No. 8 Football Battles Boise State

Oct. 15, 2001

EXTRAS
Complete Release in PDF Format
Asparuhov Earns WAC Honors
Coach Hill Quotes From Monday's Press Conference
Depth Chart in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

No. 8 Fresno State (6-0, 2-0) vs. Boise State (3-3, 2-1)
Date: Fri., Oct. 19
Kickoff: 5 p.m. PDT
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Stadium: Bulldog Stadium (41,031)
Radio: KMJ (AM 580), 'Dog Talk at 3 p.m., Pregame Show at 4:30 p.m.
Play-by-play: Bill Woodward, Analyst: Vince Wesson, Sideline: Ron Shapley
TV: ESPN
Play-by-play: Rich Waltz, Analyst: David Norrie, Sideline: Alex Flanagan
Series: Fresno State leads 3-0

This Week
Fresno State (No. 8 AP, No. 10 ESPN/USA Today ) returns to conference action this week when it hosts WAC newcomer Boise State in a rare Friday evening game. The contest will be televised nationally by ESPN and locally only by KFRE WB 59 (cable 5).

Last Week
The Bulldogs pulled off a dramatic 25-22 overtime victory at Colorado State. Fresno State trailed 22-19 with 27 seconds left, but David Carr led FS on a drive down the field, culminating in Asen Asparhov's career-long 48-yard field goal as time expired to send the game into overtime. In the extra period, the Bulldogs held CSU scoreless on its possession and got a 41-yard field goal from Asparuhov to win it. The win was Fresno State's fifth in a row on the road, something it hadn't accomplished since the 1988-89 seasons.

All-Time vs. Boise State
Fresno State holds a 3-0 lead in the all-time series against Boise State. The series began in 1977 with a 42-7 Bulldog victory. The two teams also met in 1984 and '96. FS holds a 2-0 all-time lead over the Broncos in Fresno.

Boise State vs. Fresno State - The Last Time
(FRESNO, Calif. - Nov. 2, 1996) - The Bulldogs defeated Boise State 41-7 in what was Jim Sweeney's 200th career coaching victory. Fresno State had 544 total yards of offense which led to a 27-0 halftime lead. Michael Pittman rushed for 212 yards and a 20-yard touchdown as Fresno State had 312 rushing yards.

Bulldogs in the Rankings
Despite losses to three top 10 teams, Fresno State remained constant in the national rankings this week, sticking at No. 8 in the Associated Press poll and No. 10 in the ESPN/USAToday coaches poll. Following are some Fresno State rankings factoids:

The No. 8 ranking is the highest the Bulldogs have ever been rated.
This year marks the first time since the 1993 season Fresno State has appeared in the rankings.
The highest Fresno State has ever ended the season in the rankings is No. 16, which came after the 1985 season, in which FS went 11-0-1 and defeated Bowling Green 51-7 in the California Bowl.

Ticket Information
There are less than 1,000 tickets remaining for Friday's game. Those interested in buying tickets should call the Bulldog Ticket Office at (559) 278-DOGS or go online to gobulldogs.com. A third consecutive sellout is expected.

Home Sweet Home
The Bulldogs have won 17 consecutive home games. Since the 1997 season, Pat Hill's first as head coach, Fresno State is 21-3 (17-1 WAC) at Bulldog Stadium and have outscored their opponents by a combined 836-360 for an average margin of victory of 35-15. In addition, the 'Dogs are drawing well, averaging 37,777 fans per game since 1997. Fresno State has sold a record 32,855 season tickets for this season and attracted a Bulldog Stadium record crowd of 42,881 against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 29, which eclipsed the previous record of 42,410, established in the 2001 season opener against then-No. 10 Oregon State.

Success at Bulldog Stadium
Fresno State's 38-28 victory over Louisiana Tech on Sept. 29 coupled with Florida State's home loss last week to Miami (Fla.) means the Bulldogs now possess the nation's third-longest home winning streak. FS has not lost at home since falling 27-24 to Nevada on Sept. 26, 1998. Since, Fresno State has posted home victories over teams such as Oregon State, Hawai'i (twice), Colorado State, BYU and TCU. Following are the top home winning streaks in the nation:

No  Team               Win Streak1)  Oregon                     232)  Nebraska                   183)  Fresno State               174)  Virginia Tech              16

Racking Up the Points at Home
Fresno State has not only won consistently at home, it has done so quite convincingly. Since the 2000 season opener, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 264-125 over six games at Bulldog Stadium, good for an average score of 38-18. In this year's home opener, FS kept the trend going by taking out No. 10 Oregon State 44-24 and Louisiana Tech 38-28. The Bulldogs have scored 24 or more points in 16 out of their last 19 home games.

