Fresno State - Saturday, September 8 - 2:30 p.m. (FSN) @ Kyle Field


OK, Aggie fan, you weren't pleased with the 38-7 win over DI-AA Montana State. You expected the newest version of the
Wrecking Crew to dominate from start to finish and for the explosive Aggie offense to run up at least 500 yards of total offense
and a mimimum of 45 points.

For anyone who's been around and witnessed several seasons of Aggie football, you knew what was coming next…..

"The season is over - we're simply not going to be good enough to overcome the difficult road schedule; the Wrecking Crew
needs more speed and athletic ability; and I'd bet my maroon-colored 4X4 that we'll never be able to complete another pass of
over 20 yards to a wide receiver."

Even if you are one of the most ardent supporters of the program and have never uttered a single negative word, you, if you're
honest with yourself, probably had similar thoughts on Saturday evening.

To try and gain some perspective, there have been other A&M teams with much higher expectations that have struggled more: In
1991, one of the best defensive teams in the modern era of Aggie football, surrendered 35 points in an early-season loss to
Tulsa; the 1975 Aggie team, which is widely recognized as having possessed the best defense in the last 35 years, gave up 31
in a late-season loss to Arkansas; and the 1993 A&M team (2nd to the 1975 team in points allowed) traveled to Norman and
yielded 44 points in an early-season loss to the Sooners.

On a day which saw #5 Michigan lose at home to DI-AA Appalachian State and #4 Texas struggle mightily with what should have
been a push-over - Arkansas State - the Aggies gave up 7 points and still won by 31.

So, probably the best advice for all (me included) came from Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle this past week - "chill out!"

Who really knows, maybe the Aggies do end up having trouble managing the difficult road schedule; maybe the current version of
the Wrecking Crew does need serious adjustment; and maybe this offense does prove incapable of putting up the huge numbers
we're all hoping for….but the opening game of 2007 will not be the indicator of how this A&M team will perform for the remainder
of the regular season.

The Fresno State Bulldogs, on the other hand, should provide a much better barometer of just how good the Aggies can, or can't,
be.

Since head coach Pat Hill's arrival in 1997, Fresno State has made a habit of playing tough teams on the road. The Bulldogs
have traveled to Neyland Stadium (Tennessee), Ohio Stadium (Ohio State), Memorial Stadium (Oklahoma), Tiger Stadium
(LSU), Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin) and the Rose Bowl (USC), among others.

Fresno State is one of few non-conference opponents A&M will face where you feel fairly certain in saying that they won't be
intimidated with playing the Aggies at Kyle Field!

The Bulldog resume' is impressive. Prior to last season's omission, Fresno State had gone to 7 consecutive bowl games,
registering wins over Georgia Tech, UCLA and Virginia.

Only 14 Division I-A schools have won more games than Fresno State since 1985 (A&M comes in at #10), and the Bulldogs
have the 10th most wins (52) since 2001. Fresno is tied with USC (172 wins) and second only to BYU (173) among Western
schools with the highest number of victories since 1985.

Fresno is a haven for top quarterbacks. The Bulldogs currently have three quarterbacks on NFL rosters - David Carr (Carolina),
Trent Dilfer (San Fransisco) and Billy Volek (San Diego) - and are the only school to have had two quarterbacks taken in the
top 10 picks of the NFL draft since 1990.


Fresno State offense versus Texas A&M defense:

6'5" 220 pound, junior quarterback, Tom Brandstater, is the newest Bulldog under center. Brandstater, who completed 16 of 27
passes for 199 yards and a touchdown in the season opener versus Sacramento State, started 10 games as a sophomore in
2006. Four Bulldog running backs gained over 40 yards in the opener and combined for an average of 7 yards per carry. True
freshman Ryan Mathews led the way with 77 yards on 11 carries, but sophomore Lonyae Miller (57 yards, 1 TD), senior
Clifton Smith (49 yards, 1 TD) and sophomore Anthony Harding (49 yards on 6 carries) all played significant minutes. Fresno
State will be an extremely difficult assignment for A&M because they are so balanced in their approach and can excel in all areas
equally well. Wide receiver Marlon Moore led the wide-outs last week with 7 catches for 70 yards, but if you direct too much of
your attention to stopping the run game then big (6'5" 260 pound) tight end Bear Pascoe can burn you deep and over the middle.
Pascoe, widely regarded as the best TE in the WAC conference, caught 3 balls for 91 yards (30.3 per catch average) and a
touchdown against Sacramento State. The Bulldog's offensive line is anchored by senior center Ryan Wedell (6'2" 285) and
junior offensive guard Cole Popovich (6'2" 290). Wedell, a Rimington and Outland trophy candidate, and Popovich, a
consensus first-team Freshman All-American in 2005, helped Fresno set a school record last season with only 12 quarterback
sacks allowed.

