Fresno State Athletics
2006 Bulldog Football Preview: Defensive Line Analysis
7/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Current roster
There's an old saying that says it doesn't matter how you start, but rather how you finish. Pat Hill and the 2005 Bulldog football team heard that repeatedly after the season, so much so that the theme for the 2006 campaign is "Finish the Job." That theme will ring throughout the next six months, both on the field and in the Fresno State locker room.
"Because of the way the 2005 season ended, we will be better mentally and a more focused football team in 2006," said Hill. "We learned a lot about ourselves and overcoming adversity. This senior class has been through the battles of some big football games and this is their team and their season. There's a tremendous amount of seriousness to how they have prepared themselves for the season."
Hill welcomes his largest senior class, a group that has been instrumental in Fresno State's success over the last three years. With three straight bowl game appearances, including wins over UCLA and Virginia, these Bulldogs are battle-tested.
Headlining the senior class are several players who have earned All-WAC honors, and are looking to earn All-America honors after the season. This group will likely set a Fresno State record for numbers of NFL draft picks, as Hill predicts a minimum of six players will be selected in the 2007 draft.
The 2006 schedule is once again superb, with top-notch non-conference competition, and an excellent balance of WAC teams, the home schedule ranks among the best in Bulldog history. The season kicks off Sept. 1 with a nationally televised game against defending WAC champion Nevada at Bulldog Stadium. Eight days later, Fresno State will host Oregon, a team that finished the 2005 season with a 10-2 record and ranked No. 10 in the nation. One week after that, Fresno State makes its first road trip to Washington, where the Dogs won 35-16 in 2004. After that, the Bulldogs return home to host perennial Mountain West Conference powerhouse Colorado State. Needless to say, the front of the schedule is loading. The Bulldogs are also looking forward their first game against LSU on Oct. 21 at Baton Rouge. In all, at least five games will be shown on national television.
"As long as I'm here, we are going to play as tough a schedule as we can," said Hill, whose 10 wins over BCS Conference schools since the 2001 season are more than any other non-BCS coach. "This is a great home schedule and it's tough from top to bottom. We can really make a statement if we get off to a fast start and then it's up to us as we head down the stretch to finish the job."
Defensive Line
Starters Returning/Lost: 3/1Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8/1The biggest loss on the defensive line was significant, as 2005 WAC Defensive Player of the Year Garrett McIntyre graduated, but with eight lettermen back, including end Tyler Clutts, the defensive line will be a tough and experienced group.
Clutts, a consensus preseason All-WAC pick as a junior, is the top returning sack master in the league. Clutts had 12 tackles for losses and seven sacks last season.
The Dogs have two of the most imposing tackles in the league in senior Louis Leonard and Jason Shirley, who at a combined 660 pounds, will anchor the middle of the line. The other end will be capably manned by senior Marlon Brisco, a consistent player over the last three seasons.
Sophomore Ikenna Ike had four sacks last season as a surprise walk-on, while Kenny Avon, Jon Monga and Charles Tolbert all earned valuable experience. The group will welcome former USC player Michael Stuart in the fall, who put up freakish numbers at Moorpark Junior College last season. Jason Roberts, a Valley player who started his career at Washington State, returned home to join the Dogs. He has tremendous speed and athletic ability.
"We have some very good athletes in this group," said Hill. "I expect us to be able to pressure the quarterback from our front four and in the WAC, that's a premium. Tyler Clutts is a typical Bulldog football player. He plays with great effort and passion. Marlon Brisco is another proven player. I really think Louis Leonard and Jason Shirley are ready to be the dominating players I know they can be. There should be no stopping those two guys. Jason Roberts can come off the edge and he can really run. I'm anxious to get Michael Stuart on campus. He's a blazer off the edge and a great athlete. We have more quality players on the defensive line than we've ever had. It's nice to have that kind of depth."
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Join the State - Fresno State! Get tickets online 24/7 at www.gobulldogs.com or by calling the Bulldog Ticket Office (559-278-DOGS), Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Ticket Office is located at the south entrance of the stadium off Bulldog Lane. Fresno State's 2006 home schedule- which kicks off Sept. 1 against Nevada- features opponents such as Oregon, Colorado State, Hawai'i, New Mexico State and Idaho.