Taking the Attendance to Another Level
After showing up in record numbers last year, Fresno State fans got 2001 off to a rocking start when 42,410 crammed Bulldog Stadium (41,031) to watch FS defeat then-No. 10 Oregon State 44-24 in the home opener. That number places the Bulldogs third in the west and 13th in the nation in percent of stadium capacity filled. Last year, Fresno State ranked second among western schools and 22nd in the nation, filling Bulldog Stadium at 100.82 percent capacity. This year, With a record of nearly 32,000 season tickets sold and a team that is ranked among the top 15 in the nation, Fresno State may break last year's gaudy attendance numbers. Following is a breakdown of where the Bulldogs rate regionally and in the WAC in percent of stadium capacity filled this year:

Bulldogs vs. the BCS Conferences
Through the first three games of the 2001 season, Fresno State proved it is as good as teams from the power conferences. The Bulldogs opened the year with a 24-22 win at Colorado of the Big 12, which has since won five consecutive games and climbed to No. 14 in the polls. The next week, FS took out 2000 Pac-10 co-champ and then-10th-ranked Oregon State 44-24. The following week, the Bulldogs traveled to Madison, Wis., and defeated the Big Ten's Wisconsin Badgers, winner of two of the last three Rose Bowls, 32-20. Fresno State has one non-conference games left - Dec. 1 against Utah State (Division I-A independent).

SI Recognizes Hill
Fresno State head coach Pat Hill was selected the 2000 Bowl Coach of the Year by Sports Illustrated: "Fresno State's Pat Hill kept his players focused after they fell behind Air Force 34-7 in the Silicon Valley Bowl, and when the Bulldogs pulled to within 37-34 he disdained a 33-yard field goal attempt with 14 seconds to go and called for a fake kick. The ensuing pass fell incomplete, but what kid wouldn't want to play for a coach like that?"

WAC Coaching Leader
Pat Hill is the active WAC coaching leader in winning percentage with a record of 22-10 (.688). Here's how the other WAC coaches rank.

                    Overall (years)  Pct.    Current School (years)   Pct.Ken Hatfield, Rice    150-106-4 (22)  .581         37-42-1 (8)        .469Mike Cavan, SMU            19-29 (5)  .396           19-29 (5)        .396June Jones, Hawai'i         8-10 (2)  .444            8-10 (2)        .444

Over the Hill
Under Pat Hill, the Bulldogs are 21-3 at home and 17-1 in WAC home games with 14 consecutive home conference wins. The only WAC team to win at Bulldog Stadium was San Diego State, which posted a 20-19 in 1997. His .875 home winning percentage is the best in Fresno State history of coaches with more than three years experience. His conference home winning percentage of .944 is also best in school history. The Bulldogs' three home losses over the last four seasons combined to equal the number of home losses Fresno State suffered in 1996, the season before Hill took over as head coach. Under Hill, Fresno State has won 17 games in a row at home, the third-longest home winning streak in the nation.

Reviving the Running Game
With a healthy Paris Gaines in the backfield, the Bulldogs ground attack is back at full throttle. Fresno State racked up 247 yards rushing against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 29, its most in a single game since Nov. 20, 1999, when it had 351 against San Jose State. Gaines had his most memorable day as a Bulldog, posting 203 yards and three touchdowns, two of which came on the ground. His effort was the 10th best rushing performance in Fresno State history and was the first 200-yard game since Jaime Kimbrough had 212 against San Jose State in 1998. Gaines didn't rest on his laurels last week after the 200-plus yard performance. He came back last week to rack up 111 against Colorado State. He now has 539 yards on the season, surpassing his total for all of last year. Fresno State has had a 100-yard rusher in three consecutive games. Last season, third-team running back Josh Levi became Fresno State's rushing leader with 397 yards. That was the lowest total by FS leading rusher since 1983 when Calvin Scruggs led the 'Dogs with 343 yards.

Fast Starts
The Bulldogs are 6-0 for the first time since 1991 and the third time in school history. Here's a look at what the FS teams that started the season with a 6-0 record have done since 1980. None of the two other 6-0 teams won four of their first six on the road.

