Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Picked Second WAC Preseason Football Media Poll
8/5/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
August 4, 1999
Fresno, Calif. - Fresno State Picked Second in WAC Preseason Poll-- In the 1999 Western Athletic Conference Preseason Media Poll, TCU was the favorite after receiving 13 first-place votes for a total of 139 points. The Horned Frogs were given the nod after posting a 7-5 record and defeating Southern Cal in the Sun Bowl last year. Fresno State was picked second with five first-place votes (121 pts.) while SMU snagged third place (100 pts.). The Bulldogs recorded personal accolades as senior quarterback Billy Volek (Fresno) was voted the WAC's Offensive Player of the Year. Volek averaged 177.7 yards per game in total offense and was second in the conference and No. 33 nationally in passing efficiency with a 131.7 rating. He threw 261 passes and was picked off only three times in 1998.
1999 WAC Football Preseason Media Poll--
Team (1st place votes) Points 1. TCU (13) 139 2. Fresno State (5) 121 3. SMU 100 4. Rice 99 5. UTEP 60 6. Tulsa 56 7. San Jose State 53 8. Hawai'i 20
Season Ticket Sales Top 24,000, Bulldog Foundation Offers Family Value Packs-- As of Wednesday, Aug. 3, Fresno State had sold 24,632 season tickets for the 1999 campaign. Season tickets, priced at $101 and $93, are still available. Also, single-game tickets for all six home games will go on sale next Monday, Aug. 9. Single-game tickets range in price from $14 to $21 and can be purchased at the Bulldog Ticket Office and BASS outlets. For ticket information, call the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559) 278-DOGS. In addition, the Bulldog Foundation is offering a family value plan for the first time this season. For $150, a family of four can get general admission season tickets for two adults and two children (18-under) for Bulldog football games. For information, call the Bulldog Foundation at (559) 248-2340.
Preseason Predictions-- With the start of the 1999 Fresno State football season right around the corner, the Bulldogs have already received preseason tabs by national sporting magazines. Lindys, Street & Smiths and The Sporting News all picked the Bulldogs to capture the 1999 Western Athletic Conference title while Athlon had the Dogs finishing fourth in their preseason issues last month. On the national level, Lindys and The Sporting News have Fresno State picked in the top 50 at No. 48 and No. 49, respectfully. In addition, six Bulldogs were recognized as preseason First Team All-WAC by three publications with junior linebacker Tim Skipper (Kenner, La.), sophomore wide receiver Charles Smith (Union City) and Volek leading the way.
The Sporting News: Justin Johnson Tim Skipper Charles Smith Billy Volek Payton Williams Offensive Player of the Year - Volek
Lindy's: Tim Skipper Charles Smith Billy Volek MVP -- Volek
Athlon: Rob Gatrell Tim Skipper Charles Smith Billy Volek Payton Williams
Bulldog National All-Stars-- Skipper has caught the attention of the national media by being picked as a 1999 Preseason Street & Smith and Walter Camp All-American Honorable Mention. In addition, Athlon dubbed freshman offensive lineman Mike Painchaud (Norco) and wide receiver Marque Davis (Dos Palos) as Athlon Top 20 WAC Freshman Recruits.
DID YOU KNOW that Fresno State's 1999 recruiting class was ranked the best in the conference by both PrepStar and Student Sports and third in SuperPrep Magazine?
Ruffin Newest Bulldog-- Joining head coach Pat Hill's staff this season is defensive line coach Ruffin McNeill. As the defensive coordinator for UNLV the last two seasons he helped develop the WAC's Freshman of the Year, James Sunia. He took the Rebel defense that was ranked last in the country to 44th in total defense last year. Prior to UNLV Ruffin spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator for Applachian State. ASU highlights included a Southern Conference record of 39-13, a perfect 11-0 conference mark in 1995 with a NCAA quarterfinalist finish and a No. 2 I-AA national ranking. He also guided ASU to the 1994 NCAA quarterfinals with the Mountaineers posting a No. 9 national ranking.
Top 'Dogs Are Back-- Volek finished the 1998 season with just three interceptions in 261 attempts, breaking the WAC record for lowest interception percentage (1.15). In two years of action, Volek has thrown only nine interceptions (three in 1998) and had a string of 73 completed passes over four games ... Smith had 621 yards receiving last year and returns to lead all WAC receivers in that category this season ... Williams finished fifth in the nation in punt returns (14.3) in 1998 ... On the defensive side, Skipper is the WAC's third returning tackler (108). The Bulldogs defense allowed just one first-quarter touchdown in all of 1998 and finished the season ranked No. 33 nationally in scoring defense, improving another 30 spots in the rankings from 1997 ... Hill enters his third year with a 10-6 mark in league play, the best two-year conference total since the Bulldogs captured a share of the 1992 and 1993 league titles.
Bowl Arrangements: Bowl Championship Series -- The WAC champion is eligible for the national championship if it is ranked first or second in the BCS standings. The national championship game is the Nokia Sugar Bowl, Jan. 4, in New Orleans.
Las Vegas -- The Las Vegas Bowl (ESPN2), the first major bowl game of the season, is set for Dec. 18, at Sam Boyd Stadium. The game will match the WAC champion against an at-large opponent.
Mobile Alabama -- The Mobile Alabama Bowl (ESPN2) is the second bowl of the season and will be played Dec. 22 in Mobile. That game will feature the WAC's runner-up versus Conference USA's runner-up.
The Silicon Valley Bowl in San Jose was certified last spring by the NCAA and will held in late December, 2000. The game will match a WAC team against an at-large opponent.
