Why the Red Wave can love Fresno State QB Jake Haener: He is as polite as he is tough
Jake Haener didn’t put himself before the Gatorade cart.
Fresno State football fans still riding the emotional high from Saturday night also shouldn’t put the cart before the horse.
Less than 36 hours after a hobbled Haener led Fresno State to a frenzied 40-37 victory over UCLA at the Rose Bowl that lifted the Bulldogs into the national rankings, the senior quarterback seemed to be walking just fine Monday morning when I spotted him on campus.
Outside the Meyers Family Sports Medicine Center, where he received treatment for the pounding he took from the Bruins, Haener walked up to the front door and held it open so that a trainer pushing a cart loaded with bottles of sports drink could go in first.
That’s quite a combo of character traits. Toughness, the kind Haener exhibited in a performance that inspired a thousand Twitter memes and thrust him into the Heisman Trophy race, mixed with politeness.
“He’s a good kid,” Fresno State senior associate athletic director Frank Pucher said. “It is the real deal. It’s as authentic as can be.”
Are the Bulldogs the real deal? Are they an authentic top 25 team? By early indications, absolutely. Ultimately, though, those questions will be answered in the coming weeks and months.
For now, what’s certain are the grit and gumption Fresno State displayed Saturday night against UCLA as well as the buzz generated among the Red Wave following Haener’s perfectly thrown pass to Jalen Cropper for the winning touchdown with 14 seconds left.
Nothing like a dramatic victory over a name-brand opponent in a historic venue to re-energize a fan base that hasn’t had much to cheer about lately. What’s a sure sign the Red Wave is feeling euphoric? When friendly arguments break out between fans over where this win ranks in their collective memories.
Does it surpass beating Boise State in the snow in 2018? (Since that was for a conference title, I’m gonna say no.) Or do we have to go back even further? Wisconsin in 2001, which capped an improbable 3-0 start and inspired a certain Sports Illustrated cover that recently turned 20? Arizona in 1984, when the late, great Vince Wesson caught the winning 80-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left?
It’s all part of the collective fun. And judging by the post-game video, the 6,000 to 7,000 Bulldogs loyalists who made the drive to Pasadena definitely got their fill of joy. (Provided they didn’t leave early.)
Excitement among Fresno State fans ‘through the roof’
By all indications, more want to join in.
Friday night games, such as the one Fresno State plays this week against UNLV at Bulldog Stadium, have always been a tough sell. Not this week. By Tuesday afternoon, eager fans snapped up nearly 5,000 tickets.
“The excitement level is through the roof,” Pucher said. “A win like that reminds people of the power that Fresno State football can have.”
While it’s only been three years since the Bulldogs last cracked the top 25, that team didn’t get the accolade until late in the season. It has been much longer (2008) since Fresno State was ranked this early, and the story of that year is a cautionary tale. Coming off an emotional 36-31 victory over UCLA at the Rose Bowl, Pat Hill’s 22nd-ranked squad returned home and lost 32-29 in overtime to a Hawaii team that entered 2-5.
It’ll be up to second-year coach Kalen DeBoer and staff to ensure the same fate doesn’t befall the 2021 edition. Of course, having a quarterback as tough and accurate as Haener, receivers as explosive as Cropper and special teams aces with the hustle of Mac Dalena (the Memorial High product who chased down a state champion sprinter on a kickoff return, costing the Bruins four points) certainly helps.
Because Fresno State cracked the top 25 in September, there’s a real opportunity for the momentum and excitement to build toward a late-season crescendo. Provided, of course, the Bulldogs don’t slip up against what looks to be a softer part of their schedule.
Red Wave has responsibility to follow COVID rules
Fans being fans, however, some can’t help but project. No sooner did the Saturday night’s celebration start to die down than my Twitter and email inbox began to fill up with inane questions.
If Fresno State and No. 3 Oregon both win out, will the Bulldogs get a berth in the College Football Playoff?
Wins like this have got to help Fresno State get into a Power 5 conference, right?
Whoa, Nellie. Before tackling either of those subjects, let’s see the Bulldogs finish the regular season 12-1 and draw sellout crowds to Bulldog Stadium for the first time since Derek Carr was flinging passes to Davante Adams. (Aside from the 2014 home opener when Nebraska fans packed the place.)
Speaking of crowds, Fresno State fans have a responsibility to adhere to the university’s honor system regarding COVID-19 vaccinations and mask wearing. Unlike Oregon and Boise State, where fans must show proof of vaccination or a recent negative test to gain stadium entry, or Hawaii, which isn’t allowing fans at all, the Red Wave is being trusted to do the right thing at a time when local hospitals are stuffed with sick patients.
Kind of like the star quarterback, on a day filled with national accolades and media requests, politely holding open a door.
This story was originally published September 22, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
