If you were Mike Batesole for a day...

How would you pencil in Fresno State's opening day starting lineup? The Diamond 'Dogs take the field against Nebraska at 6:05 p.m. Friday in Game 1 of a four-game series.

Is this the best lineup coach Mike Batesole can run out there? Or would you like to see the order flip-flopped, positions flip-flopped or starters swapped? Here's what we're likely to get Friday night:

1. LF Bobby Coyle, L
2. 3B Garrett Weber, R
3. 2B Danny Muno, S
4. CF Dusty Robinson, R
5. RF Brennan Gowens, L
6. 1B Jordan Ribera, L
7. DH Kenny Wise, L
8. C Trent Garrison, L
9. SS Isaac Vivas, R

Starting pitcher: RHP Derek Benny

Bulldog Stadium leaves lasting memory with Wisconsin standout

So what's Wisconsin safety Chris Maragos' favorite place to play on the road?

Penn State? Nope. Michigan? Nope. Ohio State? Nope. You can find the answer in this excerpt of this story from the Badger Herald student newspaper:

Chris Maragos: Camp Randall Stadium. You can’t beat Camp Randall, but if I had to say an away game, because I’m biased toward Camp Randall, I have to say — you see, I didn’t go to Penn State, so that’s one stadium I haven’t seen — Michigan was just average I thought, Ohio State was pretty cool, that was definitely a cool one. But I’ll tell you this, though, when we went and played Fresno State last year, that was crazy.

Their fans were so nuts, we’re coming out and their fans were like on the cages banging it and stuff, ripping over the security guards and barking at us. It was intense; that’s probably the rowdiest I’ve ever seen.

The REAL Fresno State All-Decade Team

Sure, gobulldogs.com recently released its all-decade football team as voted on by 575 fans. But what do Bulldog Bouncers think? I can't help but think they're just a wee bit off on a few. Post a comment with your votes (here are the candidates):

Quarterback (Pick 1): David Carr, Paul Pinegar, Tom Brandstater, Ryan Colburn

Running Backs (Pick 2): Paris Gaines, Rodney Davis, Bryson Sumlin, Wendell Mathis, Dwayne Wright, Clifton Smith, Lonyae Miller, Anthony Harding, Ryan Mathews

Fullback (Pick 1): Roshon Vercher, Nate Adams, Reynard Camp

Wide Receivers (Pick 3): Rodney Wright, Charles Smith, Bernard Berrian, Marque Davis, Deandre Gilbert, Jermaine Jamison, Adam Jennings, Joe Fernandez, Paul Williams, Chastin West, Marlon Moore, Seyi Ajirotutu, Devon Wylie

Tight Ends (Pick 2): Duncan Reid, Jesus Tapia, Devyn McDonald, Stephen Spach, Bear Pascoe, Isaac Kinter, Vince Pascoe

Offensive Line (Pick 5): Mike Stovall, Rodney Michael, Joe Schey, Logan Mankins, Dartangon Shack, Chris Denman, Kyle Young, Cole Popovich, Ryan Wendell, Kenny Avon, Bobby Lepori, Joe Bernardi, Andrew Jackson

Defensive Line (Pick 4): Alan Harper, Jake Probst, Jason Stewart, Nick Burley, Brian Morris, Garrett McIntyre, Louis Leonard, Jason Shirley, Claude Sanders, Marlon Briscoe, Tyler Clutts, Jon Monga, Ikenna Ike, Cornell Banks, Chris Carter

Linebackers (Pick 3): Tim Skipper, Maurice Rodriguez, Sam Williams, Marc Dailey, Bryce McGill, Dwayne Andrews, Manuel Sanchez, Alan Goodwin, Marcus Riley, Ben Jacobs, Nico Herron

Cornerbacks (Pick 2): Davon Banks, Tierre Sams, Therrian Fontenot, Raymond Washington, Awan Diles, Damon Jenkins, Elgin Simmons, Richard Marshall, Marcus McCauley, Damion Owens, A.J. Jefferson, Desia Dunn

Safeties (Pick 2): Vernon Fox, Kendall Edwards, Cameron Worrell, Nate Ray, Dee Meza, James Sanders, Tyrone Culver, Vince Mays, Josh Sherley, Moses Harris, Lorne Bell

Kicker (Pick 1): Asen Asparuhov, Brett Visintainer, Clint Stitser, Kevin Goessling

Punter (Pick 1): Jason Simpson, Mike Lingua, Kyle Zimmerman, Robert Malone

Return Specialists (Pick 2): Rodney Wright, Charles Smith, Bernard Berrian, Richard Marshall, Clifton Smith, Marlon Moore, Chastin West, A.J. Jefferson

20 wins for 'Dogs hoops team?

