Rivalry renewed for Bulldogs, Rams

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Despite heated past, Fresno State, Colorado State saying all the right things on eve of bowl matchup.






Cupid has certainly been having his way this week leading up to today's New Mexico Bowl.

It's been all love between Fresno State and Colorado State.

No disses, just kisses.

"They're obviously a very talented football program," Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild said. "We respect coach [Pat] Hill and his staff, the Fresno State program and everything they've done in the past and certainly the year they've had this season."

Mmmuah!

Friday's pregame news conference was in desperate need of Don King to spice things up, and if this season is an indication, today's game may need a little spicing up as well.

Fresno State (7-5) and Colorado State (6-6) are similar teams. They're average teams, run a 4-3 defensive scheme and like the power running game.

"I'm not into scat backs. I'm into power runners," said Hill, praising Colorado State running back Gartrell Johnson.

With Johnson leading the way, Colorado State's run game likely will be significant to the outcome of the game.

Fresno State defensive tackle Logan Harrell said the Bulldogs have concentrated on stopping the run.

"Their running back is a real explosive running back," said Harrell, whose brother played at Colorado State. "He shoots holes real fast."

Johnson ran for 1,191 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, and Fresno State has struggled to stop the run. Hill pointed out, however, that the Bulldogs have had more success against teams that use a smash-mouth run game -- Fresno State, for example, held Wisconsin to 154 yards rushing. But that was before injuries hit the line.

Possibly assisting the Bulldogs offensively will be running back Ryan Mathews. Yes, Mathews might be healthy for this one. He worked out with the starting team in practice Thursday and looked full speed and even made a few cuts. Hill said Mathews' ankle, which has been injured since the end of the UCLA game Sept. 27, has gotten stronger.

Mathews said he was confident he would play.

"It was a little disappointing that I had to miss all those games," he said. "I felt like I was letting my teammates down, but I'll try my best to make it up to them."

The offensive line still will need to make room for Mathews -- or whoever the back will be today. That's one of many inconsistencies the Bulldogs have had this season. For instance, the Bulldogs ran for 207 yards in their 36-31 victory against UCLA but in their 61-10 loss to Boise State, the Bulldogs rushed for 83 yards -- with 42 coming on the final drive.

Fresno State senior tackle Kenny Avon said the offensive line would carry a chip on its shoulder coming into this game, and that the players felt they needed to prove their toughness.

"We got to show what Bulldog football is."

 

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Being red might work for Bulldogs


-- On Friday, the quarterback of the Fresno State Bulldogs was asked why local New Mexicans should cheer for his team, rather than the oversized sheep from the state just to the north.

In this city, "local" refers to pretty much the entire state, since 42% of the population lives within a cab ride of downtown Albuquerque.

Do you remember where Josh Brolin found the money in "No Country For Old Men"? That scene was filmed in New Mexico. It's barren. There are places in New Mexico where you could parachute in Aborigines and within 10 minutes they would look at each other and say, "Can we at least get a Texaco? A water fountain? Something?"


Anyway, the quarterback, Tom Brandstater, was standing at a microphone with his tight end, Bear Pascoe, two seniors who have been playing college football since Fernando Valenzuela's rookie year. Roughly.

Pascoe deferred to his quarterback. Why should local fans cheer for Fresno State? This is of some concern here, of course, because for the first time in its short history, the New Mexico Bowl is being played without a home-state school in it. Fresno State (7-5) vs. Colorado State (6-6). Today!

Someone at ESPN Classic start rolling tape.

Brandstater was ready: "We both have red uniforms," he said. "I guess your New Mexico Lobo shirt will look just as good as a Fresno State Bulldog shirt. Aside from the Mountain West ties, I think that's the biggest reason to just come out and see a good football game. Wear your home red and maybe it will look like Bulldog red on TV."

First off, Lobos red will never be Bulldogs red. I have a friend from Alabama who swears that Fresno State red is the perfect shade of red. She has no tie to Fresno State, but has been a casual Bulldogs fan since the game at Auburn in 1996. Just because of the red.

