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SEASON REVIEW ABOUT THE WAC • THE SCHOOLS • WAC RECORDS AND HISTORY SEASON REVIEW FRESNO STATE FOOTBALL BIG WINS, STRONG MARKS POWER 'DOGS IN 2010 FRESNO STATE DEFEATED CINCINNATI AND ILLINOIS WHILE MAKING THEIR 23RD BOWL APPEARANCE IN SCHOOL HISTORY IN Throughout head football coach Pat Hill's 14-year tenure, the Fresno State football program takes pride in how it established a lasting tra- dition of success on the gridiron and in the classrooms of one of the West's most accomplished universities. Good is good, but it is not great. Be Great. Play Up. "Many people debate our schedule, but our schedule has allowed us to recruit better athletes," said head coach Pat Hill. "It has also given us great national exposure and I truly believe our fans love the chance to see a high level of competition in Bulldog Stadium. Our community gets to see the Bulldogs compete against the best in the nation here in the Valley." In 2010, Fresno State added two more wins over opponents from con- ferences with an automatic qualifier for BCS bowl games as the 'Dogs downed the Big East's Cincinnati, 28-14, and the Big Ten's Illinois, 25- 23. As both victories came in Bulldog Stadium, the Red Wave once again got the chance to see Fresno State battle some of the nation's best programs and beat them. Since 2000, the Bulldogs own a 17-15 record against those BCS-AQ foes. Hill's "Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere" attitude put the San Joaquin Val- ley on the map with primetime exposure on ESPN, ABC and other national platforms while tallying the sixth most wins (89) in the West since 2000. The Bulldogs also made its 11th bowl appearance in 12 seasons and finished with an 8-5 record. Overall, the 'Dogs have now played in 23 bowl games in school history. On the gridiron, senior quarterback Ryan Colburn led the offense through the air while throwing for 2,817 yards and 23 touchdowns. Robbie Rouse, Fresno State's leading rusher for the season, ran for 1,177 yards, including a 286-yard performance on the road at Loui- siana Tech that was the second-highest single-game mark in Bulldog history. The defense saw senior linebacker Ben Jacobs complete his colle- giate career by starting all 52 games, two shy of the NCAA record of 54 straight starts held by former Hawai'i center John Estes (2005-08). Senior Chris Carter and junior Logan Harrell teamed up for a strong pass rushing attack for a combined 21.5 sacks. Carter, who was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year, was drafted and signed by the Pitts- burgh Steelers following the season and Harrell is on four key pre- season watch lists as one of the nation's best defensive linemen enter- ing the 2011 season. Junior kicker Kevin Goessling converted 21 field goals during the year, tied for third-most in school history. He tied Barry Belli (1986) and Brett Visintainer (2003). Only Asen Asparuhov, who made 23 each in both the 2001 and 2002 seasons, kicked more in a season. But equally as important, if not more so, the Bulldogs also excelled in the classroom. A simple gameplan of accountability and organization has helped the Fresno State football team consistently surpass its own lofty academic expectations under Hill's watch. The 'Dogs have had 141 Academic All-WAC selections since 2000. And over the past decade, Fresno State set a WAC record for most Academic All-WAC winners with 122. The team has also produced four Academic All-Americans and its first ever first-team Academic All-American in offensive lineman Andrew Jackson. Former Bulldogs Payton Williams and Moses Harris have both been named finalist for the Campbell Award, which is the Heisman Trophy of Academics. With an APR of 952 - which is almost unmatched in Division I foot- ball - Hill's program helped Fresno State as a department sustain a resurgent display of efforts to lead an improved graduation rate and Academic Progress Rate. "During my years as an athlete at Fresno State, I was provided with the resources and instruction needed to help me excel in the class- room and on the field," said former Bulldog and current Bengal kicker Clint Stitser. "I am grateful to say that the skills learned while playing at Fresno State has been instrumental to finding success in business and in the NFL." By developing young men, the Bulldog football program consistently wins on the field and in the classroom to prepare future leaders for their future challenges. WACSports.com WWW.WACSPORTS.COM 7 88 PlayUpFB.indd 7 2011 7/8/2011 10:47:09 AM 2012 89 CHRIS CARTER RYAN COLBURN