Fresno State Athletics
Oregon Notes and Quotes
9/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 10, 2006
Fresno, Calif. - Junior Clint Stitser's field goal at 9:47 was the first of the season for the Bulldogs, and the fifth consecutive make for Stitser in a row, dating back to Oct. 8, 2005 when he hit three out of four kicks against New Mexico State.
Senior Jaron Faiman led the team in receiving with eight catches for 71 yards against Oregon. The eight catches were a career high for Fairman, who has now led the team in catches for two of the last three games, after leading the team in the 2005 AutoZone Liberty Bowl with six catches. Over his last three games, Fairman has made 16 catches, the most on the team over that span.
Jaron Fairman's touchdown catch in the second quarter was his first touchdown since the New Mexico State game on Oct. 8, 2005. On that date, he caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from Paul Pinegar.
Kicker Clint Stitser made the tackle on the kickoff following the Fairman touchdown in the second quarter. That tackle was the sixth of his career.
Fresno State allowed 57 punt return yards in the first half of the game, just 10 fewer than they had allowed during the 2004 and 2005 seasons combined.
With the blocked field goal in the third quarter, Fresno State recorded their 64th blocked kick under Pat Hill, and their second of the 2006 season.
Fullback Isaac Kinter's 12-yard reception in the third quarter was the first of his Fresno State career. Kinter finished the day with two catches for 21 yards, third on the team in receptions on the day.
Junior running back Dwayne Wright has now ran for over 100 yards in both games of 2006, and three of his last four games dating back to the first two games in 2004.
Fresno State is now 5-5 in their last five meetings with Pac-10 schools, with their last win coming in 2004 when the Bulldogs defeated Washington 35-16 in Seattle.
Oregon's visit to Bulldog Stadium was just the ninth by a Pac-10 team since 1980. The Bulldogs have played 28 other games against schools from the Pac-10 during that time and will play at Washington next week.
Tonight's attendance was 42,281. That was the 15th sellout this decade and 10th game of 42,000 or better in program history.
Fresno State's new video entertainment center in the north end zone is expected to be in operation for the next home game against Colorado State on Sept. 30.
Fresno State Quotes
Head Coach Pat Hill
That was a great game. A tough game. It came down to two field goal plays and we generally handle special teams very well. We worked on a that one play. We call the ball `poison' when it crosses the line after blocked field goal. It was a mistake by a young player, but we will learn from it and move on.
Oregon is a great time and they play very hard. I give them a lot of credit. They have a great program and they will be a contender in the Pac-10, no doubt about it."
The crowd was great tonight. There was a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. I hope they come out for Colorado State.
We have our first road game coming up at another Pac-10 school. Washington will be ready to play and that's a tough place to play. We still have a lot to play for and it starts next week in Seattle.
Oregon Quotes
Head Coach Mike Bellotti
I really thought we battled tonight. Fresno State is a very physical team, and that was a great football game for the fans. It was another in a long line of very close games between these two teams, and we found a way to prevail.
On Oregon QB Dennis Dixon:
Despite the dropped passes, which have plagued us for two weeks in a row now, he threw the ball very accurately and made great decisions. He's a real threat when he runs the ball and he operated the offense very well.
On Wright and the Fresno State offense:
They did a real nice job offensively in the second half. We were a little tired and they ran the ball better. Their offensive line did a very nice job. We need to get better. That's one of the things that will be an area for improvement for next week playing Oklahoma with a running back like Adrian Peterson.
On Fresno State QB Tom Brandstater:
No, [his athleticism] wasn't a surprise at all. In fact, I told our defense that he was a better quarterback than [2005 Fresno State starter Paul] Pinegar. He's just as accurate of a thrower and a much more agile athlete and a scrambler.
On the fake field goal:
In that situation, it did seem very appropriate. They had blocked one earlier, and we knew that they were a little lacking on the outside. Brady Leaf and Paul Martinez performed it exactly how you draw it up. Obviously, I'm very pleased with Brady Leaf. He made his presence felt in the way that he could.
On the "three-step process":
Oklahoma is going be a big game, a fun game. It's nice to have nationally-ranked teams come into Oregon, and I think that they are a great football team with a great tailback and a great tradition. We'll enjoy the opportunity to host them in our house.
