If Fresno State loses this game -- and the wiseguy money is on it -- it will have dropped seven of its past eight games dating to last season's USC game.

And remember how fired up Fresno State and its fans were after beating Boise State last Nov. 10? That might have been the peak of coach Pat Hill's career at Fresno State. Tonight might be the valley.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 10:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Even Fresno State's future NFL draft pick Marcus McCauley got in on the debacle, getting badly fooled on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Caleb Hanie to Damon Morton.

The ball was underthrown but Morton made a nice adjustment and McCauley fell to the ground. Touchdown Rams. Good night, Fresno State.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Bulldogs are not responding well to adversity. All three units are making big mistakes and giving up big Colorado State plays. A 1-3 start looks likely as Red Wave fans file out of Bulldog Stadium in droves.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 9:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Same old, same new for Fresno State's special teams.

Where once coach John Baxter's units dominated games, now they're the ones costing games.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 9:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fresno State's new $1.6 million video board went blank with 3:43 left in the third quarter. About 10 minutes later, it came back online ... sort of. There are two thick horizontal black lines distorting the picture and no advertising is visible.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fresno State cornerback Marcus McCauley will play in the NFL next season.

That can be said with certainty because he's not just a cover corner. The kid is a sure tackler, too. He doesn't miss and he uses all of his 200 pounds.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 9:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In case you hadn't noticed, the WAC is schooling its bretheren to the east, the Mountain West Conference.

At this point, Fresno State leads Colorado State, Boise State beat Utah, San Jose State crushed San Diego State and Nevada is shutting out UNLV.

Maybe the better conference, at least today, is made up of the "rejected ones."

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tom Brandstater's laser beam to Chastin West for a touchdown with 8 seconds left before halftime was the quarterback's play of the year.

He threaded the pass between a couple of Colorado State defenders and hit West perfectly in stride. It was such a quick strike that it appeared to take the air out of a Rams bubble built upon a highlight-reel scoring pass of their own.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Three-hundred-thirty pounds have never moved faster.

Jason Shirley picked up a Caleb Hanie fumble and rumbled (as in it made the press box shake) 70 yards for an apparent touchdown. The ball was called dead and the Bulldogs got the ball at the point the ball was recovered, but that didn't stop Shirley.

The defensive tackle, who red beans and rice didn't miss, showed good speed and even had some fun with the band at the end of his journey.

If Fresno State needs a blocking back near the end zone, I nominate Jason "Fridge" Shirley.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Fresno State defensive backs not named Marcus McCauley have had a rough season so far. It got worse near the end of the second quarter when Kory Spretty was so wide open along the left sideline, it looked like he must have jumped on the field midplay

He hauled in the pass, then cut toward midfield and managed to make Fresno State's defense look like it was allergic to contact. (And we thought Vince Mays was the only one afflicted).

The 6-foot-6 receiver completed the 53-yard touchdown play by breaking out of a scrum with three Fresno State defenders.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 7:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

For all I've read the past three years about Tom Brandstater's pretty touch throwing the long ball, I have yet to see one this season.

I've been more impressed with his touch on flat passes and his toughness on bootlegs than I've been with his accurate bombing.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 7:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Dwayne Wright can catch and run, too.

He took a misdirection flat pass from Tom Brandstater, followed his wall of blockers and rumbled 20 yards along the sideline.

Wright is showing he's got dimensions.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 7:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

OK, maybe it's time to jump on the Matt James-driven Dwayne Wright Heisman bandwagon.

James, The Bee's intrepid columnist, has been half-kiddingly touting Wright for the Heisman. After all, his numbers are as good as any of the other "candidates."

Wright did nothing on the Bulldogs' opening drive to make James look silly (he does that all by himself), accounting for all 53 yards of the scoring drive.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 7:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Sure enough, Clifton Smith was back on the field to receive Colorado State's first punt.

He took it back about 30 yards, nearly breaking one all the way. But you could tell it's been a while ... he tripped himself around midfield.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 7:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Clifton Smith, who has been out injured since early last season, suited up and was getting a lot of work catching punts before the game.

