2007 Fresno State Bulldogs football team

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2007 Fresno State Bulldogs football
Fresno State wordmark.png
Humanitarian Bowl champion
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
2007 record9–4 (6–2 WAC)
Head coach
  • Pat Hill (11th as HC, 17th overall season)
Offensive coordinatorJim McElwain (1st season)
Offensive schemePro-style
Defensive coordinatorDan Brown (6th as DC, 11th overall season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumBulldog Stadium
(Capacity: 41,031)
Seasons
← 2006
2008 →
2007 Western Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 19 Hawaii $   8 0     12 1  
Boise State   7 1     10 3  
Fresno State   6 2     9 4  
Nevada   4 4     6 7  
Louisiana Tech   4 4     5 7  
San Jose State   4 4     5 7  
Utah State   2 6     2 10  
New Mexico State   1 7     4 9  
Idaho   0 8     1 11  
  • $ – Conference champion and BCS representative as top non-AQ school to meet automatic qualification criteria
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2007 Fresno State football team represented California State University, Fresno in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This season was the Bulldogs' 27th in their current home of Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California and their 11th with Pat Hill as head coach.

Preseason[]

Spring 2007 Scrimmage in Visalia

At the end of the 2006 season, former offensive coordinator Steve Hagen resigned to accept the coaching position of offensive coordinator at North Carolina. He will be replaced by Oakland Raiders assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach Jim McElwain. Former Fresno State quarterback , who had worked as an assistant coach at Fresno State in previous years, was promoted to tight end coach for 2007.

Fresno State RB Dwayne Wright decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2007 NFL Draft at the end of the 2006 season. He was projected as either a late second or early third round draft pick, but was not chosen until the fourth round. RB Lonyae Miller is expected to start in his place.

The Bulldogs opened spring drills on March 7 and the annual spring game took place on April 28.

Schedule[]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 17:00 pmSacramento State*W 24–335,963
September 82:30 pmat No. 23 Texas A&M*FSNL 45–47 3OT75,922
September 153:30 pmat No. 19 Oregon*L 21–5258,525
September 297:00 pmLouisiana Tech
  • Bulldog Stadium
  • Fresno, CA
W 17–638,104
October 61:00 pmat NevadaW 49–4118,503
October 132:00 pmat IdahoW 37–2414,205
October 202:00 pmSan Jose Statedagger
  • Bulldog Stadium
  • Fresno, CA (rivalry)
W 30–035,494
October 266:00 pmBoise State
  • Bulldog Stadium
  • Fresno, CA (Battle for the Milk Can)
ESPN2L 21–3440,607
November 32:00 pmUtah State
  • Bulldog Stadium
  • Fresno, CA
W 38–2732,904
November 108:05 pmat No. 14 HawaiiL 30–3749,047
November 2412:30 pmKansas State*
  • Bulldog Stadium
  • Fresno, CA
ESPNW 45–2934,671
November 305:00 pmat New Mexico StateESPN2W 30–236,397
December 3111:00 amvs. Georgia Tech*
ESPN2W 40–2827,062
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Pacific time

Personnel[]

Coaching staff[]

Name Position Seasons at
Fresno State
Alma Mater
Pat Hill Head coach 11th as HC;
17th overall
UC Riverside (1973)
Jim McElwain Offensive coordinator 1st Eastern Washington University (1983)
Dan Brown Defensive coordinator 10th
Jeff Grady Tight Ends 1st
John Baxter Special Teams/Wide Receivers/Assistant Head Coach 11th Loras College
Tom Mason Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers 7th Nevada (1977)
Kerry Locklin Defensive Line 8th New Mexico State (1982)
Tim Skipper Running Backs 1st?
Randy Stewart Secondary 1st?
Derek Frazier Offensive Line 1st?
Andy Buh Graduate Assistant 1st

Roster[]

(as of 04/09/2007)

Wide Receivers

  • 5 Marlon Moore – Sophomore
  • 6 Chastin WestSophomore
  • 13 Jason Crawley – Sophomore
  • 19 Seyi AjirotutuSophomore
  • 17 Jamel Hamler – Freshman
  • 25 Shannon Dorsey – Senior*
  • 86 Darren Newborne – Sophomore

Offensive Line

  • 52 Richard Pacheco – Sophomore
  • 60 Kenny Wiggins – Freshman*
  • 61 Charley Robbins – Freshman*
  • 62 Cole Popovich – OG
  • 65 Pierce Masse – Junior
  • 68 James Meeks – Sophomore
  • 69 Andrew Jackson – Freshman*
  • 71 Nick Wright – Freshman*
  • 72 Bobby Lepori – Junior
  • 73 Kenny Avon – Junior
  • 74 Joe Bernardi – Freshman*
  • 75 Chris Piligian – Senior*
  • 76 Adam McDowell – Junior
  • 77 Ryan Wendell – Senior
  • 79 Sean Yandall – Junior
  • 97 Jason Shirley – Senior*