       Final          FinalYear    Overall Rec    Conf. Rec/Finish1991    10-2           6-1/1st (California Bowl)1989    11-1           7-0/1st (California Bowl)

Update on Jason Stewart
Starting nose tackle Jason Stewart sustained a concussion during the Colorado State game and had to be removed from the field by an ambulance. He was kept overnight at a Fort Collins, Colo., hospital but returned to Fresno yesterday and is doing fine. He will miss this week's game and will be re-evaluated next week. The injury occurred during the third quarter on CSU quarterback Bradlee Van Pelt's touchdown run. Stewart made a dive in vain to catch Van Pelt and landed awkwardly, his head bouncing off the Hughes Stadium turf. Stewart remained on the field for several minutes but never lost consciousness.

Tricks are For Kids
The Bulldogs have thwarted six consecutive fake field goal or fake punt attempts over the last two seasons, denying either a first down or touchdown. The last team to attempt a fake field goal on the Bulldogs was Tulsa last week, which the Bulldogs successfully stopped. Fresno State has stopped seven of the last eight fake attempts dating back to 1997.

Big-Time Bryce
Each game, it seems as if sophomore free safety Bryce McGill makes his presence felt. Not only is he second on the team in tackles with 41, but he has done the intangibles that help the Bulldogs win. In the season opener at Colorado, his vicious hit on CU quarterback Craig Ochs led to a fumble which Fresno State recovered. He had a game-high 11 tackles and an interception against Oregon State. In FS's WAC opener at Tulsa, he picked off two passes, the second of which set up a touchdown in FS's 37-18 victory. Last week at Colorado State, he had six tackles, including one for loss in the Bulldogs' 25-22 overtime win.

Block Party
Fresno State's special teams have thrust themselves into the nation's elite in blocking punts and kicks. Since Pat Hill took over as head coach prior to the 1997, the Bulldogs have blocked 28 punts and kicks, including an extra point at Colorado that ended up being the difference in the game. Following is a breakdown of Fresno State's kick blocking prowess since 1997:

      Blocked   Blocked        Punts   PAT & FG   Total1997      3         1        41998      2         4        61999      4         6       102000      2         5        72001      0         1        1--------------------------------Totals   11        17       28

All-Pupose Berrian
Wide receiver Bernard Berrian has proven to be one of the most valuable players for Fresno State this year. In addition to his explosiveness as a wideout, the junior also serves as one of the nation's best punt and kickoff return men. His significance was never more evident than against Wisconsin, when he caught eight passes for 102 yards, had 16 yards rushing on two carries, posted 29 yards on two punt returns and electrified the Bulldogs with 153 kickoff return yards, including a 96-yarder for a touchdown. All told, the Winton, Calif., native left Camp Randall Stadium with 300 all-purpose yards. Berrian has totaled at least 180 all-purpose yards in four of Fresno State's six games this year and comes into this week the nation's 32nd best punt returner and seventh best kickoff returner.

Who's Better, Who's Best?
Entering the 2001 season, big things were expected of the Fresno state wide receiving corps. After three games, none of the wideouts have disappointed. The threesome of senior Rodney Wright, junior Bernard Berrian and sophomore Marque Davis have seemingly taken turns serving as stars of the game. Following is a breakdown of the big games each has posted in 2001:

    Player           Opponent       Key Statistics

Marque Davis at Colorado 8 rec., 95 yds., 1 TD
Rodney Wright Oregon State 7 rec., 182 yds. (career high), 2 TDs
Bernard Berrian at Wisconsin 8 rec., 102 yds., 1 TD, 300 all-purpose yds
Bernard Berrian at Tulsa 9 rec., 169 yds., 2 TDs
Rodney Wright La Tech 8 rec., 74 yds, 3 rushed, 37 yds.
Rodney Wright at Col. State 8 rec., 120 yds.
Marque is OK
Sophomore wide receiver Marque Davis had his biggest game as a Bulldog against Colorado in the season opener, pulling in eight catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. The last of those eight catches may have been the biggest - a 16-yard gain on 3rd-and-14 with less than two minutes remaining and Fresno State attempting to salt the clock away. The Dos Palos, Calif., native was redshirted last year after missing nearly all of last year after sustaining an abdominal injury after the Ohio State game. Against CU, Davis surpassed his career receiving statistics. Prior to the Colorado game, he had six receptions for 37 yards and one touchdown in his career. He sprained his ankle during the Colorado State game but is expected to return this week.


