A T H L E T I C S M E D I A R E L A T I O N S

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1 FRESNO STATE A T H L E T I C S M E D I A R E L A T I O N S Fresno State Schedule Date Opponent Time Aug. 30 at No. 12 Tennessee (ESPN2)... L, 24-6 Sept. 6 Oregon State (ESPN)... W, Sept. 13 at No. 1 Oklahoma (KFRE)... L, Sept. 20 Louisiana Tech (KFRE)... W, 16-6 Sept. 27 Portland State... W, Oct. 4 at Colorado State (KFRE)... L, Oct. 11 at Hawaii (KFRE)... L, Oct. 25 Rice... W, Nov Noon Nov. 8 (KFRE)... Noon Nov p.m. Nov. 22 (ESPN2)... 6 p.m. Nov p.m. Home Games in Bold All Times Pacific // WAC game Dates and times are tentative and subject to change 2003 WAC Standings WAC Overall W L W L Hawaii Nevada Fresno State Tulsa Louisiana Tech UTEP Rice SMU Ticket Information Single-game and season tickets for all home games are currently on sale. The Bulldog Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. the week of home games, and opens at 10 a.m. on game days. A ticket booth at the Riverpark Shopping Center, open weekdays from 5-9 p.m., has just been opened, as well. For ticket information or to order, call the Bulldog Ticket Office (559) 278-DOGS or go online at Ticket prices for the home games are as follows:... $25... $25 Practices and Interviews Please call the Fresno State Athletics Media Relations office to arrange interviews with head coach Pat Hill, the staff and players. Practices are closed after the first 20 minutes, but interviews are permissable before practice begins and after it ends. Contact the Fresno State Athletics Media Relations Office for practice times and further details. Fresno State on the Internet The official website of Fresno State Athletics is Fresno State s football releases as well as a variety of football and athletics department information may be found. Audio/video highlights, bios, game recaps, statistics and press conference quotes are all available. The audio portion of every football game is also streamed live, and after the game a complete game wrap-up is posted. The Real Audio player is required to listen to the game N. Campus Dr. Rm 153 Fresno, CA Fax: FB Contacts: Steve Weakland, Jake Bragonier Oct. 27, 2003 Bulldog Football Game No. 9 Fresno State (4-4, 2-1 WAC) (0-8, 0-5 WAC) Date: Saturday, Nov. 1 Kickoff: Noon p.m. PST Site: Dallas, Texas Stadium: Gerald J. Ford Stadium (32,000) Radio: KMJ (AM 580); Dog Talk at 10 a.m.; Pregame Show at 11:30 a.m. Play-by-play: Bill Woodward; Analyst: Vince Wesson; Sideline: Ron Shapley Spanish Radio: KOOR (AM 790) Play-by-play: Jess Gonzalez; Analyst: Fermin Chavez TV: None This Week Fresno State heads back out on the road this week for a game. The Bulldogs, who are in the midst of a stretch that sees them play four out of five games away from Fresno, will be looking to pick up their first road win of the season. Game time is noon PT from Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas. The contest is not being televised locally. Last Game The Bulldogs snapped a two-game losing streak in dramatic fashion, defeating Rice on Brett Visintainer s 39-yard field goal as time expired. Fresno State trailed heading into the fourth quarter but scored 11 unanswered points to get the win. The Owls spread option running attack clicked on all cylinders, racking up 384 yards on the ground. But the Bulldogs weathered the storm with Paul Pinegar s 205-yard night and Dwayne Wright s 96 rushing yards. Bryson Sumlin chipped in two TDs. Fresno State vs. SMU The Series Fresno State leads the all-time series 3-1, including wins in the last three contests. The Bulldogs are 1-1 all-time against SMU in Dallas, but have only played once at Gerald J. Ford Stadium, which opened in These two teams first hooked up in 1999, when a winless Mustang team stunned Fresno State at the Cotton Bowl. Last year, the Bulldogs defeated SMU 30-7 in Fresno. November Has Been Fresno State s Month Fresno State enters this November with momentum after last week s last-second victory over Rice. And if history is any precursor, Fresno State is just beginning another strong stretch run. Since 1997, when Pat Hill took over, Fresno State has been one of the WAC s best teams in the latter part of the season. A perfect example of this came in 2002, when after suffering consecutive losses to and Hawaii, the Bulldogs finished 5-0, including a win over Georgia Tech in the Silicon Valley Football Classic. Here s a look at what Fresno State has done in regular season November and December games under Hill: Year Started Finished Final Record Note First non-losing season since Only losing season under Hill * 8-5 WAC co-champs; played in Las Vegas Bowl * 7-3 Played in Silicon Valley Football Classic * 11-3 Played in Silicon Valley Football Classic Beat Georgia Tech in bowl game * Record reflects finish to regular season and does not include bowl game Game Time Change Fresno State s game against on Nov. 21 is at 6 p.m. and will be televised nationally by ESPN2. Early schedules and schedule cards had the game time as 5 p.m., but it has since been changed. It marks the third consecutive year the Broncos and Bulldogs will battle on one of the ESPN family of networks.