He looked to be favoring his left knee a bit, but tonight could mark his return to action. In his Fresno State career, the Edison graduate has returned six punts, three for touchdowns.

Could he be the missing part to the Bulldogs' sputtering special teams?

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 6:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fresno State's new video board is up and running.

The video is crisp and large. It's adorned with a Table Mountain Casino logo above the block-lettered BULLDOG STADIUM sign and features four smaller screens, two on each side, for advertisments, including, ironically, Bud Light.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 6:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Let's check back in on the NCAA Division I rushing leaders after four weeks.

Fresno State Heisman candidate Dwayne Wright is No. 11 with 448 yards. Here's the complete list...

1. Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois - 828 yards
2. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma - 643
3. Ian Johnson, Boise State - 626
4. Raymell Rice, Rutgers - 604
5. Steve Slaton, West Virginia - 583
6. Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss - 491
7. Mike Hart, Michigan - 477
8. P.J. Hill Jr., Wisconsin - 469
9. Antonio Pittman, Ohio State - 450
10. Marshawn Lynch, California - 449
11. Dwayne Wright, Fresno State - 448

The thing to keep in mind here, is everyone on that list except Wright has played four games. Wright has played just three, so even if he has a poor game against Colorado State tomorrow, he'd still be in the top six. Then again, by that time, everyone else will have played another game, too. Anyway, you know what I mean. He's still top 5 material.

The Heisman, of course, really has nothing to do with statistics. It's all about perception and hype. Wright has no hype. This blog and my column are pretty much the only publicity he's getting, which is to say, very, very, very, very little.

Truthfully, though, this Wright Heisman campaign isn't as silly as it might seem. Let's take a look at Wright compared to the top running back in the Heisman race, according to whoever makes these decisions.

Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson has 643 yards on 117 attempts, an average 5.5 yards per carry. Wright 448 yards on 83 attempts, an average of 5.4 yards per carry. Peterson has seven touchdowns. Wright has six touchdowns. Calculate in an extra game for Wright and their stats are almost identical.

Not only that, they've both played Oregon and Washington. Peterson's other two games were against UAB and Middle Tennessee State. Wright's other game was against Nevada, and after tomorrow, Colorado State. So his schedule has actually been tougher.

I'm not really sure what my point is here. And so I'll stop.

Posted by Matt James at 8:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This has been in my notebook for a while now, and never could figure out what to do with it, so here it is.

This is a photo of a plane that was flown to Fresno from Eugene, Ore., by Phil Groshong and Jack Hall, two Oregon Ducks fan who built it themselves.

I don't even trust commercial airplanes. I certainly wouldn't board one built by two guys named Phil and Jack.

But that's me. Phil and Jack are live-on-the-edge kind of guys. And, it took them two years to put together, so they were kind of committed to actually using it, I guess. (It was a kit they ordered. They didn't whittle it from a giant sequoia or anything.)

Also, Phil is a retired United Airlines pilot, so it's not like two plumbers ordered a plane, put it together and tried to fly it 670 miles. Or however far it is, as the crow flies.

The first big trip they planned was for the Fresno State vs. Oregon football game in Week 2. The trip went well, I assume. Didn't hear any differently, or read any crash stories.

The flight, supposedly cost them $120 for fuel. Commercial flights would have cost them $262 apiece. The two guys were really excited about how much money they saved on the trip, but somehow I don't think buying a plane and spending two years building it, is the way to save on travel expenses. I'm sure there's an American Express commercial in there somewhere, and it ends with "Watching your team win on a fake field goal ... Priceless."

Posted by Matt James at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hey, out there. Welcome to the Fresno State men's basketball blog. Here, you will find quirky, twice-a-day updates on your favorite team in the Valley.

You'll also find out what's going on in the WAC and learn how it compares to the rest of college basketball, as they all start their annual race to the Final Four.

Sometimes, the blogs (starting around Oct. 13, updates will appear daily at approximately 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.) will analyze a recent game or personnel decision by coach Steve Cleveland. Other times, we (and I mean you) will trade stories about our favorite episodes of The Wire.

Most importantly, we're going to have fun.