Don't laugh. If Fresno State's 87-77 shellacking of Nevada wasn't enough to show these young pups can beat anyone in the WAC on a given night, then Thursday's 83-64 win over first-place New Mexico State certainly proved just that.

Now, if they could just add consistency to the mix. It's a marvel how a Bulldogs team that scored just 49 points in Boise a couple weeks ago and only 43 against Utah State can turn around and dump 83 on a New Mexico State squad that stayed in a trapping full-court press the whole night. But that's what the 'Dogs did behind Paul George's career-high 30 points in his first game back from injury.

Suddenly Fresno State has improved to 13-12, 6-5 WAC, with seven games remaining. So is 20 wins out of the question? Heck no. If the Bulldogs simply take care of business at home that gives them 17 wins. Winning out would give them 20 in the regular season. That's not counting WAC tournament play.

But what's realistic for this team? What will it take to win 20 games? How high can this group finish in the WAC standings? Are they even a threat to (gasp) win the WAC tourney and go to the Big Dance ... ?

Fresno State of Affairs: Running Backs

It's never too soon to look ahead to next year -- especially when us Bulldog Bouncers are always thinking years in advance when it comes to Fresno State football. So we'll examine each position, whether fans can expect an improvement or a drop off next year and touch on the up and comers. As always, we encourage your opinions as well.

Key Losses: Ryan Mathews, Lonyae Miller, Anthony Hardng, Jamaal Rashad

Fresno State of Affairs 2010: Large drop off

Not to say there will be a lack of talent in the 2010 Fresno State backfield -- that's almost never the case with the Bulldogs running attack -- but any time a team loses a player of Ryan Mathews, there's going to be a drop off. Mathews declared a year early for the NFL Draft after rushing for a school single-season record 1,808 yards (6.6 per carry) and 19 touchdowns (nation-best 150.7 yards per game). Couple that with the departure of Lonyae Miller and Anthony Harding and the Bulldogs lose 6,766 career yards and 70 touchdowns.

The most experienced back attempting to replace that prolific trio will be sophomore Robbie Rouse (5-7, 185), a strong, quick, elusive back who used his lack of height as a leverage advantage on his way to 479 yards and 4 touchdowns as a true freshman (5.8 yards per carry). Though he's by far the most seasoned returnee, some still question whether Rouse can carry the workload, or if he's better suited to be a change-of-pace guy. Rouse will be pushed for starting duties by sophomores Mike Harris (5-11, 200) and A.J. Ellis (5-11, 180).

Harris is likely to give the biggest push, as he fits the featured back mold more than the slimmer, shifty Ellis, who was recruited two years ago with thoughts of replacing Clifton Smith (Buccaneers). Both redshirted their first year in the program, but Harris shined in last year's Spring Game, breaking off the day's biggest run. Harris had 12 carries for 26 yards this season, while Ellis had 2 carries for 7 yards. Both are sure to see a big increase in workload this year. Harris appeared to have jumped past Ellis on the depth chart this past fall, but Ellis will get plenty of chances to prove himself.

If you're looking for excuses to go out to spring practice and fall camp in the coming months, watching the competition between those three will be fascinating. During the fall, look out for two incoming freshmen who have already given verbal commitments to join the Bulldogs next year, in Leslie Rogers (6-1, 180) out of Point Loma Senior High-San Diego (video) and Emery Schexnayder (5-11, 210) of North High-Riverside. Both look to have a high ceiling on high school film, with Rogers displaying a running style similar to Mathews' hit-the-hole-and-go mentality and Schexnayder showing an even more physical style with size similar to Miller's.

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?

