ESPN College Football

Pat Hill is a bottom-line guy. No wonder he has been so successful. Fresno State is still without injured No. 1 quarterback (Paul Pinegar) and the backup (Jeff Grady) has played all season with shoulder and hip ailments. You can see, then, why Fresno State became a defensive-minded side in their conference opener against Louisiana Tech, grinding out a 16-6 home victory.

"Our defensive team speed was outstanding," said Hill. "We had to run the ball, control the clock and keep our defense rested. It wasn't pretty, but we just need to win games."

Run, they did. Fresno State finished with 299 yards rushing, including 177 by sophomore Dwayne Wright. "He is a special back who is earning more playing time," said Hill. "He has good balance and can make a safety miss against eight-man fronts."

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