2 Head Coach Pat Hill All of the credit for the resurgence of Bulldog football can be traced to head coach Pat Hill. Hill took over a declining program and within three years won a championship and guided his team to a bowl game. More importantly, Hill infused academic integrity to the program. Since his arrival, the team GPA has steadily risen from a 2.21 to In Hill s third season, the Bulldogs earned a share of a WAC championship, made their first bowl appearance since 1993 and produced a league-best six first-team All-WAC players. In addition, Fresno State led the WAC academic scholars with 14 and produced the program s first Academic All-American, Payton Williams. That was just a start. Under his direction, money was raised to build a new football practice facility that rivals any NFL franchise. In addition, the two soccer practice facilities received a face lift. One of the most visible signs of improvement has been in the Duncan Building training room, which was modified providing all student-athletes with a state of the art complex. Hill enters his seventh season as head coach and 13th overall, having spent six seasons as an assistant coach as offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator ( ) under Jim Sweeney when the Bulldogs were among the nation s most successful teams. Fresno State posted a overall record during those six seasons Since coming to Fresno State, Hill has continued his reputation as an outstanding recruiter. His first recruiting class produced four NFL draft choices including the No. 1 overall pick David Carr and four other players who signed NFL free agent contracts. Each of Hill s starting QBs at Fresno State (Billy Volek and David Carr) are playing in the NFL. In addition, he has guided the Bulldogs to four consecutive bowl games, a first in school history. He has done it playing one of the most agressive nonconference schedules in the nation. Pat Hill's Resume 1997-present Fresno State, Head Coach 1996 Baltimore Ravens, Asst. Coach (tight ends/offensive line) Cleveland Browns, Asst. Coach (tight ends/offensive line) Arizona, Asst. Coach (offensive coordinator/line) Fresno State, Asst. Coach (offensive line/recruiting) 1983 Calgary (CFL), Asst. Coach (offensive coordinator/line) UNLV, Asst. Coach (offensive coordinator/line) Utah, Asst. Coach (offensive line/recruiting) LA Valley College, Asst. Coach (offensive line) Honors and Bowl Games 1999 WAC Champions 1999 EA Sports Las Vegas Bowl 2000 Silicon Valley Football Classic 2000 Sports Illustrated Bowl Coach of the Year 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic 2002 Silicon Valley Football Classic 2003 East-West Shrine Game (West Head Coach) Pat Hill Year-by-Year Overall WAC Home Road Neu Totals Injury Report While last week s close call against Rice resulted in a victory, it did come at a price. The Bulldogs lost another starter, and the status of a couple of others for this week s game is up in the air. Here s a look at Fresno State s current injury report: Player Injury Status OT Logan Mankins* Torn right ACL Out for season OT Matt Stevenson* Knee, shoulder surgery Out for season CB Raymond Washington* Torn tendon in finger Out for season LB David Adamo* Knee sprain Out for at least two weeks DE Garrett McIntyre* Ankle sprain Doubtful this week DE Brian Morris* Knee surgery Questionable this week * Indicates player was a starter One Tough Road Life has not been fun for Fresno State on the road this year. The Bulldogs are 0-4 away from home in 2003 and have been defeated by at least 18 points in each contest. Dating back to the 2002 campaign, Fresno State s last six road losses have come by an average of 29.8 points, including a defeat at Hawaii in the last away game. While the Bulldogs defense has been staunch at home, allowing just 16.0 points per game in home contests, Fresno State has allowed points aplenty away from Bulldog Stadium. In their four road games in 2003, the Bulldogs are surrendering 41.3 points, including two occasions where the opponent has eclipsed the 50-point barrier. Two of Fresno State s road losses have come to ranked opponents including No. 1 Oklahoma. Long Road Stretch Fresno State is currently 0-4 on the road this year, and the team is in the middle of a brutal stretch that sees it play four out of five games away from home. After the Bulldogs played Portland State on Sept. 27, they began a period of 50 days where they played but one home game which came last week against Rice. So far, Fresno State is 1-2 in that fivegame stretch, with contests to follow this week and on Nov. 8. The Bulldogs finish with two of three in Fresno. BCS Busters When Fresno State defeated Oregon State on Sept. 5, it marked the program s sixth against a team from a BCS Conference. The Bulldogs six victories against BCS teams since 2000 is more than any other non-bcs program during that time. Since Pat Hill took over at Fresno State, the Bulldogs have played 20 games against BCS opponents. The Bulldogs lost their first nine, all of which came on the road, by an average margin of 14 points. Four of those were decided by less than a touchdown and one was in overtime (at Oregon in 1997). But lately, Fresno State s fortunes have changed. The Bulldogs have gone 6-6 in their last 12 games versus BCS teams, with eight of those opponents having been in the top 25 at game time. Offensive Struggles Fresno State s slumbering offense has shown signs of awakening in the past two games. The Bulldogs have scored a combined 59 points against their last two opponents, including 31 last week in a victory over Rice. Fresno State has raised its scoring average up to 22.1 points per game, sixth in the WAC and 81st in the nation. Nonetheless, in four of the Bulldogs eight games, they have tallied one or zero touchdowns. Fresno State s offensive woes are even more prevalent in the first halves of games, in which they have only totaled 61 points, an average 7.6 per first half this year. The scoring burst in the past two games has coincided with the return of quarterback Paul Pinegar, who missed the first five games of 2003 with a torn right pectoral muscle. He has been the starter the past two contests. More on the Offense In addition to scoring just 61 first half points, Fresno State has only scored seven first half touchdowns, two of which came against Division I-AA Portland State on Sept. 27. Entering this season, the Bulldogs hadn t been shut out in a first half since Oct. 21, 2000, against UTEP. But this year, it has already happened three times. However, the last two weeks, Fresno State has started to get its offense untracked. It has surpassed 200 yards in the air for just the second and third times all year, and the team has accumulated 61 points, including 34 in the first half.