Fresno State of Affairs: Quarterbacks

It's never too soon to look ahead to next year -- especially when us Bulldog Bouncers are always thinking years in advance when it comes to Fresno State football. So we'll examine each position, whether fans can expect an improvement or a drop off next year and touch on the up and comers. As always, we encourage your opinions as well.

Key Losses: None
Fresno State of Affairs 2010: Slightly Improved

Once again this will be the most magnified position at Fresno State in the offseason. But this year it won't be because there's no experienced starter -- it'll be because people are questioning whether the incumbent is a better starting choice than the much ballyhooed youngster? And whoever does get the nod will have more responsibility now that Ryan Mathews is headed to the NFL, and the Bulldogs will be less reliable on the run.

Senior Ryan Colburn (6-3, 220) started all 13 games for the Bulldogs in 2009, throwing for 2,459 yards and 19 touchdowns while completing 61% of his passes. The one downside -- and it's a big one -- were his nine interceptions, many of which came at the most inopportune times. Namely, there was the double overtime pick that cost the Bulldogs a win at Wisconsin, the game-opening pick-six against Boise State and the pick near the 5-yard line that ended a go-ahead drive at Cincinnati. As a second-year starter though, it's likely Colburn will improve his decision making and ball security. Taking that into consideration, Colburn still proved to be an upgrade from Tom Brandstater the previous three seasons. Colburn's competitive spirit, leadership and presence among teammates makes him an ideal leader. But the question remains, is there an even better option waiting in the wings?

It's now clear that all the hype about Derek Carr (6-3, 190) during his true freshman season was merited. While Carr got few opportunities to prove himself in game situations (especially late in the year), he displayed more tools and ability than any other quarterback on the roster in fall camp. Carr finished the season having completed 10 of 14 passes (two of which were drops) for a 71% completion percentage and a total of 112 yards in five games. It's unfortunate he didn't get more live game looks, because now Colburn has the decided experience advantage and it would be tough to justify starting over developing a quarterback. Still, Carr can be expected to develop quicker than the average prospect -- he's a special talent. And even if he's not the starter again in 2010, it'll be fascinating to see how coach Pat Hill handles his situation (please Hill, if you're not going to start Carr, redshirt him so he can start the next three years instead of two).

The X-factor of the group remains in sophomore Ebahn Feathers (6-0, 210), who has now become somewhat of a mystery regarding his status in the program. The most attentive fans noticed he wasn't on the sidelines for the home finale win over Louisiana Tech or the road finale win at Illinois. Word on local radio shows was that Feathers had some personal matters to take care of, and he said on 1430 ESPN it wasn't a matter of grades. However, Feathers did dress for the New Mexico Bowl, but didn't play. Assuming he's back at the quarterback position next season (we have no reason to believe otherwise right now), Feathers still poses a huge threat as a runner, but needs to prove how bad he wants playing time by putting in the offseason work on his passing skills. Feathers played in seven games in his first season of action, running for 57 yards (5.2 per carry) and a touchdown and passing for 7 yards and a score while completing 2 of 3 attempts.

In the two games Feathers didn't dress, he was replaced on the sideline by walk-on Tyler Stirewalt (6-1, 190), who saw no action. Stirewalt isn't likely to see playing time unless an emergency situation comes up, but did show he can hold his own against the scout team during the Spring Game.

Rounding out the depth chart looks like it will be verbal commitment Marcus McDade (6-3, 195) out of St. Mary's High in Stockton (it won't be official until he signs on National Letter of Intent Day Feb. 3). McDade was rated by one scouting service as the fifth strongest high school arm in the country (see video). It would be ideal for the Bulldogs, and for McDade, if he greyshirted this year, redshirted in 2011 and then had two or three years to potentially start once Carr graduates.

Bozo State gets Paul Georged

With the adrenaline of Fresno State's 71-68 come-from-behind, WAC-opening win tonight against Boise State still lingering, I present my keys to a successful Bulldogs men's basketball campaign.

