No. 21 Football Closes Out Regular Season With Utah State

Nov. 26, 2001

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2001 Statistics
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No. 21 Fresno State (10-2, 6-2) vs. Utah State (4-6)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 1
Kickoff: Noon PST
Site: Fresno, Calif.
Stadium: Bulldog Stadium (41,031)
Radio: KMJ (AM 580), 'Dog Talk at 10 a.m., Pregame Show at 11:30 a.m.
Play-by-play: Bill Woodward, Analyst: Vince Wesson, Sideline: Ron Shapley
TV: None
Series: Series tied 9-9-1

This Week
Fresno State takes on Utah State in its regular season finale. The Bulldogs were originally scheduled to play the Aggies on Sept. 15, but the game was rescheduled in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Last Week
Fresno State defeated rival San Jose State 40-21, and in so doing was granted an invitation to the Silicon Valley Football Classic, which the Bulldogs accepted. The win was Fresno State's eighth in a row over the Spartans, the longest in the history of the 66-game series. David Carr passed for 328 yards, two touchdowns and ran for two others in the victory. FS racked up a season-high 610 yards.

All-Time vs. Utah State
The series is tied 9-9-1 between FS and USU, although the two teams haven't met since 1993. The Aggies and Bulldogs met every year from 1978-91 when they were conference opponents. The last meeting came in 1993, a 30-14 Fresno State win at Bulldog Stadium.

Utah State vs. Fresno State - The Last Time
(FRESNO, Calif. - Sept. 25, 1993) - A then-Bulldog Stadium record crowd watched as Ron Rivers rushed for 106 yards and broke the 36-year old Fresno State career rushing record in a 30-14 win over the Aggies. The Bulldogs jumped to a 20-7 lead after the first quarter on a five-yard run by Rivers and touchdown tosses from Trent Dilfer to Tydus Winans and Charlie Jones. Dilfer finished the game completing 14 of 23 passes for 295 yards and three touchdowns. The Bulldog defense forced four turnovers. Omar Stoutmire had 20 tackles in the game, 11 of which were unassisted.

More Records
For the third consecutive week, many Fresno State single-season records were broken in the team's latest victory. Here is a look at some of them:

David Carr passed Trent Dilfer to take over first place on the program's single-season passing yards list. He has 3,876 this season.
Bernard Berrian passed LaDainian Tomlinson for first place on the WAC single-season all-purpose yardage list. The junior has racked up 2,382 in 2001.
Asen Asparuhov had 10 points and became Fresno State's leader for points scored in a single season. Asparuhov now has 115.
After the win, Fresno State accepted an invitation to play in the Silicon Valley Football Classic. It means FS will be playing in a bowl game for the third consecutive year, a first in program history.

Senior Tackle
The football team will host its annual Senior Tackle on Friday at 7 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium. There is no charge for the event and the public is invited to attend.

Tough to Beat at Home
Fresno State's loss to Boise State on Oct. 19 snapped its 17-game home winning streak, at the time the nation's third longest. However, since Pat Hill took over, Fresno State has still won 23 of 27 games at Bulldog Stadium, including 19 of its last 21. Since Hill took over prior to the 1997 season, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a combined 958-492 for an average margin of victory of 36-18. In addition, the 'Dogs are drawing well, averaging 38,344 fans per game since 1997. Fresno State has sold a record 32,855 season tickets for this season and attracted Bulldog Stadium record crowds of 42,881 in its last four home games, which eclipsed the previous record of 42,410, established in the 2001 season opener against then-No. 10 Oregon State.

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 362-202 over 10 games at Bulldog Stadium, good for an average score of 36-20. This year, FS has kept the trend going by outscoring its opponent by a combined score of 204-127. The Bulldogs have scored 24 or more points in 19 out of their last 22 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 second in the west and sixth 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 over 32,000 season tickets sold and a team that is has ranked among the top 10 in the nation, Fresno State is one pace to 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 afterward 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 27-12 (.692). Here's how the other WAC coaches rank.

