Joining The Voice of The Bulldogs Paul Loeffler this week at The Point Patio Bar & Bistro was Fresno State Head Football Coach Tim Skipper and Defenice Captains Devon Bridges and Tuasivi Nomura as they talked about this weeks gaem at home against Sacramento State.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
On the Bulldog Sports Network from Learfield. This is the
Bulldog Football Hour, presented by American pistachio growers, powering the
Valley one.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Nut at a time.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Also brought to you by Table Mountain Casino Resorts, Lucky
Days and Epic Knights, and by Pepsi, official soft drink
of Fresno State Athletics. Now live from the Point Pettio
Bari Pistro, here's your host, the voice of the Bulldogs,
Paul Leffler.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Hey, hey, hey, it is great to be back out
here at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro. The misters
are on sor be out there saying, man, it's triple
digits today. I don't know if I can go out.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah you can.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
They've got you taken care of here at the Point
of fantastic menu, a new menu that I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Have to study tonight because I haven't seen it yet.
We're gonna be talking Bulldog football throughout the hour.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
We've got a couple Bulldog players, the two defensive captains
Stevi Nomura and Devo Bridges on their way, but of
course we always have the coach. And I saw someone
else in the crowd today. I said, you know, we
need to put this guy to work, because if you're
gonna be a Valley Children Stadium Saturday night, seven o'clock
kick against Sacramento State, hopefully you're gonna hear touchdown Fresno
(01:13):
State quite a bit from the public address announcer Matt Leaver,
or as we called him back in my CBS forty
seven days Worm, one of the greatest video editors of
all time. But he's really good on the microphone too,
So I'm gonna let him introduce our first guest tonight.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Matt.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Take it away, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor
and a pleasure to welcome your head coach of the
Fresno State Bulldogs making his home debut this Saturday against
Sacramento State. Ladies and gentlemen, Tim Skipper.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
See away fight right, And I was waiting for the
tuxedo and the bowtie there, Worm. Next time, we'll Michael
buffer it out for you, Coach. Wouldn't it be nice
if someone followed you around and introduced you that way
everywhere you went?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
No doubt that was impressive. I wasn't ready for that.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
We got a lot of special people in this town
and there's gonna be a lot of special people from
the Valley Saturday Night at Valley Children Stadium, and we're
gonna talk about the Michigan game. We're gonna talk about
the next opponent, Sack State. But man, I know you've
been looking forward to walking down that ramp, not as
a fan pulling for your brother, not as a player,
(02:28):
not as an assistant coach, but the head coach of
the Fresno State Bulldogs. Yes, indeed, can you help all
these people out here on the packed patio of the
Point Patio bar and bistro. Man, that's a lot of peas.
Can you help them understand what that's gonna feel like
for you?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I'm still trying to figure it out, to be honest.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
I've been up and down that ramp a thousand times
for numerous different reasons, whether it's game day or just
to go do a commercial that used to IQ commercials,
all kinds of stuff, right, have all these emotions, but
never ever leading the team out and being in front
of the team and having a speech before we leave,
and to run on that field for the first time
(03:06):
as the head coach.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
It's gonna be amazing.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
I don't know if there is words because you get
in my heart to start pumping right now. But all
I know, i'mna be fired up and I'm gonna run
really fast at a sideline so excited for it.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
You're gonna be more nervous running in turf shoes and
coaches slacks than you wear when pads and cleats and
all that.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
See, when I was playing, I feel like I controlled
a lot more than when I'm coaching. This coaching thing
is kind of stressful. So all I'm doing is signaling
and yelling and smiling.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
And we saw that smile.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
National TV got to see that smile in the biggest
stadium in the country on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And your team, man, I mean.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
As you said right afterways a couple of plays away,
I know you're moving on to sax State and this
is a stiff challenge that we're gonna talk about tonight.
But biggest takeaways from that experience for you, your staff,
and your team there in ann Arbor.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Oh Man.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
So we wanted the game to be dirty and messy
and close and all that, and it was like perfectly
how we wanted it scripted. Everything was going right. It
was a one score game and just a couple of plays.
If we make us a couple more plays, we get
what we wanted. So just to be so close was exciting.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Obviously we wanted to finish that thing, but I was
probably the way our guys attacked the game plan. They
understood the moment. They took every play, one play at
a time. It has its own history, just a couple
of plays, but I'm excited about the future.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
We're gonna be fine.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Saturday night, seven o'clock against Sack State the home opener
for the Bulldogs, who were home the next two Saturdays,
So mark your calendars and be there.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Now. This is a big deal.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And Coach, I don't know how much you're citing this
in recruiting, but a lot of the people here pay
attention enough to know. Fresno State last year led the
nation in attendance among schools outside of the Power Five.
Nobody else in the country outside of the Power five
had more people at the games or a greater percent
of the stadium full than Fresno State did. But when
(05:04):
you're recruiting, if you can say that the Bulldogs did
that two years in.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
A row, that carries a lot more weight. It's big time.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
Right now, somebody asked me, like, tell me about the
stadiums that are the loudest and the best atmosphere, And
right off the bat, when Bulldog stadiums sold out, there's
nothing better than that. It gets loud, people understand football,
they're cheering their rock and there's red all over the place.
It's ridiculously fun. So if we can do that again,
that's that's tremendous. And I know the Red Wave can
(05:30):
do that.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
So Saturday night, seven o'clock tickets at go Bulldogs dot com.
We've got to sell this thing out six times this
year if you want to lead the nation in a
group of five attendants again this year seven o'clock Saturday night.
Our pregame coverage will start at five. We're debuting a
new tailgate show set with the Red Wave light logger
Tioga Sequoia Bring the.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Juice Tailgate Set. I think I said that right. It's
something like that.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
But they're gonna have a lot of fun over there
on Bulldog Boulevard. That's where it's gonna be, Tom Bulldog Boulevard.
And if if you come join us tonight at the
point Patti Obar and Bistro, you have a chance to
win a pair of tickets, and not just any tickets,
red seats to Saturday and nights home opener against sax State.
You have to be here at the point to win tonight.
(06:15):
So coach, you know you just talked about the experience
there in ann Arbor, and one more thing about that
un till I come back to the home environment we're
going to see Saturday. Did you learn anything about your team?
Because I know you think you know who they are,
and then the lights come on and the pads start popping,
and sometimes you see things you didn't see before. Is
there anything you took away from this game that gives
(06:36):
you a better feel for who your team.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Is this year?
Speaker 5 (06:40):
I just like the way we were prepared, because you know,
first games, funny stuff happens, and nothing really funny happened.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You know, you just want to make more plays.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
But the way the guys attacked the game plan and
how it was working so much till the very end,
it just showed me that these guys are listening, they're
dialed in, and they're excited about the season as much
as I am. Also, So I just liked the way
they attacked the game plan. They executed everything we wanted.
We'd have crazy penalties. We didn't get all those personal
fouls and things like that that happened on the other side.
(07:09):
We were very disciplined. That's what I learned. I learned
that sod because I know we'll hit, I know we'll
play hard, I know we'll do all that. But the
execution of what we wanted to get accomplished happened. So
I'm just very proud of that, and I learned a
lot from that.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
And Saturday night brings an opportunity to get in the
win column seven o'clock against Sex State. There's already a
question on the x app or Twitter if you're still
in the dark ages like me and still call it
that ask fs is the hashtag you've got to use.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Ask fs. I'm going to get to that in a minute.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
But when it comes to this home environment on Saturday night,
I hear through the grapevine that you haven't just been
coaching players, You've been coaching up the band a little bit,
making some special requests for Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Is there some truth to this? Rimmer? You know, I
went to talk to the band.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Great experience, by the way, awesome kids in there, and
they're working, and they're loud, they're energetic. But just want
to get back to when Pat Hill is a coach
here and I was playing and those things.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
The band was included in our pregame.
Speaker 5 (08:06):
So we're trying to get back to that tradition again,
get them included.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And that's what college.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
Football is, right, It's tailgates, it's the cheerleaders, it's the band,
it's the team, it's the fun of that. So we
want to encompass all of that all in one atmosphere,
one moment in Valley Children's Stadium and get back to
our roots.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
A little bit, all right, So if we show up
Saturday night, we'll be able to feel and hear what
you're talking.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
About inside the stadium and outside the stadium.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Just have to show up.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
That's all you got to do is show up. And
we'd love to have you show up tonight. We're here
at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro, northwest corner of
Willow and Knees. You can ask questions in person. If
you want to win those tickets, you have to be
here to win. There's a helmet around here somewhere that
we're going to put your names in the helmet and
draw a winner or two out of that helmet when
we get to that point. Here's another question. This came
(08:58):
on the X app from Presno's. He says, it's for
the coach and the players. Maybe we'll hit the players
with it later. What are you doing this week and
preparing for an FCS opponent differently than last week coming
off a Big Ten team?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Sax State is no joke, actually said different than last year.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Last year the Bulldogs opened at Purdue then hosted Eastern Washington,
so that's what he's making reference to. And he said
sax State is no joke shouldn't be taken lightly. I
don't think he has to tell you that.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
Definitely not. And I worked there so I know how
they operate a little bit. But we were preparing the
same really the same way we did last week. We're
preparing the same way. The thing that changes is the schemes, right,
so that's what changes the practice. But our structure and
our attention to detail and our work ethic and the
speed in which we operate, all of that is the same.
We're just trying to get better and better in stack days.
(09:48):
That's really what it is. But sax State's a very
good opponent. I mean, we're gonna have our hands full.
Is not to take them slightly at all. Care what
conference they're in or division or whatever. It's gonna be
a good ballgame.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Yeah, you were there.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
It's been twenty years though, since you were a young
assistant coach in your twenties for former Bulldogs Steve Mushagian.
Impressive where the Hornets have come since those days in
terms of resources and success at that level.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
Oh big time. I feel bad for coach Boost because
he didn't have anything. I mean, he wasn't even football
wasn't that important. So we were trying to get it important,
you know, and he hired a lot of former Dogs
and things like that to work there and stuff. But
then now they've invested in football. You can see it.
Even their uniforms and everything look real nice. So they
have an actual locker room. We had a trailer that's
(10:33):
where we changed. So just to see the growth of
that school is impressive.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
It's the state.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
It's a state school just like us, so you know,
we have that familiarity. But I'm happy for them. They've
built up a good program and they're gonna be very.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Competitive Saturday Night seven o'clock Bulldog home opener. Six guaranteed
chances to catch the Dogs at home this fall, and
you don't want to miss the first one. Saturday Night
seven o'clock tickets right now at go Bulldogs dot com
or come here and win. We'll be right back from
the Point Patio Bar and Bistro. Find us on the
patio with the misters on to cool you off, whatever
you want to drink and some fantastic food like that
(11:09):
is that chips and salsa just came out.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
We got some tachos working there.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
We've got it all at the Point and we're back
with Coach Skipper after this on the Bulldog Sports Network
from Deerfield. Back here at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro.
It's the Bulldog Football Hour and we're with you till
seven o'clock. We're gonna be giving away a couple pairs
(11:33):
of red seats for Saturday nights season opener against Sacramento State.
That'll be a seven o'clock kickoff at Valley Children Stadium.
Our pregame coverage on the radio starts at five o'clock
with the iHeart Bulldog's Tailgate Show coming to you for
the first time ever from the brand new Bring the
Juice tailgate set, brought to you by a red wave
light logger. That new beer that you're seeing everywhere, we're
(11:54):
brought to you tonight here at the Point by American
Pistachio Growers, powering the Valley one nut at a time.
