Fresno State Athletics
Pat Hill Online Chat Wrapup
10/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 10, 2001
On Wednesday, Fresno State head coach Pat Hill made a special visit to chat about his team's upcoming battle at Colorado State on Saturday (7 p.m. PT, ESPN2).
Fresno State (5-0, 2-0) heads to Colorado State (2-3, 1-1) after having won their first five games of the season. After posting convincing wins over Oregon State and Wisconsin, many are predicting that the Bulldogs will go undefeated this season. Coach Hill's team, led by Heisman candidate David Carr at quarterback, made a jump in the national rankings this week, moving up to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll and to No. 10 in the ESPN/USAToday coaches poll. The No. 8 ranking is the highest the Bulldogs have ever been rated.
Hill's coaching career, which dates back to 1974, has included stops at Utah (1977-80), UNLV (1981-82), Arizona (1990-91), as well as assistant coach positions for the Cleveland Browns (1992-95) and Baltimore Ravens (1996). He joined Fresno State in 1997 and has a 31-22 career record for the Bulldogs.
The following is a transcript from the October 10 chat:
Pat Hill: (1:01 PM ET ) Hello everyone! What's on your minds?
Brian McMahon, West Chester: Has your team and David Carr's performance been a surprise to you this year?
Pat Hill: (1:03 PM ET ) I've been asked that a lot. We've been working on this program for five years so we've been playing together for a long time. We've gotten better and our work ethic has gotten better so it's not a surprise. We are successful because we have worked hard at it.Michael Le Grand CA: Pat, do your feel that teams (Pac-10) will try to fit your team into there schuedule for next year now?
Pat Hill: (1:04 PM ET ) I don't think so. We've been happy to get the games we have. There is a price you hvae to pay when you try to get those games. So far we have played 14 games against BCS teams and only two have been at home.Jack (mondovi): Coach! Out of all the coaching positions you've had which team did you come most attached to?
Pat Hill: (1:04 PM ET ) Fresno St. I've been coaching 28 years and 11 of them here. It's Fresno St. by far.Michael (Tulare, CA): I love you offense cordinator and how he spreads the ball to his recievers on short 5 yard slants and then it turns into a big 30 yard gain. With the speed, are we going to see more passes this weekened or with paris gaines big game two weekeneds ago at home are we going to see the run a lot more now that we finally have a respectible running game since you have been the head coach?
Pat Hill: (1:05 PM ET ) We want to stay balanced. We will try to do both equally. But like last week, the run game was big. If you are balanced it is really hard to stop both. You don't want to be one dimensional.Brent-Lafayette: What is your response to Joe Tiller's comments about academic non-qualifiers. Is a rivalry developing between Purdue and Fresno St.?
Pat Hill: (1:08 PM ET ) I talked to him today. He said he was taken out of context. But I said when I came here we would recruit 4 or 5 non qualiifeers. I counted today and we have 13 non qualifiers, not 25 like some newspapers have said. Just because a young man is a non qualifier does not mean he does not deserve to go to college. They have to sit for a year and it gives them time to learn the academic side of things. We don't recruit the community college guys as much, we take a non qualifer out of high school and bring them into our system and get them on track academically and get them on the road to graduation.Jackson-Bemidji: I noticed that you coached with the Browns/Ravens. Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was also there, did you two ever talk about both being future Division I head coaches. Have you two remained in contact since then?
Pat Hill: (1:10 PM ET ) We stay in touch. We never talked about it though. Five of the nine coaches in '94 in Cleveland have gone onto being head coaches in D1. You don't really plan those things.Jared Day (Bristol, TN): What do you feel are the keys to the game this weekend against the CSU Rams?
Pat Hill: (1:11 PM ET ) Against CSU we have to look at ball security. We have done a good job taking care of the ball and not turning it over. That will be key. On defense, we have to strip the ball and take it away from them. Takeaways will be critical. We have to stop their run, that will be critical. Field position on a Saturday night in Fort Collins will also be important.Michael Petit (Columbia, SC): Do you find it tougher to prepare your team mentally for a game when they come in as favorites to win as opposed to coming in as underdogs? Congrats on your success, would love to see a Fresno State- South Carolina match up in the Rose Bowl.
Pat Hill: (1:13 PM ET ) THe mark of a good team, the FSU's, Miami's, they play hard every week, no matter what. We've been both so we just have to be consistent. We have to worry about making ourselves better each week.But yes, it is easier to play as an underdog.
Donovan (Porterville, CA): Coach Hill, Congratulations on a great start. What do you think will be the toughest component in trying to remain undefeated for the season?
Pat Hill: (1:14 PM ET ) Each week the pressure builds. You have to think of being 1-0 each week, not 13-0. Everygame is always the biggest game of the WEEK. Not the YEAR.mike, Clovis: Coach, how is Charles Smith coming along, and will you use more multiple receiver sets to spread the field to help Carr get his numbers up?
Pat Hill: (1:15 PM ET ) He's back to full health and hopefully will start getting more playing time. But we play alot of three receiver sets so he will get some time.Kyle (Columbia, SC): What do you wish the NCAA would do to fix the problem of schools like Fresno going out and doing the best job they can scheduling, but still getting shut out of the money bowls and the national title picture?
Pat Hill: (1:22 PM ET ) We haven't been shut out ... we've never been in this position. We'll find out at the end of the season .. if we go 1-0 each week the rest of the way, and get shut out, then there is something wrong. There are a lot of teams who play tough skeds early and some who do it late. You have to be judged over the course of the year. The only way it will be solved is with a playoff and I think the nation is starting to grumble about that. FSU might lose one game all year, does that mean they shouldn't be in the hunt? That is how it has been .. if you lose one game you are pretty much out of it. But there are so many good teams out there who might just lose one game. Someday I think there will be a 16 team playoff .. you win a championship on the field, not in a computer.TJ from Fresno: What is your response to people wanting you to run up the score for higher rankings
Pat Hill: (1:23 PM ET ) I don't think that has anything to do with the rankings. We have always wanted to play as many players as possible if we are winning late. The rankings are based on wins. I want to get everyone on the field, that is what the game is about.Pat Hill: (1:26 PM ET ) Thanks to everyone for logging on .. you asked some good questions. It's like I told our people, just enjoy the ride. If we are successful, we should be rewareded at the end of the season.Have a great day...
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