Whom to Cover?
David Carr hasn't just limited his pass distribution to wide receivers. He has spread the wealth around the field to a variety of different Bulldogs. In all, 11 different players have caught passes this year, including six for touchdowns. His favorite target has been Rodney Wright, who has 36 receptions for 521 yards.
Conference Countdown
For the first three weeks of the 2001 season, the Bulldogs beat a team from a BCS Conference. After beating a Big 12 opponent (Colorado 24-22) in the first week, the Bulldogs hosted a Pac-10 team (Oregon State, W 44-24) in week two. The Bulldogs made it a trifecta, winning at Wisconsin 32-20. The Bulldogs left conference play last week to pick up a 25-22 overtime win at Colorado State. Fresno State has one more non-conference opponent - Utah State (Division I-A independent) on Dec. 1.
Tough Sledding
The Bulldogs have taken on the toughest schedule in school history, with the first three opponents of the 2001 season - Colorado, Oregon State and Wisconsin - against teams that were ranked in the nation's top 27 teams by both the Associated Press and USA Today's coaches poll at the time of the game. And FS hasn't been afraid to take on nationally prominent teams on the road. All told, the Bulldogs play seven road games this season, more than any other team currently ranked in the top 10. Listed below are other top teams and the number of road games they will play this year:

No. Road Games        Team(s) (Non-Conference Road Games)7---------------------Fresno State (3)6---------------------UCLA (2)5---------------------Oklahoma (1), Miami (Fla.) (3), Florida (0)                      Texas (1), Virginia Tech (1), Oregon (1),                      Tennessee (1), Michigan (1)4---------------------Nebraska (0)

Hitting the Road
Entering the 2001 season, Fresno State had not been as successful as head coach Pat Hill would have liked on the road. But this year, that has changed. The Bulldogs are 4-0 away from Fresno this year, including wins at Colorado, Wisconsin and Colorado State. Overall, Fresno State is 11-17 on the road under Hill, including wins in its last five contests. FS still finds scoring on the road more difficult than at home. The Bulldogs are averaging just 22.0 points per road game while piling up 34.7 per game in Bulldog Stadium.
Honorable Bulldogs
Fresno State players have dominated the WAC player of the week honors this year. It started after the Bulldogs' victory over Oregon State, when Rodney Wright and Jason Simpson received offensive and special teams honors, respectively. The trend continued this week, when Asen Asparuhov received the special teams player of the week award after his field goals helped the Bulldogs defeat Colorado State on Saturday. Here is a list of the Fresno State players who have received either national or WAC player of the week honors this year:

Player                 Award(s)Asen Asparuhov---------WAC special teams player of the week (Colorado State)Bernard Berrian--------WAC offensive and special teams player of the week (Wisconsin)David Carr-------------USA Today, CNN/SI national player of the week (Oregon State),                       WAC player of the week (Tulsa)Paris Gaines-----------WAC player of the week (Louisiana Tech)Jason Simpson----------WAC special teams player of the week (Oregon State)Rodney Wright----------WAC player of the week (Oregon State)

In Case You Missed It
Paris Gaines has compiled back-to-back 100-yard rushing games for the first time in his career ... Fresno State has scored on its first possession of the second half in four consecutive games ... the Bulldogs have had a 100-yard rusher three consecutive games for the first time since 1996 ... Asen Asparuhov kicked a career-high four field goals against Colorado State, including one to send the game into overtime as time ran out in regulation and one to win it in the extra stanza. Asparuhov has now made 15-of-18 on the year, including five made field goals in a row ... Saturday marked the second time Asparuhov has won a game with a field goal. His 43-yarder with five seconds left last year against Rice lifted FS to victory. Coincidentally, that was Fresno State's last fourth quarter comeback victory ... Rodney Wright had 120 yards receiving against CSU, his second 100-yard game of the season ... Charles Smith moved up to a tie for fourth on the all-time career receptions list with Larry Willis (1983-84). Smith has 142. He also moved into sixth on the career receiving yards list with 1,951 ... Wright is 23rd in the nation in receiving yards per game (86.8) ... Eleven of Brett Visintainer's 39 kickoffs this season have been touchbacks, more touchbacks than he had during the entire 2000 season (four) ... Only two of David Carr's 12 interceptions the last two years have come at home. He has completed .662 of his pass attempts in Bulldog Stadium in that time ... Jason Simpson ranks fifth in the nation in punting with an average of 45.7 ... Fresno State is 6-0 for the first time since 1991, when it finished 10-2 and won the Big West Conference ... Fresno State is now 3-4 all-time in overtime games, including wins in three of the last four ... Stephen Spach caught his first career touchdown pass in the game, a first quarter score that gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.
Ranking the Losses
Of Fresno State's last 10 losses dating back to 1999, nine were to teams that have either been nationally ranked or played in a bowl game. Three of Fresno State's losses last season were to ranked opponents (No. 16 Ohio State, No. 15 UCLA, No. 17 TCU). Of the last 10 losses, the only loss to a non-ranked non-bowl team was to SMU 24-14 on Oct. 14, 1999. That was also the last loss Fresno State suffered to a team with a losing record.
Smurfs
Despite their diminutive stature, the duo of Charles Smith and Rodney Wright were the most explosive receiving combo in the nation in 2000 until Wright's was injured causing him to miss five games. Smith has an injured knee and is expected back in a couple of weeks. They are also Fresno State's top two returners and rank in Fresno State's career top 10 list for receptions and yards. Last week, Smith moved into sixth place on the career receiving yards list. He needs only 49 yards for 2,000.