                    Overall (years)  Pct.    Current School (years)   Pct.Ken Hatfield, Rice    153-108-4 (22)  .585         40-45-1 (8)        .471June Jones, Hawai'i        20-16 (2)  .556           20-16 (2)        .556Gary Nord, UTEP            10-13 (1)  .435           10-13 (1)        .435

Over the Hill
Under Pat Hill, the Bulldogs are 23-4 at home and 19-2 in WAC home games with wins in 16 of the last 17 home conference games. Only two WAC teams have ever won at Bulldog Stadium: San Diego State in 1997 and Boise State on Oct. 19. Hill's .852 home winning percentage is the best in Fresno State history of coaches with more than three years experience. His conference home winning percentage of .905 is also best in school history. The Bulldogs' four home losses over the last five seasons is only one defeat more than the number of home losses Fresno State suffered in 1996, the season before Hill took over as head coach.

Reviving the Running Game
For the past two weeks, Fresno State's running game has been extremely productive. Last week, the Bulldogs racked up a season-high 282 yards on the ground, including 107 by Paris Gaines, who had his third 100-yard game of the season. FS's solid rushing game came one week after it pounded out 200 yards in a victory against Nevada. The leader of the Bulldog resurgence on the ground has been senior Paris Gaines, who has 963 rushing yards this year and is a stone's throw away from his first career 1,000-yard season. Should he gain 37 yards Saturday, he would become the 11th Fresno State player ever to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. Gaines' 963 yards far surpasses the total of last year's leader Josh Levi, who had 397, the lowest total by an FS leading rusher ince 1983, when Calvin Scruggs had 343.

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 82, 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, he had six tackles, including one for loss, and an interception, his team-high fourth on the year.

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 31 punts and kicks, including a punt last week against Nevada, snapping a streak of nine games where the Bulldogs did not have a block, the longest during Hill's tenure. 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      3         5        72001      2         1        2--------------------------------Totals   14*       17       29* includes instances when Fresno State tackled the punter before he could get kick away.

Berrian Blows Up
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. Never was this more evident than Nov. 17 against Nevada. Berrian returned a punt for a touchdown and had 49 kickoff return yards, 166 receiving yards and a 73-yard run on a sweep play. All told, the Winton, Calif., native had 357 total yards. It marked his second 300-yard day of the season, the other coming when he had 300 at Wisconsin. Berrian had 215 all-purpose yards last week and has racked up at least 180 all-purpose yards in eight of FS's 12 games this year. The junior also became the WAC's single-season leader in all-purpose yardage last week, passing former TCU standout LaDainian Tomlinson. He enters this week ranked No. 3 in the nation and tops in the WAC in all-purpose yardage (198.5). He is the nation's sixth best punt returner (14.4) and 28th best kickoff returner (24.9).

Who's Better, Who's Best?
Since the season opener at Colorado, wide receivers Bernard Berrian and Rodney Wright have seemingly taken turns dominating games. Here's a look at their weekly outstanding performances:

    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.
Rodney Wright Boise State 14 rec., 179 yds., 1 TD
Bernard Berrian at Hawai'i 9 rec., 110 yds., 254 all-purpose yds.
Rodney Wright Rice 8 rec., 145 yds., 2 TD
Rodney Wright at SMU 7 rec., 91 yds., 2 TD
Bernard Berrian at Nevada 7 rec., 166 yds., 2 TDs, 357 all-purpose yds.
Bernard Berrian San Jose State 8 rec., 109 yds., 1 TD, 215 all-purpose 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. Davis missed most of last week's game while recovering from the flu. He is expected to return to action 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 10 for touchdowns. His favorite target has been Rodney Wright, who has 86 receptions for 1,253 yards. With San Jose State often dropping seven defensive backs, Carr was forced to throw underneath often, which accouted for his 63 passing yards to running backs.
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, 44-24) in week two. The Bulldogs made it a trifecta, winning at Wisconsin 32-20. The Bulldogs left conference play Sept. 22 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 team currently ranked in the top 10. Listed below are other top teams and the number of road games they 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 went 6-1 away from Fresno in 2001, a program record for road wins in a season. Including in those road wins are victories over Colorado, Wisconsin and Colorado State. Overall, Fresno State is 13-18 on the road under Hill, including wins in seven of its last eight contests. FS still finds scoring on the road more difficult than at home. The Bulldogs are averaging just 24.1 points per road game while piling up 35.5 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 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),                       WAC special teams player of the week (Nevada)Nick Burley------------WAC defensive player of the week (SMU)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
Bernard Berrian had 215 all-purpose yards against San Jose State and moved into first place on the WAC's single-season all-purpose yardage list. Berrian now has 2,382. He moved past former TCU running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who had 2,198 in 2000 ... Asen Asparuhov became FS's single-season scoring leader last week. He now has 115 points and leads the nation in field goals ... Paris Gaines is 37 yards shy of his first 1,000-yard season ... should Gaines eclipse the 1,000-yard barrier, it would mean the Bulldog have an 1,000-yard receiver and rusher in the same season for only the second time ever (1996). However, FS has never had two 1,000-yard receivers and an 1,000-yard rusher in one year ... David Carr became Fresno State's single-season passing yardage leader with his 328-yard effort last week ... the Bulldogs are outscoring their opponents 104-14 in the second half in the last four games ... Asparuhov broke the Barry Belli's single-season record for field goals made in a season. The Plovdiv, Bulgaria, native now has 23 this year ... Rodney Wright's 86 catches this year are most ever in a single season, and his 204 career receptions are most ever in FS history ... seven different Bulldogs have caught at least 10 passes this year ... only three of David Carr's 14 interceptions the last two years have come at home ... Jason Simpson ranks 14th in the nation in punting with an average of 43.9. He leads the WAC by over two yards per punt ... fourteen of Brett Visintainer's 62 kickoffs this season have been touchbacks, more touchbacks than he had during the entire 2000 season (four).
Ranking the Losses
Of Fresno State's last 12 losses dating back to 1999, nine have come 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. This year, FS has lost to Boise State and Hawai'i, both of which are bowl eligible this year.
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 missed the first three games this year but has become a vital part of the offense since returning. They are also Fresno State's top two returning receivers and rank in Fresno State's career top 10 list for receptions and yards. Wright also became FS's career receptions leader against SMU on Nov. 10.

                 ------CAREER------   ----------2001----------                 Rec   Yards   Avg.   TD  Rec  Yards  Avg.  TDRodney Wright    204   2,901   14.2   22   86 1,253   14.6   10Charles Smith    159   2,225   14.0   18   25   391   15.6   2Totals           363   5,126   14.1   40  111 1,644   14.8   11
Fresno State Career ReceptionsNo Name                        Rec   Yards   Avg.   TD1. Rodney Wright (1998-)       204   2,901   14.2   222. Brian Roberson (1993-96)    188   2,956   15.7   153. Charlie Jones (1992-95)     187   3,344   17.9   254. Charles Smith (1998-)       159   2,225   14.0   18
Fresno State Career Receiving YardsNo Name                        Rec   Yards   Avg.   TD3. Henry Ellard (1979-82)      138   2,947   21.4   254. Rodney Wright (1998-)       204   2,901   14.2   225. Larry Willis (1983-84)      142   2,260   15.9   146. Charles Smith (1998-)       159   2,225   14.0   18

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 25 times in 450 pass plays, only once every 18 attempts.
Carr on the Move
David Carr's sensational season seemingly has no end. He had his fifth consecutive 300-yard passing game against Rice, moving him closer to the top of the FS single-season passing yardage list. And despite only receiving significant playing time the last two years, he is still moving up on the career passing yardage list, as well. Here is where Carr ranks on both lists:

SINGLE-SEASON1. David Carr        2001   3,876   362. Trent Dilfer      1993   3,799   303. Kevin Sweeney     1984   3,259   204. Trent Dilfer      1992   3,000   215. Jeff Tedford      1982   2,993   246. Kevin Sweeney     1985   2,789   17
CAREER1. Kevin Sweeney     1983-86   10,808   692. Mark Barsotti     1988-91    8,093   503. Trent Dilfer      1991-93    7,631   534. David Carr        1998-      6,876   605. Billy Volek       1996-99    6,532   576. Jeff Tedford      1981-82    4,872   35

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 seven games, he leads the WAC in quarterback sacks with 11 for -70 yards and tackles for losses with 20 for-95 yards. Harper now has 20 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. 21 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. Harper was selected by the media as the 2001 Preseason WAC Defensive Player of the Year. Harper has been awarded a Bulldog blackshirt in 22 of the last 23 games. A blackshirt is awarded by the FS defensive coaches for totally dominating a position in the previous game.

Alan Harper           2001     Career   WAC Rank   NCAA RankTackles for Losses   20-95     46-186     1st         10thQuarterback Sacks    11-70     20-123     1st         10rd

Getting Defensive
The Fresno State defense is operating on all cylinders. The Bulldogs allowed only seven second half points and just 42 yards rushing to San Jose State. This continues a trend that has seen the FS defense prove nearly impossible on which to run. In the past five games, the Bulldogs have allowed only 2.4 yards per carry and less than 100 rushing yards per game. This has helped compliment an offense that has averaged over 500 total yards in that same time span. In the last four games, the Bulldogs have been downright miserly in the second half, allowing only 14 points. In fact, Fresno State has allowed nine or fewer points in the second half seven times in 2001. And in last week's game against the Spartans, the defense helped create a season-high six turnovers and now have 33 takeaways this year, sixth best in the nation. Fresno State is tops in the WAC in scoring defense and second in total defense and has racked up a conference-best 88 tackles for loss and 44 sacks.
Fantastic Fox
There's more to playing defensive back than making interceptions. Senior safety Vernon Fox, who came into the 2001 season with only one career interception, 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 and is third on this year's team with 55 tackles. He also has picked off two passes this season, including one in Saturday's victory over SMU.
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 eight yards per punt to 43.8, which ranks tops in the WAC and 14th in the nation.
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 HarperBoise State......Alan Harper, Vernon Foxat Hawai'i.......Alan Harper, Vernon Fox, Sam WilliamsRice.............Alan Harper, Del Hawkins, Brian Morris, Vernon Fox                 Kendall Edwards, Sam Williams, Marc Daileyat SMU...........Alan Harper, Nick Burley, Grant Harrington, Justin Johnson,                 Sam Williams, Maurice Rodriguez, Marc Dailey, Vernon Fox,                 Bryce McGill, Devon Banksat Nevada........Alan Harper, Jason Stewart, Vernon Fox, Devon Banks                 Bryce McGill, Tierre Sams, Brian Morris, Marc Dailey                 Maurice Rodriguez, Sam WilliamsSan Jose State...Not available at the time of this release
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 9-3 in games when Wright scores a touchdown.
The Wright Path, Part II
Rodney Wright is having one of the most productive seasons a wide receiver has ever had at Fresno State, which has produced NFL-caliber wideouts such as Henry Ellard, Stephone Paige, Stephen Baker and Charlie Jones. This year, Wright has caught 86 passes, most ever in a single-season by an FS receiver. He also has racked up 1,253 receiving yards, fourth most ever and the second time Wright has passed the 1,000-yard mark. Larry Willis (1983-84) is the only other Bulldog ever to accomplish that. Against SMU, he passed Brian Roberson (1993-96) to move into first place all-time on the career receptions list, a total he added to last week with eight catches for 99 yards, which placed him just shy of his 10th 100-yard receiving game. Wright is currently eighth in the nation in receiving yards per game (104.4) and 10th in receptions per game (7.2).
Injury Report
Cornerback Kendall Edwards (knee) and defensive end Brian Morris (knee) both missed the San Jose State game due to injury. Edwards will be re-evaluated Monday and could return this week. Morris is out for the rest of the season. Marque Davis (flu) did not play much against SJSU but is expected to return to action against Utah State.
'Dog Bones (Team)