3 Bulldogs on Radio/TV Bulldogs on KMJ Radio 580 Every Fresno State football game is broadcast live throughout the San Joaquin Valley on KMJ (AM 580). Veteran sportscaster Bill Woodward will handle play-byplay duties with former Bulldog receiver Vince Wesson as the analyst and Ron Shapley on the sidelines. Woordward is in his 32nd season covering Bulldog Athletics. KMJ begins game-day coverage with a twohour call-in show Dog Talk, hosted by John Broeske and Fresno State Assistant Athletics Director Steve Weakland. That is followed by a half hour pregame show. A one-hour Dog Talk postgame show follows each broadcast. Bulldogs Heard in Spanish on KOOR Beginning in 2003, Fresno State football games can be heard in Spanish on KOOR AM 780. Jess Gonzalez will is the play-by-play announcer. Fermin Chavez provides the color analysis. Dogs on the Frog For the third straight year, selected Fresno State football and men s basketball games will be seen locally on KFRE WB 59 (Comcast cable channel 5). KMPH Sports Director Ralph Wood will once again call the action and veteran Bulldog announcer Randy Rosenbloom adds analysis. Here s the tentative schedule for the 2003 season: Date Opponent Time Sept.13 at Oklahoma... L, Sept. 20 Louisiana Tech*... W,16-6 Oct. 4 at Colorado State... L, Oct. 11 at Hawaii... L, Nov. 8 *... noon * - SportsWest Regional WAC Football on SportsWest SportsWest, a regional sports network, will begin carrying WAC football beginning in Each conference school will receive two appearances (one home and one road game) on SportsWest. Fresno State s SportsWest broadcasts will be seen locally on KFRE WB 59 (Comcast cable channel 5). Bulldogs on ESPN At least three Fresno State games will be shown on ESPN or ESPN2 in Since the 2001 season, Fresno State has made 19 appearances on ESPN/ ESPN2, more than any other program in the nation. Fresno State s 2003 ESPN/ESPN schedule is as follows: Date Opponent Time Aug. 30 at Tennessee... L, 24-6 Sept. 5 vs. Oregon State... W, Nov. 21 vs.... ESPN2 * More games may be added to the schedule. Pat Hill Radio Show Pat Hill s weekly radio show can be heard every Monday at 1 p.m. on KMJ Radio AM 580. The onehour show is hosted by Bill Woodward. Coaches Corner with Pat Hill The Coaches Corner with Pat Hill can be seen every Wednesday night during the KMPH 10 O Clock News. Hill and host Ralph Wood will discuss the Bulldogs most recent game and upcoming opponent. Weekly Pat Hill Press Conference Every Monday at 11 a.m. in the Duncan Building, Pat Hill conducts a press conference with the Fresnoarea media. Quotes from the press conference are posted on Fresno State s official website, No TV Has Meant Wins Saturday s game against SMU will not be televised locally, the third Fresno State game this year not to appear on TV. Since the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic, the Bulldogs had 19 consecutive game televised, 12 of which were on national TV. Although it may be pure coincidence, it is interesting to note Fresno State has won its last 12 non-televised games, including last week s victory over Rice. The Bulldogs haven t had a non-tv road game in over four years. Pure Pinegar The return of Paul Pinegar at QB has coincided with the spark of the Fresno State offense. Last week, the sophomore quarterback threw for 205 yards and a touchdown in the Bulldogs victory over Rice. In the last two games, both Pinegar starts, Fresno State is averaging 29.5 points per game. He has started just twice this year after missing the first five games with a torn right pectoral muscle. Last year, the sophomore threw for 2,929 yards, passing Kevin Sweeney s 2,359, the mark that had stood as the program s best for a freshman QB. Since the WAC opener at Rice on Sept. 28, 2002, Pinegar has tossed 19 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions. During his WAC Freshman of the Year campaign, he had 20 TDs and completed his passes at a 57 percent clip. He was the top rated freshman quarterback in the nation (129.54) as well as a Freshman All-American. Pinegar in Step With Carr Paul Pinegar was solid last year as Fresno State s first freshman quarterback since Trent Dilfer in He started 12 games, leading the Bulldogs to a 9-3 record in those starts, including a win over 22nd-ranked Colorado State. He also looked good last week in his first start of the 2003, throwing for 242 yards and three TDs. A look at his numbers through his first 13 starts shows an eerie similarity to Pinegar s predecessor at quarterback, David Carr. Pinegar vs. Carr (First 13 Starts) Record Att Comp Int Pct. Yards TD Long YPG Pinegar ( ) , Carr (2000) ` 3, Dwayne Wright... as in Fright With the emergence of running backs Dwayne Wright and Bryson Sumlin, Fresno State now officially has a rushing attack that is one of the best in the WAC. Wright, a sophomore transfer from West Hills (Coalinga, Calif.) Junior College, racked up a 96 yards against Rice last week and now has 596 on the year. Sumlin, also a sophomore, ran for 41 yards and was solid around the goal line, scoring two touchdowns. Wright and Sumlin are now ahead of Rodney Davis on the depth chart. Davis, a senior, last year rushed for a single-season school record of 1,586 yards. The Bulldogs rushing attack is currently averaging yards per game, the sixth-best mark in the conference. More About Rodney Davis Rodney Davis is still looking to find the form of last year. In 2002, Davis, a senior, established a new single-season rushing record when he ran for 1,586 yards, and in doing so he became the first Bulldog ever to surpass the 1,500-yard plateau. In addition, the Dos Palos, Calif., native was just the third player in program history to produce two 200-yard games in the same season. Current Tampa Bay Bucaneer running back Michael Pittman is the only other Bulldog with two 200-yard games in his career. Davis was the only WAC player with two 200-yard games in 2002, and he finished the year strongly, earning offensive MVP honors in Fresno State s win over Georgia Tech at the Silicon Valley Football Classic. WAC Coaching Leaders With Hawaii s win over Fresno State on Oct. 11, June Jones supplanted Pat Hill in first place in winning percentage among Western Athletic Conference coaches with more than three years of experience. Hill is now (37-15 WAC), a percentage of.595, just behind UH s June Jones (.603). Here s how Hill, the second-longest tenured head coach in the league, ranks in winning percentage in among WAC coaches: Overall (yrs) Pct. Current School (yrs) Pct. 1) June Jones, Hawaii (4) (4).610 2) Pat Hill, Fresno State (6) (6).595 3) Ken Hatfield, Rice (23) (8).444