                 ------CAREER------   ----------2001----------                 Rec   Yards   Avg.   TD  Rec  Yards  Avg.  TDRodney Wright    154   2,169   14.1   14   36   521   14.5   3Charles Smith    142   1,951   13.7   16    8   117   14.6  10Totals           296   4,120   13.9   30   44   638   14.5   13
Fresno State Career ReceptionsNo Name                        Rec   Yards   Avg.   TD2. Charlie Jones (1992-95)     187   3,344   17.9   253. Rodney Wright (1998-)       154   2,169   14.1   144. Charles Smith (1998-)       142   1,951   13.7   16
No Name                        Rec   Yards   Avg.   TD4. Larry Willis (1983-84)      142   2,260   15.9   145. Rodney Wright (1998-)       154   2,169   14.1   146. Charles Smith (1998-)       142   1,951   13.7   16

Carr's Bodyguards
Quarterback David Carr is more thankful than anyone that Fresno State will have the biggest and strongest offensive line in school history. With an average of 6-4 and 307 pounds, Fresno State's line is expected to be a strength, providing Carr with time to throw and open holes for the Bulldog backs. All five started at various times last season. One of the two newcomers to the group is the biggest player on offense, right guard Victor Taifane, who was a two-year starter at West Hills College, but missed the Tulsa game due to an injured elbow. The Bodyguards have been doing an good job in protecting their quarterback - Carr has been sacked just 12 times in 222 pass plays, only once every 18.5 attempts.
Carr's Bodyguards II
Not only has the offensive line done an excellent job in protecting David Carr, they have opened gaping holes in the defensive fronts for the running game. Fresno State is averaging a WAC-leading 447.6 total yards per game, which is 13th-best in the nation.The Bulldogs are 43rd in the NCAA and third in the WAC in rushing offense at 165.4 yards per game. Fresno State ball carriers are averaging 4.5 yards per attempt, second best in the WAC. Juniors Joe Schey and Rodney Michael are making a great case for All-WAC honors and freshman left tackle Logan Mankins is a leading candidate for WAC Freshman of the Year. Mankins would only be the second offensive lineman in league history to ever win that honor. From his critical left tackle position, Mankins has not only been protecting Carr's blindside, but done so in a dominating fashion. He has not allowed a sack since the season opener at Colorado, his first college game. Fresno State has played against one some of the best defensive linemen in the country, including Wisconsin All-American Wendell Bryant, limiting him to two tackles and one sack.
No Holding Harper
Senior defensive tackle Alan Harper (www.gobulldogs.com/alanharper), an All-America candidate, is on both the Lombardi Awards and Outland Trophy watch this season. He has proved to be one of America's premier defensive linemen. Through the first five games, he leads the WAC in quarterback sacks with six for 27 yards and tackles for losses with 11 for minus-40 yards. Harper now has 16 quarterbacks sacks in his career, an amazing feat for a player who is double-teamed nearly every play. Harper has climbed into NFL draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr.'s Big Board and is currently rated the No. 12 prospect for the 2002 NFL draft. Harper has been one of the most dominating defensive players in the WAC the last two-plus seasons, earning first-team All-WAC honors each year. Harper has the potential to become the best defensive lineman in school history. He had a career-high 10 tackles vs. TCU last season. Harper was selected by the media as the 2001 Preseason WAC Defensive Player of the Year. Harper has been awarded a Bulldog blackshirt in 15 of the last 16 games. A blackshirt is awarded by the FS defensive coaches for totally dominating their position in the previous game.

