Fresno State Athletics
Short Week, Early Start Time to Challenge Bulldogs
9/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 8, 2004
FRESNO, Calif. - One of Pat Hill's frequent refrains since he took over at Fresno State in 1997 is that his program was not one to give excuses. If his team lost, they simply weren't good enough, Hill would say.
His credo will be tested this week, when there are plenty of excuses from which to choose for his Bulldogs.
Coming off Fresno State's 35-16 dismantling of Washington on Sunday -- the team's nation-leading eighth win over a BCS Conference opponent since 2000 -- the Bulldogs return to the road quickly to face 12th-ranked Kansas State this week.
As if playing one of the nation's best teams in hostile environs wasn't difficult enough, Fresno State's task will be made more difficult by several factors. First, the Bulldogs' opener with the Huskies was moved to Sunday to accommodate a national television broadcast. That left just six days until this week's contest against the Wildcats.
Second, and just as daunting, is a kickoff that is set for 11 a.m. Central Time, or 9 a.m. Fresno time. Never one to worry about obstacles, however, Hill has made provisions for his squad.
"This week is going to be a very difficult week for us," Hill said. "[The players] are getting up at 4:30 in the morning, and then we'll have meetings at 5 a.m. Pregame meal for us [on Saturday] is going to be 7 o'clock in the morning. So we've got to get used to the time change. This is not an easy turnaround, and the guys have to be ready to play a great football game."
It's a turnaround with which Fresno State is not completely unfamiliar. In 2001, after upsetting Oregon State 44-24 on a Sunday, the Bulldogs traveled to Wisconsin for a 9 a.m. (Pacific time) start against a nationally-ranked Wisconsin team on a Saturday. After falling behind 20-10 at halftime, Fresno State reeled off 22 second-half points en route to a 32-20 victory. The next week, the team graced the cover of Sports Illustrated.
That turnaround was made easier due to the Oregon State game being played in Fresno. This time, the Bulldogs are going through a fast preparation period after playing a road game. Nonetheless, Hill says, the team's goal of a BCS bowl game remains a top priority.
"Winning against Washington gives us the opportunity to be "all in" against Kansas State," Hill said, offering one of his often-used poker references. "All the chips are going to the middle of the table. If we win again, we keep playing. If we lose, then we start over again and we work on our next priority, which is winning a conference. And if we go through that, then the next priority is to go to a bowl game."
Several pundits, notably Mark May of ESPN, have selected this Fresno State team as one that could break through the glass ceiling that has separated the BCS Conference teams and those in "mid-major," or non-BCS, conferences. After noteworthy opening week wins by Utah (over Texas A&M), BYU (Notre Dame) and Fresno State, the experts are correct thus far.
"If you are in one of those six BCS Conferences, you can lose a game early and still get in [to a BCS bowl]. But their goals are to get into those BCS games. Why shouldn't that be our goal?
"I believe this program has goals set on very high standards, and they are hard to attain. But after Week 1, we are still alive to go to something special."