A little bit about myself ... I'm a native of New Orleans, the oldest of five kids. I like spicy food; corn and meat loaf shouldn't taste the same. And, yes, I'm a Saints fan; they might be 2-0, but I'm expecting them to lose their next 14 games. Guess they've broken my heart too many times.

My favorite cable channels, in no particular order, are The History Channel, ESPN, HBO, Home & Garden Network and The Cartoon Network.

I've worked at newspapers in Austin, Texas; Cincinnati, Ohio; Miami, Fla.; and most recently Akron, Ohio., where I covered Kent State University football and men's basketball for the Beacon Journal. It's going to take a few weeks to adjust to referring to my employer as "The Bee."

I plan to spend my down time exploring Fresno on my mountain bike and unpacking boxes. Movers are scheduled to arrive here early next month.

I've only been in town for one week, so I've got a lot to learn. Need to find a barbershop, a gym and a good bike trail. Where can I get a bowl of seafood gumbo? Or platter of deep-fried trout? Oh well. I'll make due with raisins for now. Guess what everybody in my family's getting for Christmas ...

During the next blog, I'll give you guys an update on my education on all things Bulldogs and my first impressions of coach Cleveland. It should be interesting, especially for those readers that believe sportswriters automatically know everything about everything, no matter what sport they cover and where they live.

Don't forget: men's basketball practice starts Oct. 13 ... First game is Oct. 31. See ya there.

Posted by Gary Estwick at 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Interesting that it was again a home game for the Oregon Ducks that would be decided by bad calls, and again help Oregon win.

Here's the footage of the end of Saturday's Oklahoma-Oregon game, and it's obvious that Oregon benefitted from terrible calls, which were not overturned by Gordon Riese, the official responsible for reviewing calls.

An article in the Oklahoman points out that Riese is a retired Pac-10 official and Portland State University graduate who lives in Portland, Ore.

This scenario is all-too familiar for Fresno State, which was beaten last year at Oregon. The officials were so pro-Oregon that the Pac-10 head of officials later apologized. And the previous time the Bulldogs played in Eugene, the Ducks were benefitted by two controversial spots on fourth down.

It's no Italian soccer controversy, but still kinda coincidental.

Posted by Matt James at 1:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Flew through Los Angeles on Sunday and had my second celebrity run-in since moving to California. You might recall that a couple months ago I sat next to Marisa Coughlan, James Spader's secretary on "Boston Legal," on a plane from Minneapolis to L.A.

This time, it was a Burger King line at the Los Angeles airport. And not one celebrity, but two.

Neither were A-list by any means, but still. The first was Jaime Pressly, who was nominated for an Emmy for her role on "My Name is Earl." Don't know anything about Pressly, personally, other than she's been in many movies, most of which involve some combination of her being trashy, or seducing an older man.

Three years ago, I'd have called her a C-list celebrity, but now I'll give her B-minus status.

So imagine the longest Burger King line of all time. I've gotten in line and screamed down Splash Mountain at Disney World faster than I got this chicken sandwich. No lie. B.J. Anteola, the Fresno State football beat writer, will back me up on this. He was there. Pressly was about a dozen people back, looking kinda rough, actually, and tiny, much shorter than you'd expect, with big sunglasses.

Would have never recognized her if she hadn't spoken at one point, and she has one of those raspy voices you couldn't confuse with anyone else. My friend Matt has already yelled at me for trying to ruin the image he has of her, but Hollywood does wonders with makeup. She's 29 in real life. Looks like she might be 39.

The second celebrity was Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, who was standing in line halfway between us and Pressly. The Miz came to "fame" on Real World 10 "Back to New York," several years ago and then appeared in many MTV reality spin-offs, including "The Inferno" and five different "The Real World/Road Rules Challenges." I'm a little embarrassed that I know that.

Apparently, Mike is now a professional wrestler, something I did not know. At best, The Miz is a D-list celeb. Think somewhere between yourself and Jamie Kennedy.

The Miz has an even longer spiked mohawk than ever, with a blonde spot in front. He was headed for Montreal, where he was trying to locate a rental car. He was talking on the phone to a friend, who said Enterprise was the cheapest, and The Miz was having trouble believing him.

