Out with the old, in with the Spring Camp

We apologize, oh loyal readers, for the huge gap since our last blog post. The blog is currently undergoing a makeover with improvements planned for the fall. However, the start of Fresno State football Spring Camp is just too fun to ignore.

During the blog makeover, don't forget you can follow our micro-blogs on the BulldogBounce twitter page. We've been out in force for the first three days of spring practice and we're sharing the knowledge below:

• QB: Despite getting picked today in drills, Derek Carr has outplayed Ryan Colburn (a pretty unanimous thought amongst those at the Bounce). Colburn had some nice, crisp throws toward the sideline today in 11-on-11s, but Carr was on fire hitting wideouts for TDs in the back of the end zone on touch passes. In Friday's 11-on-11s, Colburn was picked off on a nice play by Jermaine Thomas before Carr nailed A.J. Johnson in blanket coverage for a TD. Makes us wonder if the coaches really will consider starting the guy who plays the best in practice...? Oh, and Kelly O'Brien, the incoming JC recruit, is incredibly skinny.
  
• RB: It looks like a two-'Dog race for the starting job between Robbie Rouse and Mike Harris, who looks bigger and faster than last season and has been flatout making plays. A.J. Ellis seems a distant third, but did have an eye-popping TD on a screen pass he took down the sideline, outrunning the defense to the end zone. That said, don't count out Cal transfer Tracy Slocum (formerly of Clovis East), who has been watching practices this week -- Bulldog Bounce first broke news months ago when we heard talk of Slocum transferring in, and now it looks to be true. And it wouldn't make sense for the 'Dogs to bring in a guy with just one year of eligibility remaining unless they think he can factor in right away.
  
• FB: Former LB/former TE Austin Raphael is working out at fullback now, with preferred walk-on Dylan Cruz as the competition.
  
• WR: It's the usual suspects (Devon Wylie and Jamel Hamler) doing big-time damage. This offense is just unreal in the open field, and Rashad Evans is healthy again and shiftier than ever. Not enough people realize yet the type of WR A.J. Johnson could be, and Alex Jefferies was looking like a potential weapon too until he got a little banged up Friday and was sidelined today. J.J. Stallworth continues to have trouble holding on to passes.
  
• TE: Great to see David Gory healthy and catching passes, wouldn't be surprised to see him end up starting. Ryan Skidmore is still a great receiving target, but his blocking isn't there yet. Hopefully they're working on blocking assignments with Tapa too after the debacle in last year's bowl game. Michael Butler had a nice catch on a pass from Carr on Friday.
  
• OL: With the whole starting crew back, we know what to expect. Andrew Jackson is really, really good. Devan Cunningham has shown a lot of growth the past couple years and Kenny Wiggins should turn in another All-WAC season. So far though, Joey Bernardi might be having the most impressive spring. Reserve C Douglas Spacht, who frustrated with his lack of development the past couple years, is nowhere to be seen (shouldn't be a big loss). Richard Helepiko and Lars Bramer are competing for the backup center spot. Bramer's added some size, but both are works in progress right now. Marcel Jensen is getting second-team reps at left tackle.
  
• DL: Interesting to see Ibe Nduke moved to D-end (body type, around 6-foot, seems more suited for the FB switch we expected last season). By sight, Donnie Pritchett brings back memories of Nick Burley (only larger). Pritchett is taking second-team reps at D-end. Chris Lewis has wowed at times with his quickness off the ball and disrupted several plays over the first three days of camp. Young DT Andy Jennings has progressed much quicker than expected, stood out in individual drills today while matched up with Max Devlin and received praise from Pat Hill for breaking up a running play in 11-on-11s. Look for a bigger Logan Harrell and quicker Mark Roberts. Chris Carter still seems to be in a league of his own though.
  
• LB: Most interesting thing of camp so far has been seeing Jeremiah Toma getting first-team reps at MLB alongside Travis Brown and Kyle Knox. On multiple days, Toma has been inserted in place of Ben Jacobs on the second series run by the first-stringers. Daniel Salinas and Damion Whittington have also seen reserve reps at MLB.
  
• CB: Desia Dunn and Isiah Green are getting first-team reps, with L.J. Jones and Jermaine Thomas second-team. That said, Thomas and Jones might end up being the team's best corners and the position should be an upgrade from last year.
  
• S: As expected, Lorne Bell and Phillip Thomas are working first-string. With Terrence Dennis injured, Zak Hill and Justin Webber are second-team (at least until the newcomers join in the fall). Hill remains a huge liability for the defense, but Webber has made a couple nice plays.

Point guard help in the Bulldogs' own back yard?

Longtime Fresno Bee writer Andy Boogaard says in his blog that Clovis East High's Robert Sandoval would start at point guard for Fresno State today. He's that talented, Boogaard writes.

Recruitniks have heard about Clovis East's point man for more than a year, but is he the guy to come in and turn this program in the right direction? And is he really better than sophomore Steven Shepp, a JC transfer from Allegany College in Maryland who as of this past Saturday was the WAC's leader in assists with 5 per game?

In the comments section on Boogaard's blog, he says, yes, Sandoval is better. Actually, he worded it, "To repeat: Sandoval starts for the Bulldogs today." Question is, how familiar is Boogaard with Shepp?

Have you seen both Sandoval and Shepp play? What do you think?

'Dogs earn "Golden Screwdriver"

Funny stuff emerging on the blogosphere today thanks to Guy Haberman at 1430 ESPN Radio.