4 Fresno State Facts Bulldog Stadium at Jim Sweeney Field Since taking over Bulldog Stadium in 1980, Fresno State has one of the best home records in college football. One of the most beautiful stadiums in the Western Athletic Conference, Bulldog Stadium underwent a two-phase expansion project in 1991, increasing seating by 10,000 to a capacity of 41,031 and adding 22 sky suites. Jim Sweeney was Fresno State s head coach ( , ) who won eight conference championships, five bowl game titles and guided the Bulldogs to a record and won 200 games as a college coach, 16th most in NCAA history. Fresno State at Bulldog Stadium Overall (.811) WAC Record 41-7 (.854) (.817) (.779) 2000-p 18-2 (.900) Academic Gameplan Since Pat Hill took over the Fresno State program, the Bulldogs have become national leaders in academic success. One of Hill's first tasks was hiring John Baxter as associate head coach. Baxter's trademarked Academic Gameplan is a proven winner across the nation. In the third year of Academic Gameplan, the football program produced a WACbest 14 scholar-athletes, the school s first Academic All-American and the number of honored athletes at the annual Kiwanis Torch of Excellence dinner grew from four to 33. The team's GPA was raised from 2.12 to 2.77 in three seasons. Academic Gameplan has been featured in many publications, including the Dec. 20, 1999, issue of Sports Illustrated. Academic Gameplan is used by Oregon, Washington State, Southern Miss and Notre Dame. Since 1997, the Bulldogs have produced 49 Academic All-WAC performers, more than any team in the league during that period. FS had a WAC-best 10 Academic All-WAC selections in 2002, marking the third consecutive year of leading the WAC in Academic All-WAC selections. V is for Valley Fresno State prides itself on being the Valley s team. This pride can be seen in the form of a large green V on the back of the Bulldog helmets as a symbol to the agricultural community of Central Valley of California. The San Joaquin Valley is the world s richest agricultural valley in export dollars. The Bulldog Foundation Fresno State s famous Bulldog Foundation has been the No. 1 fund-raising organization in the nation for 17 consecutive years. This volunteer organization raises over $7 million annually for the Fresno State Athletics Department. The BDF is headed by executive director Pat Ogle, the 1996 National Fundraiser of the Year. The monies raised by the BDF go towards scholarships, recruiting and special needs of the athletics department. Fresno State Identification The official name of the school is California State University, Fresno. For athletics department purposes, the University prefers to be called simply Fresno State never Fresno State University. For graphics or abbreviations, we ask that you please use FS not FSU or CSUF. Welcoming Matt With the depth, experience and talent of the Fresno State wide receivers corps, it is easy to focus on the likes of Bernard Berrian and Jermaine Jamison as the Bulldogs most effective pass catchers. But in the last three weeks, an unlikely target has emerged Matt Rivera. Known as the best pass blocker among running backs, the sophomore from Fresno has led the team in receiving yards in two of the last three games by coming out of the backfield and turning screen passes into big gains. In the last three games, Rivera has racked up 136 receiving yards, including his first career touchdown last week. Pick Parade Since 1999, few teams in the nation have been as proficient at intercepting passes as Fresno State. The Bulldogs have registered 84 picks in the last four-plus seasons, the third-best total in the country during that time. The Bulldogs have picked off at least one pass in 11 of the last 14 games, dating back to last year s Hawaii game. This year alone, the Fresno State secondary has intercepted 12 passes, a number that ranks 14th in the nation. Manuel Sanchez leads the charge with three, while Dee Meza, Richard Marshall, Awan Diles and Raymond Washington each have two. Following is a look at the NCAA s best teams at interceptions in 2003 and a breakdown of the Bulldogs interceptions in the last eight games: Passes Intercepted in 2003 Fresno State INT s Last Nine Games No Team INTs Date Opponent INTs 1. Nebraska /31/02 vs. Georgia Tech*... 6 Washington State /30/03 at Tennessee UCLA /5/03 Oregon State... 5 Florida /13/03 at Oklahoma /20/03 Louisiana Tech Boston College /27/03 Portland State... 2 Cincinnati /4/03 Colorado State... 2 Miami (Ohio) /11/03 at Hawaii... 