Tonight's game in front of nearly 8,000 fans was a nail-biter pretty much from tip off to final buzzer. And for a while, it looked like the Potato People were going to sneak out of the Save Mart Center with a win (not a common thing for Boise State). But the Bulldogs -- namely Paul George -- were clutch in the final minute as George completed two straight 3-point plays. Fresno State will need the clutch magic, as the parity-stricken WAC is set for a tough, hard-fought, gritty conference season. Here's what it'll take for the 'Dogs to stay in the WAC race:

Paul George: It's no secret George is considered lottery-pick material, but so far in his career the sophomore hasn't proven that he can consistently take over games. Even tonight he started 0 for 6 from the field before finishing 5 of 11 with 21 points. Fresno State needs George to reach a new plateau, where he's leading the team in scoring most every night and taking and hitting the biggest shots. And he had zero turnovers against Boise State, a huge step in the right direction for someone who's been bothered by turnovers all year.

Sylvester Seay: Seay played beautifully in the WAC opener, with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Most importantly, he wasn't forcing shots and playing 1-on-1 in situations that took his teammates out of the mix. Seay's had a tendency to do that in earlier games, and also a tendency to complain and blame others when things go wrong. A better attitude from Seay will only grow this team closer -- and there's no excuse for the team's only senior not providing that leadership.

Greg Smith: The freshman isn't quite a sensation yet, but he will be as soon as he becomes an imposing defender. The ineffectiveness of Boise State's big men are a credit to what a difference-maker Smith is already, but he's not a fear-inducing defender yet. And he certainly has the potential to be.

Mychal Ladd: It's no coincidence that when Ladd scores points, the Bulldogs are tough to beat. Ladd had 18 tonight and was on fire from downtown again. The Bulldogs need at least one of their guards scoring to keep defenses honest against the three bigs inside. Ladd creates one too many worries for opposing defenses.

Steven Shepp: Shepp to My Lou has developed nicely since the first few games of the season when he was plagued by turnovers. He's since turned himself into the WAC's leading assist man, and showed a sweet stroke from well beyond NBA rang on the perimeter. Steve Cleveland says Shepp is the team's best shooter and he needs to capitalize on more opportunities to prove it. If he can develop his penetrating game (both finishing and kicking out to open shooters) it will go a long way in solving the Bulldogs' offense woes.

Bench: There is basically no bench production offensively right now. That's a huge problem, and one that only a few guys are capable of fixing. The most promising change might be giving freshman Garrett Johnson more minutes than sophomore Brandon Sperling. Sperling has been a huge liability with his poor ball-handling and 3-point shooting -- Johnson at least deserves a chance to show if he can be an upgrade. Both get after it on defense, but Johnson is also stronger. Ned Golubovich has been hindered by hand/wrist injuries and won't be effective until he's recovered -- especially since he's still nowhere near the level of aggression he needs to be to turn into a solid rebounder and role player. Right now, he essentially is a role player without a role. "The Governor" Jerry Brown Jr. brings added intensity when he's on the floor, but still doesn't look completely comfortable in the offense. Big man Brandon Webster has seen very little playing time recently, but is making the most of his opportunities with much improved effort and aggression. He could be helpful against teams like Louisiana Tech with bigs the 'Dogs need to keep out of the paint.

Fresno State gifts for Christmas?

This time of year we always see a ton of lists with the best sports moments of the past year and biggest stories of year, etc. So let's put a little twist on our list -- Bulldog Bounce style!

Did you receive any Fresno State-related gifts for Christmas? If so, what were they?

Me? I got a red Fresno State T-shirt from a buddy, a Fresno State hat, BBQ sauce and table coasters from good ol' Mom and of course the wonderful $50 gift certificate to the Bulldog Shop from the mother-in-law. Oh, and of course that ever-so-special 12 x 18 print of Ryan Mathews leaping over a ucla defender in last season's Bulldogs' win (thanks photographer buddy of mine)!

Did Ryan Mathews make the right decision?

The Fresno Bee followed a report by ESPN that star Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews is declaring a year early to the NFL.

Was it the best decision for Mathews? Did he have anything left to prove at Fresno State? Will the money be too much to pass up? What round will he go in during April's NFL Draft?

Why-oming?

Well, Fresno State decided to take it to another level of disappointment in yesterdays double-overtime New Mexico Bowl loss to Wyoming. We all know for sure now that the Bulldogs' defense is one of the nation's worst -- and that's just plain hard to argue. And it basically cancels out the Bulldogs' ownership of one of the nation's finest offenses. Sad.