Though the idea of Fresno State and hawaii playing annually for the "Golden Screwdriver" has been a hilarious concept since early this decade when former Rainbows coach June Jones claimed a screwdriver was thrown from the Bulldog Stadium stands, who knew a Golden Screwdriver trophy actually existed!?

Well now we have proof in the photos. Do you think this trophy should become tradition between the two rival programs? Should Haberman give it to Hill and the 'Dogs to display in their trophy case, or to at least use as a demo for what a fancier model should look like?

Live fall camp tweets

Follow the Bulldog Bounce blog on twitter, and look for live fall camp tweets through next week!

http://twitter.com/BulldogBounce

Why the BCS is more fair than a playoff

Now that I got your attention, OF COURSE the BCS is not as fair as a playoff would be!

But, to humor us all, I wanted to draw your attention to perhaps the worst pro-BCS argument I've ever read. It comes from a Penn State blog, and suggests if schools like Fresno State are unhappy with being discriminated against by the BCS they should just join the Pac-10.

Wow! Now that we know it's that simple, let's do it. Oh, wait, it's not that simple. Der!

Boise State is finally potty trained

Mommy wow, these Broncos are big kids now!

OK, OK, Boise State has already been to -- and won -- a BCS bowl game. And Fresno State still hasn't. But Boise State backed in that year with a wussified schedule while Fresno State was sticking to its "anyone, anywhere, anytime" mantra it has never wavered from.

But this past Saturday, Boise State made history by beating a BCS-conference team on the road (Oregon) for the first time ever. Winning at Autzen Stadium isn't easy...even if Oregon was using it's fifth-string quarterback. So the Broncos should be congratulated.

But come on...what's up with this sudden Boise State lovefest in the national media? They jump from unranked to No. 19 and No. 20 in the two major polls, leapfroging Fresno State? Why, because they beat an Oregon team that is notorious for crumbling when its starting QB gets injured (the Ducks blew BCS bowl hopes at Arizona last year for cryin' out loud...Arizona!).

Suddenly, Fresno State is an afterthought after losing by 3 points to the now No. 8/No. 9 Wisconsin Badgers. People, it seems, just expect the 'Dogs to win every big-time non-conference game nowadays while Boise State hides behind its Smurf turf playing the Idaho States of the world.

If -- and this is a huge if right now -- Fresno State wins the rest of its games, and Boise State the rest of its games up to the finale, then can anyone with a conscience honestly rank the Broncos ahead of the Bulldogs when one played three BCS-conf. teams and the other just one?

Apparently, ESPN's Graham Watson and Mark Schizzlegizzlebah (better check that spelling) are already officially off the Fresno State bandwagon and aboard Boise State's. Here's what Schlabach most recently wrote:

4. Don't forget about Boise State.
If a Mountain West team doesn't finish unbeaten, the Broncos might be the team from a non-BCS conference that crashes the BCS party. Boise State is the class of the WAC after upsetting Oregon 37-32 on the road Saturday. Quarterback Kellen Moore is playing well, and tailback Ian Johnson is still running on the blue artificial turf. The Broncos might be 11-0 heading into a Nov. 28 home game against No. 25 Fresno State.

So let's see here, Boise State beat one BCS-conf. team on the road (for the first time ever might I reiterate) and Fresno State has also beaten one (and will go for No. 2 at UCLA on Saturday). Sounds like the 'Dogs have just as good a case right now to me. And that Ian Johnson character he's hyping up...well he hasn't rushed for 100 yards yet this year and averaged a measley 2.1 yards per carry against Oregon.

Oh, and Watson...you really think there are SEVEN non-BCS-conference teams better than Fresno State? Really? Talk about a dip in credibility...

Bouncing around the headlines

In a new feature I'd like to start -- and in playing along with the Bulldog Bounce theme -- let's bounce around some of the biggest Fresno State headlines this week:

Huge news on the diamond is 2nd-round pick Tanner Scheppers, Fresno State's best pitcher (who didn't even get to play in the postseason because of a shoulder injury), didn't sign with the Pirates before yesterday's deadline and now could start talk of a repeat College World Series run for the Diamond 'Dogs if he returns next season.

Scheppers' teammate Justin Wilson (5th rounder), who pitched the Diamond 'Dogs to the national title, did sign with the Pirates. So the 'Dogs plucked Clovis East product Cody Kendall from Fresno Pacific as his replacement for '09.

Seriously though, what's the deal with the overkill of stories mentioning Beau Sweeney, who smeared the infamous Fresno State family's name by signing with Cal? The Bee just can't stop brining him up.

A new San Luis Obispo Tribune blog noticed Pat Hill's comments about Cal Poly possibly one day joining the WAC. Makes for cheaper travel than La Tech, but c'mon Coach Hill, then we wouldn't be the only D1 football program in the Valley!

For the first time all year, there was a non-boring play in an NFL preseason game. And it was Fresno State's Richard Marshall picking off a fake field goal trickery pass and burning 78 yards for a TD. Brings back this memory of last season -- one of the most bittersweet NFL moments I've ever witnessed (from one 'Dog to another). P.S. Marshall is the best corner in school history.

And just as one additional reminder why I no longer subscribe to Sports Illustrated, the mag released its college football preview, listed the top 20 (no Fresno State) and then broke it down conference by conference. One problem - after listing the six BCS conferences, it lists the coalition conferences as, "The Rest" and jumbles everything into a few sentences. That's weak SI, and so was not putting the 2008 College World Series champs on your cover.

What did I miss? Just leave a comment with your own recent Fresno State links...