This is an odd topic for the first day of football practice because there aren't many hits on Day 1.
No one even wears football pants or leg pads on opening day.
All around Fresno State's first 2009 fall practice, I asked people to name some of the big defensive hits of the last three seasons. List a few of those fumble-causing, teeth-jarring hits that change football games.
About all anyone could come up with was that one by linebacker Marcus Riley on Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan two seasons ago.
Oh, and Kyle Knox had those two sacks against Rutgers last year.
Let's see, there also was that time Dwayne Wright shoved down a Washington Huskies defender.
Of course, Wright was a running back, which is the point, really. It is the defense that's supposed to be providing the memorable punishment, and there just hasn't been much the last three seasons.
Phillip Thomas is a redshirt freshman from Bakersfield, one of four guys competing for starting safety along with Moses Harris and Marvin Haynes and Lorne Bell. When asked what he would like to see the defense do this season, Thomas pulled out everyone's wish list.
"Big hits, big plays, interceptions," he said. "I want to see the defense try to score as many points as the offense."
The last three seasons have been frustrating for Bulldogs fans, the quarterback play and special teams and the defensive line. But in a more general analysis, the Bulldogs just don't hit the way they used to.
Listen to this statistic: In the last three seasons, Fresno State has made 14 interceptions. Incredible, isn't it? That's just 14 interceptions in 38 games. One interception every three games. Opponents have thrown 1,209 passes and completed 721, and the Bulldogs have managed to pick off just 14.
By comparison, during that same time, Boise State has 56.
Partly, that is skewed by the fact that the Broncos are always ahead, but it's pretty telling. The Bulldogs aren't hitting the quarterback. They aren't scaring anyone from going across the middle. The defensive backs aren't making big plays.
"We talk about it all the time," Thomas said after Thursday's first practice. "We talk about how we need to create turnovers. That's a big deal to us. We're doing a lot more things on defense, blitzing and things, so we can cause turnovers and get interceptions and be in the right position to make big plays."
The past two years have not been easy for the Bulldogs defense. As a whole, it has not been particularly big, or especially fast, and certainly not deep. It has been patched together with young players, at linebacker one season and at defensive line another. You do not usually win college football games with young defensive linemen.
The late Dan Brown was the defensive coordinator of those teams. There were days he was so sick he couldn't go to practice. He could not stand on the sideline during games.
"It was tough for him," says cornerback Isaiah Green, "but every moment with coach Brown was awesome. Every moment. Because he was such a positive guy. Even if he was down, he would lift you up. And me, as a young guy, I loved being around coach Brown. I loved being around his son."
They still say his name in unison at the end of practices. Brown taught and encouraged even as he was dying, and what those players and coaches learned from him will carry on longer than football.
No one would ever say this, because they would never want it to sound like an excuse, but his battle had to take a toll on the players and the other coaches. And trying to coordinate a college defense while fighting brain cancer is an incredible task to ask of a man. He asked it of himself, though, expected it the way he expected it from any of his players. It's what he loved to do, and he did it until the end.
The defensive players are saying there will be more blitzing this year. They will be more aggressive. The Bulldogs are probably not big enough to line up and stuff Wisconsin. They are probably not fast enough to cover Boise State all over the field. They will have to be creative, take chances, blitz, try any way they can to create those turnovers, make those big hits that Fresno State football players used to make.
Green put it well: "For each game, we want to do something big and positive. We're doing it for coach Brown this year."
A few rules are needed to help foster a feeling of community. We encourage a free and open exchange of ideas in a climate of mutual respect, but any post that violates someone's right to use and enjoy fresnobee.com is prohibited. Before you post, please read the terms of use and obey these simple guidelines.
Here are the ground rules:
Contents of this site are © Copyright The Fresno Bee. All rights reserved.
E-Mail
Print
@Nyx.CommentBody@