That is probably the most useless information anyone has ever passed along. Even by blog standards, that was bad.

Posted by Matt James at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I know, I know. The Fresno State football team needs to fix its kicking problems.

In one game, the Bulldogs sailed a kickoff 10 yards out of bounds. They missed a field goal by the distance between Republicans and Democrats. They got the tying extra point blocked in the fourth quarter and lost by one point.

The one thing that kicker Clint Stitser did well, a pooch punt, was ruined when Fresno State players weren't satisfied with the 1-yard line and tried to let it roll to the 1-millimeter line. It went into the end zone.

Hopefully, that was a one-game fluke. Beyond that, the Bulldogs have other issues. The way they moved the ball on the first possession of each half, they should be beating a team like Washington by two touchdowns.

1. Passing: The Fresno State defense doesn't cover well, and it doesn't get to quarterbacks. That's not a good combo. Basically, when the other team goes back to pass, bad things happen. The defensive line is built to stop the run, but it doesn't run well. The one image I can't get rid of so far is big linemen dressed in red, limping after a fast quarterback.

Washington QB Isaiah Stanback ran for 91 yards and a touchdown, and threw for two more. Oregon QB Dennis Dixon scrambled for 30 yards and threw for 240. Nevada's Jeff Rowe ran for 24 yards and threw for 180 and two touchdowns.

If it seems like I'm making this argument one-sided, that I'm leaving out interceptions, the Bulldogs haven't made any. When the other team goes back to pass, only bad things happen. Third-and-18 might as well be third-and-2.

2. Passing: Tom Brandstater throws a good deep ball. We've heard that a thousand times, but what does it matter if Fresno State doesn't throw deep? They throw short passes and ram the ball with Dwayne Wright again and again and again.

After a nice first game, Brandstater has looked progressively worse with the last two games. He's missing open receivers. The 2-minute drill against Washington at the end of the game went nowhere. You couldn't hear a thing on the field, but that's how it is on the road in close games. That's why home teams win and road teams lose.

Not sure that warrants a benching, but he's definitely worth mentioning if he has another sub-par game.

Posted by Matt James at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

SEATTLE -- It's gonna be a shootout. No doubt. It'll be Arena football scoring out there.

The final score prediction: Fresno State wins, 35-28. Although it could easily be the same score with the teams reversed.

In total team defense, Washington is currently ranked #102 of 119 in the country, giving up 413 yards per game. Fresno State is #85 giving up 365 yards per game, a number that is deceiving only because it should be worse.

Saw in a story today in the Seattle Times, though, that Washington quarterback Isaiah Stanback got a call of encouragement from former Husky Warren Moon. Stanback has cool dreadlocks, or braids, whatever they are, but he was awful against Oklahoma.

This Moon thing should be worrisome for Bulldogs fans. This blog has always thought Warren Moon had special powers. Anyone who can make a Houston football team fun to watch has a gift, similar to a Jedi, and just talking to another QB could fix him.

Posted by Matt James at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

SEATTLE -- Here are your top NCAA Division I rushers heading into Week 3. Thought you'd like to see where Fresno State Heisman candidate Dwayne Wright ranks on the national list.

I'm referring to him as a Heisman candidate mostly to mock the current system, but if he keeps playing like this, I might not be the only one saying it. Just remember, the better he does, the more likely he'll be in the NFL next year.

1. Garrett Wolfe, N. Illinois 367
2. Ian Johnson, Boise State 329
3. Dwayne Wright, Fresno State 312
4. Ray Rice, Rutgers 309
5. Steve Slaton, West Virginia 308
6. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma 304
7. Mike Hart, Michigan 262
8. Louis Rankin, Washington 257
Freddie Barnes, Bowling Green 257
10. Kenny Irons, Auburn 252

Slaton had a big game Thursday night so Wright will probably need around 200 yards today against Washington to take the lead. Not that it would change his life or anything, it's just fun to keep track of.

A couple things to note: Johnson got his 329 yards on 35 carries. Wright has had 55. Louis Rankin, who the Bulldogs face today, needed just 27 carries for his 257. Scary stuff.