Now only if we could get Pat Hill to talk openly with the fans about it... If he'd just come out and admit the defense has been bad and needs a ton of work, and take some steps to address that problem, it would go a long way in making his critics feel better.

That said, give Wyoming credit. The Cowboys might be a below average team, and one that would have battled Utah State and Hawaii for sixth in the WAC, but they made key play after key play after key play.

--Wyoming forced a Ryan Mathews fumble -- and Ryan Mathews doesn't fumble. (It's happened just three times in his career, one of which was a bad call by the refs earlier this season at New Mexico State when replays proved it wasn't really a fumble.)

--Wyoming made a defensive stand on first and goal from the 1-yard line, stuffing Mathews three times and Colburn once. Tapa Tamopeau blew a blocking assingment on fourth down leading to the debacle.

--True freshman Austyn Carta-Samuels led clock-burning drives and converted third downs all day. (Fresno State's defense makes even the worst offenses look prolific.)

So there you go Wyoming Cowboys -- credit where it's due. You deserved to win because you were more clutch. But it doesn't make the loss any less embarrassing for this Fresno State program.

Nobody likes San Jose

Talk about pouring two more tablespoons of a slap in the face into the Fresno State-San Jose State rivalry -- former Fresno State offensive coordinators Jim McElwain and Doug Nussmeier BOTH reportedly turned down offers to be the next head coach at San Jose State.

Heard on "The Herd"

I don't normally listen to the Colin Cowherd show because, well, his opinions aren't very good. That said, I figure a lot of these big-time radio voices purposely form bad opinions to generate listener feedback.

Well today it worked, but I'm not calling in or emailing his show (which would allow said plan to work), I'm just writing about it here to get your feedback. The debate at hand is whether the NCAA basketball tourney should expand to 96 teams?

Syracuse's Jim Boeheim is in favor, as is Fresno State's Steve Cleveland. I haven't yet decided where I sit on the fence.

But get this, Cowherd says people don't want to watch underdogs. It's a "myth" he tells us. The ratings aren't good. The ratings plummet when Duke is eliminated. People want to see Duke and North Carolina and Kansas an Kentucky. And in football, the lowest rated BCS game will be Boise State-TCU, because people would rather watch USC (his favorite team), Ohio State and Notre Dame. Is this true? Is that who you'd rather watch? I certainly wouldn't.

But let's take Cowherd's argument as fact for argument's sake -- and now let's apply that logic to Title IX. If what's important in bowl games and NCAA tourneys is what gets the best TV ratings, because we have to give the people what they want, then apply that rule across the board. WAY more people like to watch men's football and men's basketball than all the women's collegiate sports put together. So does that mean women's sports don't deserve as much funding as the men's from their respective institutions?

And Mr. Cowherd, if I'm not mistaking the most popular College World Series ever for TV ratings was Fresno State's national title run in 2008.

The Buckeye Battle Cry

Here's a feel of how some ohio state bloggers think about Fresno State and the New Mexico Bowl...

http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com/?p=4067&cpage=1#comment-4193

The day Graham Watson drops knowledge on me will be the day that Peter Gammons changes his name to Graham Watson

If you don't know who Graham Watson is, consider yourself lucky. Or, at least you were until I decided to write a Graham Watson blog, which, thanks to it containing her name, now has an unfortunate side effect similar to the one you get when reading her blogs.

Watson -- unbeknownst to many of the people that actually do read what she writes out of boredom -- is in fact a female and non-BCS blogger for espn.com. That wasn't meant as an insult, but actually a real did-you-know, as more than a few message board-ers have dropped a "he" when referencing Graham. Don't worry though, plenty of insults still to come.

Graham Watson's job is to know non-BCS football (unless she has a second job, in which case only one of her jobs is to know non-BCS football). She is paid to watch them, write about them, read about them and even go to some of the games and cover them in person.

Needless to say, I don't find Graham Watson to be a particularly entertaining writer, or to generally have an informed opinion about non-BCS teams. Count me in as one out of nine Americans who agree with that statement (fine print: who knows if that's true, but I'd like to think it is). Sure, it's hard to mess up links to local newspaper Web sites and a list of players who have won awards (although it's happened). That stuff is generally tolerable. I've got no beef there, plus, beggars can't be choosers.

