Fresno State Football: Pat Hill Press Conference News and Notes

The Fresno State football team is coming off a 27-22 victory over the North Dakota Fighting Sioux.  The win was the Bulldogs’ first of the season, putting them at 1-2 to start 2011.

The Bulldogs open WAC play this Saturday against Idaho at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.

Pat Hill held his weekly press conference on Monday.  Hill recapped the North Dakota game and looked ahead to Idaho as well.

Following is a look at what the coach had to say on Monday.

Defense Hurting

The Bulldogs defense suffered another big blow on Saturday when safety Deron Smith left the game with a broken arm. 

With Phillip Thomas already out for the year the team is definitely thin in the defensive backfield.  Smith is out for the year and this may force Hill to dig deep for replacements in the secondary.  “We’re really looking hard at taking Charles Washington out of his redshirt year,” said Hill.  “I might have to open that bottle a little early.” Washington is a freshman that played at Crespi High School in Encino, California.

“The safety position has been a position that has been hard hit,” added Hill.

On the bright side, defensive back Terrance Dennis will return to the team after a one-game suspension for an illegal hit in the Nebraska game.

Third Quarter Struggles

Against Cal, Nebraska and now North Dakota, the third quarter has been a huge problem for the Bulldogs.  The team has been outscored 34-3 in the third quarter so far this year.  Pat Hill is well aware of his team's third quarter woes.  “We have failed in the third quarter all year,” said Hill.

The Tall Man Cometh

The Bulldogs are deep at the wide receiver position with guys like Jalen Saunders, Rashad Evans, Devon Wylie and Josh Harper, but the more the merrier right?

During the past two off-seasons there has been a lot of buzz about 6'5" wideout Victor Dean.

Dean may finally get his chance to shine, his foot injury is healing ahead of schedule and Hill is optimistic about his return.  “He’s ready to go,” said Hill.  He scrimmaged last night at full speed.  His foot is 100 percent.”

Rouse is the Guy

Before the 2011 season started, the Bulldogs had a nice stable of running backs to bolster their run game and they still do.  You just wouldn't’t know by looking at the box score.  Running back Robbie Rouse has carried the entire load for the Bulldogs for the most part.  Pat Hill has made it clear that this will not change, at least for now.  “Right now we are going with the horse that’s really playing,” said Hill on sticking with Rouse.  Rouse’s playing time is definitely warranted, “Mighty Mouse” has 365 yards with 80 carries and three touchdowns.  Rouse is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Hill on Idaho

Saturday's matchup against Idaho could be the last time the two teams meet, the Bulldogs are headed for the MWC, making it unlikely they will meet any time soon.

Hill discussed their opponent, giving an overview of what they bring to the table.  “One of the trademarks of Idaho football is the aggressiveness of the offensive line.  We are going to have to stop a balanced attack,” said Hill.

The coach also talked about what his team will see from their defense.  Hill said, “We’re going to see some multiple fronts, a lot of stunting and a lot of blitzes.”

Awards

Logan Harrel was named the national defensive lineman of the week on Sunday and the Verizon WAC defensive player of the week on Monday.  Harrell had 11 tackles, 4.5 of those for a loss, and 1.5 sacks against North Dakota on Saturday.

Quotes from this article were taken from Pat Hill’s press conference on 9/19/2011.