Fresno State Athletics
No. 21 Football Concludes Regular Season
11/28/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 28, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - With a bowl game locked up, Fresno State hopes to avoid a letdown in its final contest of the regular season Saturday as it plays host to Utah State.
The 21st-ranked Bulldogs (10-2, 6-2 WAC) accepted an invitation to the Silicon Valley Football Classic following a 40-21 victory over San Jose State on Friday. It is Fresno State's second straight appearance in the bowl.
Since consecutive losses to Boise State and Hawaii last month, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by an average of 29.7 points en route to four straight victories. But Fresno State coach Pat Hill is hoping his team will not overlook the Aggies (4-6).
"This is Utah State's bowl game," Hill said. "They will play their best game of the year Saturday at Bulldog Stadium. These are the types of games that can sneak up on you if you're not careful. We need to make sure our team is really focused, because Utah State is a very, very good opponent."
David Carr threw for 328 yards and two touchdowns last week to become Fresno State's single-season passing leader as the Bulldogs recorded their first 10-win season since 1991.
Carr reached 3,876 yards through the air this season, surpassing Trent Dilfer's total of 3,799 in 1993.
Utah State had a four-game winning streak snapped with a 34-13 loss to South Florida on Saturday. Aggies quarterback Jose Fuentes, who has thrown for 22 touchdowns, was sacked five times and threw two interceptions. He threw for 333 yards, including 11 passes to Kevin Curtis for 211 yards.
Curtis is among the nation's leaders with 93 receptions for 1,421 yards.
"In order for us to be able to compete against Fresno, we are definitely going to have to play as well as we can play," Aggies coach Mick Dennehy said. "We are going to have to bring our A-game, and compete for 60 minutes if we are going to have a chance."
The all-time series between the teams is tied, 9-9-1.
