The 2008 Fresno State football team (variously "Fresno State" or "the 'Dogs") represented California State University, Fresno in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by 12th-year head coach Pat Hill, who had a contract lasting through the 2010 season. This season was the Bulldogs' 28th in their current home of Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California.
Preseason The Bulldogs has enjoyed success as one of the most highly regarded BCS non-AQ conference schools in the country in the previous decade. The 2007 team finished with 9 wins, 4 losses, including a victory in the 2007 Humanitarian Bowl. The annual spring game for the 2008 season took place on April 18, and the Bulldogs concluded spring drills on April 21.
Going into the summer, the Bulldogs already began to draw attention to their team in the post-spring preseason polls released by sports pundits, drawn to the large number of returning starters, along with the impressive finish, beating the Georgia Tech in the 2007 Humanitarian Bowl to finish the season with a record of 9-4. Athlon has released their preseason 25 poll with the Bulldogs listed ranked #25; Dennis Dodd of CBS Sportsline has ranked the team at #24; and Mark Schlabach of ESPN placed the Bulldogs in the #21 spot.
At the end of the 2007 season, former offensive coordinator Jim McElwain resigned to accept the coaching position of offensive coordinator at Alabama, replacing former Texas Longhorn Major Applewhite. On February 28, 2008, Fresno State announced the hire of Doug Nussmeier as the Offensive Coordinator at Fresno State.
Personnel
Coaching staff Name Position Seasons atFresno State Alma mater Pat Hill Head coach 12th as HC;18th overall UC Riverside (1973) Doug Nussmeier Offensive coordinator 1st Idaho (1994) Dan Brown Defensive coordinator 11th Jeff Grady Tight Ends 2nd John Baxter Special Teams/Wide Receivers/Assistant Head Coach 12th Loras College Will Plemons Linebackers 1st Kerry Locklin Defensive line 9th New Mexico State (1982) Tim Skipper Running backs 3rd Fresno State (2001) Randy Stewart Secondary 2nd Derek Frazier Offensive line 2nd Mike Kelly Graduate Assistant 1st Mike Schepers Graduate Assistant 1st
Roster
Depth chart + Defensive starters FS Marvin Haynes Jake Jorde WLB MLB SLB Qaadir Brown Ben Jacobs Nico Herron Ricky Pemasa Nico Herron Nick Bates SS Mosses Harris Lorne Bell CB Damion Owens Will Harding DE DT DT DE Wilson Ramos, Jr Cornell Banks Jon Monga Ikenna Ike Chris Carter Bryce Harris Mark Roberts Chris Lewis CB A.J. Jefferson Sharrod Davis+Offensive starters WR Chastin West Jason Crawley LT LG C RG RT Bobby Lepori Cole Popovich Joe Bernardi Andrew Jackson Kenny Avon Kenny Wiggins Pierce Masse Richard Pacheco Adam McDowell Devan Cunningham TE Bear Pascoe Isaac Kitner WR Marlon Moore Seyi Ajirotutu QB Tom Brandstater Ryan Colburn FB Anthony Harding Reynard Camp RB Ryan Mathews Lonyae Miller
Schedule
Game summaries
At Rutgers
No. 10 Wisconsin
At Toledo
At UCLA
1-6 all time. Last meeting in 2003. (17-9 in San Jose in the Silicon Valley Bowl) A Derrick Coleman fumble in the redzone in the fourth quarter took away the Bruins' hope of keeping the Bulldogs from winning a game in the Rose Bowl stadium. Fresno State won its first game there by five points, taking control of the final 8 minutes and 55 seconds and not allowing a UCLA comeback.
Hawaii
Idaho
At Utah State
At Louisiana Tech
Nevada
New Mexico State
At San Jose State
At No. 9 Boise State
vs. Colorado State (New Mexico Bowl)
Awards
First Team All WAC Bobby Lepori- Sr. OL
Second Team All WAC Bear Pascoe- Sr. TE- 2007 1st team
Chris Carter- So. LB
Ben Jacobs-So. LB
Moses Harris- Jr. DB
References