We thank the American Pistachio Growers for their continued support
of Fresno State Athletics and for being the presenting sponsor
of our show. You might see some pistachios coming around
to your tables tonight. Mark you've got some right there, huh,
open them up, crack them, let's go. The pads are
(12:15):
going to be cracking on Saturday night for Fresno State
and Sacramento State. We have Coach Tim Skipper here and
a little bit will be joined by the two defensive
captains this year, pair of sixty year seniors from the
Inland Empire in Sevi, Nomura and Devo Bridges. They're getting
their favorite food from the Point right now, and maybe
we'll ask them about what they're eating tonight. If you've
got a question for those guys or the coach, you
(12:35):
can send it our way using the X app with
the hashtag ask fs coach. Right now, let's get our
practice update, brought to you by Pepsi, the official soft
drink of Fresno State Athletics. Practice Practice practice, and now
you had some game film to then have the guys
digest and emphasize some new things in practice. Any observations
(12:58):
from the first couple. I mean, you guys don't practice Monday,
but you had yesterday, you had today.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
What are you seeing from your squad?
Speaker 5 (13:05):
You know, as a coach, you're always worried about them
having a layoff and you know it's a big game
and a long trip and all that and having a
hangover type effect, but that really hasn't happened.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Guys attacked practice this week.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
We go in the morning, so they're up in the
building by six fifteen every single morning. So we're grinding
and they've been awake, why, bright eyed, bushy tailed, ready
to go, learning new little adjustments that we're going to make.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
And it's been awesome. It really has.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
We have a good team as far as off the
field and mentally, these guys are really really dialed in.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
So it's good to see.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
You know, I'm thinking back to your days as a
player here and you were talking about what the environment's
going to be like Saturday night at Valley Children's Stadium
and what sax State is coming into And it occurred
to me during the commercial break, I should ask you,
did you ever have a game while you were playing
here and you played in a lot of games, made
a lot of tackles second all time where somebody and
(14:00):
the other team said something about the fans here and
how he felt about them or what he remembered, and
maybe he ran into a guy ten years later and
he had a comment about what it was like to
play here in the Valley.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
My biggest takeaway from you bringing that type of thing
up is just the quarterbacks when we're at the line
and they're trying to get checks and things and they're
sitting here.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
I can't hear.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I can't hear. You know, they're doing that thing.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
And then the players with leg was up and we're
all just ready to go and keep getting this going
like that.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
That's what I remember.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
When the crowd is on you can't hear in there
on the field, you really can't.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
I've experienced it.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
So being on defense, we do everything signal wise anyway,
so it's awesome to see how the offense and all
their cute plays and all that communication they have to
make and they can't do it.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
I mean, the crowd really affects the game. So there's
your marching orders, red wave. What you want to see
is the quarterback putting his hands to his head because
he can't hear. Of course, there is that in helmet
communication thing now, and I haven't asked you about that
and how you guys are used and getting used to it,
and I kind of get the sense that you're being
(15:05):
careful not to allow that to become any kind of crutch.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Definitely not. We use it to a t.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
We use that practice every single day, yeap, because you
have to make sure the technology is working and all
that good stuff. But the players also have to get
used to hearing the coach in the here. I don't
know if I would really like that if I was
a player, but they're getting used to it. We talked
to the quarterbacks and we talked to the safeties through
the coordinators. So that's how we communicate. And it worn't great.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
In the Michigan game.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
They can cut it off at fifteen seconds on the
play clock, so you can talk from that.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Forty to fifteen say whatever you want.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
So it's pretty good. So it's unique. It's getting us
more like the NFL. So it's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
And no misadventures with that, nah. Now I can't say
that the first week of practice. But what happened the
first week of first we practice? Right, We're ready.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
Everything every We had all the technology in, we had
the headsets, everything, we get out there for practice, no volume,
couldn't hear anything, so we had to put the headsets down.
We went the whole practice without the communication, thinking we're
gonna have communication.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
The whole time for the first time.
Speaker 5 (16:08):
So our first time having the communication was really the
second day.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Welcome to my world, right, I mean, when you're supposed
to be able to hear everything and you can, it's
a little disorienting.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Isn't that a little different?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Well, I'm glad it all worked, and I'm sure it's
gonna work. At Valley Children's Stadium on Saturday night, We're
brought to you tonight by Resort Life Carts. Looking for
the perfect golf cart or street legal ride. Resort Life
Carts they're your local experts. Discover your dream cart today
at resortlifecarts dot Com. I actually got to drive one
of those for a minute yesterday and moving our equipment
up to the Bill Woodward radio booth at Valley Children's Stadium.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Those carts have some juice, Coach, have you hopped in
one of those? I've been to the passenger seat. I have
been actually drove and went did you get whiplash? That goes?
Actually pretty funny. You know, I wish I had here
and it could move.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
That's funny you mentioned, because I when I got up
to the booth, put all the equipment in there. Then
I went to use the restroom. I looked in the
mirror and all of a sudden, I had bangs down
over my forehead.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
That's what the wind did to end of the nineties. Yeah,
nobody needs to see that, Coach.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
We would like to recover some of that defensive swagger
from the late nineties when you played, though, and I
was gonna ask you about that. You played with some
pretty good d linemen in your day here Fresno State,
and even some linebackers who could get after the quarterback,
Guys like Orlando huff Man.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
He was nasty.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
I'm sure you could think of a few others. Your
defensive line. I was so impressed by Saturday Night, and
we've got Devo here tonight.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
But it's not just your starters. You've got some real
depth there.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
How would you compare this group of D linemen to
maybe some of those bulldog teams of the past that
you're familiar with.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Yeah, definitely have a lot of potential to be one
of the best ever. We really have a lot of depth,
and that was on purpose something in recruiting. We wanted
to attack, wanted to get rotation more so to get
through the season because we kind of wore out last season,
so we kind of wanted to be able to rotate more.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
So you gotta the able bodies to do that.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
And then we had a really good spring and we
had a really good fall camp to where all the
way throughout the whole D line depth chart, the guys
can go in there and execute the defense. We don't
have to change it for certain guys. And that's the
type of thing. But the number one thing is these
guys accepted the challenge. We knew it was gonna be
a physical battle when we played Michigan, and they stepped
up to the plate. Our identity was on the line,
and we wanted to let everybody know we're physical, we're tough,
(18:30):
hard those kids, and they executed it.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
You know at the point patio bar and bistro, they've
got a bar that's about fifty feet long over there,
and they've got a lot of taps over there, and
I've got a big menu. So it's a good thing
when weren't playing a drinking game last week with the
word physicality, because I know you said it over and
over again, that was your marching order for this team.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
How did you feel your team measured up in that
element of the game since you just prought it up.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Oh yeah, we went blow to blow and in fact,
we threw a lot of the blows. You know, we
weren't sitting there and we were attacking. So I was
very pleased. I like the way we tackled. We tackled
really really well. Okay, we controlled the line of scrimmage,
did a great job. We had a third and one stop.
Oh that happened at all last season to them. So
just fired up the way we were striking blocks, getting
(19:17):
off blocks, and then wrapping up the ball.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Carriers because they had a great old line.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
And They had really good backs and they had some
size to them, and we stepped up to the plate.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
So that was good, and hopefully we'll see more good
on Saturday night against sax State seven o'clock kick at
Valley Children Stadium. If you don't have your tickets yet,
go Bulldogs dot com or come here to the point.
You might win a pair. We've got red seats to
give away tonight. In fact, maybe we'll do that in
about fifteen minutes or so. We've got a few more
minutes with the coach. Then we'll turn to the players.
Devo Bridges is here tonight. Stevie Nomura is here tonight.
(19:45):
If you've got questions for any of them, send it
our way, use that x app and the hashtag ask fs.
We're here at the Point Patti O'barnbistro. These misters are
pretty nice.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Huh yeah, big time. We need him on a sideline.
Don't tell Coach Hill that. Yeah, trust me, I know
how don't we all? Hey, we're having fun.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Come join us at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro
The Bulldog Football Hour on the Bulldog Sports Network from
their field.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
We welcome back.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
It's the Bulldog Football hour and here in the Point.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Patio Bar and Bistro, northwest corner of Willow and Knees.
If you know where the fountain is, just keep going
past the fountain and then once you get to the patio,
you'll feel a little missed. It's not from the fountain,
it's from the overhead misters. They have blowing past the
beautifully lit area with big fans going. I'm telling you
all this because you know it's hot outside today. It's
(20:42):
the valley in September. But it's nice and cool on
this patio. You've got shade, you've got fans, you've got misters,
and a phenomenal menu. It's a new menu. I've got
to study it. I haven't studied the new menu yet,
so I'll report back later. But coach Tim Skipper's been
studying the game plan for Sacramento State. It's for our
trip ahead, brought to you by Golden Eagle Charter, the
(21:02):
preferred motor coach and executive transportation service to Fresno State Athletics.
It's a short trip for the Bulldogs from their locker
room in the Duncan Building, down the Red Mile and
into Valley Children Stadium. Saturday night for that seven o'clock kickoff,
and it's an opponent coach that if anyone was taking
him lightly, just needs to watch the Hornet season opener
(21:23):
at San Jose State. Because they jumped out fourteen nothing
on the Spartans. We're able to run the ball effectively,
I believe led late twenty four to twenty one before
the Spartans pulled it out. I pulled it out forty
two to twenty four. The guy who just jumped off
the page to me was their junior running back Elijah
tal Tolliver one hundred and ten yards and two scores
against the Spartans Week one.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
Yeah, he's a downhill runner, has some speed, he's physical.
You can tell he loves the game the way he plays.
So we'll have our hands full. I mean, he's gonna
be excited to go against us, you know, so he'll
like the atmosphere in the stadium, So we got to
take the window out of them.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
I also noticed they've got a one time Bulldog starting
on their defensive line and Kobe Warkington, who was here
briefly as a red shirt before he went to the
FCS level. If you had to describe how the Hornets
want to attack on both sides of the ball, and
what your guys need to be prepared for, what your
priorities are gonna need to be to do what you're
(22:22):
trying to do.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
How would you explain that.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
Yeah, so they'll be on offense. They're gonna be totally
opposite of Michigan. So they're gonna try to spread us
out and they have a lot of speed on the outside,
so they have all the speed outside. They want you
to walk out the box and do that, and then
that's why the running game gets going. You have all
those open holes and not as many loaded boxes, so
we're gonna have to be able to play the run
while we're not necessarily lined up inside the box.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
We're gona have to fit outside end.
Speaker 5 (22:44):
So we'll have to do that, and there's different things
we can do to do that and get that accomplished.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Then on their defense, they move around a lot.
Speaker 5 (22:51):
They're gonna they're gonna constantly move their D line try
to confuse us, and then they're gonna change their quarter
their coverages up between quarters and cover three and then
they do a little little bit of man and they'll
come after you a little bit with a little cover zero,
So they do a lot to mess with you. We
just need to stick to our plan, do what we do.
We get a negative, play, turn it back into a positive,
and just keep moving forward.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Well, and as you're talking about containing the run game,
which comes at you a little unorthodox way, I'm thinking
about the two guys we're going to talk to in
a minute here, Devo Bridges and Cev Nomura, who for
the two positions they play, they're pretty rangy if you
you know, grade their abilities. Devo covers as much grounds
as any defensive end you know, laterally, and Cev's a
(23:36):
sideline to sideline guy, and that skill set sounds like
we'll come in real handy against.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
The Hornets definitely.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
And Devo thinks he's a running back slash linebacker, so's
he'll enjoy this type of thing. He'll be able to
play with a two point stance stead of a three
point stance all the time, so that'll be good for him.
And like you said, he's rangy, you know, all the
screens and things, getting sideline a sideline he can do that.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
That fits his game to a t. So I'm excited
for him that way.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
And then see if you'll get that hair flying around
and like you did last week, and he'll go sil
on a sideline and bring the heat and do whatever
he has to do to get to the ball.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
So excited to see those guys play and we're going
to hear from them.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
And just a few moments here at the point Patti
o'bar and Bistro, come meet Coach Skipper. If you haven't yet,
or if you haven't seen him since he was playing,
or it's been a while, you can come meet the
new athletic director to Garrett Classy is here. Maybe we
need our PA announcer Matt Leeber to give him an
introduction too.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
We'll have him introduce the players when we come back
here in a few minutes. But while we're still talking
Coach Skipper, you mentioned Debo Bridges thinks he's a running back.
