldog Review" postgame show follows each broadcast. The crew for pre-game "Dog Talk" is Anabo and Fresno State's Scott Johnson. Studio host for post-game "Bulldog Review" is John Scheideman. Chris Basham is engineer in charge of KMJ's game broadcasts.
Bulldogs on TV
Several of Fresno State's road games are scheduled to be televised in the local area on Fox affiliate KMPH. Currently, five games are on the docket: Colorado, Texas Tech, TCU, Utah and New Mexico, but the schedule is subject to change. Ralph Wood, sports director for KMPH-TV (Channel 26) will call the play-by-play action with television actor and former NFL quarterback Alan Autry providing color commentary.
Weekly Teleconference Call (all times Mountain)
The WAC will hold a weekly football teleconference every Monday beginning August 31 and running through November 16. Each coach will make comments relative to the most recent game and/or the upcoming opponent, and then media members will be able to ask questions. Each week, the WAC Players of the Week will be announced along with any pertinent information or special announcements. The phone number to participate is (913) 981-5508. Identify yourself and your outlet to the operator and inform the individual you wish to join the WAC Football Coaches Teleconference. There will be a replay of the complete teleconference around 4:30 p.m. (MT) the same day and can be accessed by dialing (402) 222-9904.
10:30 Rice (11:30 CT / 9:30 PT) 11:26 UTEP 10:37 TCU 11:33 Colorado State 10:44 Tulsa 11:40 Wyoming 10:51 SMU 11:47 Fresno State (10:47 PT) 10:58 New Mexico 11:54 UNLV 11:05 Air Force 12:01 San Jose State 11:12 Utah 12:08 San Diego State 11:19 Brigham Young 12:15 Hawai'i (8:15 PT/9:15 PT)
The Pat Hill Show
KMJ airs the "Pat Hill Show" Mondays at 1 p.m. during the football season. The one-hour call in show is hosted by KMJ's Ray Appleton.
Coaches Corner
KMPH-TV 26 features Coach Pat Hill every Wednesday during its regular
10 p.m. newscast.
On the Dial
Gameday Broadcasts KMJ (AM 580) Bill Woodward (PBP)
Jon Anabo (C)
Sports Talk pre-game KMJ (AM 580) Jon Anabo, Scott Johnson
post-game John Scheideman
"The Pat Hill Show" KMJ (AM 580)
Mondays, 1 p.m. Ray Appleton
TV Road Games KMPH-TV (Channel 26) Ralph Wood (PBP)
Alan Autry (C)