The New Mexico Bowl coordinators are less worried about the color schemes of the fans, and more concerned with whether they will show up. But it was a great answer to a pre-bowl, news-conference question on short notice, and Pascoe shot his quarterback an I'm impressed nod.

Brandstater had rehearsed that answer a little, and had also memorized how to spell "Albuquerque," just in case any sneaky reporter tried to embarrass him with one of those let's-see-how-insignificant-this-bowl-and-city-are-to-the-participants trick questions.

After it first became official that his team was going to the New Mexico Bowl, Brandstater tried to find a weather forecast for Albuquerque and spelled it so badly Google didn't even give him one of those helpful, "Did you mean Albuquerque?" options.

It's getting to the prevailing question, though. How serious is Fresno State taking this bowl? The Bulldogs just finished a disappointing season. Their coach just interviewed at Washington, and spent Thursday answering questions about a rumor he is wanted by Iowa State. He's barely hiding frustration with his administration and his fanbase.

Colorado State is rebuilding, and realistically just wanted to make any bowl game. The Rams have a first-year coach in his first head coaching job, coaching at the school he attended, in the town where he met his wife. There seems to be significant momentum in Fort Collins.

Also, it should be noted that Albuquerque is 5,300 feet above sea level and Fresno State hasn't played above 5,000 feet since 2003. (It was a 34-10 loss at Colorado State, a fact that is meaningless, since none of those players are on this year's team.)

People in Mountain West Conference cities love to talk about the altitude. It's their thing, just like the heat is Fresno's thing, and the snow is Buffalo's thing, and tornadoes are Wichita's thing. A man on an in-bound flight from Phoenix was warning the woman next to him about the many dangers of the Albuquerque altitude. "You'll really notice it climbing a flight of stairs," he said. And then, "Just drink lots of water. You'll probably be fine."

You land half-expecting every citizen to be lugging around an oxygen tank.

Think of it this way: Logan, Utah, is at 4,500 feet, and when the Bulldogs go there they don't seem to have any proble ... er, nevermind. If memory isn't failing, Fresno State did get pushed around in the fourth quarter there two months ago.

Colorado State plays and practices at just above 5,000 feet and recently was practicing in the snow, so if there is a weather or geographical edge, there you go.

When you step back and look at it, though, Brandstater probably had a better option for his answer. It wouldn't have been as funny, but probably true. Why should local fans cheer for you?

Because everybody loves an underdog.

 

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QB Brandstater will be key for Fresno St. in N. Mexico Bowl





The three players who preceded him as Fresno State's starting quarterback under coach Pat Hill - Billy Volek, David Carr and Paul Pinegar - now are in the NFL.


Tom Brandstater might get there, too, despite the up-and-down season the Bull-dogs have had with him under center this year.

So, Hill was asked, how does Brandstater stack up?

"I'm not going to compare him to the other quarterbacks," Hill said Thursday after the Bulldogs completed their last full practice before Saturday's New Mexico Bowl at the University of New Mexico's indoor facility.

The reason, he said, is it simply wouldn't be fair. Injuries have decimated the Fresno State offense to such an extent that the Bulldogs haven't had the same 11 starters for any two games this season. They've had three players start at tight end, four at running back and five at the two wide receiver spots.

"There's been a lot of adversity, a lot of injuries, a lot of changes, and when there's changes in personnel, not everybody is on the same page," said Hill, who is 92-60 in his 12 seasons at Fresno State and has his team in a bowl game for the ninth time in 10 years. "I think he's done a fine job for us. He's won a lot of football game for us and been a good leader for us."

Brandstater, 6-foot-5, 225-pound senior from Turlock, Calif., is No. 6 on the Bulldogs' career passing yardage list with 6,651 entering Saturday's bowl game against CSU. The five players ahead of him on that list - Kevin Sweeney (10,806 yards), Pinegar (10,136), Mark Barsotti (1988-91), Carr (7,849) and Trent Dilfer (7,631) - all spent at least one season in the NFL.