Tight Ends

  • 49 Cameron Harris – Junior
  • 80 Drew Lubinsky – Junior
  • 81 Norman Davis – Sophomore
  • 85 Bear PascoeJunior
  • 88 Jesus Tapia – Senior*
 

Quarterbacks

  • 7 Tom Brandstater – QB Junior
  • 16 Matt Christian – Freshman
  • 15 Ryan Colburn – Freshman*

Running Backs

  • 1 Lonyae Miller – RB Sophomore
  • 2 Clifton Smith – Senior*
  • 22 Anthony Harding – Sophomore
  • 27 Rich Owens – Sophomore
  • 44 Frank Padilla – Freshman*
  • 34 Jamal Rashad – Sophomore

Fullbacks

  • 40 Nathan Adams – Senior*
  • 45 Isaac Kinter -Sophomore
  • 48 Reynard Camp – Sophomore

Defensive Ends

  • 11 Tyler Clutts – Senior*
  • 41 Ikenna Ike – Junior
  • 7 Jason RobertsJunior
  • 90 Taylor Smith – Freshman*
  • 55 Michael StuartJunior

Defensive Tackles

  • 42 Charles TolbertSenior
  • 50 Cornell Banks – Freshman*
  • 95 Mark Roberts – Freshman*
  • 94 Jon MongaJunior
  • 96 Wilson Ramos – Sophomore
 

Linebackers

  • 10 Nico Herron – Freshman*
  • 27 Chris Lewis – Freshman*
  • 31 Marcus Riley – Senior*
  • 32 Quaadir Brown – Sophomore
  • 34 Trevor Shamblee – Senior*
  • 35 Nick Bates – Sophomore
  • 43 Ahijah Lane – Senior*
  • 47 Ryan MachadoSophomore
  • 48 Frank Manquero – Sophomore
  • 49 Todd Chisom – Sophomore
  • 54 Ben Jacobs – Freshman*
  • 56 Robert Schenck – Freshman*
  • 58 Ryan McKinleyJunior

Defensive backs

  • 4 Damion OwensSophomore
  • 22 Damon Jenkins – Senior*
  • 26 Jason BlackmonSophomore
  • 27 Jay Reddick – Sophomore
  • 28 A.J. Jefferson – Sophomore
  • 46 Will Harding – Senior

Safeties

  • 19 Marvin HaynesSophomore
  • 40 Brian Gridiron – Senior
  • 23 Jake Jorde – Junior
  • 20 Lorne Bell – Freshman*
  • 3 Moses HarrisSophomore

Punters

Kickers

Long Snapper

  • 90 Ken Amendola – Senior*
† Projected starter at position     * Injured.

Depth chart[]

Defensive Starters
FS
Marvin Haynes
Jake Jorde
WLB MLB SLB
Marcus Riley Trevor Shamblee Ahjah Lane
Qaadir Brown Ryan Machado Ryan McKinley
SS
Mosses Harris
AJ Jefferson
CB
Damon Jenkins
Marvin Haynes
DE DT DT DE
Tyler Clutts Charles Tolbert Jon Monga Jason Roberts
Michael Stuart Kenny Avon Ikenna Ike Marlon Brisco
CB
Jason Blackmon
Damion Owens
Offensive Starters
WR
Chastin West
Jason Crawley
LT LG C RG RT
James Paulk Cole Popovich Cameron Harris Ryan Wendell Adam McDowell
Bobby Lepori Robin Kezirian Joe Bernardi Richard Pacheo Pierce Masse
TE
Bear Pascoe
Jesus Tapia
WR
Seyi Ajirotutu
Kevin Ciccone
QB
Tom Brandstater
Ryan Colburn
FB
Roshon Vercher
Nate Adams
RB
Lonyae Miller
Anthony Harding

Game summaries[]

Sacramento State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Hornets 0 3 0 0 3
Bulldogs 7 7 7 3 24

Quarterback Tom Brandstater went 16 of 27 for 199 yards in the victory against in-state FCS rival Sacramento State, who was limited to 102 total yards. Lonyae Miller and Clifton Smith both found the end zone for touchdowns, while freshmen running back Ryan Matthews ran for 77 yards on the night. The game also featured Fresno State's retirement of David Carr's No. 8 jersey during the halftime ceremony.

at No. 23 Texas A&M[]

Stephen McGee hands off
1 2 3 4OT2OT3OT Total
Bulldogs 0 0 14 15376 45
No. 23 Aggies 7 12 3 7378 47

This was the first-ever meeting between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Texas Aggies.[1]

The Texas A&M Aggies defeated the Bulldogs 47–45 in triple overtime, despite being outgained 438–393. Tom Brandstater established himself in the loss, going 22–32 for 286 yards and 3 touchdowns. A&M's Jorvorskie Lane rushed for 122 yards on 23 carries, and while Fresno State put together a tremendous second half performance and took the Aggies into three overtimes they could not find the end zone for the final two-point conversion that cost them the game.