I mean he's been telling me since media days that
he needs to be in there as a blocking back
for you. I saw his receiving stats in high school
for the Carter Lions and they were pretty solid. But
I bring up that goal line package because that's something
(24:48):
Sack State actually does. They have a formation that might
give Bulldog fans some of those t Heavy members.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
M hmm, definitely good.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
The glory days with Coach Sweeney, Trent Dilfer, all those guys,
they were getting that tea formation all the way back.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
My brother got in a tea formason.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Yeah, so it's a throwback thing here at Fresno is automatic.
He was touchdown once they got in that, so we
can't let them be that way.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
So we'll see how it goes. And that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
You can't let the hornets on Jim Sweeney Field beat
you with the Jim Sweeney move.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
No doubt, and we actually practice it today. So it
was good. It was good. But we are the founders
of the Tea Heavy So.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Maybe someday we might see it come back on offense
for the Bulldogs.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
You might, you might. You have to attend and watch
to see. He's got this thing down, doesn't he.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
He's a coach, Tim Skipper, your head coach at Fresno State,
and his first home game as the head coach is
this Saturday night at seven o'clock. If you've got a
question for the dog centert our way, he's that hashtag
ask fs. I told you the misters are on the
fans are on, the shade is overhead, and if you're
not cool enough yet, tonight's Bulldog Football Hour is being
cooled down by thirty two below Ice, the official ice
(25:55):
provider of Fresno State Athletics. I got to ask you
about cam Lockridge because you mentioned earlier stopping Michigan on
third and one, and if I'm remembering the play correctly,
it's when he came off the edge right and hit
him in the backfield, hit Donovan Edwards, who last year
helped Michigan win that National championship game, and then he
gets a huge pick on the goal line runs it
(26:17):
out thirty five yards. People talk about Spoemer being injured
last year and Mikey getting hurt late in the year,
but I think people underestimated what it meant to that
defense to lose Cam Lockridge's playmaking ability in Game.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Four, no doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
And you know his name's Locker is in the beginning
of his lock so we were able to lock down
some receivers with him on one side. But he's valuable
piece of the puzzle. I'm glad he's healthy because we
need him. He's not just a cover guy. I mean
he'll physically get down in there, like you said, and
he'll play the run game too, so he has size,
he can run. He's a really good player. He makes plays.
(26:54):
He's exciting on the sideline too, when the offense is
out there. He talks a lot like all the dbs do.
And just glad he's healthy.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I really am.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
He had a lot of things going off the field,
and he had to overcome a lot of setbacks and
just to see the joy he has on his face
now and to be able to play again, it's awesome.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
So very proud of that kid.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Yeah, and that kind of leads me into what else
I was going to ask you about him. And maybe
it's different for you, because when you came here, the
book was, Hey, he's a coach's kid. He plays like
a coach on the field, and he's a lot more
mature than a freshman or a sophomore or whatever.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
With Cam, maybe it's just me.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
It seems there's a different level of maturity or focus
in his game now than when he first arrived after
transferred from Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Definitely, I kind of think two things.
Speaker 5 (27:39):
I think our community, the love you feel as a
Bulldog football player from the community helps you mature.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It really does, because you know you have love and
you have parents away from your parents. It's kind of
that feel, you know.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
And then I also think the structure of our program
helps these kids. You know, they know right from wrong
right away. They know you got to be early. You
know all those little things. They know if you do something,
we're gonna get yelled at, like all that type of stuff,
doting slides.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
We take no shortcuts.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
So that to me the two things, the community and
the program, is the reason why these guys come in
one way and leave another.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Well, explain that, and Coach, we could talk to you
for hours. I know those players are waiting to get on,
so we'll bring them on here in a moment. But
I can't let you go without giving you an opportunity
to coach up the Red Wave a little bit. I mean,
this is the first home game with you in charge
as the head coach. So what do you need from
the fans Saturday night? What are their marching orders?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
A couple things.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
When we take the field, it needs to be loud,
and we need to be in the seats. Tailgates in
at six thirty, be in the stadium for seven drink
as much as you want, but just be in the
stadium by seven, okay, And then when we're on defense,
it needs to be as loud as it possibly can be.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Not just third down, first down, second down, third down.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
Let's get it crack, and if they decide they want
to go for it on fourth, we get even louder.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
You know what I mean, that type of mentality.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
And then when we score, they should be able to
hear us way in Sacramento. You know what I mean,
that type of mentality. So let's be loud, let's be cheerful,
let's have a good time, and not last or least,
let's make sure we're in there by seven and we're
good to go.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Man.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
I mean, I don't think you could have been more
prepared to answer that question. It's not like I told
you as coming or anytime. You're just breathing out here.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
A lot of gamess, a lot of games. Yep.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Well, coach, good luck Saturday night. I'll see you before then.
But thanks for coming out to the point.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Thank you appreciate it, Thanks everybody for being here.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
That's coach Tim Skipper. When we come back, the two
defensive captains of your Fresno State Bulldogs, Devout Bridges and
CV Nomura sit down with us, come hang out at
the Point Patiobar and Bistro, and keep it here on
the Bulldog Sports Network from Dearfield.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Welcome back to the Bulldogs Football Hour.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
We're here at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro, brought
to you by Bulldog Bred, the official nil collective of
Fresno State Athletics. To support student athletes, visit Bulldog bredr
ead dot com. We're about to meet a couple of
those student athletes. Remember, if you want to win tickets,
you've got to be here at the Point. We're only
on for another twenty minutes or so, so hurry on
over to the northwest corner Willow and Knees. We'll also
(30:06):
throw you some pistachios thanks to American pistachio Growers and tonight,
for the first time ever in the history of this show,
we have a custom public address announcer, the same guy
you're gonna hear Saturday night at seven at Valley Children's
Stadium for the season opener against sax State. Wasn't it
great when he introduced Tim Skipper? So let's have him
introduce our student athlete guest tonight once again the Valley
(30:28):
Children's Stadium Voice of the Bulldogs, Matt Lee Aber.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Coming off an incredible performance at the Big House in
ann Arbor, Michigan. Your guest tonight, Linebacker number eight CV
No Mora and defensive end number five.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Devo Bridges that'll wake you up. Good job, Wormy Devo.
You ever hear when they say your name at the stadium?
Speaker 6 (30:56):
Yeah, Big Paul is here, actually be listening for it
so I can to make a player.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
I think they are. They're gonna say it. They say
it every time, so they left me hanging it.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
You mean they've never said somebody else's name when you
thought you made the play.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Oh, that definitely has happened before.
Speaker 6 (31:11):
And our life is cool, you know, saying multiple guys
in the pile, But yeah, it happened before.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
You know.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
That all comes down to the spot or who's looking
through the binoculars to see who made the tackle. And
you guys did a lot of that Saturday night CV
welcome as well.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
What did that feel like for you guys?
Speaker 3 (31:25):
Because Coach Skip all week was preaching physicality, physicality, physicality,
you knew what you're up against the Michigan team that
dominated the line of scrimmage in all of its games
last year. You guys didn't let them do that. What
did it feel like for you for those four quarters?
Speaker 7 (31:40):
It felt amazing just to be out there for everyone
to just be playing together and putting pads on somebody
else that's not our own people.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
How about you, Devo, It felt great to do.
Speaker 6 (31:53):
You know that's something that Coljeto preaches every day of
being physical, being physical, being physical. So you know, we
had no other choice but to come out there fiscal
because we wasn't go here at the.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
End of the day. Yes you would.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
I heard a little bit of that of practice today
from Coach Franklin, one of the all time grades.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Here.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
We're here at the point Patti Obar and Bistro, right
on the northwest corner. The mysters are on, the fans
are on the new menu. I haven't looked at the
new menu yet. What you guys order tonight?
Speaker 7 (32:18):
I owed, I ordered a ten ole steak, That's what
I'm talking about. I seen that and I said, I
had to get that.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Medium medium rare um medium, uh huh, some juice in it.
I'm with you. I got the other State bites and
mac and cheese. Ooh yeah, I haven't had MC and
cheese here. I haven't not this. I'm kind of excited
about it. All right, y'all have to get your review later.
Got you?
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Uh you know, I was looking up your high school stats, Devo,
because I wanted to see if you ever played against
CV in high school, because you guys are both from
the Inland Empire.
Speaker 7 (32:48):
He didn't want to see me.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Oh, shots fired already. He went to a pretty good
high school back there.
Speaker 6 (32:54):
Me s actually played together in the in a bowl
game our senior year, So our senior ye All Star
all Starry played All Star game together.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
So yeah, that's when I first met CIV. What was
that like? Would you remember that, SEV? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I do.
Speaker 7 (33:06):
Actually, it's actually funny because every time we talk about it,
he brings up a story about a big playbook that
they gave us. He asked me, it was like, so,
how do you know the plays? I said, I don't know,
I'm just playing football.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Does that work? Still? Not? Not as much? No, you
gotta know that playbook.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
What was your first impression of this guy from Centennial Corona?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (33:33):
Man, you know he's from centin you know all the
hype in the in the area and stuff. I was like, man,
I could have played there. But man, great player, you know,
great energy. You know, same guy that used today so
cool got to be around now.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
I was looking to see it and you guys never
did play Centennial. I guess there were a different league
from the Carter Lions. But I saw you had over
seven hundred yards receiving in high school. Man, I must
have some hands on.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
You, man, do I Man? I tell you I was.
Speaker 6 (33:58):
I was an athlete in high school man, and my
sophomore you actually I'm playing in college all TOI I'm
playing receiver. I'm not playing linebacker. I was actually a
linebacker receiver. I want to play defense. W'a player receiver?
Speaker 2 (34:07):
How about that? Yeah? But you know things change, so
not my hands in the dirt.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
So ah, senior night, who knows? Maybe the ball come
your way. I saw you play a little center on
the basketball team.
Speaker 6 (34:17):
Too, Yeah so did Yeah what was your go to move?
Go to move? I played center balls six two's. I'm
kind of short, so like I like to uh. I
kind of like to dribble, so I used to crossover
take it to the rim.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Uh, huh, get a bigger guy on you and blow by. Yep, exactly.
I like it all right now, CB.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
I asked you a practice a couple of weeks ago
what your second best sport would be, and you had
to think about that for a while because you've just
been a football guy for a long time, haven't you?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Yes, I have?
Speaker 7 (34:43):
Uh, you remember when in the NFLA football.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
I really don't what I say wrestling.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
I said something funny.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
What do you think he said? Diva him? I don't know,
Probably golfers, and he's probably trying to be funny.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Actually, I think he'd be pretty good at the sporting
he said. He said rugby, that you're tough enough to
play rugby.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Oh yeah, I'm for sure tough enough. Scary though, because
they don't have helmets, it's very different. I use my
helmet a lot.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
And you've been.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Playing football for a long time, but only your second
year with Fresno State, coming over from the Trojans down south.
What have you appreciated about Devo and your teammates on
defense that has made this feel like home for you?
Speaker 7 (35:26):
Just our connection. I think we've built a type bond
together and that's just been the culture throughout the whole team.
So just when we grind together, everybody is just building
that connection and we're all getting closer and closer.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
We're going to take a break here in a minute,
but I'm gonna throw one question at you that came
in on social media on the xAPP with that hashtag
ask fs. They were talking about last year Devo and CV.
You weren't playing yet at the start of the year
when this happened. But the Bulldogs went and beat Perdue
and then came home against an FCS team, Eastern Washington,
and that came ended up in overtime and it took
(36:06):
Lavelle Bailey coming through with that pick to seal it.
So the question was, would you guys handle this situation,
an FCS team on the heels of a Big ten team,
any differently than last year?
Speaker 2 (36:17):
Devo?
Speaker 3 (36:18):
Did that teach you guys anything that experienced last year?
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Uh?