Alan Harper           2001     Career   WAC Rank   NCAA RankTackles for Losses   11-40     38-130     1st         9thQuarterback Sacks     6-27      16-80     1st         3rd

Getting Defensive
Alan Harper said he believes Fresno State's defensive front is the best in the nation and if the first six games are any indication, be just might be right. Fresno State leads the WAC with 23 sacks and 59 tackles for losses. Through the season's first five games, FS had allowed just 91.5 rushing yards per game, but Colorado State's strong ground game means the Bulldogs enter this week giving up 126.2 per game. However, Fresno State did hold Heisman Trophy candidate Ken Simonton of Oregon State to just 42 yards and a 2.8 yards per carry average. It was the lowest total for Simonton in nearly three years.
Fantastic Fox
There's more to playing defensive back than making interceptions. Senior safety Vernon Fox, who has not had an interception since the 1998 season, was selected first-team All-WAC by the league's coaches in 2000, an award that was applauded by the Bulldog coaches who felt it came a year too late. Fox was one of six players in the WAC with more than 100 tackles in 1999, leading the 'Dogs with 103, yet was left off both the first and second teams. Fox had 64 tackles in 2000, fourth on the team, plus had six tackles for losses and three quarterback sacks. Fox graduated with a 3.46 GPA in sociology and is enrolled in graduate school at Fresno State.
Getting His Kicks
No player has improved more on the Bulldog team than junior punter Jason Simpson. In his first season, Simpson averaged 38.0 yards per punt and was very good at placing the ball, stopping 18 punts inside the 20 yard line. This season, Simpson has improved his average by nearly 10 yards per punt to 45.7, which ranks tops in the WAC and fifth in the NCAA.
Blackshirts and Bad 'Dogs
Fresno State has a unique way of honoring strong defensive efforts during games. Every week after defensive coordinator Dan Brown reviews game film, he makes note of the Bulldogs players who thoroughly dominated their position during the game. These players then receive plain black shirts to wear during practice the following week. Players not receiving blackshirts wear their normal practice uniform. Listed below is the game-by-game blackshirt list:

Game             Blackshirt Playersat Colorado......Alan Harper, Jason Stewart, Nick Burley, Maurice Rodriguez,                 Vernon Fox, Devon Banks, Bryce McGill, Tierre SamsOregon State.....Alan Harper, Jason Stewart, Nick Burley, Jake Probst,                 Clarence Denning, Maurice Rodriguez, Vernon Fox, Devon Banks,                 Bryce McGill, Tierre Sams, Kendall Edwardsat Wisconsin.....Alan Harper, Jason Stewart, Nick Burley, Marc Dailey,                 Devon Banks, Vernon Foxat Tulsa.........Jason Stewart, Maurice Rodrguez, Brian Morris, Marc Dailey,                 Alan Harper, Bryce McGillLouisiana Tech...Alan Harper, Jason Stewart, Bryce McGill, Kendall Edwards,                 Marc Daileyat Colorado St...Alan Harper
Bad 'Dogs: Marque Davis (at Colorado), Rodney Wright (Oregon State),           David Carr (at Colorado State), Asen Asparuhov (at Colorado State)


The Wright Path
Senior receiver Rodney Wright scored his first career rushing touchdown against Tulsa on Sept. 22. Wright has now scored a touchdown via rushing and receiving. He also has scored a touchdown recovering a blocked punt for a touchdown (vs. Nevada, 1999). Wright has thrown a touchdown pass (vs. Rice, 1999) and caught a two-point conversion for a score (vs. Rice, 2000). Fresno State is 8-1 in games when Wright scores a touchdown.
Just Win, Baby
Pat Hill is not into statistics or scoring margins. In the five years he has been the head coach, he has never been accused of running up a score. The Tulsa game is a perfect example of Hill's philosophy. Leading 31-3 heading into the fourth quarter, Fresno State ran the ball 11 of their remaining 15 plays, including seven consecutive running plays by freshman running back Therrian Fontenot to end the game. The Bulldogs, leading 37-18, finished the game on the Tulsa 18-yard line. Fresno State has had 12 21-point plus victories in Hill's tenure, but the Bulldogs' offense has scored in the fourth quarter in only five of those games.
'Dog Bones (Team)

