2009 Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Predictions

2009 Fresno State Bulldogs Predictions
2008 Record: (7-6, 4-4)
Coach: Pat Hill, 13rd year (92-61 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Derek Frazier (1st year)
Def. Coordinator: Randy Stewart (1st year)
Returning Starters: 18, (7 offense, 9 defense, kicker, punter)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: No

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Offense: The Bulldogs return seven starters from a an offense that averaged 29.6ppg. They do lose qb Tom Brandstater and will have to rely on their rushing attack. Junior QB Ryan Colburn, freshman Derek Carr and sophomores Ebahn Feathers and Matt Faulkner will vie for the starting spot. At running back, they return the top four rushers including junior Ryan Mathews (5-11, 210), who rushed for 606 yards in eight games. Senior WR Seyi Ajirotutu (6-3, 210) leads a strong receiving corps after compiling 795 yards in receiving. The problem is finding a quarterback to utilize their receiving crop. Up front, Fresno State returns three of five starters, including both tackles as well as star TE Bear Pascoe.

Defense: The defense returns nine starters from a unit that allowed 31.1ppg (92nd in the nation) and 410.9 yards per game (97th in the nation). Their biggest loss will be at defensive coordinator, where longtime coach Don Brown lost his fight with brain cancer earlier in the year. Randy Stewart, a long-time assistant takes over. They have the talent to stop the run and should improve up front with the return of junior end Chris Carter (6-2, 230), who had 3.5 sacks and 88 tackles and was named second-team All-WAC. They also have a experience and some size at tackle, so there’s no excuse not to improve that rushing defense, which allowed 210 yards per game. At linebacker, they return star junior Ben Jacobs (6-3, 240), who led the team in tackles with 113. In the secondary, Senior SS Moses Harris (5-11, 205) is back as the best all-round defender.

Outlook: The Bulldogs take on UC Davis at home to start the season, followed by Wisconsin on the road. A home game against Boise State in the third game of the season will tell a lot about the team. They also face Cincinnati on the road and Illinois on the road in the season finale. This is a program that appears to go bowling nearly every year. This should be a bowl team, but the key will be finding a quarterback to replace Brandstater. They have talent at nearly every other positon.

This WAC conference prediction is courtesy of the ATS Sports Blog. If you are looking for winning college football betting picks be sure to choose ATS Consultants this year, A featured sports handicapping service on Touthouse.com