Fresno State Is Ready, Able

By Steve Henson

Dec. 30, 2003 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

SAN JOSE — Sleepy town. Sparse crowd. Soggy field.

Sluggish team?

UCLA had better hope not, because its Silicon Valley Classic opponent is sure to be lively and loaded for bear.

Forget the widening gulf between the Bruins and No. 1 USC for a moment. The Trojans are so far ahead as a program, their taillights aren’t even visible.

Somebody else is gaining on UCLA, and that somebody will be looking for the passing lane tonight at Spartan Stadium.

Fresno State, a program with lofty aspirations and impudence to match, believes the time has come to show anyone paying attention that it is big-time.

That it deserves better than the non-BCS Western Athletic Conference and four consecutive Silicon Valley Classic appearances.

That its visions of a 70,000-seat stadium amid San Joaquin Valley orchards are not hayseed hallucinations.

That the very real trepidation Pacific 10 Conference teams have in scheduling the Bulldogs is based on more than the paranoia of losing to lettuce growers in suspenders.

That it is every bit as good as UCLA, despite the decided lack of beaches and movie stars.

In other words, this might be the biggest game in Fresno State history.

“For us to play UCLA, a California team, is very, very important,” Coach Pat Hill said. “As the years have gone on, getting games against Pac-10 teams is difficult.”

Hill, 8-5 this year and 54-34 in seven seasons, sees his team stepping up to a BCS conference soon. How soon? He can’t get there fast enough.

“When the new Division I standards come out, hopefully we are paying our dues to be in a new structure,” he said. “Then recruiting will change.

“The reason I’ve stayed is, I believe it can happen. In the next three years, I’ll find out if it can.”

Hill made the comments at a news conference Monday. Sitting not eight inches to his left was UCLA Coach Karl Dorrell, who, to his credit, did not flinch. A day earlier, Dorrell had assessed his opponent, saying, “We understand Fresno State has talent, as much or more than we have. They want to prove a point.”

UCLA (6-6) has its own proving to do. The Bruins have lost four in a row, fading badly during the stretch run of a schedule back-loaded with difficult conference opponents.

“We have one more try to get the bad taste out of our mouths and send the seniors out on a positive note,” Dorrell said.

UCLA did so last season, beating New Mexico in the Las Vegas Bowl, finishing 8-5 in a season deemed so unacceptable that Coach Bob Toledo was fired. With nearly the same personnel, Dorrell let the program slip further from the USCs and closer to the Fresno States.

Questions have lingered since the 47-22 loss to the Trojans on Nov. 22 concluded the regular season. The Silicon Valley Classic might provide clues.

Can the Bruins finally make sense of the West Coast offense after several additional weeks of practice? The job status of more than one assistant coach might ride on the answer.

Is Drew Olson a quarterback who can make plays and not simply avoid mistakes? He no longer must look over his shoulder to see if Matt Moore is warming up because Moore is transferring.

Is Maurice Drew the tailback of the future? The freshman won’t have to share the carries with Tyler Ebell, who is out with a shoulder injury.

“We’ve been looking for answers, and I think we are getting closer,” Olson said. “We’ve had great practices, enthusiasm has been good, and I think we are ready to play well and win. It’s something we need.”

History is on the Bruins’ side. Fresno State has not beaten UCLA in six tries. The last meeting was the closest, with UCLA squeaking out a 24-21 victory at the Rose Bowl in 2000.

“We’re 0-6, and that’s the bottom line,” Hill said.

Fresno State played in the previous three Silicon Valley Classics, losing the first two and beating Georgia Tech last year.

The Bulldogs view themselves as being stuck in a rut. They need a springboard to respectability and are poised to jump all over UCLA.

“We’ve got to be ready,” Olson said. “They’ve got a lot of motivation in this game. I think we do too. We want to regain some respect ourselves.”