Rather, it is the lack of pure knowledge of teams, the head-shaking predictions, the perceived arrogance, etc., that make her a villain for college football fans. Her opinion-including blogs are daily evidence of that. She's consistent at least, I'll give her that.

So why do a blog now? Well, for one, I had the time. And then there's, well ... read on.

What if I told you that today, as I half-heartedly browsed through the BulldogBounce twitter feed, I ran across a Graham Watson tweet that provided me great entertainment and a lengthy laugh?

See the evidence below:

As you may have figured out, the "allow me to drop some knowledge" portion of the tweet was the part that did it for me. At this point, I was willing to be suckered, hoping to continue my streak of Graham-provided hilarity's. So I suckered myself into clicking the provided link, only to become utterly disappointed (but not surprised) with the vagueness, cluelessness and general ineptitude that followed.

BUT, for at least a brief segment in time, albeit unintentionally, Graham Watson brought a smile to my face, and now, to yours. That has to mean something. Could it be, that after we've grown apart from her for so long, that we've now learned to love each other. I only thought it fair to capture this event with its due diligence -- a sentimental Graham Watson tribute blog (which you've been reading) and a letter to her (which you will now read).

So to you, Graham, on behalf of the readers and myself, I say this:

Graham, I know we've had our ups and downs in the past, and we readers realize that it was unreasonable for us to expect us to see eye-to-eye on everything, but it became impossible for us grow together once you showed us your wealth of a lack of knowledge on college football. In the beginning, we showed an undying commitment to you, only to feel turned away by your insulting lack of knowledge of our programs.

I'll never forget the time I saw you remind about/request an interview on Facebook for Fresno State running backs Lonyae Miller and Ryan "Matthews." But that's OK, spelling isn't important for a paid non-BCS blogger, nor is knowing how to spell the name of arguably the best running back in the country, who just so happens to play for a non-BCS team.

Still, regardless of our rocky start, stars aligned and brought us back together, for what could only be described as us having a moment that we shall never forget.

Actually, on second thought, you got lucky this one time. Continue to take espn's money and "drop knowledge" on those suckers who can't get their cheek off the hook, and we'll all go our way and continue to know libraries of information more than you about non-BCS and BCS football alike.

Man, what a moment though ...

The end.

Fresno State and coach Pat Hill reach contract extension for "years" beyond 2010

Fresno State coach Pat Hill and the rock 'n' roll fu manchu will remain at the helm of the Bulldogs for an undetermined number of years, as reported by The Fresno Bee last night.

Contract details between Hill and the University are yet to be made official, and will be worked out following Fresno State's New Mexico Bowl *edit loss over wyoming this weekend.

A round of belly slaps for left guard No. 79

Devan Cunningham is three years into his career as a Bulldog, and for two and a half years, I couldn't put my finger on why he looked so familiar.

And then, one day this summer ...

The man on top is our guy Devan, while the guy immediately above is either WWE legend Kamala, or a never-before-seen photo of Cunningham at this year's Halloween bash.

For those interested (which by now should be at least 37% of you), Cunningham stands at 6-foot-6, weighs 350 pounds and is anywhere from 20 to 46 years old. Kamala stands at 6-foot-7, checks in at 375 pounds and is 59 years old. I know.

Our boy Devan has been in the news of late (see video refresher below) and thanks to the journalistic rule of timeliness, we can now make this blog relevant.

But there's also another aspect to this play (and most plays of any game) that goes unseen by almost everyone after every game -- the box score's play-by-play. It looks like this:

Two-point conversion attempt, Ryan Colburn pass to Devan Cunningham GOOD.

If you look closely between the words "to" and "Devan," there are about 13 points of action left out of the play that are clearly visible in the video. Nice try Mr. play-by-play typer guy. Nobody expected you to get the entire played in there, but one of these (...) would have sufficed. Let's try it again:

Two-point conversion attempt, Ryan Colburn pass to ... Devan Cunningham GOOD.

You'll also notice the word "GOOD" is in all caps. I'm guessing he was typing the word while this call -- made by Fresno State's own play-by-play man Paul Loeffler -- was being made right next to him. Can't fault him there. Not every day when you get to hear a voice so high it makes Alvin and the Chipmunks sound like this guy by comparison.