Speaker 6 (36:21):
Yeah, I definitely did. You know, don't take any opponent
l likely, you know, just because they're a big school
or a small school. You know, gotta give every point
their respect. That's something that our coaches do preach every day.
You know, take every game, take it at the same
same game every time. So that's something that we kind
of I guess we came out there lack of days ago,
came out their sleepwalking, so I said them, we gotta
start fast and finish faster.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
So something we don't want to do again. Got anything
to add to that number eight?
Speaker 7 (36:46):
Just like Ivo said, never take anyone lately. You always
got to be prepared and show up no matter who
it is.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
You know, and you were wearing forty four last year.
You still got the necklace around your neck right now.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Four.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
You made the switch to eight this year, but that's
a retired number for David Carr.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Did you end up talking to him a little bit
about that?
Speaker 7 (37:08):
I actually did not. I went through Tefford. He agreed
with it, and he thought I could feel the role.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
I didn't know if you were trying to play a
little QB or anything. No, no QB. If anything, they
could put me at running back.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
All right, everybody's got a dream, right, including CEV and Devo.
There here at the point, Patiobar and Bistro for another
fifteen minutes, so come join us, don't be late. Giving
away some tickets here in a moment to Saturday Night's
home opener seven o'clock kick against the Hornets of Sack State.
It's the Bulldog Football Hour on the Bulldog Sports Network
from Deerfield, Oh. I love it when the Red Wave
(37:47):
comes out to the Point Patio Bar and Bistro. My
only complaint is that the time always goes by too quickly.
It's here and then it's gone. And we've got about
ten more minutes with your two senior captains, six year
senior captains of the Bulldog Defense, Devo Bridges, defensive end
number five and number eight. Cev Nomura, senior linebacker. We're
here at the Point northwest corner Willow and Knees. I've
(38:09):
been studying this brand new menu. The only changing from
time to time.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Devo.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
You were talking about that mac and cheese. Now I
see what you're talking about. Three cheese, bechamel sauce with
bacon and topped with toasted bread crumbs. Get a little
crispy on the outside, smooth on the inside. Sevie said
he got the ten ounce New York steak with sauted broccolini, garlet,
gerb butter and a Cabernet demiglaze.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Some high flute and stuff.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
Man the chicken pad tie still on the menu, ask
for its super spicy it'll melt your face off. And
now they even have a new one called papard with
traditional beef and pork bolognese topped with barrata. Ooh, that
fresh barrata is big time. They have that barrata appetizer
here too. I can spend the rest of the time
talking about the menu, but we better get back to football.
(38:55):
Our show brought to you tonight by Table Mountain Casino
Resort and have a lucky day followed by an epic
night only a Table Mountain Casino Resort and opening night
for the home schedule Saturday night, seven o'clock against Sacramento State.
And one of the questions that came in on the
X APP that I didn't catch for Coach Skipper, I'm
just gonna pass to you guys because this one came
(39:15):
from Steve, who's here at the Quarterback Club tonight, and
he wanted to know how the players reacted when Coach
Skipper passed out scouting reports for Game two as you
guys were on the bus leaving the Big House in
Ann Arbor. Did that help you guys move on from
what you've just been up to.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
First of all, that was the first time's ever happened.
I was kind of crazy.
Speaker 6 (39:36):
I'm getting ready to, you know, kind of relax after
after the game, you know, ready to get on the
plane and stuff.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
But yeah, definite helped us move on. You know, we
took our loss and it's trying to move on. Hey,
you're gonna be sitting on a plane, might as well
do some homework. Huh. Yeah, definitely. Have you ever seen
that happen before?
Speaker 7 (39:49):
Saving I seen that happen before, Like Divo said, I
looked at the paper like amazed that we were already
moving on. But it just goes to show that it's
always going to be business at the end of the day,
and we got to be ready for the next week.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
You know.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
And that makes me think I need to ask you
another question about your head coach. If that's the first
time in all your years of playing football, and I
just told everybody you're both sixty year seniors, that that
specific circumstance is unfolded, maybe there's some other things about
coach Skipper that stand out and how he does this
job and how he's leading this team. Because you guys
have been around to a lot of coaches, a lot
(40:30):
of well known coaches, a lot of highly successful coaches.
What are the things that each of you appreciate the
most about who he is and the way he leads?
Speaker 2 (40:39):
His energy?
Speaker 7 (40:40):
I love his energy. He brings it every day. He's
always excited, ready to compete, and true competitor. And he's
a great leader, someone you definitely want to follow behind.
And yeah, that's pretty much it.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
And I'm sure he's busted out the old game tape
a couple time to show your number.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
A couple of times.
Speaker 7 (41:01):
Yeah, I've seen it.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Okay, just checking devo. How about you?
Speaker 3 (41:04):
And you've known coach Skip a little longer than CEV has.
What if you enjoyed about him in this role?
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Now?
Speaker 6 (41:11):
Man, I just love you know that were led by
a guy you know that I've played here. You know
the same thing with coach CHAFFERD And I'm glad we
kept it in the building when he stepped down and
stuff like that. So it's a blessed to be led
by him every day. You know, it's a guy that
bled and sweat on that fields. He knows what it
feels to be a bulldog, so you know he loves
being here. So a person that loves being here. That's
something that that you see every day, whether the way
he leads, the way he talks. You know, it's just contagious.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
You know. It helps us, you know, reminder that we
get to we ain got.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
To say that last part again and explain what that means.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
We get to do it, and I got to do it.
Speaker 6 (41:42):
You know some days, you know, like coming out there
to practice, you're tired, you know, might be dating in
the camp, and you get to do this. Not everyone
is blessed to be in this bising that your age.
Sometimes we forget that you ain't got to do it,
you get to do it.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Yeah, we clapped for that, and people can say that,
But isn't it different. See when you start to understand
what that really means and you adopt that mindset, then
then you don't have to catch yourself as often.
Speaker 7 (42:05):
Right, Yes, most definitely. That's been built into us already,
so you fill down at any moments. We get to
do this. Not much people get this opportunity, so we're
gonna make the best of it.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
The next opportunity comes Saturday night, seven o'clock against the
Hornets of Sack State, the home opener for a program
that led the nation and attendance outside of Power five
schools last year, and the Dogs would love to do
that again. So Red Wave be there. We're gonna give
away some red seats here in just a couple of minutes.
Another question that came in with that hashtag ask fs
was about the hammer. You might remember that when Pat
(42:42):
Hill was the head coach and John Baxter was here
the first time around, a special teams player who made
a big play the game before would run down the
ramp with a hammer.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
I just asked Coach Skipper about that.
Speaker 3 (42:51):
He's still here, and he would not confirm nor deny
whether the hammer is gonna make an appearance Saturday night.
I would just say stay tuned, because well, let's just
see what happens there and there's now I don't think
he's gonna grow up.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Food man choo.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Good question, Eli, but that would be something if we
could get Coach Skipper to do the food man chew
Pat Hill style. Guys, just a couple of minutes left
here this Sack State game. Do you feel that as
a defense or as a team, there's something that that
you guys would like to prove on Saturday night at
seven o'clock.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Well, we want to prove well, we want to get
a win. First of all.
Speaker 6 (43:31):
Every week we want to go one to zero, and
we can do that last week, and you know it's
part of the game. But first foremost, we want to win.
So that's something we want to do with folks on Saturdays.
Winning the game, no matter how it happens, could be
ugly to be pretty beautiful, it's get the job done, Seebee.
Speaker 7 (43:44):
I think we just want to prove to ourselves that
all of this hard work that we did in the
offseason and everything we've been doing so far leading up
to this point, just prove to ourselves that we was
doing the right thing and we were going in the
right direction. And we're gonna take this program to special place.
Speaker 3 (44:08):
And I imagine you both are going to have some
special people coming up to the valley to watch you
on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Yes, sir, who's coming.
Speaker 7 (44:15):
My daughter will be there, her first football game. So
proud to have her show up for my games.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
You see that smile Devo when he said that, Yeah,
how old is she?
Speaker 2 (44:27):
Now?
Speaker 7 (44:28):
Three months?
Speaker 2 (44:29):
And what's her name? Lively? NOI uh huh.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
So you're playing with little extra motivations definitely, Devo.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
You got your crew from the ie coming up.
Speaker 6 (44:39):
Yeah, I got my sister, my two niece's coming up,
my biggest supporter, so I'm glad to have them here.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
Do you always know where they're sitting? Uh? No, I don't.
Speaker 6 (44:47):
I try to look like before the game, I try
to look where they're at and stuff.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
But if I don't see an one, well.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
We know they're going to see you and hopefully they're
gonna hear you and Sack State is going to feel you.
Anything else you two want to share with the Red
Way before you enjoy those great meals from the point.
Speaker 6 (45:03):
Make sure you gotta show up and show out for
it like I always doing. Pack out, pack out, of
Voutchua Stadium.
Speaker 7 (45:08):
Love you Red Way, Yes, sir, shout out to the
Red Wave. We love you guys support and without you guys, man,
it'd be a whole different ball game. So we just
love having you guys there and showing up for us.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
Hopefully it'll be a full house Saturday night at seven
o'clock against sax State.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
We've got maybe a minute left here, Dvo.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
That makes me wonder since you've been here for six
years now, you got a lot of memories in that stadium.
Is there a moment that gives you goosebumps still thinking
about it? When you could feel how fired up the crowd.
Speaker 6 (45:37):
Was, Man, gives me goosebumps. Problem again, I gives me goosebumps.
Part of at San Diego State game. I knew you
were gonna say the old crowd party knew I probably
most of the real moment I ever felt like in
a football game. It was so crazy like that because
that game, like, if we're down, I always always know
we got a chance.
Speaker 3 (45:55):
After that game, doesn't matter how far you're down, you know, because.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
Of that game, you still have a chance. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
But what moment gave you the biggest goosebumps? The on
side kick, the touchdown afterwards, the two point CJ's.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Pick probably probably onside kick, and then the touchdown.
Speaker 3 (46:10):
All right, Well, hopefully you guys don't have to do
anything like that on Saturday night against sax State, but
the fans will feel the same kind of electricity. CEV Devo,
thanks a lot, good luck Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Thank thank you so much. All right, your.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
Defensive captains for the Fresno State Bulldogs, Devout Bridges and
CEV Nomura. Make sure you join us here next Wednesday
night from six to seven at the Point Patio Bar
and Bistro, northwest corner of Willow and Knees and be
there at Valley Children Stadium.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
Be there early. You heard Coach Skip say it. Be
in your seats before kickoff.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
Thanks for listening to the Bulldog Football Hour tonight on
the Bulldog Sports Network from Deerfield.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
You've been listening to the Bulldog Football Hour, presented by
American fistachio growers powering the Valley one nut at a time,
also brought to you by ECU Smarter Banking since nineteen
thirty four and by bud Light Easy to Drink, Easy
to Enjoy. The preceding has been a lear Field presentation
(47:39):
of the Bulldog Sports Network
On the Bulldog Sports Network from Learfield. This is the
Bulldog Football Hour, presented by American pistachio growers, powering the
Valley one.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Nut at a time.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Also brought to you by Table Mountain Casino Resorts, Lucky
Days and Epic Knights, and by Pepsi, official soft drink
of Fresno State Athletics. Now live from the Point Pettio
Bari Pistro, here's your host, the voice of the Bulldogs,
Paul Leffler.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Hey, hey, hey, it is great to be back out
here at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro. The misters
are on sor be out there saying, man, it's triple
digits today. I don't know if I can go out.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah you can.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
They've got you taken care of here at the Point
of fantastic menu, a new menu that I'm gonna.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Have to study tonight because I haven't seen it yet.