Brandstater hopes to prove he deserves that shot, too, and he's got one last chance to do it Saturday, when the Bulldogs (7-5, 4-4 Western Athletic Conference) face CSU (6-6, 4-4 Mountain West Conference).

"I've got one more game to prove I can play at a high level, and that's my goal. That's what I'm trying to do," he said.

This season, Brandstater has completed 208 of 348 passes for 2,478 yards and 17 touchdowns. But he's also thrown 11 interceptions, something Hill attributes to his tendency to sometimes "try to do too much."

Junior Seyi Ajirotutu, Fresno State's leading receiver with 44 catches for 714 yards and five touchdowns, said Brandstater is an outstanding leader who knows what every player needs to do on every play and stays cool and calm under pressure. Brand-stater, in fact, has earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in communications during his five years at Fresno State.

"He'll be successful outside of football, too," Hill said.

Colorado State University coach Steve Fairchild, a former quarterbacks coach and NFL offensive coordinator, said Brandstater has good size, a strong arm, and most important, a lot of experience.

"He fits balls into tight windows," Fairchild said. "He's not a spread quarterback, but he can move and make plays when he has to."

Brandstater threw four touchdown passes in wins at Toledo and Utah State and three interceptions in a home loss to Hawaii. His last touchdown pass came in a 41-28 loss Nov. 7 at Nevada, and he's been intercepted three times since then while being held to three of his four lowest yardage totals of the season - 146 yards in a win over New Mexico State, 71 in a win at San Jose State and 211 in a loss at Boise State.

"It's been a roller coaster for the entire team, including myself," Brandstater said. "My play hasn't been what I want game in and game out. But looking back, I can't do much about it now. I try my best. It definitely wasn't through lack of effort."

 

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Rams ready to rock after strong workout



- CSU doesn't yet have its indoor practice facility, but the Rams were thrilled to work out indoors Thursday in preparation for Saturday's New Mexico Bowl.


With a steady cold rain falling outside, Colorado State University (6-6, 4-4 Mountain West Conference) held its final practice for the game against Fresno State (7-5, 4-4 Western Athletic Conference) inside the University of New Mexico's $7 million facility, complete with a full-size field, extended sidelines and a fabric roof. CSU's indoor facility, a $13 million project, is scheduled to be completed next October.

"We've been practicing outside in the freezing cold all fall, so a change in environment like that shows us the shape of things to come," said CSU linebacker Ricky Brewer, a sophomore from Denver.

The practice itself was good, too, coach Steve Fairchild said. Klint Kubiak worked some at free safety and said he's ready to play, and quarterback Billy Farris and his leading receiver Rashaun Greer said the Rams have their timing back in the passing game.

"This was probably our best Thursday practice of the year," Fairchild said of the 90-minute session, which was closed to observers after the first 15 minutes. "I was proud of the guys. I think we're ready, and we'll get into our Friday routine (today), and hopefully play our best game of the year on Saturday."

Both Dane Stratton, a senior, and Mark Starr, a sophomore, practiced at strong-side tackle, a position where they had shared the starting job this season. Stratton had been slowed by a knee injury and Starr by an elbow injury in recent weeks, but Fairchild said both looked like they would be ready to go. Stratton, Fairchild said, will be the starter.

Kubiak injured his left knee on the first play against Air Force after missing the previous three games with a right ankle sprain. He won't start, Fairchild said, but will be able to play. Senior strong safety Mike Pagnotta, who missed the final four games of the regular season with a shoulder injury, will start at safety along with senior Jake Galusha, a senior who started seven games this year filling in first for Kubiak and later for Pagnotta.

"All season long we've been hurting to have (Kubiak and Pagnotta) back there," Brewer said. "We've had some younger guys step up, but those two are the originals, so you can't beat that."

The defense, Brewer said, practiced with "high energy."

"The defense was definitely flying around, executing, fitting our gaps correctly, practicing with a little bit of emotion. I think guys are definitely ready for this game."

The offense, Farris said, looked sharp, too.

"We weren't perfect, but we were close," he said. "I thought (Thursday) was a good practice, and I think people are ready to go now."