And to think, none of this would have been possible without a giant left guard catching a ball and teeter-tottering into the endzone. The only thing missing was the appropriate celebration.

Yes, the bar does get lower. Start the video at 2:20 and feel free to slap along at will.

What's it take for Fresno State to be ranked?

Don't dismiss the idea so quickly. Keep reading, 'cause you'll want to see this comparison between two teams with eerily similar resumes. One is in the top 25. One is Fresno State. (Shout out to "grantstomb" of BarkBoard fame for bringing this to my attention).

See how long it takes you to figure out which mystery team we're comparing the 'Dogs to?

--This team has a 6-2 conference record.
--Fresno State has a 6-2 conference record.

--This team has 1 win against a team with a winning record.
--Fresno State has 1 win against a team with a winning record.

--This team has 1 win against an AQ (Automatic Qualifier) school (a 4-8 Big East team at home).
--Fresno State has 1 win against an AQ school (a 3-9 Big 10 team on the road).

--This team played 2 AQ schools on the road.
--Fresno State played 3 AQ schools on the road.

--This team has two losses to teams that are going to BCS bowls this year.
--Fresno State has two losses to teams going to BCS bowls this year.

--This team beat San Jose State by 10 points.
--Fresno State beat San Jose State by 20 points.

--This team beat Utah State by 17 points.
--Fresno State beat Utah State by 4 points.

--This team lost at TCU by 28 points.
--Fresno State lost at home to Boise State by 17 points.

--This team lost at Oregon by 7 points.
--Fresno State lost at Cincinnati by 8 points.

--This team's opponents are a combined 48-48.
--Fresno State's opponenets are a combined 47-52.

--This team finished third in the Mountain West Conference.
--Fresno State finished third in the Western Athletic Conference.

--This team is 9-3, ranked No. 23 in the nation and headed to the Poinsettia Bowl to play Cal.
--Fresno State is 8-4, unranked and headed to the New Mexico Bowl to play Wyoming.

One could argue that if Fresno State replaced its non-conference game at Wisconsin with a game against 4-8 San Diego State, the Bulldogs would also be 9-3. But would the Bulldogs be ranked in the top 25? What do you say?

Comment Please!

Hey I just want to get a pulse on what Bulldog fans think about the future of Fresno State football. I am interested in what people have to say so please leave a comment!!

What should expectations be for our program on a yearly basis?

What type of personality would you like to see our team take on?

Do we need a new coach?

Do we need an overhaul of our offensive and defensive schemes?

Did we peak in 2001 when we hit #8 in the nation?

How do we spark more fan interest?

What needs to be done to build our program into a perennial power?

These are just a few of the questions you could comment on or add your own flavor!!

What are you thankful for in Fresno State sports? Wishful for?

Happy Thanksgiving to our readers and your families! In the spirit of the holiday, what are you thankful for when it comes to Fresno State sports? (And go ahead and throw in what you are wishful for too)...


Thankful for ... Ryan Mathews, the nation's best running back, choosing to stay home and represent his Valley by playing for Fresno State instead of going to any of the other places he could have.
Wishful for ... Mathews to return for his senior season if he's not a first-round draft pick (because that's where he deserves to be picked), and heck, the Red Wave would LOVE seven more chances to see him play in person at Bulldog Stadium next year.

Thankful for ... Greg Smith's Bulldog spirit. The heralded recruit has been Fresno State's best basketball player the first four games this season. It's been a long time since the 'Dogs have had a player play with Smith's type of passion for his school -- a Chris Herren-esque on-court mentality.
Wishful for ... More tenacity from the rest of the team. Let out a yell after a big dunk or 3. Wave your arms to the Red Wave to get 'em loud. Smile. Win.

Thankful for ... Pat Hill's vision for the "sleeping giant" that is Fresno State football.
Wishful for ... A return to the no excuses, shutup & hit somebody, no-nonsense style that made Hill and Bulldog football known around the country.

And most of all, just thankful to enjoy games and tailgates with my closest family and friends, a culture I grew up in. No matter how many wins or losses, those moments with people close to you will always be the best memories.