WARRRRIORRRSS.....COME OUT AND KICK OUR BUU-UUTTS!
If being a punching bag for sad-sack Utah State wasn't bad enough, seeing Hawaii run up 68 points in front of the home crowd should have done the trick for the remaining true-believers. Let's step back in time to relive the scenario that led up to this glorious season.
Fresno State lost its last four games of 2005. The first of those four losses was an admirable setback to number one-ranked USC, but the others were to Louisiana Tech (nobody), Nevada (nobody) and Tulsa (nobody). "Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere" was starting to ring a bit hollow.
Not to worry, according to the Pollyannas of the Central Valley. Despite losing a four-year starter at quarterback (who everybody bitched about, win or lose) and seeing the secondary graduate and/or move on to the NFL, visions of "crashing the BCS party" and "having a seat at the main table" danced in everybody's heads.
In a rare stroke of intelligence, Fresno State actually broke with a tradition that they had carried out for 900 years and scheduled Saturday games in the afternoon. God, that sounds like what every other school in the universe does. Oh, those Thursday and Friday night ESPN games (where FSU routinely gets massacred in front of a national audience) are a boatload of fun. But against all odds, Saturday day games appeared on the 2006 schedule.
Now, I don't think the Bulldog faithful quite had this scenario in mind. Bright, sunny day, stands full of fans and a 1-4 pin-cushion of a Fresno State team taking the field for homecoming. The national anthem plays, the 'Dogs go right down the field like they always do on their first drive and.........well, Hawaii goes on to storm the end zone like it was the beach at Normandy.
68-37.
68-37, I said.
You want more numbers? How about Hawaii's starting quarterback throwing for over 400 yards in three quarters before sitting out the entire fourth quarter?
How about Dwayne Wright coughing up the ball deep in FSU's own end not once but twice?
How about Fresno State enduring its fifth straight loss and ninth in the last 10 games?
Oh, yeah, I hear you screaming already. Sean Norton came off the bench to throw for 700 yards, created peace in the middle east and helped an old lady across the street. He's the greatest quarterback in the history of college football. All 5' 4" of him. I'm sure everything will be cool next week against......who are the 'Dogs playing again? That's right, LSU. Yeah, I don't see any obstacles there.
Well, as unattractive as it is to say "I told you so," I am more than happy to recount a conversation I had over the summer when my season ticket renewal came in. I saw that my seats that I bought for $125 each when David Carr was at the helm were now going for almost $250. And not only wasn't David Carr at the helm anymore, I didn't know jack crap about the guy who was, be it Brandstater or Norton. And I did know that the secondary and offensive line were a huge step down from......any of the previous 10 seasons.
I called to see about sitting out a year and the rude jackass that I had to deal with basically talked me into sitting out the rest of my life. When I asked what happens if I don't purchase the tickets for one season, I was essentially told I didn't know crap about football. My response included the fact that Fresno State Football is an institution and a community event but that in light of my financial situation at this particular time, I wasn't willing to put up the money for what I thought was going to be a down year.
"A down year? What are you talking about?" He asked.
Oh, hell, I don't know. Maybe a five-game losing streak including a loss to winless Utah State. 68 points given up to a Hawaii team that probably could have scored 100 if they wanted to. One win in nearly a full calendar year. A quarterback dilemma. A secondary that doesn't have an interception as of the third week of October and who couldn't cover a guy in a wheelchair. A kicking game that's as productive and efficient as FEMA.
But the 2006 season isn't without its humor. How about Fresno State, down by over 30 points, gaining enough yardage to actually move the chains and then hearing the PA announcer proclaim "and that's another Fresno State......FIRST DOWN!"
What would really be strange is if any of this was Pat Hill's fault. But of course that's not possible.
Next Up: @ LSU
Fresno State lost its last four games of 2005. The first of those four losses was an admirable setback to number one-ranked USC, but the others were to Louisiana Tech (nobody), Nevada (nobody) and Tulsa (nobody). "Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere" was starting to ring a bit hollow.
Not to worry, according to the Pollyannas of the Central Valley. Despite losing a four-year starter at quarterback (who everybody bitched about, win or lose) and seeing the secondary graduate and/or move on to the NFL, visions of "crashing the BCS party" and "having a seat at the main table" danced in everybody's heads.
In a rare stroke of intelligence, Fresno State actually broke with a tradition that they had carried out for 900 years and scheduled Saturday games in the afternoon. God, that sounds like what every other school in the universe does. Oh, those Thursday and Friday night ESPN games (where FSU routinely gets massacred in front of a national audience) are a boatload of fun. But against all odds, Saturday day games appeared on the 2006 schedule.
Now, I don't think the Bulldog faithful quite had this scenario in mind. Bright, sunny day, stands full of fans and a 1-4 pin-cushion of a Fresno State team taking the field for homecoming. The national anthem plays, the 'Dogs go right down the field like they always do on their first drive and.........well, Hawaii goes on to storm the end zone like it was the beach at Normandy.
68-37.
68-37, I said.
You want more numbers? How about Hawaii's starting quarterback throwing for over 400 yards in three quarters before sitting out the entire fourth quarter?
How about Dwayne Wright coughing up the ball deep in FSU's own end not once but twice?
How about Fresno State enduring its fifth straight loss and ninth in the last 10 games?
Oh, yeah, I hear you screaming already. Sean Norton came off the bench to throw for 700 yards, created peace in the middle east and helped an old lady across the street. He's the greatest quarterback in the history of college football. All 5' 4" of him. I'm sure everything will be cool next week against......who are the 'Dogs playing again? That's right, LSU. Yeah, I don't see any obstacles there.
Well, as unattractive as it is to say "I told you so," I am more than happy to recount a conversation I had over the summer when my season ticket renewal came in. I saw that my seats that I bought for $125 each when David Carr was at the helm were now going for almost $250. And not only wasn't David Carr at the helm anymore, I didn't know jack crap about the guy who was, be it Brandstater or Norton. And I did know that the secondary and offensive line were a huge step down from......any of the previous 10 seasons.
I called to see about sitting out a year and the rude jackass that I had to deal with basically talked me into sitting out the rest of my life. When I asked what happens if I don't purchase the tickets for one season, I was essentially told I didn't know crap about football. My response included the fact that Fresno State Football is an institution and a community event but that in light of my financial situation at this particular time, I wasn't willing to put up the money for what I thought was going to be a down year.
"A down year? What are you talking about?" He asked.
Oh, hell, I don't know. Maybe a five-game losing streak including a loss to winless Utah State. 68 points given up to a Hawaii team that probably could have scored 100 if they wanted to. One win in nearly a full calendar year. A quarterback dilemma. A secondary that doesn't have an interception as of the third week of October and who couldn't cover a guy in a wheelchair. A kicking game that's as productive and efficient as FEMA.
But the 2006 season isn't without its humor. How about Fresno State, down by over 30 points, gaining enough yardage to actually move the chains and then hearing the PA announcer proclaim "and that's another Fresno State......FIRST DOWN!"
What would really be strange is if any of this was Pat Hill's fault. But of course that's not possible.
Next Up: @ LSU
posted by Green V Watchdog | 11:47 PM
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