0 Fresno State /25/03 Rice...0 * Silicon Valley Football Classic Many Happy Returns Fresno State s special teams have established themselves as one of the nation s best units. Not only are the Bulldogs exceptional at blocking kicks, but they are also a threat to put points on the board every time they take the field. Since Pat Hill took over in 1997, Fresno State has scored 14 touchdowns on special teams and has racked up three safeties. Below is a breakdown of the Bulldogs special teams scoring history: 6 punt returns for TDs (last: Oct. 4, 2002, by Adam Jennings vs. Colorado State) 3 kickoff returns for TDs (last: Sept. 27, 2003, by Nate Ray vs. Portland State) 5 blocked punts/fgs returned for TDs (last: Oct. 25, 2002 vs. Hawaii) 3 team safeties (last: Oct. 4, 2002, vs. Colorado State) Many Happy Returns, Take 2 Lately, it s not just Fresno State s special teams that are doing all of the returning. On defense, the Bulldogs have returned an interception for a touchdown in three of the last eight games. Fresno State had four INTs returned for scores in 2002, and in the opener at Tennessee the Bulldogs lone TD came when redshirt freshman Richard Marshall picked off a Casey Clausen pass and returned it 81 yards to paydirt. Against Portland State on the opening kickoff, Nate Ray scooped up a Bernard Berrian fumble and took it 70 yards for a score. Following is a list of school s who lead the nation since 1999 in touchdowns via punt, kickoff or interception return: School Bowls Total Miami (Fla.) Virginia Tech Kansas State Nebraska Colorado Texas Tech North Carolina State East Carolina Notre Dame Fresno State TCU

5 Where Fresno State Ranks Fresno State Among Nation s Best Since the 1985 season, only 15 Division I-A schools have won more games than the Bulldogs. Most Victories (1985-) 1. Nebraska Florida State Miami (Fla.) Michigan Tennessee Florida Ohio State Penn State Texas A&M Alabama BYU Notre Dame Colorado Oklahoma Washington Air Force Fresno State Syracuse Georgia Auburn Clemson Virginia Tech Virginia UCLA Arizona Top 25 Winning Percentage (1985-) 1. Miami (Fla.) Florida State Nebraska Michigan Tennessee Florida Ohio State Penn State Texas A&M Alabama Auburn Oklahoma Colorado Notre Dame Washington Syracuse BYU Georgia Fresno State Air Force Virginia Tech Clemson UCLA Virginia Arizona Best in the West Since the 1985 season, Fresno State ranks among the best programs among schools in the Pacific and Mountain time zones. Most Victories by Western Schools (1985-) 1. BYU Colorado Washington Air Force Fresno State UCLA Arizona Fourth Quarter Flourish While Fresno State has struggled scoring in the first half of games this season, Fresno State has been extremely productive in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs have scored 75 points in the fourth quarter this season, which accounts for 42 percent of their entire season scoring total. They are also outscoring their opponents in the final stanza. The 1999 season was the last time the Bulldogs best scoring quarter was the fourth, which happens to be the program s last WAC championship season. Never was Fresno State s fourth quarter domination more evident than last week, when it outscored Rice 11-0 to escape with a victory. Special Guys Gone, Special Guys Take Their Place One of Fresno State s biggest question marks heading into 2003 was special teams. The Bulldogs lost two-time first-team All-WAC placekicker Asen Asparuhov, two-time league punting leader Jason Simpson and four-year long snapper Kevin Murphy, who was errorless in 520 career snapping attempts. Consider those questions answered. At kicker, Brett Visintainer has been phenomenal, making 10 of his 14 attempts, including two gamewinners, one of which came last week as time expired against Rice. He has already won WAC Special Teams Player of the Week once and is the odds-on favorite to do it again this week. At punter, redshirt freshman Mike Lingua has averaged 38.2 yards per attempt, with16 of his 54 punts having been downed inside the 20-yard line. Lingua also boomed a 68-yarder against Oregon State, missing the Bulldog Stadium record by just one yard. The long snapper, Duncan Reid, has been perfect thus far performing his duties despite playing with an injured shoulder. Ranking the Losses Of Fresno State s last 22 losses dating back to 1999, 21 have come to teams that have either been nationally ranked, played in a bowl game or were bowl eligible. Of Fresno State s five losses last year, all five came to teams who were ranked during the season and went to a bowl game. Fresno State played six teams that made an appearance in the national polls in 2002, and all but Colorado State were on the road. Since 1999, the Bulldogs only loss to a nonranked, non-bowl team came Oct. 14, 1999, a defeat at the hands of SMU at the Cotton Bowl. Pat Hill has only lost four games in his career to teams with losing records. Bulldog Block Party Fresno State s special teams did it again last week, blocking another kick to increase its season total to seven, already more than it has had in a single-season since The Bulldogs have thrust themselves into the nation s elite in blocking punts and kicks since Pat Hill took over in Under Hill, Fresno State has blocked 47 kicks, including three against No. 1 Oklahoma. James Sanders picked up his second block of the year last week when he rejected a 20-yard attempt in the fourth quarter, helping the Bulldogs to a victory over Rice. Following is a breakdown of Fresno State s kick blocking prowess since 1997: Blocked Blocked Year Punts PAT & FG Total Totals 25* * includes instances when Fresno State tackled the punter before he could get kick away. Road Warriors Fresno State will play seven road games for the third season in a row, and in so doing will spend plenty of time on airplanes. Due to the far-flung nature of the WAC and the long distances they will travel to play their non-conference games, the Bulldogs will rack up nearly 20,000 frequent flyer miles in Here s a breakdown of the round trip air miles for each road game: Opponent City Miles Tennessee... Knoxville, Tenn.... 4,168 Oklahoma... Norman, Okla.... 2,992 Colorado State... Fort Collins, Colo.... 1,794 Hawaii... Honolulu, Hawaii... 4,928 SMU... Dallas, Texas... 2,634 Nevada... Reno, Nev UTEP... El Paso, Texas... 1,680 Total... 18,575