Posted by Matt James at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In honor of the Fresno Grizzlies naming their stadium after a casino, here's a shot of this weekend's poker extravaganza, which conveniently coincided with the opening of the NFL season. I say "extravaganza," because it went on for two days. That would be yours truly in the red bandana placing a bet, or more likely, calling a bet with a losing hand.

(As always, no actual money changed hands.)

The Fresno Triple-A baseball team did indeed sell its stadium naming rights to Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, as this story proves.

In unrelated gambling news, friends of this blog started playing poker at 8 a.m. Sunday, and finally stopped at 2 a.m. Tuesday. A small rake was taken from each pot, and the 10 players who logged the most hours at the table before the end of Monday Night Football, got free admission to a final tournament that didn't end until 2 a.m. Tuesday.

Not a bad idea for the opening weekend of the NFL. We had four different football games playing in that one room on four different TVs. Actually being in the video game Millipede would have been less chaotic. The entire thing was a blur and I may or may not have eaten for two days.

For now, poker is still popular, and a fun time, but since so many people have been playing for so many years, everyone has dozens of bad-beat stories. (Quick definition: making a good play and getting beat by bad luck.) If poker finally fades away, it will only be because people are sick of listening to other players complain, and won't even want to see each other any more.

Here's my best bad-beat story ...

A couple years ago, I won a tournament at an establishment in Wisconsin. Around 40 players. No big deal. (As always, not for money.) The next week, at the same tournament, I got an Ace-King of clubs on the first hand. A guy bet. I raised. He called. The flop came Queen-Eight-Five, all of clubs. I flopped the "nuts" as they say. The best possible hand at that point.

Well the guy in the hand against me, went "All-in." I called and he showed he had pocket eights, meaning he had three eights. This is a bad beat story, as you know, and the river was a five, and he made a full house. That beat my flush and I was out on the first hand.

That's by no means the worst bad-beat story in the world. The odds were against it, but there were several cards he could have gotten to beat me. But to go from winning a tournament, to being the first person out on the very first hand, that makes that a decent story.

Can you top it? Let's hear yours?

Posted by Matt James at 7:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As you can see, all the sports blogs are now in the "Sports Buzz" section, instead of the regular blog section where all the others are.

I'm told all of my old blog entries -- I was averaging one blog every 82 days, so there aren't many -- will be moved to this section and the old one will be eliminated.

I will write all the time on this new site. I promise.

Right now, I feel a little like a crappy boyfriend who goes out with his buddies every night and ignores you when beautiful women are around. And now I'm saying, "I'll change. I'll change."

You probably should break up with me, but I'm swearing everything will be different. I'm committed to the blog. I'm committed to us. I'll write often.

(Quick quiz on a related topic: What's the best 'please don't leave me' scene from any movie in history? Answer at the end.)

To explain the title of this blog entry, here's a random photo of Fresno's own Kerry Yo Nakagawa with Robert Redford from a column a couple months ago about a new sports movie called "The American Pastime."

How's that for random? Just thought you'd like to see a photo or two of the people who appear in my columns, and if those pictures happen to be with national celebrities, even better.

The movie is in the editing stages now, and as soon as I find out a release date, you'll be the first to know.

The answer to the trivia question is ... (OK, I realize that an opinion question shouldn't be considered trivia. You can stop yelling now.) ... "Stripes." At the beginning, Bill Murray's girlfriend is packing up her stuff, and telling him how he's not going anywhere in life, and that he's never going to change. And he comes back with, "You can go. All the plants are gonna die."

Classic line. If you know the relationship is doomed anyway, at least go out with a classic line.

Posted by Matt James at 11:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For all of Bullard's football progress under coach Don Arax -- the Knights finished second to Bakersfield in the Central Section Division I playoffs last year -- Friday's humiliating loss at Clovis was a screaming reminder how far the program must go to play in the elite neighborhood on a consistent basis.

I spent two hours at Bullard's practice Monday, watching and also talking to Arax and players. They insist nobody quit Friday night, but I suspect cardiology was a factor for a few in blue. The real reasons behind such a defeat will be explained in my Thursday column.

Posted by Andy Boogaard at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

No surprise here. Did you read this?

