Fresno State Athletics
Meeting the Media
8/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 7, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - The student-athletes had cleaned themselves up after a grueling morning practice, and got primped and photographed and asked repeated questions at Fresno State's annual media day.
Head coach Pat Hill welcomed the media to the morning practice session and the coaching staff and teams spent nearly two hours in the afternoon talking about the upcoming football season.
Hill, who enters his 13th season at Fresno State, is one of the longest tenured coaches in college football. During his media conference, Hill asked how many were present at his hiring conference in December 1996. None were.
Hill talked about the core values of his program and his expectations for this seasons, which features a tough five-game stretch to start the year with games at Wisconsin, Cincinnati and Hawaii covering nearly 15,000 miles. In addition, the Dogs will host No. 167 Boise State for a Friday night ESPN2 contest in Bulldog Stadium on Sept. 18.
The hot topic of conversation during media day was the three-way battle for the starting quarterback position.
With junior Ryan Colburn, and freshman Ebahn Feathers and Derek Carr battling for playing time, Hill quickly addressed the question and informed the media he's looking forward to the competition it's created and that he'll patiently let the players showcase their abilities before making a decision. Hill said it will likely take a few games into the season before it's settled.
"I think we have a great situation," said Hill. "We have three very, very talented quarterbacks and they all bring something special to our team. Since none of them have game experience, it's going to take them facing some live bullets in a real game to see what happens and who can lead this team.
Sometimes when you don't have a clear leader for the quarterback position that can create problems, but that's usually based on a lack of talent. We have three very good players who I believe can lead this football team to wins. That's what it's all about."
Hill complimented his team and the seniors for their leadership during the off-season, which helped get the team mentally and physically prepared for the beginning of call camp.
A couple notable position switches were easy to spot when the Bulldog team roster was finalized and distributed to the media. Former linebacker Austin Raphael has been moved to fullback and will wear No. 41 and walk-on running back Justin Webber is now playing on defense as a safety. Starting cornerback Desia Dunn, who wore No. 17 all last season, will wear No. 24 this season.
The weather at Friday's practice was again unseasonably cool (low 70's), however a handful of players and staff members have minor sunburns after the first two days of camp. The weekend highs are expected to reach the mid-90 degree range and surpass 100 degrees early next week.
In other college football news, the 2009 USA Today/Coaches' Poll was released today and five Bulldog opponents were either ranked or received votes.
WAC favorite Boise State is ranked No. 16 in the poll. Others receiving votes include: Cincinnati (29th), Illinois (35th), Nevada (41st) and Wisconsin (44th). The Broncos open their season hosting No. 14 Oregon on Thursday, Sept. 3 on ESPN. Defending national champion Florida gained 53 of 59 first-place voted to outdistance Texas for the No. 1 spot. Oklahoma, USC and Alabama round-out the top five teams in the coaches' poll.
Fresno State will release its 2009 Bulldog Sports Network television schedule on Saturday.
The Dogs return to practice on Saturday morning at 9 a.m..
Fans are welcome to attend practice sessions through the August 15 scrimmage in Bulldog Stadium. After that date, all practice sessions will be closed. Fans are asked to remain on the hillside that surrounds the practice facility and no video cameras, including cell phones with video capacity, are permitted. Fresno State asks that fans not post video practice highlights on the internet, as it could help opponents prepare when they play the Bulldogs.
FRESNO STATE FACT: Fresno State has produced 104 Academic All-WAC players this decade, becoming the first school in WAC history with more than 100 Academic All-WAC student-athletes in an decade. Since 2000, Fresno State has produced more Academic All-WAC winners than former WAC schools New Mexico, Wyoming, Colorado State and Utah did in their membership years dating back to the 1960s.
"We Are Your Team" - The `Dogs will be starting their 2009 Football season off right with Football Fiesta Night on Saturday, September 5th at 7pm when the UC Davis Aggies come to town. Football Fiesta Family Pack tickets are available now - the package includes four game tickets, a gift coupon to the Bulldog Shop, and a $4 drink and hotdog special. To inquire about the Football Fiesta Family Pack, contact the Bulldog Ticket Office at 559-278-DOGS.
