Fresno State Athletics
July 9: Dogs Reach No. 8 in the Polls
7/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 9, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State Athletics has had many memorable moments during its history. Each day during the month of July, Gobulldogs.com will highlight a great moment from Fresno State Athletics history.
"I think we're at the stage now where our team can play with a lot of people."
That prophetic statement from head coach Pat Hill came after Fresno State upset nationally-ranked Colorado 24-22 in the 2001 season opening game. (Editor's Note: The Buffs would lose just one game the rest of the season, at Texas, but after winning the Big 12 North Division, defeated Texas in the Big 12 Championship game, finished with a 10-2 regular season record and No. 3 ranking in the Final BSC standings.)
Hill, who at the time was in his fifth season as head coach, beefed-up his team's non-conference schedule and had played eight road games in four years against BSC-conference opponents, including nationally ranked teams Ohio State and UCLA. The Colorado game was a breakthrough on many fronts, because the Dogs not only won on the road in a hostile environment, but the game was the first of the season in the inaugural Jim Thorpe Classic and on national television.
What followed is what Hill calls the stretch that took Fresno State football to that national level so many programs seek.
The Dogs returned home with an impressive road win and faced Oregon State, at the time the highest-ranked team to ever play in Bulldog Stadium, No. 10. The Beavers were picked by Sports Illustrated as the nation's No. 1 team. Led by coach Dennis Erickson, the game was the season opener for the Beavers, which trounced Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl to end the previous season and boasted the best defense in the Pac-10. The Dogs dismantled the Beavers in an electric atmosphere at Bulldog Stadium 44-24.
Quarterback David Carr threw for 340 yards and four touchdowns in the game and the Dogs rolled up more than 450 total yards on Erickson's crew.
The Dogs entered the national polls the next day, landing at No. 19 in the Associated Press poll, the first national ranking at the school in nearly a decade. By the end of the season, the Dogs spent 11 weeks ranked in the national polls, which matched the total number of weeks Fresno State had been in national polls in the school's history.
The next week, the Dogs were back on the road in a tough environment, playing at historic Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin. Known for great fans and hospitality, Wisconsin's game day excitement and nearly 80,000 fans were still something new for the Bulldogs. Entering the game with the buzz of being nationally ranked and facing a Top 25 team in the process against a Rose Bowl contender, the Dogs faced tough odds.
Early in the game, the Badgers took control and led 20-10 at the half. Most thought Fresno State's early season success might be a fluke.
Bernard Berrian answered with a 96-yard kick return for a touchdown to start the second half, as the Dogs scored 22 unanswered points for a 32-20 win and first-ever victory over a school from the Big Ten conference. That win earned the Bulldogs a cover story from Sports Illustrated and a bump in the polls to No. 11, highest in school history. Fresno State had never been ranked higher than 18th.
When the Dogs returned to action for their next game, the WAC opener against Louisiana Tech, they were ranked No. 10 in the nation, the first school from the CSU system ever to be ranked in the top 10. After a La Tech win and a bye, the Dogs headed back to the State of Colorado to play Sonny Lubick's Colorado State rams with an all-time high ranking of No. 8 in the nation.
That game, also a nationally televised showcase for the Dogs, drew so much attention in Fort Collins, Colo., that legendary Denver Bronco's quarterback John Elway watched from the sideline while Washington Redskin's owner Daniel Snyder watched from the press box.
The Dogs dodged a bullet as Carr led a come-from-behind victory, as the Dogs used two long field goals by Asen Asparuhov, one at the end of regulation and one in overtime, to seal Fresno State's perfect 6-0 record and No. 8 national ranking with a 25-22 victory over the Rams.
Fresno State was the talk of the college football world. Hill was pleased that his plan for building a strong academic and athletic program with Valley kids and playing a tough schedule was finally paying dividends as the program and school were recognized on national level like never before.
Coming tomorrow: The 2009 women's tennis team wins its eighth straight WAC title and advances to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the fourth time.
"We Are Your Team" - For Fresno State ticket information log onto gobulldogs.com or call 559-278-DOGS.