6 Fresno State Football at a Glance As head coach Pat Hill embarks on his seventh season at the helm of the Bulldogs, certain facets of his program have become familiar not only in the San Joaquin Valley, but nationwide as well. Here is a look at some of the more familiar aspects of Fresno State football: Graduation Rates When Pat Hill took over at Fresno State, the graduation rate for the football program was 25 percent. In 2002, Hill's first recruiting class and first graduating class had a graduation rate of 64 percent. Here are some more facts about the football program and graduation: Of the five players who did not receive their degree last year, all are just one semester away from graduating. Of the group that did receive their degree, four were either partial or non-qualifiers. Three players currently on the roster have already graduated and four will receive their degrees after the fall semester. Over the last two seasons, 21 of 31 senior players graduated, with a couple more expected to graduate in the spring of That s a graduation percentage of 68 percent over a two-year period. Scheduling Philosophy In order to gain national respect, Hill will continue to select games against the nation's top programs, meaning the Bulldogs will play many games on the road in hostile environments. While scheduling is difficult, Fresno State will continue to play an aggressive schedule. This year, and in the coming years, non-conference games against Colorado State, Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Wisconsin have already been scheduled. Non-Qualifiers A perception exists that the Bulldogs are comprised primarily of non-qualifiers, or props, as they are commonly known. In actuality, nothing is further from the truth. In July, Fresno State instituted a new policy prohibiting the recruitment and signing of nonqualifiers beginning with the academic year. Here are some facts about Fresno State and its nonqualifiers: There were only 12 non-qualifiers on the 2003 Bulldog roster. Only four freshmen non-qualifiers were accepted in the fall of Building a New Tradition on the National Level In the 1970 s, Florida State was an emerging college football power. This is the model Pat Hill uses and talks about with his players. In the 1980 s, Miami (Fla.) emerged on the national scene. Then in the 1990 s, Virginia Tech rose from obscurity to become a national championship contender. Hill's goal is to make the Bulldogs the team of the 2000 s. He will settle for nothing less than to become a perennial top 25 program and to be considered for a BCS bowl game. Over the last four years, Fresno State s five wins over BCS opponents ranks best among non- BCS schools. Fresno State Tagged as Nation s 26th-Best Program Fresno State was rated the 26th-best college football program in the nation by the College Football News, which this summer completed a three-year analysis designed to see which program has been the strongest over that period of time. The Bulldogs were the highest ranked team from the Western Athletic Conference. was 30th while Hawaii was 57th. Fresno State also ranked above programs such as Texas A&M (29th), UCLA (41st), Mississippi (44th), BYU (47th), Oregon State (50th), Stanford (53rd) and Arizona State (54th). The first opponent of the year, Tennessee, finished fifth in the same analysis, while Oklahoma was third. Best in the West In the last five years, Fresno State has established itself as one of the best college football programs on the West Coast. Only Colorado State (47), Oregon (47) and (45) have posted more victories than the Bulldogs 44. In the case of CSU, Fresno State has defeated the Rams in all three of the team s meetings since Here is a breakdown of the schools in the Western United States with the most Division I-A wins since 1998*: No Team Wins 1. Colorado State Oregon Fresno State Washington USC Air Force Others: Oregon State (40), UCLA (41), Colorado (37) * Counts teams in the Pacific, Mountain and Hawaiian Time Zones. Berrian Redshirted Bernard Berrian, a 2001 All-American, redshirted in the 2002 season after he suffered a sprained knee in the season opener at Wisconsin. The injury, which did not require surgery, caused him to miss all but one quarter of last year. Heading into 2002, Berrian was tabbed as one of the top seniors in the nation by ESPN s NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper, Jr., and to several preseason All-America teams. This season, he could climb as high as third on Fresno State s career receiving list. Here is a glimpse at the numbers Berrian has piled up while in a Bulldog uniform: Berrian in Fresno State History Career Receptions Career Receiving Yardage No Name (Year) Rec No Name (Year) Yards 1. Rodney Wright ( ) Charlie Jones ( )... 3, Brian Roberson ( ) Rodney Wright ( )... 3, Charlie Jones ( ) Brian Roberson ( )... 2, Charles Smith ( ) Henry Ellard ( )... 2, Bernard Berrian (1999-) Bernard Berrian (1999-)... 2, Larry Willis ( ) All-Purpose Berrian WAC Record NCAA All-Purpose Yardage (receivers only) No Name (Year) Yards No Name (Year) Yards 1. Bernard Berrian (2001)... 2, Troy Edwards, La Tech (1998)... 2, LaDanian Tomlinson, TCU (2000).. 2, Bernard Berrian (2001)... 2, Marshall Faulk, SDSU (1993)... 2, NCAA Leaders No Name (Pos) Yards 1. Bernard Berrian (WR)... 2, Mewelde Moore, Tulane (RB)... 2, Levron Williams, Indiana (RB)... 2,201 Bulldogs in the Preseason Polls The return of Bernard Berrian and several stars on both sides of the ball attracted the attention of several preseason college football publications this year. Many magazines picked the Bulldogs to win the WAC, and some had them in their preseason top 25 polls. Here is a look at what some of the pundits have to say about Fresno State entering the 2003 season: Publication Prediction Athlon s... 1st in the WAC, 35th in the nation, 5th-best WR/TE unit in the nation Sporting News... 1st in the WAC, 21st in the nation Sports Illustrated... 1st in the WAC, 29th in the nation CBSSportsline.com... 1st in the WAC College Football News... 1st in the WAC, 26th-best program in the nation over the last three years FoxSports.com... 1st in the WAC