ESPN reported, "Texas A&M turned to its powerful running back to stave off Fresno State... Jorvorskie Lane rushed for two of his four touchdowns in the second and third overtimes as the 23rd-ranked Aggies beat the feisty Bulldogs 47–45 in the first three-OT game in A&M history. The 6-foot, 268-pound Lane barreled for his final touchdown from 3 yards out, then charged into the end zone again for the winning 2-point conversion on A&M's final possession."[2]

at No. 19 Oregon[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 6 8 0 7 21
No. 19 Ducks 21 21 0 10 52

In a game marked by an impressive performance by Duck's running back Jonathan Stewart, the Bulldogs were largely outplayed on both sides of the ball in a 21–52 loss. Fresno State put up 327 total yards of offense, compared to Oregon's 461. Oregon was able to control the run very effectively, as Fresno State was only able to run for 60 yards total in the game, compared to 307 by Oregon running backs. Fresno State was able to produce more passing yards than Oregon, with Tom Brandstater going 18 of 32 for 219, compared to Dixon's 14 of 20 for 139 yards. Jonathan Stewart's 17 touches produced 165 yards and two touchdowns, including an 88-yard run.

Louisiana Tech[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 3 3 0 0 6
Fresno State Bulldogs 0 0 10 7 17

Fresno State trailed at halftime 6–0 before taking control in the 2nd half in a 17–6 victory in Bulldog Stadium. Running Backs Lonyae Miller, Ryan Mathews, and Clifton Smith combined to rush for 139 yards with Smith producing a fourth-quarter touchdown. Louisiana Tech's quarterback Zac Champion passed for more yards than Fresno State's Tom Brandstater in the loss, going 22 of 48 with 179 yards compared to Brandstater's 8 for 22 attempts for 92 yards. The game was attended by 38,104 fans.

at Nevada[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 14 14 14 7 49
Wolf Pack 3 10 7 21 41

Fresno State earned its second conference win and third overall by beating Nevada in Reno. Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater passed for 168 yards going 10 for 16 in the win, but the real star of the game was running back Ryan Mathews, who rushed for 171 yards on 14 carries with three touchdowns. Lonyae Miller ran for 95 yards on 12 carries as well. Remarkably, Nevada-Reno quarterback Colin Kaepernick, a redshirt freshman who came into the game to fill in for starter Nick Graziano, went 23 for 26 for 384 yards in the loss. The recorded attendance was 18,503.

at Idaho[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 7 10 14 6 37
Vandals 0 7 7 10 24

Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater went 17 of 22 for 178 yards to secure the away win for the Bulldogs. Lonyae Miller had another 100 yard game, going 108 yards on 18 carries. Idaho's Deonte Jackson also had a big game, rushing for 111 yards on 11 carries. Fresno State only outgained Idaho 421 to 420 in total yardage, but the 4 Idaho turnovers were costly. 14,205 watched the Bulldogs extend their winning streak to 3 in the Kibbie Dome.

San Jose State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Spartans 0 0 0 0 0
Bulldogs 3 3 21 3 30

Fresno State shutout rival San Jose State in the seventy-second meeting between the two conference opponents, earning the homecoming win. Going into halftime with a 6–0 lead having benefited from two missed Spartan kicks, the Bulldogs blew the game open to start the second half, with a 61-yard kickoff return by A.J. Jefferson, and a 14-yard touchdown run by Ryan Mathews. The freshmen Mathews later had a 58-yard touchdown run in a 144-yard game. Fresno State quarterback Tom Branstater threw for 132 yards, while San Jose State quarterback Adam Trafalis passed for 354 yards, and ran for 97 more in the losing effort. The Fresno State defense was efficient in keeping the powerful San Jose State offense out of the end zone.

Boise State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Broncos 14 3 7 10 34
Bulldogs 14 0 0 7 21

Utah State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Aggies 0 7 10 10 27
Bulldogs 14 17 7 0 38

at No. 12 Hawaii[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 7 9 0 14 30
No. 12 Warriors 24 10 0 3 37

Kansas State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Wildcats 14 7 0 8 29
Bulldogs 10 21 14 0 45

at New Mexico State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Bulldogs 6 17 7 0 30
Aggies 7 6 3 7 23

Vs. Georgia Tech (Humanitarian Bowl)[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Yellow Jackets 7 0 14 7 28
Bulldogs 3 17 14 6 40

Awards[]

  • A. J. Jefferson was selected as an All-American for the All-purpose player/return specialist role.

References[]

  1. ^ Duncan, Chris (September 7, 2007). "Fresno State presents stiffer test for Texas A&M in Week 2". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
  2. ^ "Lane TDs highlight wild finish as A&M nips Fresno". ESPNU.com. The Disney Company. September 8, 2007. Retrieved September 8, 2007.
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