Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Host Big 12 Foe Kansas State
11/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 23, 2007
FRESNO, Calif. - As the Bulldog football team goes through its final preparation for Saturday's game against Kansas State, head coach Pat Hill is pleased with his team's week of practice.
"We've had a good week," said Hill. "With Thanksgiving week, there are always some challenges, but the players were focused in on the target. This is a big game for us and our program. It's also a big day for our seniors, a group of young men who have been great representatives for their University. We want them to go out in a big way."
The game will be shown on ESPN2 and will be Fresno State's fifth nationally televised game this season, which includes the final three games of the season. Fresno State's season finale at New Mexico State on Nov. 30 will be on ESPN2.
For Fresno State, it will be the 52nd national televised game since the 2000 season.
Senior Tackle
The Kansas State game will be the final home game of 2007 and for 16 senior Bulldog players. The Bulldogs will hold their annual senior tackle Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium. The public is invited.
Bowl Reps at Bulldog Stadium
Representatives from two 2007 bowl games will be in attendance at Saturday's game. Kevin McDonald and Danielle Brazil from the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl and Al Aldridge from the Fiesta Bowl/Insight Bowl will be available to media in the Bulldog Stadium press box during the game.
The Game
This is the earliest kickoff time for a Bulldog home game in over two decades ... the Dogs close the 2007 regular season home schedule with a non-conference game for the first time since the 2001 season, when Fresno State defeated Utah State 70-21 ... Kansas State is the fifth "state" school on the 2007 Bulldog schedule. Fresno State is 3-1 vs. state schools this season and concludes the year at New Mexico State Friday on ESPN2 ... Fresno State is 2-4 in games played on Nov. 24. Last season the Dogs beat Louisiana Tech 34-27 on this date ... a win today will give Pat Hill his eighth 7-win season in 11 years as head coach ...the game features some of the nation's best return men. Kansas State receiver Deon Murphy is the top punt return specialist in the Big 12 (No. 6 in NCAA) at 17.2 yards per return and Bulldog punt return man Clifton Smith (No. 11 in the NCAA), 15.2 yard average ... the Wildcats have four California natives on their roster. The Bulldog who lives the closest to Manhattan, Kans., is freshman quarterback Matt Faulkner, who hails from Flower Mound, Texas ... the Bulldogs lead the nation in kickoff return average, 29.6, and are seventh in punt return average, 15.2 ... the Wildcats are first in the NCAA in punt return average but rank No. 97 in kickoff return average. The Wildcats rank 8th in net punting ... Kansas State head coach Ron Prince was Virginia's defensive coordinator when the Bulldogs beat the 18th-ranked Cavaliers 37-34 in overtime to win the 2004 MPC Computers Bowl ... Tom Brandstater has thrown just five interceptions this season, fewest by a Bulldog starter since Billy Volek threw three in 1999. Only Trent Dilfer, with five in 1993, threw as few in Bulldog history ... if the Bulldogs are to have a 1,000-yard rusher for the seventh straight season, freshman Ryan Mathews will need 249 yards the rest of the season. Under Pat Hill, Fresno State has produced a 1,000-yard back eight times in the previous 10 seasons ... the sack comparisons for each team are nearly identical, with Fresno State making 31 sacks while allowing 17. The Wildcats have 30 and allowed 16 ... The Wildcats are 1-0 against WAC teams (defeated San Jose State 34-14) this season while the Dogs are 0-1 vs. the Big 12 (loss at No. 23 Texas A&M 47-45 3OT). Both of those games were played September 8.
About Kansas State:
- The Wildcats have been to a college bowl game in 12 of the last 14 years, one of just nine NCAA Division I-A programs to do that.
- Of Big 12 teams since 1996, only Texas and Nebraska have played in more college football bowl games than Kansas State.
- The Wildcats rank fourth among Big 12 schools for most wins since. Only Texas, Oklahoma and Nebraska have more.
- From 1997-2003, the Wildcats became just the second program in NCAA history to win 11 games six times in a seven-year stretch.
- Since 1996 and the birth of the Big 12, the Wildcats have won the Big 12 North four times and won the 2003 Big 12 Championship by beating No. 1 Oklahoma in the title game.
- Kansas State has averaged over 30,000 fans per game for it last 12 bowl games, including a Cotton Bowl record of 45,000 fans in 1997. Over 40,000 Wildcat fans traveled to Tempe for the 1997 Fiesta Bowl.
- One of Fresno State's biggest wins in school history came in 2004, when the Dogs beat undefeated and No. 13-ranked Kansas State 45-21 in Manhattan, Kans., one of the worst home losses for the Wildcats in the last 20 years. The Wildcats had won the Big 12 Conference and played Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl the previous year.
- Since 1993, Kansas State has produced 43 All-Americans.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The Bulldogs return to Bulldog Stadium for their final home game of the season on Saturday, November 24 against Kansas State. For tickets, go to the ticket page at www.gobulldogs.com, call 559-278-DOGS or stop by the Bulldog Ticket Office.