This game could prove to be an extremely stiff test for an A&M defense looking to make amends from the previous week. The
Bulldogs are well coached, always get quality quarterback play and have a balanced approach possessesing enough skill talent
to attack from every angle.

Advantage: Fresno State


Texas A&M offense versus Fresno State defense:

The Bulldogs defense allowed a miniscule 102 yards of total offense last week, a number which currently leads all DI-A schools,
and the Bulldogs did it without the services of one of their top interior players. Defensive tackle Jason Shirley, a two-year
starter, is currently serving a two-game suspension and will not play this weekend against the Aggies. Obviously the Bulldogs
have adequate replacements, but containing A&M and their run game could be a far tougher test than what Fresno State faced in
week #1. The loss of Shirley along with an A&M offensive line eager to show their value following a sub-par opener could mean a
big day for running backs Jorvorskie Lane and Mike Goodson. The Bulldog defensive ends are solid, with Tyler Clutts, a
Nagurski and Hendricks award candidate, and Ikenna Ike manning the position. Senior Marcus Riley leads an active
linebacker corps and the defensive backfield is spear-headed by senior cornerback Damon Jenkins.

It will be interesting to see how the Aggies attack Fresno State, but A&M should be able to pick their poison and function
efficiently in any area they choose. The numbers put up by Fresno in the opener were impressive, but this A&M team possesses
far more weapons and is much more powerful than an under-manned Sacramento State squad.

Advatage: Texas A&M


Special Teams - other intangibles:

Academic All-America and Lou Groza award candidate, kicker Clint Stitser, is the leader of the Bulldog special teams. Stitser,
who has made good on 22 of his 30 career attempts, graduated in May with a perfect 4.0 GPA. But the highlights for the Bulldog
special teams don't end there, as Senior Clifton Smith sports a 17.3 (career) punt return average and holds the Fresno State
record with a 92 yard return for a touchdown. Additionally, there have been 71 blocked kicks and punts since coach Pat Hill took
over in 1997, an average of 1 for every two games played.

Advantage - Even


PREDICTION:

Don't fool yourself into looking past this opponent -- Fresno State has historically been a very solid opponent and their history, as
has already been mentioned, speaks for itself. This game is somewhat concerning and that statement has nothing to do with
Montana State or the results from week #1, but more to do with Fresno State. The Bulldogs have a great coach! Pat Hill's teams
are always disciplined and know how to mix it up and execute in both the passing game and power run game. The difficult thing
for A&M is that California and Montana State have both provided Fresno with a blueprint for what should be successful against
A&M, and a Pat Hill coached team will know how to take full advantage. I believe the Aggies need to focus on what they do best -
establish the run - keep the football without turning it over and attempt to gain control of the game early. I think A&M could be in
serious trouble if they get too cute and waste opportunities by doing things out of their comfort zone. In fact, I believe that if the
Aggies can't establish the run in this one then they could be staring a loss squarely in the face. Fresno State will score on offense
and A&M must match them offensively. Folks will probably draw the conclusion that I'm making that statement because of the
results produced on defense in last week's game, but, in my mind, those results have nothing to do with it -- I'd be saying the
same thing if A&M had won 72-0 last weekend. Fresno State is a solid team, balanced on offense and potentially troubling for
A&M in a number of areas. Put it this way, if A&M comes away with a W in this one then there'll be no need to overanalyze
it….they're a solid team and ready for the next step.

Texas A&M 34 - Fresno State 24