Fresno State Athletics
Hill Goes One-on-One With GoBulldogs.com
8/11/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 11, 2007
Pat Hill enters his 11th season as head coach of the Fresno State football team. Hill spent a few minutes with GoBulldogs.com as fall camp kicked off.
GoBulldogs.com: You are getting your team ready for year No. 11. How does this year differ from any of your previous 10?
Hill: "I'm in the best physical shape I've been in in years. I'm really excited for this season. I have a renewed energy. Everyone in this building (Duncan Building) is committed to winning and getting back on track. We had a great run heading into the USC game of 2005, winning 23 of 27 games and 14 of 15. That's pretty good. We have talent and we will be back to that level soon. It won't be for a lack of hard work or will power by this team and our staff."
GoBulldogs.com: What's the most important thing you want from your team heading into the September 1 opener against Sacramento State?
Hill: "I believe a team's personality is very important. I want them to have a personality that they believe they can win every time they take the field. We recruited players to play our style, a hard-nosed aggressive brand of football. We have good character guys and good leaders on this team. I'm most concerned about their personality."
GoBulldogs.com: There has been a lot of talk about last season. How did the team put last season in the past and move forward?
Hill: "We really don't talk about last season very much. Our focus is, and has been since January, on this year and making our team and our program better. I think most of the talk about last season still comes from outside influences, like the media and some fans, but our team is focused on the task ahead. We can't do anything about last year. We have a lot to say about what happens in 2007."
GoBulldogs.com: It's no secret you have a young team and will be counting on some relative newcomers in key positions in 2007. How do you prepare them for what lies ahead?
Hill: "We do have some seniors who've been through some great games at great places, like Oregon, USC and LSU. Guys like Tyler Clutts and Ryan Wendell and even Tom Brandstater to some extent. Those guys will be good leaders for us. We've had young players come through for us in the past. Sometimes young players don't get too caught up in all of the junk. They just want to play. We have some young guys who have worked really hard and are ready to take the field. Guys like Chastin West are going to be great for our program. Lonyae Miller has a great spring and summer and is having a good camp. Our young defensive backs, Marvin Haynes, Moses Harris and Lorne Bell, are showing leadership qualities that I like. I've always said, it doesn't matter how old you are, if you can play we will find a place for you on our team."
GoBulldogs.com: You mentioned Tom Brandstater. He received a lot of blame for the 2006 season. Was that fair?
 Pat Hill has taken the Bulldogs to seven bowl games.  | |
Hill: "It goes with the territory of the quarterback position. They get too much credit when things go well and too much of the blame when they don't. Paul Pinegar set school records, threw for more than 10,000 yards and over 80 touchdowns. He won three of four bowl games and that wasn't good enough for some people. Tom learned a valuable lesson last year and he will be a better quarterback because of what he went through. He's a tougher player now and I don't expect he will be affected by some of those things this season. I believe in Tom and believe he's going to be a very good college quarterback when he's through here. I hope our fans will respect and appreciate the work that he's put into making himself a better player."
GoBulldogs.com: How do you replace a guy like Dwayne Wright?
Hill: "First of all, Dwayne was not only our MVP and a great running back, but he was a good team guy. He was a family man and earned a lot of respect from his team mates. We've had a lot of guys like him in our program and that's the sign of a good program by being able to have people like that be a part of it. As a running back, we have a better corps of running backs than we had a year ago. Lonyae Miller, I think, is a special player. He's going to be a guy to watch. I like the way Anthony Harding runs the ball. We have Clifton Smith healthy and he adds a special dimension to the offense. We have Shannon Dorsey, who's a veteran player. All of those guys are better than they were a year ago at this time. Miller and Harding were freshmen just entering college. They know the offense and what's expected of them. Clifton was not healthy at this point last year and was never really a part of the offense. To Dwayne's credit, he gained a lot of yard when everyone knew he was going to get the ball. With our young receivers and these young backs, I expect we will have more options than we had in 2006. We probably won't have a back get as many carries as Dwayne had to carry the ball for us last year."
GoBulldogs.com: The 2007 non-conference schedule continues to be rigorous. Is that a concern with such a young team?
Hill: "No. We will always play a tough non-conference schedule and the guys know that and look forward to that. We have not been to Texas A&M and that will be a great environment. We are looking forward to going back to Oregon. We've had a great series with them and it's time we won one. Having Kansas State at home is great for our program and fans, and having that game on national television on Thanksgiving weekend is great exposure for us. We have taken young teams into Tennessee and Oklahoma when they are ranked No. 1 in the nation. We will be ready for what lies ahead."
GoBulldogs.com: You have three veteran and athletic linebackers returning. Would you consider them the strength of the defense?
Hill: "We have the fastest group of linebackers since I've been here, that's for sure. Ahijah Lane and Quaadir Brown are very fast and can close to the football. It's great to have Marcus Riley back to full strength. We haven't seen him at full strength since the USC game. He's a big part of our defense. We have some young linebackers who are coming along. I like the progress Ben Jacobs and Nico Herron have made. Ryan McKinley will be in the mix. We have a good group. They should be a big part of our defense and allow us to do really good thing with pressures, blitzes and our coverages."
GoBulldogs.com: I know you are excited about the 2007 home schedule. Please tell Bulldogs fans what they can expect
Hill: "First of all, I think this is the best home schedule we've ever had. With a Big 12 team coming to Fresno on Thanksgiving weekend, that's a very BIG game. I don't think a Big 12 team has ever played in Bulldog Stadium. Add to that Boise State, the defending WAC and Fiesta Bowl Champions, also on national television, those are two excellent games. Boise State was in the top five team at the end of last season. I would call both of them marquee-type games. Boise State's only WAC loss in the last 39 games was to us here in 2005. You can bet they are looking forward to that game. Having our rival, San Jose State, for Homecoming is a big game. We have dominated that rivalry but under Dick Tomey they are making a comeback. They got us last year in San Jose and we will be ready for them. Sacramento State is a very good season opening game for us. Louisiana Tech beat us the last time they came here and they always have some great athletes. They have a new coach there, Derek Dooley, who's the son of Vince Dooley, so they are excited. We have Utah State at home and we remember what happened last year in Logan with the Aggies, so our players are looking forward to that game. I think it's a great schedule overall, and lays out nicely for our team and our fans."
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