7 Hill Hype Hill and the NFL Pat Hill s experience in the NFL has been a staple of Fresno State s continued success of sending players to the professional ranks. Hill gained famed as one of the top personnel evaluators in the NFL during his five-year tenure with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. Hill s NFL experience is chronicled below: Recruited and coached NFL No. 1 Draft Pick David Carr. Fresno State had a WAC leading four NFL picks in Four other players signed NFL free agent contracts that year. Hill s two senior starting quarterbacks are in the NFL (Carr and Billy Volek, Tennessee Titans). In his six seasons, he has produced 21 NFL players. In his six seasons, he has produced seven NFL draft picks. Two members of his coaching staff have NFL coaching experience, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti and running backs coach John Settle. Hill vs. the Competition Following is a breakdown of Pat Hill s record since arriving at Fresno State in 1997: WAC Hawaii Louisiana Tech Nevada Rice SMU Tulsa UTEP Totals Non-Conference Air Force Brigham Young California Colorado Colorado State Georgia Tech Michigan State New Mexico Ohio State Oklahoma Oklahoma State Oregon Oregon State Portland State San Diego State Tennessee TCU Texas Tech UCLA UNLV Utah Utah State Wisconsin Wyoming Totals Longest Winning Streaks Under Hill Three times... 3 Longest WAC Winning Streaks Under Hill Bulldogs Lead WAC In Scholar-Athletes Again For the third consecutive year, Fresno State led the WAC in Academic All-WAC selections with 10, more than Rice, which had nine. Since Pat Hill took over, Fresno State has produced 49 Academic All-WAC selections, averaging more than eight per season, the most of any team in the league during that span. In addition, Fresno State had 39 players post a 3.0 grade point average for the fall semester of Last year s Academic All-WAC players were: Jas Bains, Juan Bautista, Tyrone Culver, Jermaine Jamison, Adam Jennings, Kevin Murphy, Nate Ray, Doug Roush, Stephen Spach and Matt Stevenson. Fresno State Quarterback University The Bulldogs had three quarterbacks in the NFL during the 2002 season, tying Michigan and Florida State for the most of any college. Neither Michigan nor Florida State had a quarterback taken in the top 10 picks of the NFL draft since 1990, while Fresno State has produced two. Here are some other QB University Notes (since 1990): Each of Pat Hill s two starting quarterbacks are in the NFL (Billy Volek and David Carr). Fresno State is one of three schools (Washington State and Tennessee) to have a quarterback as a No. 1 NFL draft pick and another taken in the Top 10. Of those, only Fresno State s quarterbacks are both still active. Fresno State is one of five schools (Tennessee, Washington State, Oregon and Houston) to have two quarterbacks selected among the top 10 NFL draft picks. Of those, only Oregon and Fresno State s quarterbacks are still active. Fresno State s Trent Dilfer is the only top 10 drafted quarterback since 1990 to win a Super Bowl. There have been 17 quarterbacks taken in the top 10 picks of the NFL draft since 1990, and Fresno State has produced two of them. Fresno State s three current NFL quarterbacks David Carr, Houston Texas (No. 1 NFL Draft pick) Trent Dilfer, Seattle Seahawks (No. 6 NFL Draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) Billy Volek, Tennessee Titans (back-up quarterback for the Tennessee Titans) Bulldogs and BCS Opponents Under Pat Hill, Fresno State has scheduled aggressively in the non-conference season, playing as many games against BCS Conference opponents as any other school. The Bulldogs have enjoyed some success against those teams as of late, going 6-6 in their last 11 contests against BCS schools, including a win last week against Oregon State, picked to finish near the top of the Pac-10 this year. Here is a look at those games: Date Opponent Location Outcome Sept. 23, 2000 California Bulldog Stadium WON, 17-3 Aug. 26, 2001 at No. 25 Colorado Boulder, Colo. WON, Sept. 2, 2001 No. 10 Oregon State Bulldog Stadium WON, Sept. 8, 2001 at No. 23 Wisconsin Madison, Wis. WON, Dec. 31, 2001 vs. Michigan State Silicon Valley Football Classic LOST, Aug. 23, 2002 at No. 23 Wisconsin Madison, Wis. LOST, Sept. 7, 2002 at No. 13 Oregon Eugene, Ore. LOST, Sept. 21, 2002 at No. 21 Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. LOST, Dec. 31, 2002 vs. Georgia Tech Silicon Valley Football Classic WON, Aug. 30, 2003 at No. 12 Tennessee Knoxville, Tenn. LOST, 24-6 Sept. 5, 2003 Oregon State Bulldog Stadium WON, Sept. 13, 2003 at No. 1 Oklahoma Norman, Okla. LOST, Young O-Line Last year, Fresno State was blessed with one of the most experienced offensive lines in school history, featuring seniors Joe Schey, Rodney Michael and Victor Taifane. This year, however, is exactly the opposite. In the Bulldogs season opener at No. 12 Tennessee, they sported just one offensive lineman right tackle Matt Stevenson who had ever started a Division I-A college football game before. Now Stevenson is also hurt and out for the season, meaning the line for the rest of the way will be even less experienced. This week s expected starting lineup consists of two sophomores (Dartangon Shack, Sean Finnerty), a JC transfer (Kawika Edwards) and two redshirt freshmen (Kyle Young, Chris Denman).