We're gonna be talking Bulldog football throughout the hour.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
We've got a couple Bulldog players, the two defensive captains
Stevi Nomura and Devo Bridges on their way, but of
course we always have the coach. And I saw someone
else in the crowd today. I said, you know, we
need to put this guy to work, because if you're
gonna be a Valley Children Stadium Saturday night, seven o'clock
kick against Sacramento State, hopefully you're gonna hear touchdown Fresno
(01:13):
State quite a bit from the public address announcer Matt Leaver,
or as we called him back in my CBS forty
seven days Worm, one of the greatest video editors of
all time. But he's really good on the microphone too,
So I'm gonna let him introduce our first guest tonight.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Matt.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Take it away, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor
and a pleasure to welcome your head coach of the
Fresno State Bulldogs making his home debut this Saturday against
Sacramento State. Ladies and gentlemen, Tim Skipper.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
See away fight right, And I was waiting for the
tuxedo and the bowtie there, Worm. Next time, we'll Michael
buffer it out for you, Coach. Wouldn't it be nice
if someone followed you around and introduced you that way
everywhere you went?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
No doubt that was impressive. I wasn't ready for that.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
We got a lot of special people in this town
and there's gonna be a lot of special people from
the Valley Saturday Night at Valley Children Stadium, and we're
gonna talk about the Michigan game. We're gonna talk about
the next opponent, Sack State. But man, I know you've
been looking forward to walking down that ramp, not as
a fan pulling for your brother, not as a player,
(02:28):
not as an assistant coach, but the head coach of
the Fresno State Bulldogs. Yes, indeed, can you help all
these people out here on the packed patio of the
Point Patio bar and bistro. Man, that's a lot of peas.
Can you help them understand what that's gonna feel like
for you?
Speaker 2 (02:43):
I'm still trying to figure it out, to be honest.
Speaker 5 (02:46):
I've been up and down that ramp a thousand times
for numerous different reasons, whether it's game day or just
to go do a commercial that used to IQ commercials,
all kinds of stuff, right, have all these emotions, but
never ever leading the team out and being in front
of the team and having a speech before we leave,
and to run on that field for the first time
(03:06):
as the head coach.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
It's gonna be amazing.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
I don't know if there is words because you get
in my heart to start pumping right now. But all
I know, i'mna be fired up and I'm gonna run
really fast at a sideline so excited for it.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
You're gonna be more nervous running in turf shoes and
coaches slacks than you wear when pads and cleats and
all that.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
See, when I was playing, I feel like I controlled
a lot more than when I'm coaching. This coaching thing
is kind of stressful. So all I'm doing is signaling
and yelling and smiling.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
And we saw that smile.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
National TV got to see that smile in the biggest
stadium in the country on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And your team, man, I mean.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
As you said right afterways a couple of plays away,
I know you're moving on to sax State and this
is a stiff challenge that we're gonna talk about tonight.
But biggest takeaways from that experience for you, your staff,
and your team there in ann Arbor.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Oh Man.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
So we wanted the game to be dirty and messy
and close and all that, and it was like perfectly
how we wanted it scripted. Everything was going right. It
was a one score game and just a couple of plays.
If we make us a couple more plays, we get
what we wanted. So just to be so close was exciting.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
Obviously we wanted to finish that thing, but I was
probably the way our guys attacked the game plan. They
understood the moment. They took every play, one play at
a time. It has its own history, just a couple
of plays, but I'm excited about the future.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
We're gonna be fine.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
Saturday night, seven o'clock against Sack State the home opener
for the Bulldogs, who were home the next two Saturdays,
So mark your calendars and be there.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Now. This is a big deal.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
And Coach, I don't know how much you're citing this
in recruiting, but a lot of the people here pay
attention enough to know. Fresno State last year led the
nation in attendance among schools outside of the Power Five.
Nobody else in the country outside of the Power five
had more people at the games or a greater percent
of the stadium full than Fresno State did. But when
(05:04):
you're recruiting, if you can say that the Bulldogs did
that two years in.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
A row, that carries a lot more weight. It's big time.
Speaker 5 (05:10):
Right now, somebody asked me, like, tell me about the
stadiums that are the loudest and the best atmosphere, And
right off the bat, when Bulldog stadiums sold out, there's
nothing better than that. It gets loud, people understand football,
they're cheering their rock and there's red all over the place.
It's ridiculously fun. So if we can do that again,
that's that's tremendous. And I know the Red Wave can
(05:30):
do that.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
So Saturday night, seven o'clock tickets at go Bulldogs dot com.
We've got to sell this thing out six times this
year if you want to lead the nation in a
group of five attendants again this year seven o'clock Saturday night.
Our pregame coverage will start at five. We're debuting a
new tailgate show set with the Red Wave light logger
Tioga Sequoia Bring the.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
Juice Tailgate Set. I think I said that right. It's
something like that.
Speaker 3 (05:54):
But they're gonna have a lot of fun over there
on Bulldog Boulevard. That's where it's gonna be, Tom Bulldog Boulevard.
And if if you come join us tonight at the
point Patti Obar and Bistro, you have a chance to
win a pair of tickets, and not just any tickets,
red seats to Saturday and nights home opener against sax State.
You have to be here at the point to win tonight.
(06:15):
So coach, you know you just talked about the experience
there in ann Arbor, and one more thing about that
un till I come back to the home environment we're
going to see Saturday. Did you learn anything about your team?
Because I know you think you know who they are,
and then the lights come on and the pads start popping,
and sometimes you see things you didn't see before. Is
there anything you took away from this game that gives
(06:36):
you a better feel for who your team.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Is this year?
Speaker 5 (06:40):
I just like the way we were prepared, because you know,
first games, funny stuff happens, and nothing really funny happened.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
You know, you just want to make more plays.
Speaker 5 (06:47):
But the way the guys attacked the game plan and
how it was working so much till the very end,
it just showed me that these guys are listening, they're
dialed in, and they're excited about the season as much
as I am. Also, So I just liked the way
they attacked the game plan. They executed everything we wanted.
We'd have crazy penalties. We didn't get all those personal
fouls and things like that that happened on the other side.
(07:09):
We were very disciplined. That's what I learned. I learned
that sod because I know we'll hit, I know we'll
play hard, I know we'll do all that. But the
execution of what we wanted to get accomplished happened. So
I'm just very proud of that, and I learned a
lot from that.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
And Saturday night brings an opportunity to get in the
win column seven o'clock against Sex State. There's already a
question on the x app or Twitter if you're still
in the dark ages like me and still call it
that ask fs is the hashtag you've got to use.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Ask fs. I'm going to get to that in a minute.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
But when it comes to this home environment on Saturday night,
I hear through the grapevine that you haven't just been
coaching players, You've been coaching up the band a little bit,
making some special requests for Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Is there some truth to this? Rimmer? You know, I
went to talk to the band.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Great experience, by the way, awesome kids in there, and
they're working, and they're loud, they're energetic. But just want
to get back to when Pat Hill is a coach
here and I was playing and those things.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
The band was included in our pregame.
Speaker 5 (08:06):
So we're trying to get back to that tradition again,
get them included.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
And that's what college.
Speaker 5 (08:12):
Football is, right, It's tailgates, it's the cheerleaders, it's the band,
it's the team, it's the fun of that. So we
want to encompass all of that all in one atmosphere,
one moment in Valley Children's Stadium and get back to
our roots.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
A little bit, all right, So if we show up
Saturday night, we'll be able to feel and hear what
you're talking.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
About inside the stadium and outside the stadium.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
Just have to show up.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
That's all you got to do is show up. And
we'd love to have you show up tonight. We're here
at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro, northwest corner of
Willow and Knees. You can ask questions in person. If
you want to win those tickets, you have to be
here to win. There's a helmet around here somewhere that
we're going to put your names in the helmet and
draw a winner or two out of that helmet when
we get to that point. Here's another question. This came
(08:58):
on the X app from Presno's. He says, it's for
the coach and the players. Maybe we'll hit the players
with it later. What are you doing this week and
preparing for an FCS opponent differently than last week coming
off a Big Ten team?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Sax State is no joke, actually said different than last year.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
Last year the Bulldogs opened at Purdue then hosted Eastern Washington,
so that's what he's making reference to. And he said
sax State is no joke shouldn't be taken lightly. I
don't think he has to tell you that.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
Definitely not. And I worked there so I know how
they operate a little bit. But we were preparing the
same really the same way we did last week. We're
preparing the same way. The thing that changes is the schemes, right,
so that's what changes the practice. But our structure and
our attention to detail and our work ethic and the
speed in which we operate, all of that is the same.
We're just trying to get better and better in stack days.
(09:48):
That's really what it is. But sax State's a very
good opponent. I mean, we're gonna have our hands full.
Is not to take them slightly at all. Care what
conference they're in or division or whatever. It's gonna be
a good ballgame.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Yeah, you were there.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
It's been twenty years though, since you were a young
assistant coach in your twenties for former Bulldogs Steve Mushagian.
Impressive where the Hornets have come since those days in
terms of resources and success at that level.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
Oh big time. I feel bad for coach Boost because
he didn't have anything. I mean, he wasn't even football
wasn't that important. So we were trying to get it important,
you know, and he hired a lot of former Dogs
and things like that to work there and stuff. But
then now they've invested in football. You can see it.
Even their uniforms and everything look real nice. So they
have an actual locker room. We had a trailer that's
(10:33):
where we changed. So just to see the growth of
that school is impressive.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
It's the state.
Speaker 5 (10:38):
It's a state school just like us, so you know,
we have that familiarity. But I'm happy for them. They've
built up a good program and they're gonna be very.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Competitive Saturday Night seven o'clock Bulldog home opener. Six guaranteed
chances to catch the Dogs at home this fall, and
you don't want to miss the first one. Saturday Night
seven o'clock tickets right now at go Bulldogs dot com
or come here and win. We'll be right back from
the Point Patio Bar and Bistro. Find us on the
patio with the misters on to cool you off, whatever
you want to drink and some fantastic food like that
(11:09):
is that chips and salsa just came out.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
We got some tachos working there.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
We've got it all at the Point and we're back
with Coach Skipper after this on the Bulldog Sports Network
from Deerfield. Back here at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro.
It's the Bulldog Football Hour and we're with you till
seven o'clock. We're gonna be giving away a couple pairs
(11:33):
of red seats for Saturday nights season opener against Sacramento State.
That'll be a seven o'clock kickoff at Valley Children Stadium.
Our pregame coverage on the radio starts at five o'clock
with the iHeart Bulldog's Tailgate Show coming to you for
the first time ever from the brand new Bring the
Juice tailgate set, brought to you by a red wave
light logger. That new beer that you're seeing everywhere, we're
(11:54):
brought to you tonight here at the Point by American
Pistachio Growers, powering the Valley one nut at a time.
We thank the American Pistachio Growers for their continued support
of Fresno State Athletics and for being the presenting sponsor
of our show. You might see some pistachios coming around
to your tables tonight. Mark you've got some right there, huh,
open them up, crack them, let's go. The pads are
(12:15):
going to be cracking on Saturday night for Fresno State
and Sacramento State. We have Coach Tim Skipper here and
a little bit will be joined by the two defensive
captains this year, pair of sixty year seniors from the
Inland Empire in Sevi, Nomura and Devo Bridges. They're getting
their favorite food from the Point right now, and maybe
we'll ask them about what they're eating tonight. If you've
got a question for those guys or the coach, you
(12:35):
can send it our way using the X app with
the hashtag ask fs coach. Right now, let's get our
practice update, brought to you by Pepsi, the official soft
drink of Fresno State Athletics. Practice Practice practice, and now
you had some game film to then have the guys
digest and emphasize some new things in practice. Any observations
(12:58):
from the first couple. I mean, you guys don't practice Monday,
but you had yesterday, you had today.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
What are you seeing from your squad?
Speaker 5 (13:05):
You know, as a coach, you're always worried about them
having a layoff and you know it's a big game
and a long trip and all that and having a
hangover type effect, but that really hasn't happened.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Guys attacked practice this week.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
We go in the morning, so they're up in the
building by six fifteen every single morning. So we're grinding
and they've been awake, why, bright eyed, bushy tailed, ready
to go, learning new little adjustments that we're going to make.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
And it's been awesome. It really has.
