2003 Statistics

Quarterback
Junior Paul Pinegar returns for his third season as the Bulldog starting quarterback. After a solid freshman campaign, he struggled in '03 while trying to overcome a torn muscle injury, which caused him to miss the first five games. Although he showed improvements by season's end, he was never quite the same quarterback - this is something to keep an eye on. Pinegar struggles a bit with his feel for the game, often throwing fastballs when touch is required, and then lofting it too much when a dart is required. Despite his rocky road, he is ranked in the school's top ten for career passing yards and touchdowns, and throws only one interception for every 60 throws. Pinegar has the physical tools and has worked hard to improve his arm strength, now he must show more consistency.

Running Back
The running back position is expected to be a major strength. A year ago, Fresno State ran the ball more than they threw it, a bi-product of quarterback struggles combined with their surprise find at running back. Leading rusher Dwayne Wright is not the typical small-sized WAC rusher. After replacing Rodney Davis as the starter, he flourished by pounding the conference's under-sized defensive fronts. Short-yardage specialist Bryson Sumlin has the upper hand as backup on the depth chart after leading the team with 10 touchdowns. When the Bulldogs do line up in the I-formation, Stephen Spach steps onto the field. He rarely carries the ball, but provides a fantastic lead blocker out of the backfield and as a pass-catching option around the goal line (13 receptions). This position is by far the deepest unit and will be for quite some time as sophomore Robbie DuBois, freshman Shannon Dorsey and UCLA transfer Wendell Mathis all impressed through out the spring.

Wide Receiver
In a nutshell, not one single receiver on the current roster caught a touchdown pass last season period. This is Fresno's major concern. Big expectations fall on the shoulders of Joe Fernandez and Jermaine Johnson to become Pinegar's new go-to guys. Fernandez is one of those small/quick players whom the coaches love to throw to in short patterns to see if he can (then) make plays. On the contrary, Jermaine Johnson is a 6'3 prototype receiver who made big-impact plays as a freshman (four catches over 40 yards), but last year he developed a habit for dropping passes. As the Dogs will play three- and four-receiver formations, watch out for speedy return man Adam Jennings and raw but athletic Paul Williams. Williams has game breaking skills in practice, but it hasn't shown on the field. Overall, this group has physical talent galore but will need time to season individually and gel collectively, as well as just earn the confidence of Pinegar.

Tight End
Duncan Reid is back to give the Bulldogs an athletic TE who can create coverage problems with his size and speed. Reid came on as the primary pass-catching TE at the end of 2003 and he can also be utilized as an extra blocker along the front line. The Bulldogs do most of their running inside the tackles, so if Reid can become a more consistent blocker, it will lend an opportunity for more variety to the rushing attack. Senior Stephen Spach will line up at TE in many formations in what has been referred to during his previous seasons as an H-back. You must be versatile to play TE in Coach Pat Hill's system and Spach brings this aspect to the table more so than anyone. Also keep and eye on big Mark Wood (6-4, 243), another one of many quality TEs on the team, as he returns from a knee injury that limited his season a year ago.

Offensive Line
The Dogs returns all five starters and much experience along the offensive front. It's a solid run- and pass-blocking group, led by freshman All-America center Kyle Young and second-team All-WAC selection Dartangon Shack, who will return to his more natural position of guard after starting 14 games at left tackles in 2003. Shack is one of the strongest players on the team and is a highly rated candidate for All-American honors. The unit's experience should pave the way for the most balanced offensive attack Pat Hill has ever had at Fresno State. As stated above, the strength of the unit is primarily inside, where Kawika Edwards, Young and Sean Finnerty provide an impenetrable wall for defenders to climb. An area of improvement will be seen as the group can lower the 26 sacks total allowed last season, but this was also a result of shaky decision-making by the quarterbacks. The experience, trust, and abilities of this unit will help expand the playbook, once again causing some sleepless nights for opposing defensive coordinators.

OFFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Experience will be the calling card as nine starters return - including the entire line- from an offense that was the team's Achilles heel a year ago. Only 350 yards per game is unheard of production from a Pat Hill coached team, and it is not likely these struggles will continue. The group is tried and tested at all the key positions, except receiver. But even there, these coaches will turn the raw talent available into productivity quickly. The difficulty for them, coaching in the pass-happy WAC, will be recognizing/practicing the fact that their running game is the strength of this offense. If they do this, the Bulldogs will be able to leverage the abilities of Wright at running back to soften opponents and open up the play-action passing game, alleviating the pressures off Pinegar.

Defensive Line
This unit can create havoc with their quickness (32 sacks), but is a typical under-sized WAC front. With the exception of Donyell Booker at tackle, the starters average just barely over 250 pounds and were exposed for 175 yards per game rushing in '03. Defensive end Brian Morris was granted a sixth year of NCAA eligibility, and his great pass-rushing abilities (11 sacks) are a bonus to a unit that has depth questions. Former walk-on Garrett McIntyre went through several injuries before picking up steam, ending '03 as the defensive MVP for the bowl game win over UCLA. Together, both Morris and McIntyre represent 19 sacks from a year ago. End Claude Sanders, provides another good pass-rusher but needs more discipline for support in the outside running game. As a unit, this group will swarm and attack the ball early but could wear down as the game progresses due to the motors constantly running...fair warning to opposing QBs, watch your backside.

Linebacker
Middle linebacker Dwayne Andrews is a punishing 240-pound sophomore who played last year when starter Marc Dailey was banged up, responding with 21 tackles in three starts against Tennessee, Oregon State and Oklahoma. Enough said. Get your track shoes on for Manny Sanchez, a speed burner on the outside who gives this defense a dual threat as a run-stopper and as a quality extra defender in pass coverage. The other outside linebacker will be Todd Garcia, a short and stocky player with a hard-nosed pension for the ball. This group will provide the Dogs an aggressive defensive attack in the middle and underneath sections of the field.

Defensive Back
In the WAC, a solid secondary is often the most important difference-maker among teams. Fresno State is in good hands, returning three starters and eight experienced players overall. All-WAC safety James Sanders, the team's leading tackler two years running, plays along heady Tyrone Culver to man the middle. Raymond Washington and Awan Diles are the starting corners. Even though Diles has great closing speed he gives receivers too much cushion, and will be challenged by Richard Marshall. Marshall is a playmaker who returned a pick for a touchdown. This secondary will not only shut down opposing passing attacks, but also can make game-turning plays on the scoreboard.

DEFENSIVE BREAKDOWN
Eight starters return from a defensive unit that carried this team. Fresno State lines up in a base four-three but has tendencies of ample movement before the snap, usually leading to blitzes. In the past, coaches took the pressure off the back four by having them play it safe in coverage. This year, the secondary (perhaps the best this program has ever compiled) has the speed and reactionary abilities to capably play tighter in man-to-man. As a result, the coaches will take more risks. The front-seven will be strong in passing situations but needs to toughen up against the run. Fortunately for Fresno, WAC teams tend to pass more than run, playing right into the strengths of this defense.