Apparently the new no-alcohol rule in Bulldogs Stadium doesn't apply to the sky boxes, where fans and boosters have more privileges than American Express. But surely that wouldn't go so far as to allow them to drink alcohol, when no one else in the stadium is allowed? You fools. Sure it would.

Fresno State officials, of course, say the alcohol ban was to cut down on innappropriate behavior in the stands, which doesn't affect the sky boxes anyway.

You'd have to guess innappropriate things are said and done up there, too, you just hardly ever see it on TV.

It's also harder to throw objects or spit at opposing players from up there, granted, but c'mon, it's a rule. Can we at least stop telling grade-school children that "rules are rules?" Rules are not rules. If you have money, you can do almost anything you want.

I was up in the press box, scrounging around for food at about midnight Saturday night after the game, and saw a half-empty bottle of wine in the box reserved for the opposing team's athletic director. Hmmm, that seems weird. And then I forgot all about it, probably because my brain was fried from trying to make an 11 p.m. deadline after an insane game that ended at 10:45 p.m.

Quick sidenote: What an exciting game. What an atmosphere. There were 10-minute sections of the second half when I completely forgot I was supposed to be writing. At one point I thought, holy cow, this is loud. And I've covered an Alabama-Auburn game, so that's saying something.

Anyway, I read Oregonian columnist John Canzano's column, where he mentioned -- for different reasons -- that Oregon A.D. Bill Moos and Oregon booster/Nike master-and-commander Phil Knight had a half-empty bottle of "Petite Sirah" in their box. That led his readers to a heated debate as to whether it was "Sirah" or "Syrah" or "Shiraz," or if any of those could actually be petite.

(For those of you who don't know, Canzano used to be the sports columnist at the Bee a few years ago, and has his own blog at the Oregonian. I had wanted to do a back-and-forth exchange of some kind with him the days before the game, but we didn't have time, so that's what happened with that.)

To readers in Fresno, it should be the fact that some people can drink at Bulldogs games, and some people can't, that should be debated. Here in this blog, everyone is welcome, especially those who would scavenge for food in the opposing A.D.'s sky box after he left.

Posted by Matt James at 5:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After the story about the mountain boys from Reedley High School, an anonymous donor came to Reedley coach Justin Garza with a check for $1,000.

The person wanted the three players who appeared in the column to share it for gas money.

So Garza took it to a convenience store and bought each a gift card for gas. (Hopefully, this isn't an NCAA violation of any kind.)

The story, if you didn't read it, was about three Reedley players who live at least an hour up into the foothills and mountains toward Kings Canyon National Park. Every year, Reedley has athletes who commute long distances from the mountains, but none have had to deal with this year's summer gas prices that were in the $3.30 range.

Now, I'm hoping other Reedley football players don't feel left out. Many on the team travel long distances, but I chose the three that appeared in the story and photo because they lived the farthest away, and, as it turned out, all live with single mothers and were making sacrifices to drive themselves and maintain their own cars.

So hopefully there were no hard feelings. A special thank you to whoever made such a wonderful gesture. It's not about being congratulated, I know, but you deserve it, whoever you are.

Posted by Matt James at 4:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Tom Brandstater couldn't escape the rush of blitzing safety J.D. Nelson on fourth-and-7, thus ending Fresno State's hopes of an upset of No. 20 Oregon. The clock is running down and Fresno State can do little now to overcome the 31-24 deficit.

The Bulldogs put up another good fight against a BCS conference team, but tonight came up just short. This likely ends this year's hope for a BCS bowl bid.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 10:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Who calls a fake field goal in a tie game from the opponent's 4-yard line?

Probably only Oregon's Mike Bellotti.

It worked to perfection, Oregon has a 7-point lead and I have a new favorite coach. You have to respect the guts it took to call that play.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater reminds more than one observer of Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre. His ability to stay in the pocket until the last possible moment and avoid the pass rush are Favre-like.

