Shut up and boob somebody

Someone just came up with the new slogan for the new Fresno State dance team!

Yes, it's been confirmed for a while: The Bulldogs are getting back their dancers.

Really, it was only just a matter of time for a couple of reasons.

1.) Because every major university has a dance team — even the cheap ones like Arkansas-Little Rock, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Cal State Fullerton (which doesn't have a hyphen but, trust us, is just as sucky.)

That's Fullerton over there on the left. The ones with the knockers. They swept the national championships. In dance.

And...

2.) Because the old geezers who got the Fresno State dance team suspended in the first place couldn't have been that far off from croaking. Apparently, they did.

See, Fresno State used to have a dance team back in it's glory days, the early-to-mid 2000's. The team was great. They competed in competitions and even won some sort of national championship.

But most of all, they looked/dressed skanky/skankily.

As the urban legend goes, that was their undoing. They dressed and performed so provocatively that people started to complain.

One of the whiners must have been a skybox suite owner. Either that or some of those old fogies that sit in the red seats and never stand up to clap. You know, the people with the money.

The dance team went away. It did. They said at the time it didn't. They said they were "combining" the dance and cheer teams. But if that were true, then there would be no reason to announce a new dance team, only an "uncombining."

Anyway, enough boring stuff. The point of our post is this: This new dance team better damn well be skanky. We're pretty sure we learned this equation in Calculus 1: Boobs + legs = fun. Exhibit A to your right. And that's what sports competitions are supposed to be, fun.

That's just the way it is. It's the circle of life. Didn't anybody here watch the Lion King?

No, we don't NEED it. Not as much as we NEED good football. But T&A is what the dance team's for. That's what we want. That's what everyone wants. Dare say, that's what the dancers want. To flaunt.

The only fans who don't admit these facts are married guys whose wives intimidate them into flaccidity.

We really aren't that worried. The new dance team is being headed up by a former Raiderette. And they are asking for head shots and references. They're serious.

If there's any time left to make sure the team is grade A, then let us submit evidence of our two favorite dance teams. The Arizona State Sun Devillette's (I just made that up), and the LSU Golden Girls (that's their real name.)




And a blast from the past, the old Fresno State dance team.


Don't let us down marching band organizer people and old Raiderette.

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Nothing to Do with FSU but O'Canada

This post has nothing to do with Fresno State or its athletic department but its something that I think is very interesting. I am from Fresno and I am definitely Bulldog Born but after a year of going to Fresno State I decided to transfer schools. I was ready for a change and decided to transfer to a Canadian school (I know, I know, why Canada) but I came across this story while going to school in Vancouver, British Columbia and just heard on the news today that Simon Fraser University from Burnaby, B.C. (Not the school I went to) has joined to NCAA. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/joe_lemire/08/05/canadian.hoops/. Another school from the Vancouver area,The University of British Columbia, is also trying to gain admittance to the NCAA.

This is obviously a big shift in policy for the NCAA to allow non-US schools to compete in athletics. It is also a policy shift for Canadian schools because they, by rule, are not allowed to give full athletic scholarships. Now that SFU is apart of the NCAA (they starting in Div 2) they will be allowed to give full ride scholarships which is huge for recruiting. It is no secret that most elite level Canadian athletes attend US schools for the scholarships and the higher level of competition. I wonder if this move will entice more elite Canadian athletes to stay in Canada and play for a SFU or UBC (if they gain admittance)??

I am happy and intrigued by this decision by SFU and the NCAA because I think this could be a great addition to college (for the zero Canadians who will read this university) sports. Could you imagine the rivalries that could emerge between the Washington and B.C. schools? Not only would there be a school rivalry but all the sudden it becomes the US versus Canada on the hardwood, field, tennis court, etc. That would be awesome to watch!