Speaker 5 (13:30):
We have a good team as far as off the
field and mentally, these guys are really really dialed in.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
So it's good to see.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
You know, I'm thinking back to your days as a
player here and you were talking about what the environment's
going to be like Saturday night at Valley Children's Stadium
and what sax State is coming into And it occurred
to me during the commercial break, I should ask you,
did you ever have a game while you were playing
here and you played in a lot of games, made
a lot of tackles second all time where somebody and
(14:00):
the other team said something about the fans here and
how he felt about them or what he remembered, and
maybe he ran into a guy ten years later and
he had a comment about what it was like to
play here in the Valley.
Speaker 5 (14:12):
My biggest takeaway from you bringing that type of thing
up is just the quarterbacks when we're at the line
and they're trying to get checks and things and they're
sitting here.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
I can't hear.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I can't hear. You know, they're doing that thing.
Speaker 5 (14:23):
And then the players with leg was up and we're
all just ready to go and keep getting this going
like that.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
That's what I remember.
Speaker 5 (14:30):
When the crowd is on you can't hear in there
on the field, you really can't.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
I've experienced it.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
So being on defense, we do everything signal wise anyway,
so it's awesome to see how the offense and all
their cute plays and all that communication they have to
make and they can't do it.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
I mean, the crowd really affects the game. So there's
your marching orders, red wave. What you want to see
is the quarterback putting his hands to his head because
he can't hear. Of course, there is that in helmet
communication thing now, and I haven't asked you about that
and how you guys are used and getting used to it,
and I kind of get the sense that you're being
(15:05):
careful not to allow that to become any kind of crutch.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
Definitely not. We use it to a t.
Speaker 5 (15:11):
We use that practice every single day, yeap, because you
have to make sure the technology is working and all
that good stuff. But the players also have to get
used to hearing the coach in the here. I don't
know if I would really like that if I was
a player, but they're getting used to it. We talked
to the quarterbacks and we talked to the safeties through
the coordinators. So that's how we communicate. And it worn't great.
Speaker 2 (15:31):
In the Michigan game.
Speaker 5 (15:32):
They can cut it off at fifteen seconds on the
play clock, so you can talk from that.
Speaker 2 (15:36):
Forty to fifteen say whatever you want.
Speaker 5 (15:38):
So it's pretty good. So it's unique. It's getting us
more like the NFL. So it's pretty cool.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
And no misadventures with that, nah. Now I can't say
that the first week of practice. But what happened the
first week of first we practice? Right, We're ready.
Speaker 5 (15:54):
Everything every We had all the technology in, we had
the headsets, everything, we get out there for practice, no volume,
couldn't hear anything, so we had to put the headsets down.
We went the whole practice without the communication, thinking we're
gonna have communication.
Speaker 2 (16:07):
The whole time for the first time.
Speaker 5 (16:08):
So our first time having the communication was really the
second day.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Welcome to my world, right, I mean, when you're supposed
to be able to hear everything and you can, it's
a little disorienting.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Isn't that a little different?
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Well, I'm glad it all worked, and I'm sure it's
gonna work. At Valley Children's Stadium on Saturday night, We're
brought to you tonight by Resort Life Carts. Looking for
the perfect golf cart or street legal ride. Resort Life
Carts they're your local experts. Discover your dream cart today
at resortlifecarts dot Com. I actually got to drive one
of those for a minute yesterday and moving our equipment
up to the Bill Woodward radio booth at Valley Children's Stadium.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Those carts have some juice, Coach, have you hopped in
one of those? I've been to the passenger seat. I have
been actually drove and went did you get whiplash? That goes?
Actually pretty funny. You know, I wish I had here
and it could move.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
That's funny you mentioned, because I when I got up
to the booth, put all the equipment in there. Then
I went to use the restroom. I looked in the
mirror and all of a sudden, I had bangs down
over my forehead.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
That's what the wind did to end of the nineties. Yeah,
nobody needs to see that, Coach.
Speaker 3 (17:13):
We would like to recover some of that defensive swagger
from the late nineties when you played, though, and I
was gonna ask you about that. You played with some
pretty good d linemen in your day here Fresno State,
and even some linebackers who could get after the quarterback,
Guys like Orlando huff Man.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
He was nasty.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
I'm sure you could think of a few others. Your
defensive line. I was so impressed by Saturday Night, and
we've got Devo here tonight.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
But it's not just your starters. You've got some real
depth there.
Speaker 3 (17:41):
How would you compare this group of D linemen to
maybe some of those bulldog teams of the past that
you're familiar with.
Speaker 5 (17:48):
Yeah, definitely have a lot of potential to be one
of the best ever. We really have a lot of depth,
and that was on purpose something in recruiting. We wanted
to attack, wanted to get rotation more so to get
through the season because we kind of wore out last season,
so we kind of wanted to be able to rotate more.
Speaker 2 (18:05):
So you gotta the able bodies to do that.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
And then we had a really good spring and we
had a really good fall camp to where all the
way throughout the whole D line depth chart, the guys
can go in there and execute the defense. We don't
have to change it for certain guys. And that's the
type of thing. But the number one thing is these
guys accepted the challenge. We knew it was gonna be
a physical battle when we played Michigan, and they stepped
up to the plate. Our identity was on the line,
and we wanted to let everybody know we're physical, we're tough,
(18:30):
hard those kids, and they executed it.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
You know at the point patio bar and bistro, they've
got a bar that's about fifty feet long over there,
and they've got a lot of taps over there, and
I've got a big menu. So it's a good thing
when weren't playing a drinking game last week with the
word physicality, because I know you said it over and
over again, that was your marching order for this team.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
How did you feel your team measured up in that
element of the game since you just prought it up.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Oh yeah, we went blow to blow and in fact,
we threw a lot of the blows. You know, we
weren't sitting there and we were attacking. So I was
very pleased. I like the way we tackled. We tackled
really really well. Okay, we controlled the line of scrimmage,
did a great job. We had a third and one stop.
Oh that happened at all last season to them. So
just fired up the way we were striking blocks, getting
(19:17):
off blocks, and then wrapping up the ball.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
Carriers because they had a great old line.
Speaker 5 (19:20):
And They had really good backs and they had some
size to them, and we stepped up to the plate.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
So that was good, and hopefully we'll see more good
on Saturday night against sax State seven o'clock kick at
Valley Children Stadium. If you don't have your tickets yet,
go Bulldogs dot com or come here to the point.
You might win a pair. We've got red seats to
give away tonight. In fact, maybe we'll do that in
about fifteen minutes or so. We've got a few more
minutes with the coach. Then we'll turn to the players.
Devo Bridges is here tonight. Stevie Nomura is here tonight.
(19:45):
If you've got questions for any of them, send it
our way, use that x app and the hashtag ask fs.
We're here at the Point Patti O'barnbistro. These misters are
pretty nice.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Huh yeah, big time. We need him on a sideline.
Don't tell Coach Hill that. Yeah, trust me, I know
how don't we all? Hey, we're having fun.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Come join us at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro
The Bulldog Football Hour on the Bulldog Sports Network from
their field.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
We welcome back.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
It's the Bulldog Football hour and here in the Point.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Patio Bar and Bistro, northwest corner of Willow and Knees.
If you know where the fountain is, just keep going
past the fountain and then once you get to the patio,
you'll feel a little missed. It's not from the fountain,
it's from the overhead misters. They have blowing past the
beautifully lit area with big fans going. I'm telling you
all this because you know it's hot outside today. It's
(20:42):
the valley in September. But it's nice and cool on
this patio. You've got shade, you've got fans, you've got misters,
and a phenomenal menu. It's a new menu. I've got
to study it. I haven't studied the new menu yet,
so I'll report back later. But coach Tim Skipper's been
studying the game plan for Sacramento State. It's for our
trip ahead, brought to you by Golden Eagle Charter, the
(21:02):
preferred motor coach and executive transportation service to Fresno State Athletics.
It's a short trip for the Bulldogs from their locker
room in the Duncan Building, down the Red Mile and
into Valley Children Stadium. Saturday night for that seven o'clock kickoff,
and it's an opponent coach that if anyone was taking
him lightly, just needs to watch the Hornet season opener
(21:23):
at San Jose State. Because they jumped out fourteen nothing
on the Spartans. We're able to run the ball effectively,
I believe led late twenty four to twenty one before
the Spartans pulled it out. I pulled it out forty
two to twenty four. The guy who just jumped off
the page to me was their junior running back Elijah
tal Tolliver one hundred and ten yards and two scores
against the Spartans Week one.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
Yeah, he's a downhill runner, has some speed, he's physical.
You can tell he loves the game the way he plays.
So we'll have our hands full. I mean, he's gonna
be excited to go against us, you know, so he'll
like the atmosphere in the stadium, So we got to
take the window out of them.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
I also noticed they've got a one time Bulldog starting
on their defensive line and Kobe Warkington, who was here
briefly as a red shirt before he went to the
FCS level. If you had to describe how the Hornets
want to attack on both sides of the ball, and
what your guys need to be prepared for, what your
priorities are gonna need to be to do what you're
(22:22):
trying to do.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
How would you explain that.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
Yeah, so they'll be on offense. They're gonna be totally
opposite of Michigan. So they're gonna try to spread us
out and they have a lot of speed on the outside,
so they have all the speed outside. They want you
to walk out the box and do that, and then
that's why the running game gets going. You have all
those open holes and not as many loaded boxes, so
we're gonna have to be able to play the run
while we're not necessarily lined up inside the box.
Speaker 2 (22:43):
We're gona have to fit outside end.
Speaker 5 (22:44):
So we'll have to do that, and there's different things
we can do to do that and get that accomplished.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Then on their defense, they move around a lot.
Speaker 5 (22:51):
They're gonna they're gonna constantly move their D line try
to confuse us, and then they're gonna change their quarter
their coverages up between quarters and cover three and then
they do a little little bit of man and they'll
come after you a little bit with a little cover zero,
So they do a lot to mess with you. We
just need to stick to our plan, do what we do.
We get a negative, play, turn it back into a positive,
and just keep moving forward.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
Well, and as you're talking about containing the run game,
which comes at you a little unorthodox way, I'm thinking
about the two guys we're going to talk to in
a minute here, Devo Bridges and Cev Nomura, who for
the two positions they play, they're pretty rangy if you
you know, grade their abilities. Devo covers as much grounds
as any defensive end you know, laterally, and Cev's a
(23:36):
sideline to sideline guy, and that skill set sounds like
we'll come in real handy against.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
The Hornets definitely.
Speaker 5 (23:41):
And Devo thinks he's a running back slash linebacker, so's
he'll enjoy this type of thing. He'll be able to
play with a two point stance stead of a three
point stance all the time, so that'll be good for him.
And like you said, he's rangy, you know, all the
screens and things, getting sideline a sideline he can do that.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
That fits his game to a t. So I'm excited
for him that way.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
And then see if you'll get that hair flying around
and like you did last week, and he'll go sil
on a sideline and bring the heat and do whatever
he has to do to get to the ball.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
So excited to see those guys play and we're going
to hear from them.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
And just a few moments here at the point Patti
o'bar and Bistro, come meet Coach Skipper. If you haven't yet,
or if you haven't seen him since he was playing,
or it's been a while, you can come meet the
new athletic director to Garrett Classy is here. Maybe we
need our PA announcer Matt Leeber to give him an
introduction too.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
We'll have him introduce the players when we come back
here in a few minutes. But while we're still talking
Coach Skipper, you mentioned Debo Bridges thinks he's a running back.
I mean he's been telling me since media days that
he needs to be in there as a blocking back
for you. I saw his receiving stats in high school
for the Carter Lions and they were pretty solid. But
I bring up that goal line package because that's something
(24:48):
Sack State actually does. They have a formation that might
give Bulldog fans some of those t Heavy members.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
M hmm, definitely good.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
The glory days with Coach Sweeney, Trent Dilfer, all those guys,
they were getting that tea formation all the way back.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
My brother got in a tea formason.