FS is 23-4 under Pat Hill at home, including wins in 19 of the last 21 games.
FS is 18-2 in its last 20 WAC home games.
Under Pat Hill the Bulldogs are 30-4 when leading at the half, including wins in the last four games.
The Bulldogs have picked off 20 passes this year, fourth best 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 93 touchdowns and only 21 interceptions since the 1999 opener.
The Bulldogs have not been shutout in the last 131 home games dating back to Oct. 25, 1980, vs. Utah State (14-0). Fresno State has scored in 155 of the last 156 home games.
FS is 26-6 under Pat Hill when the 'Dogs throw more touchdown passes than their opponents.
FS is 30-5 under Pat Hill when the 'Dogs have less turnovers than their opponents.
The 'Dogs allowed a school record-low 13 quarterback sacks in 1999 just 20 in 2000. They have allowed 25 this year.
Fresno State had a 100-yard rusher against Tulsa, Louisiana Tech and Colorado State, the first time since the 1996 the Bulldogs had that happen in three consecutive games.
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) are on this year's roster.
The FS defense had 122 tackles for losses for -459 yards in 2000. This year, they have accumulated 83 for -335.
This season marked the third year in a row the Bulldogs have played three of their first four games on the road. In fact, seven of FS's first 11 games were away from Bulldog Stadium.
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 37.9 points per game this year, including 30-plus point outbursts in 10 of the last 11 games. Fresno State ranks fifth in the nation in scoring offense.
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 40 percent clip (63-of-158).
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 5-2 this year (ESPN, ESPN2 and Fox Sports Net).
Fresno State has played in front of above-capacity crowds in seven of its 12 games this year (vs. Oregon State, at Wisconsin, vs. Louisiana Tech, at Colorado State, vs. Boise State, vs. Rice, vs. San Jose 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 in the last four games, the 42,881 that have attended established and tied yet another attendance record.
Fresno State has sold out nine of the last 10 games at Bulldog Stadium with an average attendance of 41,989, 958 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 seven opponents to a combined 49-for-144 (34percent) on third downs.
Fresno State is a combined 16-2 when either Josh Levi (8-0) or Paris Gaines (9-2) or both rush for a touchdown in a game.
Fresno State is 56-of-62 in the "compete zone," scoring on 90 percent of the time inside the 25-yard line. The 'Dogs have scored 38 touchdowns in 62 attempts (61 percent) inside the "compete zone."
The Bulldogs are 9-3 in their last 12 games when scoring first.
Fresno State's first score in 20 of the last 21 games, including the last 16, has been a touchdown. Fresno State had a safety on the opening kickoff against Rice last year for the only non-touchdown first score.
The Hawai'i loss Oct. 26 snapped FS's five-game road winning streak. That was the team's longest since the 1988 and '89 seasons.
Fresno State's losses to Boise State and Hawai'i were the team's first back-to-back WAC defeats since 1998. The Bulldogs have yet to lose three conference games in a row under Pat Hill.
The Bulldogs defense allowed only 30 rushing yards to Hawai'i, the lowest total since Sept. 3, 1988, when they allowed just 20 to New Mexico in a 68-21 win over the Lobos.
Fresno State has allowed just 2.4 rushing yards per carry to the last five opponents.
Fresno State won six road games this year, most in program history.
The Bulldogs have allowed only 14 points in the second half of their last four games. They are outscoring their opponents 104-14 over those three games.
Fresno State is outscoring its opponents 140-27 in the third quarter of games this year.
FS has marked up its first 10-win season since 1991 and will be going to a bowl game for the third consecutive year, the first time in program history that has happened.