I'm not exactly sure how well schools like SFU or UBC would do recruiting American players but if they could get their top athletes to stay home I am more than confident that they would be competitive. Actually, while I was going to school up there American D-1 hoop teams would come up every August-September and play exhibitions against the local schools and the Canadian schools would knock off a team or two each summer. So for the Americans who think it would be a joke competition wise, don't be so sure. I have the first hand knowledge of watching many of those exhibitions as i just stated and believe me the Canadian schools hold their own and that is without their top talent.

Now I fully realize that most of you could care less about any of this but If you do happen to read this and have an opinion I would love to hear what you think. I am a bit of a Canadian homer because I went to school there but I just find this story really interesting. Also if you have any questions about this I will try to answer them as best as I can.

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Saturday Night D-omination

Well that sure was a pleasant display of Defense (yes I capitalized the D) last night. Over the past three plus seasons now our defense has been......ummmmm.... lets just say less than stellar. I can still remember watching the piece that ESPN did during the 2001 season on our defense and it was all about the motto "shut up and hit somebody." That motto has become a bit cliché, especially in the Fresno area, but I believe we have to get back to that defensive mentality.

I was very happy and encouraged watching our defense during last nights scrimmage. The emotion and leadership shown by Chris Carter, Nico Herron, Ben Jacobs, and Moses Harris was exciting to see. For the first time since the 2005 season (when we had Richard Marshall, Garrett McIntyre, Marcus McCauley, Tyrone Culver, etc) I am optimistic that we are going to have a solid defense. Last night the "D" was flying around the field, getting pressure on the QB, making interceptions, and the biggest part they were actually wrapping up and making solid tackles.

There were quite a few guys that stood out to me last night but a few i'll briefly mention.....

1- Justin Webber (Great to see the local guy out there flying around and making tackles in the backfield, great story)

2- Chris Carter (Showed great emotion and leadership)

3- Logan Harrell (I have not seen a Fresno State D-Lineman get in the backfield like that in years)

4- Moses Harris (Work-horse, always ready to play)

All-in-all the entire defense played solid and I hope they can continue to carry that passion and intensity into the season and throughout. So from this Bulldog fan to the defense ATTA BOYS all around. (PS... hopefully last nights performance was not just an indictment on how bad our offense is.... that is the scary part of a scrimmage)

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Defense yelled loud & hit somebody

So maybe it wasn't the 'Shutup & Hit Somebody' of 2001 lore, but let's be real, Fresno State has always had its share of defenders who like to talk after popping an opponent in the mouth. Tonight, Chris Carter led the rallying cry as the defense got stronger as the scrimmage went on, allowing just two scores (none by Carr or Colburn).

The defensive front is forcing much more pressure than a year ago. Hopefully that's due to the defenders' improvement and not the offensive line's regression. D-tackle Logan Harrell was impressive tonight getting into the backfield, but the most eye-opening performance was by true freshman Terrance Kindle who consistently raced into the backfield and even recorded a sack. Chris Lewis saw extensive reps at d-end, including one play where he hit Ryan Mathews late out of bounds when Mathews was already on his hands and knees. Mathews popped up and swiped at Lewis' helmet, raising the heat a bit.

Another true freshman, and a Texas high school teammate of Kindle's, stood out at linebacker in Daniel Salinas. While Travis Brown sometimes hesitates and looks like he might not trust his ability in the open field, Salinas consistently flies to the ball. One play in particular tonight was when Brown stepped gingerly toward a churning Robbie Rouse and got juked before Salinas drove Rouse to the turf.

Nico Herron seems to have a firm grip on the starting strong side spot for now, and fans had to like the emotional effort he put forth in the scrimmage. Shawn Plummer joined the highlight reel when he leveled Devon Wylie from behind after a reception.

The continuing improvement of Desia Dunn at corner is encouraging, but more encouraging tonight was the play of sophomore Isaiah Green, who intercepted a pass in the end zone that Ryan Colburn intended for Ryan Skidmore and also recovered a Wylie fumble. Damion Owens, who seemed stagnant in his growth as a player last year, had to put smiles on coaches' faces tonight with his sure-handed tackling that ruined several of the offense's plays.

And how 'bout walk-on safety Justin Webber, who forced a fumble and made two plays behind the line of scrimmage. Safety Marvin Haynes got beat bad after taking a questionable angle on a long run by Michael Harris, and Lorne Bell showed why he's considered the Bulldogs' hardest hitter when he caught Darren Newborne breezing across the middle and took his breath away.

No special teams drills took place during the scrimmage, which was attended by about 1,000 fans and several notable alumni -- Bobby Lepori, Asen Asparuhov and Paul Pinegar to name a few.

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Fall scrimmage sketchy for offense

Ryan Colburn took first-team reps to start the scrimmage, but the offense sputtered most of the night no matter which quarterback was in. Though Derek Carr had the best stat line on 8 for 12 with 101 yards, compared to Colburn's 8 of 14 for 57 yards, Carr missed on a few should-be surefire completions. One thing to note is Colburn throws a flatout pretty ball, tight spiral. But Carr can really zip it in there, as he showed.

In Ebahn Feathers' first series at the helm, he led a touchdown drive. Feathers looked better running option plays than passing (as per the norm) but nearly made a fantastic throw down the sideline. The toss was a smidgen out of reach of the diving J.J. Stallworth. Coaches have got to work with redshirt freshman center Douglas Spacht, who constantly snaps the ball over Feathers' head -- and seems to be the only center Feathers gets reps with. Luckily, Feathers jumped to grab 'em all, but it gives the defense the advantage every time his fleet feet leave the ground.

The biggest passing play was a 35-yarder from Carr to Jamel Hamler across midfield. The ball was underthrown by Carr as he tried to avoid a sack from a defender in his face, but Hamler showed how special he can be by adjusting and going after the ball and yanking it down.

Still way too many dropped passes by receivers, though Chastin West did a great job of hanging on to one around his waist in traffic. Devon Wylie had a couple nice catch and jukes, but fumbled away one of his receptions. Seyi Ajirotutu, Marlon Moore, Rashad Evans and Matt Lindsey were all sidelined and not dressed out.

One of the few bright spots for the offense on the otherwise frustrating night was redshirt freshman tight end Tapa Taumopeau, who showed he has deceptive football speed and solid hands. Expect him to push Ryan Skidmore, Cub Pascoe and Isaac Kinter (who also didn't dress) for playing time at tight end/H-back.

Ryan Mathews looks to be running at a different level than everyone else -- when he takes that first burst it's obvious he's an elite caliber of football player. He broke off one of the most impressive runs of the night, zig-zagging and straight-arming his way for 17 yards. True freshman Robbie Rouse continues to impress, scoring one of just two touchdowns in the game on a would-be broken play where he improvised and scooted outside the tackle and into the end zone.

The only other touchdown was a late pass from walk-on QB Tyler Stirewalt to converted tight end Austin Raphael.

Redshirt freshman Michael Harris probably won't see much time this year as he's being groomed for a chance at a featured role 2011, but he showed a glimpse with a 46-yard scamper and some breakaway speed. Anthony Harding and Lonyae Miller, as well as Mathews, saw limited action as coaches favored getting younger guys reps.

The offensive line is a concern. Bryce Harris, Leslie Cooper, Joe Bernardi, Andrew Jackson and Kenny Wiggins worked the first series. Though some jobs are still being battled out, the line looked suspect throughout the scrimmage. Freshman Matt Hunt didn't dress, but could battle for the left guard spot. Richard Pacheco saw first-team reps later at center, as did Devan Cunningham at left tackle. Across the board, this might be the most size Fresno State has ever had on the o-line. The 2008 signees -- Max Devlin, Austin Wentworth, Trevor Richter, Richard Helepiko -- are all flatout huge.

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Friday Rundown

Fresno State practice was all over the fields today -- literally. The first part was at Valley Growers Field, before the whole squad was herded into Bulldog Stadium with a good turnout of fans.

Lots of scrimmage situations today with 7 on 7s, 11 on 11s and live-hitting with piped in crowd noise (though most of it was Bulldog gameday songs, unlike the annoyance of opponents songs they played in years past...I never want to hear "Rocky Top" again). So who stood out? Read on...

While neither quarterback starred today, true freshman Derek Carr continues to outshine junior Ryan Colburn (a trend the past four days). Colburn overthrew several receivers on would-be touchdown routes, even when there was no live rush.

Carr also threw one behind a receiver and later should have been intercepted (Marvin Haynes let the pass bounce off his chest after a nice jumped route in the end zone). But Carr made a nice play on the run to end the day, recognizing that safety Moses Harris had his back turned and zipping a touchdown pass to the sure-handed Jamel Hamler.

That said, both Colburn and Carr led the offense on touchdown drives, while Ebahn Feathers stalled inside the 10-yard line when he took the reins.

The receivers as a whole dropped a ton of balls today. Marlon Moore, Seyi Ajirotutu and Rashad Evans didn't participate in drills, while Chastin West had a case of the dropsies.

Ryan Mathews stood out in the passing game. And Robbie Rouse and Lonyae Miller each broke off long touchdown runs in tag-off drills.

Lots of moving parts throughout the depth chart on defense today, so it'll be interesting to follow how the pecking order unfolds. Can Travis Brown work his way into competition with Nico Herron?

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Live from Bulldog Stadium (and 1430 ESPN)

Bulldog logo'd chair backs were being installed, the Bulldog Stadium grass was working its way from not green to almost green and the Fresno State football team got in its first "live" workout of fall camp on Wednesday.

For the first hour, practice was held as usual. A little stretching, a little 7-on-7, a little special teams and even a little 11-on-11 tag-off. But at the end of the day, the 'Dogs finally went live, meaning the defense could let loose and finally bring somebody to the ground.

No real big waves were made during the practice session, so we'll skip ahead to some thoughts on the live portion of practice:

• Until today, it's been tough to see how good the defense is going to be. A no tackling rule will create that kind of indecisiveness.

• Quarterback Ryan Colburn was intercepted twice on the day, once in 11-on-11s and once live, courtesy of Mario Moore and Damion Owens, respectively.

• I can't emphasize just how athletic and burstful/speedy Ebahn Feathers is. The fact that opposing schools will have to prepare for him should make a difference for the Bulldog offense. He made one run today that had people looking at friends next to them to confirm they indeed were witnesses to it.

• The defense controlled the offense for the most part in the live session, especially when it came to preventing big plays and stopping the run. End Kenny Borg will be forgotten no more after sitting out last year with a knee injury. Chris Lewis, Anthony Williams and a host of others had at least one impact play for the defense.

• Robbie Rouse is a jump out of your seat type of guy, because you get the feeling he can score on any given touch.

• Crowd noise was pumped into the stadium via speakers for the duration of the live portion of practice.

• The receivers continue to show their improvement, and their versatility as a group is remarkable. Deep threats, possession guys, jump balls, reverses ... the list goes on and on. And there is no plan currently known to man to stop the 2009 version of Devon Wylie.

• Kevin Goessling has looked phenomenal all camp, and was drilling everything from 35-51 yards with room on Wednesday. His inconsistency at the beginning of last year was a tough developmental period for everyone, but the real concern should have been his depth on kickoffs. That part remains to be seen.

I (DC3) made an appearance on 1430 ESPN with Guy Haberman to discuss Wednesday's live practice, then had to go make money, which is why the tardiness on the blog. The Bulldogs will return to two-a-days on Thursday, and I will once again be on 1430 ESPN to talk Fresno State football, most likely during the 5 o'clock hour.

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