His scramble to set up his touchdown plunge was part Nadia Comeneci, part Three Stooges.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After last week's flawless performance, Fresno State has gotten itself in trouble with penalties tonight. The latest was a hold by center Kyle Young at the Oregon 14-yard line. That forced the Bulldogs into a first-and-20.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 9:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Oregon took advantage of a special teams splendor-turned-blunder when Fresno State's Bear Pascoe tipped a field goal attempt. The ball fell to the ground past the line of scrimmage and all the Bulldogs had to do was get the heck out of the way.

But a yet-unidentified Bulldog chased after it, trying to pick it up. He didn't and it squirted to the Fresno State 5, where Oregon recovered.

Bye-bye blocked field goal, hello touchdown Oregon. Wouldn't want to be that guy in the film room tomorrow.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 9:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Bulldog Stadium did a pretty good wave during a timeout. The student section and band led the way and even some Oregon fans got in on it.

It went around three times. Not bad.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 9:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

On third-and-goal from just past the Oregon 5, Tom Brandstater faced a furious Ducks pass rush. He rolled right and, instead of flinging one out of bounds, he waited until the last possible moment to release a bullet to Joe Fernandez at the 1-yard line.

That key play set up Dwayne Wright's game-tying touchdown and earned Brandstater tough-guy points.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 9:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

This has been a physical game so far and Fresno State defensive starters Marcus McCauley, Tyler Clutts and Marlon Brisco all have sat out significant portions of the game because of injury. The Ducks, however, haven't been able to take full advantage.

The second half will tell if the Bulldogs can grind it out with a bruised defense.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Oregon's receivers are huge, they go 6-foot-5, 6-3 and 6-2, and have enough quickness to get open.

One thing's missing, however -- hands.

Fresno State has been the beneficiary of several dropped passes by wide-open receivers.

Marcus McCauley and Josh Sherley also have provided strong secondary work for Fresno State, knocking down passes and making solid tackles in the open field.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Marcus McCauley re-entered the game with 6:56 left in the first half.

The senior cornerback blitzed the quarterback on his first play back after leaving with a first-quarter injury.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fresno State running back Dwayne Wright is starting to look like the guy who gashed Nevada last week.

Every time he touches the ball, he looks like he can break off a long one. He's already had two of 18 or more.

His greatest strength, it seems, is his ability to weave his way through heavy traffic up the middle. Once he gets his 220 pounds going straight upfield, he's difficult for defensive backs to bring down.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater is known for his arm, but it's his legs that have been the most impressive so far. The 6-foot-5 sophomore has shown mobility in the pocket and out.

He's under control when moving in either direction and is a threat to throw, even when going to his left, which he did on the touchdown pass to Jaron Fairman.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This from columnist Matt James, sitting two seats to my left:

"What's weirder: Fresno State's two best players are named Dwayne, or that two of their defensive starters are named Shirley?"

Can't wait to see what he writes.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The Bulldogs defense looks quite soft in the first quarter. Oregon is effectively using misdirection to draw the Bulldogs one way, while its quick running backs cut back against the grain.

In the passing game, Elgin Simmons is getting beat consistently.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Nike founder Phil Knight was spotted in the press box.

The sports apparel mogul is wearing a black jacket and a white baseball cap.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 7:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fresno State's best cornerback, Marcus McCauley, is back up off the bench but still not back on the field.

In his absense, Oregon has been picking on his replacement, Elgin Simmons, who is the luckiest man in Fresno County -- three times he should have been beaten badly for scores, but either the pass was overthrown or it was dropped.

Posted by Robert Zizzo at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the most confusing play to date, Fresno State nearly went down 14-3 early. On 3rd-and-15 from the Bulldogs 25, Tom Brandstater was hit simultaneously by Darius Sanders and J.D. Nelson. The ball squirted forward incomplete, but Oregon's Patrick Chung picked it up and ran it in for an apparent touchdown.

The whistles hadn't sounded, so it looked like a legit play. Meanwhile, several linemen were doing some extracurricular battling and Brandstater still was on the ground after getting his bell rung.

Fresno State coach Pat Hill used his first play challenge of the year and replays showed it was an incomplete pass. Branstater walked off on his own and all was back to normal.

Stay tuned. These two teams don't like each other very much and the hits have a George Atkinson-Jack Tatum feel to them.