Speaker 5 (25:01):
Yeah, so it's a throwback thing here at Fresno is automatic.
He was touchdown once they got in that, so we
can't let them be that way.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
So we'll see how it goes. And that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
You can't let the hornets on Jim Sweeney Field beat
you with the Jim Sweeney move.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
No doubt, and we actually practice it today. So it
was good. It was good. But we are the founders
of the Tea Heavy So.
Speaker 3 (25:23):
Maybe someday we might see it come back on offense
for the Bulldogs.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
You might, you might. You have to attend and watch
to see. He's got this thing down, doesn't he.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
He's a coach, Tim Skipper, your head coach at Fresno State,
and his first home game as the head coach is
this Saturday night at seven o'clock. If you've got a
question for the dog centert our way, he's that hashtag
ask fs. I told you the misters are on the
fans are on, the shade is overhead, and if you're
not cool enough yet, tonight's Bulldog Football Hour is being
cooled down by thirty two below Ice, the official ice
(25:55):
provider of Fresno State Athletics. I got to ask you
about cam Lockridge because you mentioned earlier stopping Michigan on
third and one, and if I'm remembering the play correctly,
it's when he came off the edge right and hit
him in the backfield, hit Donovan Edwards, who last year
helped Michigan win that National championship game, and then he
gets a huge pick on the goal line runs it
(26:17):
out thirty five yards. People talk about Spoemer being injured
last year and Mikey getting hurt late in the year,
but I think people underestimated what it meant to that
defense to lose Cam Lockridge's playmaking ability in Game.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
Four, no doubt, no doubt.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
And you know his name's Locker is in the beginning
of his lock so we were able to lock down
some receivers with him on one side. But he's valuable
piece of the puzzle. I'm glad he's healthy because we
need him. He's not just a cover guy. I mean
he'll physically get down in there, like you said, and
he'll play the run game too, so he has size,
he can run. He's a really good player. He makes plays.
(26:54):
He's exciting on the sideline too, when the offense is
out there. He talks a lot like all the dbs do.
And just glad he's healthy.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
I really am.
Speaker 5 (27:03):
He had a lot of things going off the field,
and he had to overcome a lot of setbacks and
just to see the joy he has on his face
now and to be able to play again, it's awesome.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
So very proud of that kid.
Speaker 3 (27:13):
Yeah, and that kind of leads me into what else
I was going to ask you about him. And maybe
it's different for you, because when you came here, the
book was, Hey, he's a coach's kid. He plays like
a coach on the field, and he's a lot more
mature than a freshman or a sophomore or whatever.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
With Cam, maybe it's just me.
Speaker 3 (27:29):
It seems there's a different level of maturity or focus
in his game now than when he first arrived after
transferred from Hawaii.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Definitely, I kind of think two things.
Speaker 5 (27:39):
I think our community, the love you feel as a
Bulldog football player from the community helps you mature.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It really does, because you know you have love and
you have parents away from your parents. It's kind of
that feel, you know.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
And then I also think the structure of our program
helps these kids. You know, they know right from wrong
right away. They know you got to be early. You
know all those little things. They know if you do something,
we're gonna get yelled at, like all that type of stuff,
doting slides.
Speaker 2 (28:04):
We take no shortcuts.
Speaker 5 (28:05):
So that to me the two things, the community and
the program, is the reason why these guys come in
one way and leave another.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Well, explain that, and Coach, we could talk to you
for hours. I know those players are waiting to get on,
so we'll bring them on here in a moment. But
I can't let you go without giving you an opportunity
to coach up the Red Wave a little bit. I mean,
this is the first home game with you in charge
as the head coach. So what do you need from
the fans Saturday night? What are their marching orders?
Speaker 2 (28:32):
A couple things.
Speaker 5 (28:32):
When we take the field, it needs to be loud,
and we need to be in the seats. Tailgates in
at six thirty, be in the stadium for seven drink
as much as you want, but just be in the
stadium by seven, okay, And then when we're on defense,
it needs to be as loud as it possibly can be.
Speaker 2 (28:47):
Not just third down, first down, second down, third down.
Speaker 5 (28:49):
Let's get it crack, and if they decide they want
to go for it on fourth, we get even louder.
Speaker 2 (28:53):
You know what I mean, that type of mentality.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
And then when we score, they should be able to
hear us way in Sacramento. You know what I mean,
that type of mentality. So let's be loud, let's be cheerful,
let's have a good time, and not last or least,
let's make sure we're in there by seven and we're
good to go.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
Man.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
I mean, I don't think you could have been more
prepared to answer that question. It's not like I told
you as coming or anytime. You're just breathing out here.
Speaker 2 (29:19):
A lot of gamess, a lot of games. Yep.
Speaker 3 (29:21):
Well, coach, good luck Saturday night. I'll see you before then.
But thanks for coming out to the point.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Thank you appreciate it, Thanks everybody for being here.
Speaker 3 (29:27):
That's coach Tim Skipper. When we come back, the two
defensive captains of your Fresno State Bulldogs, Devout Bridges and
CV Nomura sit down with us, come hang out at
the Point Patiobar and Bistro, and keep it here on
the Bulldog Sports Network from Dearfield.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
Welcome back to the Bulldogs Football Hour.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
We're here at the Point Patio Bar and Bistro, brought
to you by Bulldog Bred, the official nil collective of
Fresno State Athletics. To support student athletes, visit Bulldog bredr
ead dot com. We're about to meet a couple of
those student athletes. Remember, if you want to win tickets,
you've got to be here at the Point. We're only
on for another twenty minutes or so, so hurry on
over to the northwest corner Willow and Knees. We'll also
(30:06):
throw you some pistachios thanks to American pistachio Growers and tonight,
for the first time ever in the history of this show,
we have a custom public address announcer, the same guy
you're gonna hear Saturday night at seven at Valley Children's
Stadium for the season opener against sax State. Wasn't it
great when he introduced Tim Skipper? So let's have him
introduce our student athlete guest tonight once again the Valley
(30:28):
Children's Stadium Voice of the Bulldogs, Matt Lee Aber.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Coming off an incredible performance at the Big House in
ann Arbor, Michigan. Your guest tonight, Linebacker number eight CV
No Mora and defensive end number five.
Speaker 2 (30:42):
Devo Bridges that'll wake you up. Good job, Wormy Devo.
You ever hear when they say your name at the stadium?
Speaker 6 (30:56):
Yeah, Big Paul is here, actually be listening for it
so I can to make a player.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
I think they are. They're gonna say it. They say
it every time, so they left me hanging it.
Speaker 3 (31:04):
You mean they've never said somebody else's name when you
thought you made the play.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Oh, that definitely has happened before.
Speaker 6 (31:11):
And our life is cool, you know, saying multiple guys
in the pile, But yeah, it happened before.
Speaker 2 (31:15):
You know.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
That all comes down to the spot or who's looking
through the binoculars to see who made the tackle. And
you guys did a lot of that Saturday night CV
welcome as well.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
What did that feel like for you guys?
Speaker 3 (31:25):
Because Coach Skip all week was preaching physicality, physicality, physicality,
you knew what you're up against the Michigan team that
dominated the line of scrimmage in all of its games
last year. You guys didn't let them do that. What
did it feel like for you for those four quarters?
Speaker 7 (31:40):
It felt amazing just to be out there for everyone
to just be playing together and putting pads on somebody
else that's not our own people.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
How about you, Devo, It felt great to do.
Speaker 6 (31:53):
You know that's something that Coljeto preaches every day of
being physical, being physical, being physical. So you know, we
had no other choice but to come out there fiscal
because we wasn't go here at the.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
End of the day. Yes you would.
Speaker 3 (32:05):
I heard a little bit of that of practice today
from Coach Franklin, one of the all time grades.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Here.
Speaker 3 (32:09):
We're here at the point Patti Obar and Bistro, right
on the northwest corner. The mysters are on, the fans
are on the new menu. I haven't looked at the
new menu yet. What you guys order tonight?
Speaker 7 (32:18):
I owed, I ordered a ten ole steak, That's what
I'm talking about. I seen that and I said, I
had to get that.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Medium medium rare um medium, uh huh, some juice in it.
I'm with you. I got the other State bites and
mac and cheese. Ooh yeah, I haven't had MC and
cheese here. I haven't not this. I'm kind of excited
about it. All right, y'all have to get your review later.
Got you?
Speaker 3 (32:40):
Uh you know, I was looking up your high school stats, Devo,
because I wanted to see if you ever played against
CV in high school, because you guys are both from
the Inland Empire.
Speaker 7 (32:48):
He didn't want to see me.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Oh, shots fired already. He went to a pretty good
high school back there.
Speaker 6 (32:54):
Me s actually played together in the in a bowl
game our senior year, So our senior ye All Star
all Starry played All Star game together.
Speaker 2 (33:01):
So yeah, that's when I first met CIV. What was
that like? Would you remember that, SEV? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (33:05):
I do.
Speaker 7 (33:06):
Actually, it's actually funny because every time we talk about it,
he brings up a story about a big playbook that
they gave us. He asked me, it was like, so,
how do you know the plays? I said, I don't know,
I'm just playing football.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Does that work? Still? Not? Not as much? No, you
gotta know that playbook.
Speaker 3 (33:29):
What was your first impression of this guy from Centennial Corona?
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Oh?
Speaker 6 (33:33):
Man, you know he's from centin you know all the
hype in the in the area and stuff. I was like, man,
I could have played there. But man, great player, you know,
great energy. You know, same guy that used today so
cool got to be around now.
Speaker 3 (33:46):
I was looking to see it and you guys never
did play Centennial. I guess there were a different league
from the Carter Lions. But I saw you had over
seven hundred yards receiving in high school. Man, I must
have some hands on.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
You, man, do I Man? I tell you I was.
Speaker 6 (33:58):
I was an athlete in high school man, and my
sophomore you actually I'm playing in college all TOI I'm
playing receiver. I'm not playing linebacker. I was actually a
linebacker receiver. I want to play defense. W'a player receiver?
Speaker 2 (34:07):
How about that? Yeah? But you know things change, so
not my hands in the dirt.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
So ah, senior night, who knows? Maybe the ball come
your way. I saw you play a little center on
the basketball team.
Speaker 6 (34:17):
Too, Yeah so did Yeah what was your go to move?
Go to move? I played center balls six two's. I'm
kind of short, so like I like to uh. I
kind of like to dribble, so I used to crossover
take it to the rim.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Uh, huh, get a bigger guy on you and blow by. Yep, exactly.
I like it all right now, CB.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
I asked you a practice a couple of weeks ago
what your second best sport would be, and you had
to think about that for a while because you've just
been a football guy for a long time, haven't you?
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Yes, I have?
Speaker 7 (34:43):
Uh, you remember when in the NFLA football.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
I really don't what I say wrestling.
Speaker 7 (34:50):
I said something funny.
Speaker 2 (34:52):
What do you think he said? Diva him? I don't know,
Probably golfers, and he's probably trying to be funny.
Speaker 3 (34:58):
Actually, I think he'd be pretty good at the sporting
he said. He said rugby, that you're tough enough to
play rugby.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Oh yeah, I'm for sure tough enough. Scary though, because
they don't have helmets, it's very different. I use my
helmet a lot.
Speaker 2 (35:12):
And you've been.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Playing football for a long time, but only your second
year with Fresno State, coming over from the Trojans down south.
What have you appreciated about Devo and your teammates on
defense that has made this feel like home for you?
Speaker 7 (35:26):
Just our connection. I think we've built a type bond
together and that's just been the culture throughout the whole team.
So just when we grind together, everybody is just building
that connection and we're all getting closer and closer.
Speaker 3 (35:44):
We're going to take a break here in a minute,
but I'm gonna throw one question at you that came
in on social media on the xAPP with that hashtag
ask fs. They were talking about last year Devo and CV.