FS is 21-3 under Pat Hill at home, including 17 consecutive wins.
FS is 16-1 in its last 17 WAC home games.
Fresno State has won 21 straight games when leading at halftime. Under Pat Hill the Bulldogs are 26-2 when leading at the half.
The Bulldogs have picked off nine passes this year, 21st in the nation.
Fresno State's victories over No. 23 Wisconsin and No. 10 Oregon State were the first time in program history it had defeated ranked opponents on back-to-back weeks.
The win over the Badgers was also the program's first over a Big Ten team.
A crowd of 78,506 watched Fresno State play Wisconsin, the largest attendance ever to witness a Bulldog victory.
FS has thrown 71 touchdowns and only 17 interceptions since the 1999 opener.
The Bulldogs have not been shutout in the last 129 home games dating back to Oct. 25, 1980, vs. Utah State (14-0). Fresno State has scored in 153 of the last 154 home games.
FS is 22-5 under Pat Hill when the 'Dogs throw more touchdown passes than their opponents.
FS is 26-5 under Pat Hill when the 'Dogs have less turnovers than their opponents.
FS has outscored its opponents 1,055-693 over the last 35 games (30-20 per game average).
The 'Dogs allowed a school record-low 13 quarterback sacks in 1999 just 20 in 2000. They have allowed 12 this year.
Fresno State has had three consecutive games with a 100-yard rusher, the first time since the 1996 season that has happened.
Fresno State has produced six first-team All-WAC defensive players over the last two seasons. Three of those (Vernon Fox, Alan Harper and Anthony Limbrick) return this season.
The FS defense had 122 tackles for losses for -459 yards in 2000. This year, they have already accumulated 59 for -208.
This season marked the third year in a row the Bulldogs have played three of their first four games on the road.
Fresno State is 6-0 for the third time in program history. However, of the two other teams which started 6-0, none played four of their first six games on the road.
The 'Dogs have led the WAC in scoring in three of the last nine years, including a nation's best 40.5 average in 1992. They are averaging 33.3 points per game this year, including a 30-plus point outbursts in four of the last five games.
FS has produced two quarterbacks (Trent Dilfer and Bill Volek) who set NCAA records in the last seven years. Both are in the NFL, Dilfer with the Seattle Seahawks and Volek is with the Tennessee Titans.
FS has produced a first-team All-WAC punter (Jeff Roberts, 1998) and kicker (Jeff Hanna, 1999) since the 1998 season.
Fresno State's third down conversion percentage dropped from 50 percent in 1999 to 35 percent in 2000. This year, the Bulldogs are converting third downs at a 38 percent clip (33-of-86).
Only two Fresno State every down starters are not from California. Defensive end Jake Probst is from Midway, Utah, and safety Vernon Fox is from Las Vegas. Kicker Asen Asparuhov is a native of Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Fresno State was 2-2 on national television (Fox Sports Net) last season and are 5-0 this year (ESPN, ESPN2 and Fox Sports Net).
Fresno State has played in front of above-capacity crowds in four of its six games this year (vs. Oregon State, at Wisconsin, vs. Louisiana Tech, at Colorado State)
For the second consecutive year, Fresno State set a stadium attendance record in the home opener. This year, 42,410 fans jammed Bulldog Stadium, surpassing the former record of 42,285, established against California in the 2000 opener. But last game, the 42,881 that attended the Louisiana Tech game established yet another attendance record.
Fresno State has sold out six of the last seven games at Bulldog Stadium with an average attendance of 41,733, 702 more than the stadium's capacity of 41,031.
After both Colorado (11-of-21) and Oregon State (8-of-17) converted third downs at or near a 50 percent clip, the Bulldogs held Wisconsin to only 5-of-15 on third downs, including 1-for-7 in the second half. FS has held its past three opponents to a combined 18-for-52 (35 percent) on third downs.
Fresno State is 6-1 in games when Rodney Wright catches a touchdown pass. The only loss was in 1999 at SMU, 24-14, when Wright caught two touchdowns.
The Bulldogs are 13-3 when David Carr throws a touchdown pass, including wins in seven of the last eight games he has thrown a touchdown.
Fresno State is a combined 12-1 when either Josh Levi (5-0) or Paris Gaines (7-1) rush for a touchdown in a game.
Fresno State has converted on three of the last four two-point conversion attempts, including two in a row.
Fresno State is 26-of-28 in the "compete zone," scoring on 93 percent of the time inside the 25-yard line. The 'Dogs have scored 15 touchdowns in 28 (54 percent) attempts inside the "compete zone."
The Bulldogs are 8-1 in their last eight games when scoring first.
Fresno State's first score in 14 of the last 15 games, including the last 10, has been a touchdown. Fresno State had a safety against Rice for the only non-touchdown first score.
The Bulldogs have won five consecutive road games for the first time since the 1988-89 seasons.


'Dog Bones (Individual)

Kicker Asen Asparuhov has made 24-of-34 field goal attempts (.706) during his career, including 15-of-18 (.833) this year.
Asparuhov made a career-high four field goals against Colorado State, including a 48-yarder as regulation time expired to send the game into overtime and a 41-yarder to win it in the extra stanza.
Asparuhov's 48-yarder against Colorado State was the longest of his career.

Safety Devon Banks has intercepted two passes this year.
Banks was selected first-team All-WAC by The Sporting News after the 2000 season.

