It's no secret that Fresno State football coach Pat Hill and his Fresno State Bulldogs like to play the big boys of college football. And the Bulldogs have had some success in his previous 11 years. And last year FSU beat Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl.
This year, the Bulldogs take on Wisconsin, Rutgers and UCLA.
Hill is a non-nonsense coach and he's refreshing in some ways. The Bulldogs had two players at Wednesday's Western Athletic Conference Football Media Days and both said Hill is always honest with his players and you know where you stand.
We also know where he stands about his team. While the FSU program has fared well in his 11 previous years, Hill admitted Wednesday that there are plenty of things he and his players still want to accomplish.
Hill wants his team to play the best, in fact he called it Fresno State's niche that they will play anyone. Plus playing a tough schedule allows his team to learn about competitiveness and playing at a high level. Now, because FSU will be playing the likes of Rutgers, UCLA and Wisconsin early on, the team will have to be on high alert and the key to the season could be how well the Bulldogs maintain their high level of play, poise and focus throughout the year.
The goal for any team should be to be the best and Hill talked about winning a national title and being in that spot. Not all coaches talk about that and Hill admitted to being criticized in the past for that.
Hill shouldn't be criticized. He should be applauded. Fellow WAC members Hawaii and Boise State played in BCS games the past two years, so why not Fresno State this year?
College football is one my favorite sports and to see a team like Fresno State take a chance by playing the best they can get makes the game fun for them, for their fans and for the conference. If FSU happens to beat Rutgers, Wisconsin and UCLA, it has a great chance of playing in a BCS game.
Hill admitted it's tough to schedule and in fact Kansas State proved that point, pulling out of a game against the Bulldogs after FSU had already made travel arrangements for the game. But luckily for FSU, it got Rutgers as a replacement.
Fresno State is in a good spot because it can recruit many good California players. After the Bulldogs baseball program won a national title this past June, it certainly gives the football program a reason to believe.
- Fleix
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2 comments:
Everyone admires BSU and Hawaii for their outstanding accomplishments the past two seasons!
I have admired FSU FB for a long, long time.
Their "Any one, any time, any place" motto is second to none!
Pat Hill has scheduled some tough teams every year and beats them or, comes pretty darn close, right USC? or, ask K State and TTech why they want no piece of the Dawgs?!
I know we need to learn to win before we come close to imitating FSU but, It would be nice if NMSU could mirror Pat Hill's teams...someday?
Vic
Pat Hill is an icon!
He's a throwback to another time, when college football was a purer game, and anyone had a chance to win the title.
In today's world I suppose it's still possible, but not likely.
Since the BCS formation, there are the haves, and there are the rest of us, including Fresno.
You gotta pull for an underdog like that though!
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