Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Open WAC Play
9/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 13, 2010
Fresno State (1-0, 0-0 WAC) vs Utah State (1-1, 0-0 WAC)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 18, 2010
Kickoff: 5 p.m. PT
Site: Romney Stadium (25,513); Logan, Utah
Radio: KMJ (AM 580); Bulldog Live (2:30 p.m.) Countdown to Kickoff (4:30 p.m.)
Play-by-Play: Paul Loeffler; Analyst: Jordan Christensen; Sideline: Ralph Wood
ESPN Deportes (1600 AM) in Spanish
Play-by-Play: Erwin Higueros; Analysts: Raul Rios and Jesse Beltran
Television: WAC Sports Network
Fresno Market: KAIL 7.1 / Comcast 13 / Dish & Direct 53
Play-by-Play: Dave Harbison; Analyst: Dick Tomey; Sideline: Lauren Mickler
Fresno State vs. Utah State Complete Release 
Dogs Open WAC Season
Fresno State's run for a WAC championship begins Saturday on the road. The Bulldogs travel to Utah State for a Rocky Mountain night game at Romney Stadium. It is the only WAC match-up this week and the first game of the WAC season.
Poll Climbing
Despite not playing a game, the Bulldogs doubled their point total in the Associated Press poll and jumped from 35th to 27th this week. The USA Today/Coaches Poll still has the Dogs ranked behind Cincinnati with nine total points.
About Utah State
Second-year head coach Gary Andersen has the Aggies with a 1-1 record heading into this weekend's game. USU opened the season with a 31-24 loss at No. 7 Oklahoma and returned home for a 38-17 win over Idaho State last Saturday. Andersen has one of the WAC's most dangerous weapons in quarterback Diondre Borel, who ranks No. 15 in the NCAA in total offense at 305 yards per game. He has thrown for nearly 600 yards in his first two games.
Against the Aggies
The Dogs and Aggies will meet for the 26th time in a series that began in 1952. The home teams have won the majority of the games, with the Dogs winning just three of 11 games played in Logan. The Dogs have won three straight in the series, but suffered a loss, 13-12, in 2006 and needed a school record field goal of 58 yards from Kevin Goessling as time expired to win in 2008, 30-28. FS leads the overall series 14-10-1.
WAC Openers/WAC Record
Under Pat Hill the Bulldogs have been impressive in their WAC opening games, with a record of 10-3 over his 13 seasons. Among those, Fresno State is 4-1 in WAC openers in road venues. The only loss in that time was in 2004 at Louisiana Tech.
Dogs Among National Leaders
After one game of the season, several Bulldogs are among the national leaders in statistics. Junior defensive tackle Logan Harrell is leading the nation in quarterback sacks (3.5) and tackles for losses (4.5), while linemate Chris Carter ranks second in sacks (3.0) and fourth in tackles for losses (3.0). Junior end Donavaughn Pritchett is tied for the national lead in fumble recoveries. Senior safety Lorne Bell leads the WAC and ranks No. 5 in the NCAA in passed defended (2.0). Senior quarterback Ryan Colburn leads the WAC and ranks second in the NCAA in passing efficiency 208.1. Northwestern's Dan Persa leads the nation at 212.35. As a team, the Bulldogs lead the NCAA in passing efficiency (208.1), rank first in sacks per game (8.0) and rank No. 2 nationally in rushing defense (15.0 yards per game).
Fresno State Celebrates its Centennial
Founded in 1911, Fresno State will celebrate its 100th anniversary during the 2010-11 academic year. The campus community will hold several special events during the year and the Fresno State Athletics Department will host a Centennial event for each of its 19 sports. The Bulldog football Centennial celebration will be Oct. 16 and will feature a parade through the Fresno State campus and reunion celebration for all former players.
"We Are Your Team!" The Dogs open the WAC season on Saturday night in Logan, Utah against the Aggies of Utah State. The game will be televised by the WAC Sports Network and can be seen locally on KAIL 7.1 (Comcast 13/Dish and Direct 53) at 5 p.m. PT. Season tickets and mini-plan packages are available at a variety of price points for the remaining six home games of the 2010 season. Click on the tickets icon at the top of this page for more information or to purchase.