Junior cornerback Juan Bautista was awarded a scholarship during fall camp and was the unanimous selection by his teammates as the special teams captian for the 2001 season.

Receiver Bernard Berrian had back-to-back monster games against Wisconsin and Tulsa. Against UW, he totaled 300 all-purpose yards (153 on kickoff returns, 102 receiving, 29 on punt returns and 16 rushing), then came back Sept. 22 to establish career highs in receptions (nine) and receiving yards (169) while scoring two touchdowns.
Berrian has seven 100-yard games in his last 13 contests.
Berrian was named second-team All-WAC last year by the league's coaches.
Berrian owns seven of the top 50 receiving yardage games in school history and had career-highs with nine receptions for 169 yards against Tulsa on Sept. 22.

David Carr was named the national player of the week by USA Today and CNN/SI after throwing for 340 yards and four touchdowns against No. 10 Oregon State (9/2/01).
Carr has thrown just two interceptions in 210 pass attempts and has thrown just five in his last 326 attempts over the last eight games. He has thrown 18 touchdowns and just three interceptions in his last five games.
Carr had 389 total yards against Colorado State, the sixth-best single-game effort in school history.
Carr is ranked No. 4 on Mel Kiper's Jr.'s "Big Board" for prospects for the 2002 NFL draft. He is the highest rated offensive player on the board.
Carr is ranked sixth in the nation in total offense (305.0), 10th in passing efficiency (154.35) and 10th in points responsible for (16.3).
Carr has four 300-yard games in 2001 - Colorado State (398), Oregon State (340), Tulsa (314) and Louisiana Tech (319).

All-WAC strong safety Vernon Fox has at least one tackle in 36 consecutive games.
Fox has started 31 consecutive games, the longest streak on the team.
Fox led the team with 103 tackles in 1999 and was fifth last year with 68. He is third on the team this year with 31.
Fox, an Academic All-America Candidate, graduated in May with a 3.46 GPA in sociology. He has begun work on a master's degree.

Running back Paris Gaines rushed for 203 yards against Louisiana Tech, the most of his career and the highest total by a Bulldog since Jaime Kimbrough had 212 against San Jose State in 1998.
Gaines backed up his game against Louisiana Tech with a 111-yard effort at Colorado State, the first time in his career he had back-to-back 100-yard games.

All-WAC defensive tackle Alan Harper has at least one tackle in 37 straight games, the longest streak on the Fresno State defense. He has been awarded a blackshirt every game since the 2000 season opener but one.
Harper is ranked No. 12 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s "Big Board" for the top prospects for the 2002 NFL draft.
Harper is first in the WAC in sacks (six) and tackles for loss (11).
Harper was voted the WAC Preseason Player of the Year by the media.
Harper is on the watch lists for both the Lombardi and Outland Trophy Awards.

Tight end Jeremy Johnson suffered a broken bone in his left wrist against Wisconsin and will miss the rest of the season.

Free safety Anthony Limbrick, who broke his right thumb vs. Ohio State and missed the season, was rated as the ninth-best safety in the nation by Lindy's prior to last season.

Freshman Logan Mankins has started all three games at the critical left tackle position and has not allowed a sack since giving up one at Colorado. "He has been very impressive for a first-year player. He is very athletic and very physical to do what he has done against the caliber of opponents we have played," Offensive Line Coach Dennis Wagner.

Bryce McGill is second on the squad with 41 tackles, including six for loss, three sacks and a team-high three interceptions.

Cornerback Tierre Sams ran a 10.46 100 meters in high school, which at one point was the fastest time by a high school in the nation.

Junior right tackle Joe Schey was named to the Verizon Academic All-District second team. He has a 3.3 GPA in sociology.
Schey was selected preseason All-WAC by Lindy's and The Sporting News.

Safety Cameron Worrell was a walk-on to the team who earned a scholarship after fall camp.

Rodney Wright was selected the WAC Offensive Player of the Week after his eight receptions for 182 yards and two touchdowns vs. Oregon State (9/2/01).
A 1999 All-WAC receiver, Wright missed six games with a torn calf in 2000. He ranked fourth in the nation in receptions per game (7.5) before the injury.
Wright had seven receptions for a career-high 182 yards against Oregon State (9/2/01).
Wright had a career-high 13 catches against California (9/23/00).
Wright is averaging 14.5 yards per reception this season.
Wright posted 120 receiving yards at Colorado State and now has 2,169 in his career. He needs 33 receptions to move into second place on the Fresno State career record ledger. He had 74 receptions as a sophomore in 1999, earning first-team All-WAC honors.

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