You weren't playing yet at the start of the year
when this happened. But the Bulldogs went and beat Perdue
and then came home against an FCS team, Eastern Washington,
and that came ended up in overtime and it took
(36:06):
Lavelle Bailey coming through with that pick to seal it.
So the question was, would you guys handle this situation,
an FCS team on the heels of a Big ten team,
any differently than last year?
Speaker 2 (36:17):
Devo?
Speaker 3 (36:18):
Did that teach you guys anything that experienced last year?
Speaker 2 (36:20):
Uh?
Speaker 6 (36:21):
Yeah, I definitely did. You know, don't take any opponent
l likely, you know, just because they're a big school
or a small school. You know, gotta give every point
their respect. That's something that our coaches do preach every day.
You know, take every game, take it at the same
same game every time. So that's something that we kind
of I guess we came out there lack of days ago,
came out their sleepwalking, so I said them, we gotta
start fast and finish faster.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
So something we don't want to do again. Got anything
to add to that number eight?
Speaker 7 (36:46):
Just like Ivo said, never take anyone lately. You always
got to be prepared and show up no matter who
it is.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
You know, and you were wearing forty four last year.
You still got the necklace around your neck right now.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Four.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
You made the switch to eight this year, but that's
a retired number for David Carr.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
Did you end up talking to him a little bit
about that?
Speaker 7 (37:08):
I actually did not. I went through Tefford. He agreed
with it, and he thought I could feel the role.
Speaker 2 (37:16):
I didn't know if you were trying to play a
little QB or anything. No, no QB. If anything, they
could put me at running back.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
All right, everybody's got a dream, right, including CEV and Devo.
There here at the point, Patiobar and Bistro for another
fifteen minutes, so come join us, don't be late. Giving
away some tickets here in a moment to Saturday Night's
home opener seven o'clock kick against the Hornets of Sack State.
It's the Bulldog Football Hour on the Bulldog Sports Network
from Deerfield, Oh. I love it when the Red Wave
(37:47):
comes out to the Point Patio Bar and Bistro. My
only complaint is that the time always goes by too quickly.
It's here and then it's gone. And we've got about
ten more minutes with your two senior captains, six year
senior captains of the Bulldog Defense, Devo Bridges, defensive end
number five and number eight. Cev Nomura, senior linebacker. We're
here at the Point northwest corner Willow and Knees. I've
(38:09):
been studying this brand new menu. The only changing from
time to time.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Devo.
Speaker 3 (38:12):
You were talking about that mac and cheese. Now I
see what you're talking about. Three cheese, bechamel sauce with
bacon and topped with toasted bread crumbs. Get a little
crispy on the outside, smooth on the inside. Sevie said
he got the ten ounce New York steak with sauted broccolini, garlet,
gerb butter and a Cabernet demiglaze.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
Some high flute and stuff.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
Man the chicken pad tie still on the menu, ask
for its super spicy it'll melt your face off. And
now they even have a new one called papard with
traditional beef and pork bolognese topped with barrata. Ooh, that
fresh barrata is big time. They have that barrata appetizer
here too. I can spend the rest of the time
talking about the menu, but we better get back to football.
(38:55):
Our show brought to you tonight by Table Mountain Casino
Resort and have a lucky day followed by an epic
night only a Table Mountain Casino Resort and opening night
for the home schedule Saturday night, seven o'clock against Sacramento State.
And one of the questions that came in on the
X APP that I didn't catch for Coach Skipper, I'm
just gonna pass to you guys because this one came
(39:15):
from Steve, who's here at the Quarterback Club tonight, and
he wanted to know how the players reacted when Coach
Skipper passed out scouting reports for Game two as you
guys were on the bus leaving the Big House in
Ann Arbor. Did that help you guys move on from
what you've just been up to.
Speaker 2 (39:33):
First of all, that was the first time's ever happened.
I was kind of crazy.
Speaker 6 (39:36):
I'm getting ready to, you know, kind of relax after
after the game, you know, ready to get on the
plane and stuff.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
But yeah, definite helped us move on. You know, we
took our loss and it's trying to move on. Hey,
you're gonna be sitting on a plane, might as well
do some homework. Huh. Yeah, definitely. Have you ever seen
that happen before?
Speaker 7 (39:49):
Saving I seen that happen before, Like Divo said, I
looked at the paper like amazed that we were already
moving on. But it just goes to show that it's
always going to be business at the end of the day,
and we got to be ready for the next week.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
You know.
Speaker 3 (40:09):
And that makes me think I need to ask you
another question about your head coach. If that's the first
time in all your years of playing football, and I
just told everybody you're both sixty year seniors, that that
specific circumstance is unfolded, maybe there's some other things about
coach Skipper that stand out and how he does this
job and how he's leading this team. Because you guys
have been around to a lot of coaches, a lot
(40:30):
of well known coaches, a lot of highly successful coaches.
What are the things that each of you appreciate the
most about who he is and the way he leads?
Speaker 2 (40:39):
His energy?
Speaker 7 (40:40):
I love his energy. He brings it every day. He's
always excited, ready to compete, and true competitor. And he's
a great leader, someone you definitely want to follow behind.
And yeah, that's pretty much it.
Speaker 3 (40:57):
And I'm sure he's busted out the old game tape
a couple time to show your number.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
A couple of times.
Speaker 7 (41:01):
Yeah, I've seen it.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Okay, just checking devo. How about you?
Speaker 3 (41:04):
And you've known coach Skip a little longer than CEV has.
What if you enjoyed about him in this role?
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Now?
Speaker 6 (41:11):
Man, I just love you know that were led by
a guy you know that I've played here. You know
the same thing with coach CHAFFERD And I'm glad we
kept it in the building when he stepped down and
stuff like that. So it's a blessed to be led
by him every day. You know, it's a guy that
bled and sweat on that fields. He knows what it
feels to be a bulldog, so you know he loves
being here. So a person that loves being here. That's
something that that you see every day, whether the way
he leads, the way he talks. You know, it's just contagious.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
You know. It helps us, you know, reminder that we
get to we ain got.
Speaker 3 (41:36):
To say that last part again and explain what that means.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
We get to do it, and I got to do it.
Speaker 6 (41:42):
You know some days, you know, like coming out there
to practice, you're tired, you know, might be dating in
the camp, and you get to do this. Not everyone
is blessed to be in this bising that your age.
Sometimes we forget that you ain't got to do it,
you get to do it.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Yeah, we clapped for that, and people can say that,
But isn't it different. See when you start to understand
what that really means and you adopt that mindset, then
then you don't have to catch yourself as often.
Speaker 7 (42:05):
Right, Yes, most definitely. That's been built into us already,
so you fill down at any moments. We get to
do this. Not much people get this opportunity, so we're
gonna make the best of it.
Speaker 3 (42:18):
The next opportunity comes Saturday night, seven o'clock against the
Hornets of Sack State, the home opener for a program
that led the nation and attendance outside of Power five
schools last year, and the Dogs would love to do
that again. So Red Wave be there. We're gonna give
away some red seats here in just a couple of minutes.
Another question that came in with that hashtag ask fs
was about the hammer. You might remember that when Pat
(42:42):
Hill was the head coach and John Baxter was here
the first time around, a special teams player who made
a big play the game before would run down the
ramp with a hammer.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
I just asked Coach Skipper about that.
Speaker 3 (42:51):
He's still here, and he would not confirm nor deny
whether the hammer is gonna make an appearance Saturday night.
I would just say stay tuned, because well, let's just
see what happens there and there's now I don't think
he's gonna grow up.
Speaker 2 (43:06):
Food man choo.
Speaker 3 (43:07):
Good question, Eli, but that would be something if we
could get Coach Skipper to do the food man chew
Pat Hill style. Guys, just a couple of minutes left
here this Sack State game. Do you feel that as
a defense or as a team, there's something that that
you guys would like to prove on Saturday night at
seven o'clock.
Speaker 2 (43:28):
Well, we want to prove well, we want to get
a win. First of all.
Speaker 6 (43:31):
Every week we want to go one to zero, and
we can do that last week, and you know it's
part of the game. But first foremost, we want to win.
So that's something we want to do with folks on Saturdays.
Winning the game, no matter how it happens, could be
ugly to be pretty beautiful, it's get the job done, Seebee.
Speaker 7 (43:44):
I think we just want to prove to ourselves that
all of this hard work that we did in the
offseason and everything we've been doing so far leading up
to this point, just prove to ourselves that we was
doing the right thing and we were going in the
right direction. And we're gonna take this program to special place.
Speaker 3 (44:08):
And I imagine you both are going to have some
special people coming up to the valley to watch you
on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Yes, sir, who's coming.
Speaker 7 (44:15):
My daughter will be there, her first football game. So
proud to have her show up for my games.
Speaker 3 (44:23):
You see that smile Devo when he said that, Yeah,
how old is she?
Speaker 2 (44:27):
Now?
Speaker 7 (44:28):
Three months?
Speaker 2 (44:29):
And what's her name? Lively? NOI uh huh.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
So you're playing with little extra motivations definitely, Devo.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
You got your crew from the ie coming up.
Speaker 6 (44:39):
Yeah, I got my sister, my two niece's coming up,
my biggest supporter, so I'm glad to have them here.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
Do you always know where they're sitting? Uh? No, I don't.
Speaker 6 (44:47):
I try to look like before the game, I try
to look where they're at and stuff.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
But if I don't see an one, well.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
We know they're going to see you and hopefully they're
gonna hear you and Sack State is going to feel you.
Anything else you two want to share with the Red
Way before you enjoy those great meals from the point.
Speaker 6 (45:03):
Make sure you gotta show up and show out for
it like I always doing. Pack out, pack out, of
Voutchua Stadium.
Speaker 7 (45:08):
Love you Red Way, Yes, sir, shout out to the
Red Wave. We love you guys support and without you guys, man,
it'd be a whole different ball game. So we just
love having you guys there and showing up for us.
Speaker 3 (45:20):
Hopefully it'll be a full house Saturday night at seven
o'clock against sax State.
Speaker 2 (45:24):
We've got maybe a minute left here, Dvo.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
That makes me wonder since you've been here for six
years now, you got a lot of memories in that stadium.
Is there a moment that gives you goosebumps still thinking
about it? When you could feel how fired up the crowd.
Speaker 6 (45:37):
Was, Man, gives me goosebumps. Problem again, I gives me goosebumps.
Part of at San Diego State game. I knew you
were gonna say the old crowd party knew I probably
most of the real moment I ever felt like in
a football game. It was so crazy like that because
that game, like, if we're down, I always always know
we got a chance.
Speaker 3 (45:55):
After that game, doesn't matter how far you're down, you know, because.
Speaker 2 (45:58):
Of that game, you still have a chance. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (46:00):
But what moment gave you the biggest goosebumps? The on
side kick, the touchdown afterwards, the two point CJ's.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
Pick probably probably onside kick, and then the touchdown.
Speaker 3 (46:10):
All right, Well, hopefully you guys don't have to do
anything like that on Saturday night against sax State, but
the fans will feel the same kind of electricity. CEV Devo,
thanks a lot, good luck Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (46:21):
Thank thank you so much. All right, your.
Speaker 3 (46:22):
Defensive captains for the Fresno State Bulldogs, Devout Bridges and
CEV Nomura. Make sure you join us here next Wednesday
night from six to seven at the Point Patio Bar
and Bistro, northwest corner of Willow and Knees and be
there at Valley Children Stadium.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
Be there early. You heard Coach Skip say it. Be
in your seats before kickoff.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
Thanks for listening to the Bulldog Football Hour tonight on
the Bulldog Sports Network from Deerfield.
Speaker 1 (47:16):
You've been listening to the Bulldog Football Hour, presented by
American fistachio growers powering the Valley one nut at a time,
also brought to you by ECU Smarter Banking since nineteen
thirty four and by bud Light Easy to Drink, Easy
to Enjoy. The preceding has been a lear Field presentation
(47:39):
of the Bulldog Sports Network
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.