8 Dog Data The Nation s Watching the Dogs Since the 2001 season, Fresno State has played 18 games on national television, more than any other team during that time. That includes an alltime high of nine national TV games in Winning the Turnover Battle Since Pat Hill took over in 1997, Fresno State has been one of the WAC s best in turnover ratio. The Bulldogs are now +60 since In 2003, Fresno State has a turnover margin of +3 this season, which ranks third-best in the WAC. Gotta Be Sound in the Kicking Game The Bulldogs will entered the 2003 season as one of the premier teams in the nation in special teams. Fresno State has a total to 47 blocked punts, field goals or extra points since Pat Hill took over prior to the 1997 season. TD-INT Ratio The Bulldogs have thrown 134 touchdowns and just 48 interceptions since 1999 in 2,025 pass attempts. That s one touchdown every 15.2 attempts and one interception every 47.1 attempts. What s in a Record? Fresno State s 2003 non-conference opponents finished last season with a combined record of Three teams won at least 10 games, two won conference championships and seven went to bowl games. Sack Maniacs Fresno State has been one of the national leaders in quarterback sacks in recent years. Here s a look at the top sack teams in the nation since Team Sacks 2000-Present 1. Washington State Louisville Texas Arizona State TCU USC New Mexico Fresno State Tennessee Kansas State Pick Party The Bulldog defense has been among the national leaders in interceptions over the last three seasons. Here s a breakdown of the teams with the most interceptions since the 1999 season. Team Interceptions 1999-Present 1. Kansas State Oregon Fresno State Virginia Tech Miami (Fla.) Tough Schedule Again in 03 Fresno State is playing seven road games for the third consecutive season, including one of the naton s most grueling non-conference schedules that include trips to preseason AP No. 12 Tennessee, No. 1Oklahoma and No. 23 Colorado State. The Dogs will host Oregon State and Portland State in their other non-conference games. The Bulldogs will get UTEP on the schedule for the first time in two years, while dropping Tulsa in the WAC rotation. Dog Bones (Team) FS is 33-5 under Pat Hill at home, including wins in 27 of the last 30 games. FS is 25-3 in its last 27 WAC home games. Under Pat Hill the Bulldogs are 39-5 when leading at the half, including wins in 14 of the last 15. The Bulldogs had 35 sacks last year and since 2000 have racked up 128, eighth-most in the nation during that time. Fresno State has produced a 1,000-yard rusher in seven of the last nine seasons, including in 2002 as Rodney Davis rushed for a school record 1,586 yards. It marked the second consecutive year Fresno State has produced a 1,000-yard rusher. Under Hill, Fresno State is 7-0 in WAC openers, including the Sept. 20 win over Louisiana Tech. Four of the Bulldogs last five conference lid-lifters have come on the road. Fresno State has won its last five home openers in a row, including a win over Oregon State. The Bulldogs are also 6-0 on Senior Day under Hill. FS has thrown 134 touchdowns and only 48 interceptions since the 1999 season opener. The Bulldogs have not been shutout in the last 138 home games dating back to Oct. 25, 1980, vs. Utah State (14-0). Fresno State has scored in 162 of the last 163 home games. FS is 30-7 under Pat Hill when the Bulldogs throw more touchdown passes than their opponents. FS is 38-7 under Pat Hill when the Fresno State has less turnovers than their opponents. Fresno State is +64 in turnover margin since Pat Hill became head coach, including +3 in Fresno State has produced 11 first-team All-WAC defensive players over the last four seasons. This year marks the the third consecutive season Fresno State will play 13 regular season games and have seven contests on the road. The Bulldogs have led the WAC in scoring in three of the last 10 years, including a nation s best 40.5 average in The Dogs averaged 40 points per game in 2001, which ranked fourth in the nation in scoring offense. FS has produced three quarterbacks (Trent Dilfer, Billy Volek and David Carr) who set NCAA records in the last 10 years. All are in the NFL, Dilfer with the Seattle Seahawks, Volek with the Tennessee Titans and Carr with the Houston Texans. FS has produced two first-team All-WAC punters (Jason Simpson, 2001; Jeff Roberts, 1998) and two kickers (Asen Asparuhov, 2001 and 2002; Jeff Hanna, 1999) since the 1998 season. Fresno State is in its 23 national television appearances over the last three seasons, including 1-1 this season. The Bulldogs are scheduled to play one more time on national TV in Fresno State has set numerous Bulldog Stadium attendance records for the last three years. In the 2001 opener, 42,410 fans jammed Bulldog Stadium, surpassing the former record of 42,285, established against California in the 2000 opener. But in the last five games of 2001, the 42,881 that have attended established and tied yet another attendance record due to temporary additional seating added to Bulldog Stadium. Fresno State is 21-4 in its last 25 games when the starting running back scores a touchdown. The Bulldogs are 17-6 in their last 23 games when scoring first. Fresno State s first score in 33 of the last 43 games has been a TD. Pat Hill s 50 victories as head coach of Fresno State ranks third all-time in program history. Fresno State has won nine consecutive games in the month of November and has won 10 of the last 11 November home games under Pat Hill. The Bulldogs berth in the Silicon Valley Football Classic was the program s fourth bowl game in a row. That is the longest current streak of any team in the WAC. Over the last two seasons, 21 of 31 senior players graduated, with a couple more expected to graduate in the spring of That s a graduation percentage of 68 percent. Since 2002, Fresno State has scored 16 points in three of nine home games, including two contests at Bulldog Stadium this year. The Bulldogs have won all three of those games. Fresno State has defeated Colorado State in three of the last four meetings, all taking place since the 1999 season. With last year s victory over Colorado State, ranked in 2002 as high as No. 13, the Bulldogs have now defeated a team ranked in the top 15 in two consecutive years. The Bulldogs committed a season-high nine penalties against Hawaii, Fresno State has lowered its per game average to 6.6 per game, the second-lowest average in the WAC. Fresno State has been on national television 18 times since the beginning of the 2001 season. The Bulldogs first two games of 03 were on either ESPN or ESPN2. The Bulldogs 117 yards of total offense against Tennessee was the first time the team accrued less than 200 since a 10-0 defeat at the hands of San Diego State in Fresno State has intercepted 12 passes this year, ranking it third in the nation. The Bulldogs 15 turnovers gained ranks 33rd in the country. Fresno State had intercepted at least one pass in 11 of the last 14 games, but none two weeks ago at Hawaii and none last week against Rice, which attempted only four passes the entire game. After this week s game at Hawaii, the Bulldogs will have traveled a total of 13,882 air miles through the first four road games. Fresno State only plays one away game in the Pacific Time Zone this season, that coming against Nevada. The Bulldogs had five rushing touchdowns against Portland State, including three by Bryson Sumlin, most in a game by a Bulldog since In its last six road losses, Fresno State has allowed an average of 47.5 points per game and has lost by an average margin of nearly 30 points. Until this season, Fresno State hadn t started 0-4 on the road since The Bulldogs haven t begun 0-5 away from home since The Bulldogs have not scored on their opening possession of the game this year.