Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State Football Notebook
1/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 5, 2016
By Jason Clay
jaclay@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. - A first update in 2016 on the happenings surrounding the Fresno State football program.
• New Bulldog offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau will have the opportunity to win a national championship on Monday when he coaches in his final game at Alabama against Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship game.
There have been a number of Bulldog assistant coaches who left Fresno State and went on to win national championships with other programs - Dennis Erickson in 1989 and 1991 as head coach at Miami, Jim McElwain in 2009 and 2011 as offensive coordinator at Alabama and Doug Nussmeier in 2012 as offensive coordinator at Alabama to name a few.
One of the last times Fresno State hired an assistant coach who had already won a national championship in their career came in 1989 with the hiring of Ron Meeks as the secondary coach. Meeks won the 1987 national championship at Miami (Fla.). The late Dan Brown, who coached 12 seasons at Fresno State before his passing in 2009, also won a NCAA I-AA national championship as a player at Boise State in 1980.
• Kiesau was in Fresno over the weekend through Tuesday before going back to join the Crimson Tide as they continue their preparations for the national championship game.
"I want people to know we are going to play fast, we are going to play physical, we're going to make plays and we are going to play with confidence," is what he said when asked what the Red Wave can expect out of the offense under his direction.
GoBulldogs.com will have more from Kiesau later this week leading up to the national championship game.
• As the 2015 senior class looks to further their careers in football, a pair of Bulldogs have accepted invitations to postseason All-Star games. OLB Ejiro Ederaine and DB Charles Washington committed to the 2016 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, played on Jan 23 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.
• Five former Bulldogs will be playing in the NFL Playoffs that start this weekend with the divisional round. Fresno State has seen 21 former players reach the Super Bowl and 10 win it. These former Bulldogs look to add to that total this year as the playoffs begin.
WR Davante Adams -- Green Bay Packers - Adams is making his second playoff appearance in his second NFL season. He set franchise postseason single-game records for the most catches and receiving yards by a rookie when he posted seven grabs for 117 yards (16.7 avg.) and a TD in the NFC Divisional playoff victory vs. Dallas last year. Adams this season has 50 receptions for 483 yards and one TD.
LB Ben Jacobs - Carolina Panthers - Jacobs is making his third playoff appearance with the Panthers. He played in both playoff games in 2014 with the Panthers and was on the practice squad for Carolina during the 2013 season. This year he has recorded 11 tackles for the Panthers who have the best record (15-1) in the NFL and a first-round bye.
TE Marcel Jensen - Washington Redskins - Jensen was signed to the Redskins active roster on Dec. 22 after spending time this season on the practice squads of the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons and he recorded three receptions for 48 yards in the 2015 preseason with the Denver Broncos. This is his first career playoff appearance.
S Derron Smith -- Cincinnati Bengals - Smith in his rookie season played in all 16 games and recorded four tackles. He helped the Bengals tie a franchise record with 12 wins during the regular season.
OL Ryan Wendell -- New England Patriots - Wendell, in his seventh NFL season, was placed on the season-ending injured reserve list with a knee injury on Nov. 7. Wendell is one of four Bulldogs that have appeared in multiple Super Bowls and helped the Patriots win the NFL title last season.
"Be Bold" - The official home of the Fresno State Bulldogs is 940 AM ESPN Radio and ESPN Deportes 1600 AM. Purchase your 2015 Bulldog football tickets by calling 559-278-DOGS.
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