Fresno State Bulldogs vs. UC Davis Aggies
California Schools Square off in College Football Opener
During Pat Hill’s tenure as Fresno State coach, the Bulldogs have gained a reputation for being giant killers.
Known for their willingness to take on bigger schools, they've won 14 games against Bowl Championship Series teams this decade – the second-most of any non-BCS squad. In 2005, they even tested top-ranked USC before falling 50-42.
But on Sept. 5, it’ll be UC Davis trying to spring an upset, when they meet Fresno State in a season opener at Fresno, CA. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game is not scheduled to be televised.
The Aggies are a level below Fresno NCAA classification. UC Davis is in its seventh year in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, previously known as Division I-AA. Before that, the Aggies were a Division II power.
They've shocked people before. In 2005, they beat Stanford, 20-17.
Fresno State will be trying to build momentum for a challenging three-game stretch. The Bulldogs play at Wisconsin on Sept. 12, return home to face Western Athletic Conference champion Boise State in a Friday night contest on Sept. 18, then head to Ohio to face Cincinnati on Sept. 26.
Boise State is ranked No. 14 in The Associated Press Top 25. Cincinnati is coming off an 11-3 season.
But Fresno State fans will still be eager to see their team face UC Davis. If nothing else, they’ll get to see the Bulldogs’ new quarterback.
Fresno State Preview
The QB will junior Ryan Colburn, at least at the start.
The biggest buzz around the program during the off-season centered on the three-player battle to replace Tom Brandstater, Colburn came out on top, beating out freshmen Derek Carr and Ebahn Feathers.
Three-year starter Brandstater passed for 2,664 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, as Fresno State went 7-6 and lost 40-35 to Colorado State in the New Mexico Bowl. If the Bulldogs are going to improve, they’ll likely need their quarterback to put up similar, if not better, numbers.
Colburn, who backed up Brandstater for two years, is the most experienced of the three QBs. Carr looks to follow in the footsteps of brother David, who starred at Fresno State before heading to the NFL as a No. 1 overall draft pick. The athletic Feathers runs the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds.
In any case, the Fresno State QB should have some solid weapons with which to work.
While standout tight end Bear Pascoe is gone, the Bulldogs still have their leading wide receiver back in Seyi Ajirotutu (47 catches for 795 yards, 5 TDs last season). Also back is Marlon Moore, who led Fresno is receptions in 2007, but was limited to 23 during an injury-plagued 2008.
Injury also hampered the Bulldogs’ top running back, Ryan Mathews, who nonetheless rushed for 616 yards and six touchdowns last season. But Mathews isn’t the only capable rusher returning. Anthony Harding led the Bulldogs with 822 yards and ran for six TDs in 2008. Lonyae Miller rushed for 812 yards and seven TDs.
The offensive line, an area which Hill specializes, has been traditionally strong during his 12 seasons as head coach. The 2009 group will return Devan Cunningham and Andrew Jackson at guard, and Joe Bernardi at center.
Fresno State will try to build some consistency in a defense that ranked 97th in the nation last season. There’ll be plenty of experienced hands to help, as the four leading tacklers return.
Linebacker Ben Jacobs made a team-high 113 tackles last year, and Chris Carter – who had 88 tackles playing linebacker – returns to his normal position of defensive end. Also back are safeties Moses Harris and Lorne Bell, linebackers Nico Herron and Kyle Knox, and linemen Cornell Banks and Mark Roberts.
Harris was third on the team with 85 tackles last season, Herron was fourth with 65, and Knox had a team-high eight tackles for losses.
UC Davis Preview
The Aggies aren’t shying away from tough competition. A week after facing Fresno, they’ll play their home opener against Montana, which advanced to the Division I FCS championship game last season. And they’ll face Boise State on Oct. 3.
Last season, coach Bob Biggs’ team finished 5-7. In 2009, the Aggies will look to unseat defending Great West Conference champion Cal Poly.
They'll be helped by the return of sophomore quarterback Greg Denham, who passed for 3,478 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2008. But Denham also threw 16 interceptions – a total that could decrease if the Aggies establish a consistent running game.
A big role will be played by Joe Trombetta, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound junior. Trombetta played in only eight games last season because of injury, but still led the Aggies with 564 yards. Fellow junior Brandon Tucker saw action in only seven games due to injury, and ranked second on the team with 358 yards.
The Aggies lost top receiver Brandon Rice, but still have a couple good ones in Chris Carter (69 catches, 768 yards, 5 TDs) and Bakari Grant (61 receptions, 720 yards, 8 TDs). There’s also experience on the offensive line, including all-conference center Tommy Hernandez.
UC Davis graduated its best defensive player, lineman John Faletoese, but much of the supporting cast is back.
Patrick Michelier returns at defensive end after recording 51 tackles, 10 tackles for losses and five sacks, and Dozie Amajoyi is back at linebacker. The Aggies also bring back both of their cornerbacks -- Jeremy Scott (42 tackles, 7 pass breakups) and Kenneth Brown (8 pass breakups).
Bulldogs, Aggies Haven't Met Since 1952
Fresno State and UC Davis are both California schools that take pride in their agricultural roots. But they haven’t had much of a football rivalry – at least not recently.
The Bulldogs and Aggies will be playing for the 17th time, but haven’t met since 1952, when Fresno State defeated UC Davis 41-7. Fresno leads the series, 11-5-1.
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles