Fresno State to the MWC? Yes.

UPDATE: Surely you've heard by now, Bulldogs accept bid, Red Wave approves; chip on shoulder just got bigger

Starting last night, all hell has broken loose in WAC/MWC conference realignment.

Bottom line: Fresno State (and nevada) has been extended an offer to join the Mountain West Conference. The Fresno Bee and ESPN television have each reported that Fresno is expected to accept the invitation tonight.

The Bulldog Bounce will have more on the story in the coming days. In the meantime, we've been on top of everything all day via twitter and will continue that trend as news continues to pour in.

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Fall Scrimmage Reflections

Why, oh why, Pat Hill, did you decide to close fall camp to the public so soon? We here at the Bounce are bummed about it, but feel confident we saw enough live practice to gain valuable insight into the season (check for our position-by-position breakdowns in the coming days).

As for Saturday's fall scrimmage, there were more takeaways than a Richard Marshall career. And it's tough not to feel optimistic about the effort on display. Check out the categories below...

Give him a 'Dog bone decal now!

• QB Ryan Colburn for leading the offense on a commanding first possession and being the Mr. Encouragement of the team with his "Good job ____" quotes. Oh, and for the crackback block he delivered after a bubble screen to Jamel Hamler despite wearing a yellow jersey so defenders knew not to hit him.
• QB Derek Carr for taking advantage of his late scrimmage snaps by zipping passes in places others can't and being on the money on the bulk of his throws (if only we can get those WRs to hang on to them now...).
• QB Greg Watson for not wearing one of those sissy-looking yellow don't-hit-me jerseys.
• WR Josh Harper for having perhaps his best showing of camp, making the redshirt decision that much more tough on coaches.
• WR Jalen Saunders for burning the heck out of CBs twice on go routes, culminating with a 65-yard TD from Greg Watson (his other burn notice ended in an incompletion when he was underthrown by Ryan Colburn).
• RB Robbie Rouse for being really good at football.
• RB A.J. Ellis for showing he's going to be a heck of a weapon catching passes out of the backfield.
• TE Michael Butler for reeling in a ridiculously good pass from Derek Carr deep downfield in traffic, and holding on after a big hit.
• C Joe Bernardi for making forming a hog circle and making the young linemen dance in front of 1,000 fans during warm-ups.
• G Matt Hunt for easing our worries about next year's starting line.
• DE Tristan Okpalaugo for picking off a pass at scrimmage the way opposing D-linemen used to against Tommy Brandstater (sigh...).
• DT Cornell Banks for being our best hope for a dominant interior lineman.
• LB Pat Su'a for starting and looking the part, making us wonder who the better prospect is between Su'a and Jeremiah Toma (go future Fresno State LB stars!).
• LB Ofa Fifita for reminding us of Dwayne Andrews (he's a beast).
• CB Sean Alston for being possibly the most impressive player of the evening, sticking with giant Victor Dean on the fade-to-the-corner-of-the-end-zone route that works every time and batting the pass away, and then for picking off a pass in zone coverage later on. Alston just might be the most under-the-radar stud of this recruiting class, and showed great progress the past 3-4 days of camp.
• CB Jermaine Thomas for being the team's best CB so much so that the Bulldogs' QBs didn't throw his way all night.
• CB Isaiah Green for turning in a heck of an effort, and being a sure tackler, after being sidelined with a minor injury much of the week.
• S Derron Smith for once again impressing as a true freshman, with a would-be pick 6. And he even got CB Desia Dunn to tweet about him live from the sideline.
• P Andrew Shapiro for booming a 48-yarder with serious hang time after having a punt blocked. Consistency will be key for him.

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Fall Camp Notebook '010: Days 7 & 8

Did you notice we added our twitter feed to the right column of this blog? Rad huh?

Quarterbackin'

• Freshman Greg Watson, after eight days of camp, has arguably surpassed Ebahn Feathers' throwing ability already. We like to compare the two because they're similar in stature and skill set. Still, our guess for now is Watson redshirts this year.
• JC transfer Kelly O'Brien is vastly improved from his first several days of camp. The accuracy is starting to come along on intermediate routes and he's throwing a prettier ball (for those of you after the aesthetic appeal).
• Ryan Colburn continues to show poise and has become Mr. Encouragement out there to his teammates. He's got command of the team. That said, Derek Carr is still making throws no one else on the team can, as was the case on a quick snap and throw to the sideline to A.J. Johnson in tight coverage Thursday night.

Here, try on Ryan Mathews' shoes...

• UCLA transfer Milton Knox, who has to sit out this year per the transfer rule, is so quick, so fast and so good that he caused one Bulldog Bouncer to question whether the 'Dogs should consider redshirting Robbie Rouse next season to prevent a mass graduation of RBs after 2012?
• Speaking of Rouse -- he's grabbed the starting job by the reins. Cal transfer Tracy Slocum, who will play this year, continues to get first-team reps, but he hasn't yet shown the big-play ability Rouse and Knox (and even Michael Harris) have. Slocum also needs to work on holding onto the ball (we don't want him getting a case of the Lonyaes on us). On one play Wednesday evening, when Slocum was hit by Lorne Bell and Cornell Banks and fumbled, Banks yelled, "Send his [butt] back to Cal!"
• A.J. Ellis has had a knack for breaking off big plays the past couple days. He seems to be the fourth back right now, but is likely to find a niche in the offense.
• Freshman E.J. Schexnayder was thought to be an immediate playinig time contender, but ball security problems as well as the learning curve may force him to redshirt. Even if coaches want to use him right away, he just doesn't look ready from a toughness perspective, though he did lower the shoulder and deliver a blow in Wednesday's workout.

They are who we THOUGHT they were!

• That's right, Jamel "Melly" Hamler, Devon "Wiggles" Wylie and Rashad "Shad" Evans are without question one of the top two trios of WRs in the WAC. Hamler had too darn many drops Thursday morning and night, but these three are legit. And FAR too many of the "experts" around town forgot how good Evans is.
• Newcomer prediction (you heard it here first): Victor Dean and Jalen Saunders are the top two freshmen candidates to play right away. That's not to say Josh Harper, Davon Dunn and Isaiah Burse aren't ready (they could be too) but the Bulldogs can't dress everyone and it makes more sense to space these talents out. Dean's 6-foot-6 height has tortured the defense in recent days with his ability to go up and get the fade in the corner of the end zone -- it's a lethal advantage for him. And Saunders' performance so far this fall reminds us of the way Rouse burst onto the scene early last camp.

Hey, stop hogging all the pancakes...

• One thing has become glaringly apparent -- Fresno State has to find a backup center who can snap in shotgun. Joey Bernardi is money, but Richard Helepiko, Leslie Cooper and Lars Bramer have struggled with accuracy thus far. That wasn't expected after the strong camp each of them had in spring.
• We're about ready to petition the school to retire Bernardi's jersey after this year. He might not even go to the NFL, but he's off the charts on the Bulldog-Pride-O-Meter.

Hurry, hurry, step right up

• Who's gonna be the D-lineman who steps up and becomes that superstar difference-maker? It's got to be someone if this D is going to turn it around. DE Donnie Pritchett has shown unique quickness and agility for someone his size (think larger Nick Burley). Now, if he can play like Burley, watch out! Pritchett's been taking the lion's share of first-team reps with Chris Lewis sidelined the past couple days.
• The next most likely breakout candidate is DT Anthony Williams, the strongest player on the team and a guy who dominates his opposing lineman regularly in practices.
• Keep an eye on the development of DE Tristan Okpalaugo, who also took a few first-team reps in place of Lewis. He's steadily improving and has added size in the offseason, but it still pretty thin.
• And a big boost might come from a guy who's been around for years. Watching DT Cornell Banks practice, it's hard not to get the feeling he's poised for a breakout (pleasebethenextAlanHarper, pleasebethenextAlanHarper...).
• One thing is for sure. The whole D-line is hustling and vocalizing more than it has since the days of Garrett McIntyre and Brian Morris. That's a good sign, and a lot of it can be attributed to the strong leadership of Chris Carter (who we've decided will now be nicknamed "C Twice").

We go deep...

• Despite what Matt James said in today's Fresno Bee podcast, there is one position on defense where the 'Dogs have tons of depth, and it's linebacker.
• The starters are Ben Jacobs, Kyle Knox and Travis Brown. And of course there's Shawn Plummer with lots of experience and ability to help in passing situations. But as hard as it might be to believe, redshirt freshmen Jeremiah Toma and Pat Su'a are good enough to start. Toma could be the best LB on the team. Then you've got Daniel Salinas, who has a bit of experience and great lateral movement from sideline to sideline, Damion Whittington who had a very strong spring, Sonny McCree who's an experienced reserve and talented newcomers Ofa Fifita (huge) and Lester Fontenette (athletic).

Raise your hand if your like interceptions...

• What are the odds CB Jermaine Thomas has more picks this season (his first as a starter) than all DBs combined did last season? Don't laugh, it's not out of the question. Thomas had five interceptions in three days earlier this week.
• Thomas and L.J. Jones have taken all the first-team reps with Desia Dunn and Isaiah Green sidelined. Green returned to action Thursday night, but don't be surprised to see him as the third or fourth corner.

We're special

• Andrew Shapiro got extensive live punting work and showed capability to boom a couple, but was inconsistent. The hang time is there, but the distance and placement need work.
• Bobby Shepard is big-time as long snapper, but behind him there are question marks. H-back Austin Raphael is the second-stringer but struggled Thursday morning and stayed after practice to put in extra work.

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Player from future opponent has head in the clouds

Without knowing the height or weight of the man on the left in the picture above, what is your reaction?

I'm guessing it was something like this, with emphasis on seconds :11-16 ...

His name is Terrell Brown, and he is potentially the ole miss offensive line, but for now, listed only as an offensive tackle. And included in that listing is a height of 6'11" and a weight of 390 pounds.

Brown is a junior college transfer and is supposedly relatively raw still when it comes to football. He will also potentially be in uniform when Fresno State visits The Grove later this season. I'm just hoping he and Robbie Rouse are old elementary school buddies and exchange greetings at some point.

Regardless, it seems pretty clear that there is only one explanation for Brown's mass. Now, I'm no doctor, but it seems as though the only logical explanation is that Brown's mother was presented with two options during her pregnancy -- have twins, or have the twins combined into one giant "twin." Clearly, she opted for the latter.

Another observation, take another look at the picture. Tell me that gatorade cooler in the background couldn't serve as just a cup for him. A quick swig in the mouth, a splash in the face and boom, he's ready to go back onto the field and provide shade for anyone within a 10-foot radius of him.

Happy Gil-mo-my-God indeed.

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Fall Camp Notebook '010: Days 5 & 6

Two days. Three practices. Seemingly infinite updates after the first day of full-squad, joint practices...

QB:
Gotta love the vocal leadership and encouragement shown by returning starter Ryan Colburn. Colburn is looking sharp and confident, and it's pretty difficult to see a difference between he and Derek Carr right now (besides speed). JC transfer Kelly O'Brien had a rugged start to camp, but has shown progress in the past few days. While he's still struggling to keep short and intermediate throws off the ground, his deep balls are a plus attribute.

RB:
Cal transfer Tracy Slocum, who's eligible to play right away, is shooting up the depth chart. He's been mixed in first-team reps and is sure to have a role. Michael Harris had some great runs in Tuesday's evening practice, but Robbie Rouse seems like the obvious choice at starter. E.J. Schexnayder has the size to play right away, but has gotten very few reps in game situations and needs to be more careful in how he holds the football. Keep on keepin' an eye on redshirt walk-on FB Dylan Cruz. The guy is huge, has wheels and can catch it out of the backfield.

WR:
At some points on Tuesday, it was difficult to tell the veterans and rookies apart. Freshman Jalen Saunders has quickly separated himself from the pack, showing what could amount to some of the best speed in school history. Despite his skinny frame, Saunders is fast enough to play right now and received some first-team reps Tuesday in certain personnel groupings. He seems to beat at least one corner per day by 10-plus yards on a route. Don't count out Victor Dean from playing as a freshman also. With his 6-foot-6 height, he can go up and get it and be a matchup nightmare for opponents. With Davon Dunn finally cleared to play, it'll be interesting to see if coaches want him in the special teams mix sooner than later. And Isaiah Burse also offers potential in the "tiger" (wildcat) formation. Rashad Evans is the X-factor a lot of preseason prognosticators forgot about -- he's really fast.

TE:
David Gory spent Tuesday on top of the berm doing non-contact rehab work with the rest of the injured players (no word on what happened to him). Ryan Skidmore (surprise, surprise) was involved in the first practice scuffle of the young season, mixing it up with S Phillip Thomas. On Monday, Michael Butler showed solid blocking skills but also faced the wrath of Pat Hill after an unnecessary block behind the ball carrier.

OL:
The highlight of camp over the last two days was C Joey Bernardi's celebration on the first play of 11-on-11s Tuesday. Colburn threw a TD pass and Bernardi ran downfield to celebrate with his WR, screaming and humming the fight song the whole time he was running and while he embraced his teammate. Redshirt freshman C Lars Bramer (Buchanan HS) has struggled a bit with his snaps in camp. His development will be worth keeping an eye on. The second scuffle Tuesday broke out between OL Max Devlin and DL Tyeler Davison, prompting Hill to throw 'em both in the bull ring to go heads up.

DL:
With DE Chris Lewis not dressed out today (limping), JC transfer Donnie Pritchett, who redshirted last season, got first-team work. The Bulldogs could greatly benefit from a young defensive lineman stepping up and shining -- and he's a candidate. Another camp highlight came when Pat Hill did a running chest bump with DT Logan Harrell after a nice play. Interesting to note that Nikko Motta, who's having a strong camp, has taken reps at both DT and DE. Andy Jennings still isn't participating in contact drills.

LB:
Freshman Lester Fontenette did rehab work on the berm during Tuesday's practices. On Monday, one of the great moments in my decade of attending camps happened when LB Kyle Knox and DE Chris Carter called the entire team to circle around on a knee and gave an inspiring, expletive-laced speech about playing hard, focusing and being ready to compete at a high level to beat the boise states and Cincinnatis.

CB:
Jermaine Thomas is proving to be the team's top corner. He's collected five interceptions (yes, five) in the past three days. He makes plays on the ball and stays in position. Thomas and L.J. Jones teamed up with the starting group for part of game situations Tuesday. Young corner Anthony Riggins has blazing speed, but plenty of technique work to do before he's ready to hit the field.

S:
While Zak Hill had no business starting over Phillip Thomas, it's heartbreaking to see him hobbling around Valley Growers Field on crutches with a left knee brace. Our prayers go out to him for a speedy recovery. Justin Webber now gets an increased role and the Bulldogs sorely need him to capitalize. Keep an eye on whether freshman Derron Smith can crack the dress list this year after he had his best day of camp on Tuesday.

K:
Kevin Goessling broke out the stump today, connecting on three straight 52-yard field goals without a rush. Goessling also bombed a 55-yarder with extra room to spare at the start of practice, resulting in special teams coach Pete Alamar losing a bet between the two and having to do 5 push-ups.

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Fall Camp Notebook '010: Days 3 & 4

There comes a time where you need to get straight to the point. We've waited long enough for football season, so for today at least, I'm going to put aside my usual style of writing entertainment (reading for you) to give you all the nuts and bolts a hardcore fan desires from his/her team.

While Thursday's opening practice provided more of a methodical introduction to camp, each of Friday's, Saturday's and Sunday's efforts have been increasingly confidence-inducing for fans.

Practice continues to be split into essentially two sessions, bridged in the middle with a collaborative effort between vets and newcomers with special teams work. Continue reading below to learn about practice nuggets and some cumulative thoughts after observing the first 4 fall camp practices.

8/7: 'Dogs beginning to Turn up the Dial

Most of the players are beginning to settle in and become more comfortable with the high-tempo, intense practices that are Fresno State football practices.

Here are some nuggets from Saturday's events:

• Isaiah Burse, Jalen Saunders, Alex Jefferies, Victor Dean and Josh Harper were all head-turners. Each has been a sponge for WR coach Keith Williams, which can only bring good things.

• In both newcomer and vet sessions, the team got extensive work in the wildcat formation. Burse, Milton Knox, Michael Harris, Robbie Rouse, Rashad Evans and more all received reps in their respective sessions.

• At this point, Burse (a high school QB) would appear to present Bulldogs coaches with a tough decision on whether or not to dress for games this year. He runs solid routes, has showed good hands and has made several quality throws to his fellow receivers out of the wildcat formation, the latter of which may be his most valuable asset at this point. He has also taken frequent reps as a return man during special teams work.

• Zak Hill made several standout plays in 11-on-11s. Hill made a diving, arms fully-outstretched interception of a pressured Ryan Colburn, followed up by a nice read and tackle on an outside handoff.That being said, Hill continues to get beat deeper in the secondary, especially in 1-on-1 situations. Many times, the culprit on the offensive side has been WR Matt Lindsey.

• Kyle Knox made his presence felt as well, squaring up a few guys in "tag off" situations and simply out-muscling a couple of the offensive skill players while stripping the ball on a couple of plays.

8/8: Another practice applauded, 'Dogs tuned up for debut of full pads

For the second consecutive day, the vets ended practice minutes earlier than the planned agenda called for. It should please you to know that is has been due to an in-shape team practicing with a good tempo and great efficiency.

In fact, Sunday's practice ended with an impressive amount of effort, inspired by a quick team huddle with a few words on behalf of Pat Hill before the final 10 plays. Hill urged his team to finish strong and push themselves to new limits when they felt they were tiring.

Here are some nuggets from today's events:

• It was heartbreaking to see and hear Zak Hill clutch his knee in pain during an 11-on-11 play today. Hill's left knee was motionless as he grabbed it and yelled audibly from across the field. Hill was eventually helped up and used crutches to make his way to a cart, where he was lifted on with assistance and without ever putting any pressure on the leg. Hill had been the first-team SS in each of the teams' first four practices.

• TE Michael Butler performed well in half-line running game work. One of Butler's most impressive plays was a block on the edge of the line that included a loud collision, followed by coaches praise.

• FBs Dylan Cruz and Austin Raphael also earned quite a bit of praise today for both high-impact blocks and blitz pick-ups.

• Jermaine Thomas made a jump-out-of-your-seat interception on a Ryan Colburn pass that was intended for Jamel Hamler in the back of the endzone. Thomas was initially beaten on a beautiful fake corner post route by Melly before showing tremendous recovery speed to cut in front of Hamler, make a leaping deflection of the ball, return to his feet, make a 180 degree turn and secure the interception.

• In the newcomers session, Victor Dean made a leaping, hands-over-head reception over a CB while getting tackled to the ground. Dean earned cheers from his veteran teammates stretching on top of the berm above the field.

• Jalen Saunders had the highlight of the day, however, when he ended the newcomers session with a touchdown catch in the very same corner as Dean. Saunders ran a corner route of his own, turned, and skied for a ball well above him. As he grasped the ball, Saunders was well up in the air and almost parallel to the ground, hands stretched out above his head, before gravity took over and his heels dragged behind on the grass below for a touchdown. His veteran teammates once again erupted in approval before taking the field.

• Tracy Slocum, much as I expected, is a pretty complete back. Slocum always takes quality reps in every drill and has initiated loud collisions on some runs and shown impressive elusiveness on others. He will add definite value to the depth of running backs.

• Defensive end Donnie Pritchett busted through for a sack on QB Derek Carr today. Pritchett has been steady throughout camp, but has yet to really standout until today.

• True frosh DT Tyeler Davison has looked slow and sloppy in defensive line agility drills. However, in half-line work today, Davison showed great strength and controlled the line of scrimmage on several occasions.

• True frosh RB E.J. Schexnayder injured his ankle early in practice Saturday, but played through it. Schexnayder spent Sunday rehabbing the ankle, though, and appeared to struggle through it. It took quite a bit of trainer motivation to end his claims that he couldn't make it through the session. It would be nice if Schexnayder can work through this like a Bulldog, because he has very nice size to be an effective RB, if only in short yardage situations.

Digesting the thoughts after 4 days:

When you've watched fall practice on a daily basis for year after year after year, you tend to notice certain trends, routines, styles and vibes. This applies to trainers, videotape collectors, coaches, players and well, you get the picture.

There is a reason for prefacing with that last graph. For whatever reason, it has become smack-in-the-face obvious that the initial practice personality of this team (through 4 days) is different than any other to date. As mentioned earlier, the team has completed each of its first two half pad practice sessions with great tempo and efficiency, resulting in practice ending minutes earlier than scheduled. There has been far less joking between players, much fewer wasted reps and an overall focus and intensity that really has been absent in many Fresno State teams within the past decade.

And now for more nuggets and thoughts from the first 4 days of practice:

• Linebacker Mario Moore has been impossible not to notice in pass coverage during newcomer sessions. He routinely jumps routes, bats down passes and has at least two interceptions in live situations.

• Many players are donning the relatively new Revolution Speed helmets, made by Riddell. Players such as Ben Jacobs, Travis Brown, Phillip Thomas and more have upgraded to latest model of football helmet technology.

• True freshman Andrew Gustafson, an offensive lineman from Arizona, has the prototypical body type for his left tackle position. Gustafson has also shown an unexpected mean streak in practice and is grasping his new role very quickly.

• JC transfer QB Kelly O'Brien is very tall (6'6") and very skinny. He possesses a very thin, wiry frame in addition to an awkward throwing motion. O'Brien appears to almost shot put the ball out of his ear. On out throws and throws at about 12 yards or less, O'Brien has the tendency to throw the ball very low with a downward trajectory. That being said, he has showed improvement early in his Bulldogs career, and throws a decent ball downfield. He is definitely still adjusting to the skill and speed of the Division I level, however.

• On day 2 of camp, Matt Lindsey showed up to the field in a new jersey number -- 2. But that has been the least of the headlines he has made. The young receiver out of Clovis High School has showed immense progress from the last time we saw him, enough so that he might push for some time on the field this year. Lindsey already had been a very good route runner and possesses great hands, but his acceleration and explosiveness after the catch has come as an eye-opener, considering the extent to which he has improved.

• Tracy Slocum never takes a rep off, and he appears to be earning the respect of his new teammates rather quickly because of it. Slocum initiates loud contact on tough inside runs while maintaining great balance, but also shows great quickness on slashes through the line and elusiveness in 1-on-1 situations. Slocum has also made several solid blitz pick-ups and received praise from both teammates and coaches in that area.

• An under-the-radar presence in this camp has been Justin Webber. Yes he is shorter that your typical safety, but he is a tough, smart player that will not hurt the team. Webber is more athletic than he has been given credit for and is constantly locked in on his assignment. Webber is currently working with the vets as the 2nd string free safety behind Lorne Bell. It will be interesting to see how his role is affected by the recent injury to Zak Hill.

• Last season, Jermaine Thomas made arguably the most impressive interception by a Fresno State defensive back during his late-game action at home against san jose state. Seeing him apply his abilities in a game situation only reaffirmed my view of him as the best cornerback in the Fresno State defensive backfield. He is outstanding in man press situations, has great closing speed and has a great instinct for making a play on the ball. Offensive skill players have told me "you're done" when he gets his hands on you.

• Offensive lineman Trevor Richter has moved to the guard spot this season. In previous seasons, Richter had worked out mostly at the tackle spot, but has since been getting work at both the left and right guard positions. His move may be partly due to theemergence of Marcel Jensen as a tackle.

• Speaking of Marcel Jensen, the former defensive lineman turned offensive tackle appears to be getting comfortable in his new spot. Jensen, who also had a lower leg injury to recover from, seems fully healthy and has shown a newfound strength and athletic ability to go with a fantastic frame (6'6" 260-270ish) for his position.

• It would be nearly impossible to pinpoint any one individual at wide receiver in the newcomer group. Jalen Saunders has shown dynamic, game-breaking speed and fits the mold of Devon Wylie. Victor Dean has been the slowest to acclimate to Coach Dub's outstanding route running teaching, but only because the rest are picking it up so quickly. That being said, Dean is a tall (6'6") receiver with pretty sticky hands and can definitely go up and get the ball. Josh Harper has looked impressive from the get-go, but has yet to make the spectacular play. Isaiah Burse is yet another true with well-rounded receiving abilities and is a big-play threat every down. Alex Jefferies is developing extremely quickly and has been arguably the most impressive in drill situations.

• In the TMI realm comes the debut of some new performance shorts the guys are sporting. The new Nike Pro Combat football short has made its way into the locker room, and appears to be widely accepted, after over-hearing Pat Hill's confirmation with team veterans.

• Nikko Motta doesn't appear to have the size you would expect from a defensive tackle (yet), but he has shown an ability to get into the backfield and generally be disruptive from his position. He has played with a great motor and is easily a defensive lineman to keep tabs on.

• Lorne Bell has displayed a noticeable improvement in his ability to change direction in coverage. Bell has often been a blanket in 1-on-1 coverage situations and has broken up several passes in addition to an interception.

• Derron Smith is becoming noticeably more comfortable and confident at his safety position while working with the newcomers. He is among the most active in the secondary and pushed the limits of half-pad physicality by laying several hits to players on the offensive side of the ball. If his rapid improvement continues, it will be interesting to see where he lands on the depth chart, given Zak Hill's injury is as serious as expected.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to get interactive as well on twitter, where we're always available at twitter.com/BulldogBounce.

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Fall Camp Notebook '010: Day 2

A much better looking performance by the 'Dogs at Valley Growers field today. Lots of news & notes that are blog-worthy, but in the interest of keeping your interest, we'll focus on the newcomers and less experienced players...

QB: Kelly O'Brien displayed a unique arm motion that appears almost like a shotput (which wasn't as clear watching his JC film), and again had trouble throwing passes into the ground in front of his targets. He did show the ability to throw deep, but the accuracy hasn't been there just yet in drills. He was also picked off on a nice play by LB Mario Moore cutting underneath. Greg Watson had a chance at an early touchdown in drills but underthrew his target and got picked off by S Ed Dillihunt.


RB: UCLA transfer Milton Knox showed up and worked out with the veterans today (wearing jersey No. 20). Knox is built in a similar mold to likely starter Robbie Rouse, but won't be eligible until the 2011 season. Freshman walk-on FB Tim House (6-3, 240) is one to keep an eye on as camp progresses. On high school film, House showed great power, tackle breaking and ball carrying ability. He likely won't carry the rock at Fresno State, but could develop into a high-level FB. Especially when keeping in mind how Pat Hill and Co. always seem to dig up talent at the position.

WR: A MUCH better day today with far less dropped passes. Coach Keith Williams was in his element teaching technique and motivating. The crisp route running and cuts of Isaiah Burse, coupled with his tools to play "alien" QB, makes him an immediate playing time candidate as a true freshman. Josh Harper still looks the most physically ready to play right away, and Jalen Saunders got a chance to show just how speedy he is in 7-on-7 drills burning cornerbacks.

TE: It'll be interesting to keep an eye on David Gory and Michael Butler to see who emerges as the team's top blocking tight end. That title could also belong to Tapa Taumoepeau, but he'll need to show drastic improvement from a season ago.

OL: Freshman Mariposa product Cody Wichmann (6-5, 275) dressed for the first time today, getting work along with fellow newcomer Andrew Gustafson (6-6, 270). Both are likely to redshirt with all the depth at the position.

DL: It's tough to tell a ton from non-contact drills, but Matt Akers (6-2, 225) was competing at a higher level for much of the morning. The problem is still his lack of size. Redshirt freshmen Ben Letcher, Nikko Motta and Tristan Okpalaugo also turned in strong repetitions. Okpalaugo looks to have added a lot of size to his previously rail-thin frame.

LB: More than any other position, it's a mystery how all the young talent will unfold. With three experienced starters, there will be a battle for playing time between Jeremiah Toma, Daniel Salinas, Damion Whittington, Pat Su'a and true freshmen Ofa Fifita and Lester Fontenette.

DB: Redshirt freshman Erik Brown was exploited in coverage today by true freshmen receivers. His redshirt counterpart J.B. Dock fared better. S Ed Dillihunt had a nice play on the interception, but in 7-on-7 drills stood on the sideline while Terrence Dennis and true freshman Derron Smith took reps. True freshman CB Anthony Riggins also was burned on a couple routes.

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