'Dog Bones (Individual)

Kicker Asen Asparuhov has made 32-of-46 field goal attempts (.696) during his career, including 23-of-30 (.767) this year. His 21 field goals is tied for most ever in a single season with Barry Belli (1986).
Asparuhov was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, presented annually to the nation's top placekicker.
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. The game winner was selected the No. 6 Play of the Week by ESPN's Chris Berman.
Asparuhov's 48-yarder against Colorado State was the longest of his career. He was named the WAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in the game.

Safety Devon Banks has intercepted three 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.

Bernard Berrian had the type of game an all-purpose wideout dreams about against Nevada. He had 166 receiving yards, 79 rushing yards on one carry, a 70-yard punt return for a touchdown and a 49-yard kickoff return. All told, he set a record for all-purpose yards by a non-quarterback with 357. He is now ranked third in the nation in all-purpose yards with 198.5 per game.
Berrian also had 300 all-purpose yards against Wisconsin.
Berrian is sixth in the nation in punt returns at 14.4 and 28th in kickoff returns at 24.9. He has returned both a punt and kickoff return for a touchdown this year.
Berrian was named second-team All-WAC last year by the league's coaches.
Berrian is 17th receiving yards per game (92.7) and 22nd in the nation in receptions per game (6.0).

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 three interceptions in his last 358 pass attempts and just seven in his last 474 attempts over the last 13 games. He has thrown 36 touchdowns and just seven interceptions in 2001.
Carr had 424 total yards against Colorado State, the sixth-best single-game effort in school history.
Carr is ranked No. 6 on Mel Kiper's Jr.'s "Big Board" for prospects for the 2002 NFL draft. He is the highest rated skill position offensive player on the board.
Carr is ranked first in the nation in touchdown passes (36) and passing yards (3,876), second in completions (266) second in points responsible for (20.8), third in the nation in total offense (330.4), and fifth in passing efficiency (159.6).
Carr has eight 300-yard games in 2001 - Colorado State (398), Oregon State (340), Tulsa (314), Louisiana Tech (319), Boise State (345), Rice (334), Nevada (368) and San Jose State (328) - and a 400-yard game - Hawai'i (400).

All-WAC strong safety Vernon Fox has at least one tackle in 42 consecutive games.
Fox has started 37 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 fourth on the team this year with 68.
Fox, who has begun work on a master's degree, graduated in May with a 3.46 GPA in sociology.
Fox last week received a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. He was one of 16 players in all NCAA divisions so honored.

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 has three 100-yard games this year and needs just 37 to pass 1,000 yards in 2001.

All-WAC defensive tackle Alan Harper has at least one tackle in 43 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. 21 on Mel Kiper Jr.'s "Big Board" for the top prospects for the 2002 NFL draft.
Harper is first in the WAC in sacks (11) and tackles for loss (20).
Harper was voted the WAC Preseason Player of the Year by the media.
Harper is on the watch list for the Outland Trophy Award.

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

Freshman Logan Mankins has started every game at the critical left tackle position and has allowed two sacks this year. "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 82 tackles, including seven for loss, four sacks and a team-high four interceptions, including one in the victory over San Jose State.

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.
Wright had seven receptions for a career-high 182 yards against Oregon State (9/2/01).
Wright had a career-high 14 catches against Boise State (10/19/01).
Wright's 7.2 receptions per game is 10th best in the nation and his 104.4 receiving yards per game is eighth best.
Wright posted 73 receiving yards against SJSU and now has 2,901 all-time, fourth in Fresno State history.
Wright caught seven passes against SMU and became Fresno State's all-team leading pass catcher.

Fresno State Athletics

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