Fresno State Football Notebook, 12/14/15, James Bailey mention with 5th most tackles by true freshman in the Mountain West

Fresno State Football Notebook

News and notes surrounding the Bulldog football program

 

Dec. 14, 2015

By Jason Clay
jaclay@csufresno.edu
GoBulldogs.com

FRESNO, Calif. - As the fall 2015 semester closes out at Fresno State, some term-ending news and notes surrounding the Bulldog football team.

• Wednesday marks the opening for the early signing period for football. Prospect student-athletes who sign with the Bulldogs this week would be eligible to enroll at Fresno State for the spring semester and participate in spring practices, which open on March 1. Stay tuned to GoBulldogs.com or follow Fresno State on Twitter (@FresnoStateFB) and Instagram (Fresno_State_Football) on Wednesday for all the latest updates on early signees.

• OLB James Bailey posted 47 tackles during his true freshman season. That is the most tackles by any Fresno State true freshman in 20 seasons. The last Bulldog true freshman with that high of a total was linebacker Kevin Adams, who in 1995 also posted 47 tackles during his true freshman season.

There were a number of true freshmen defenders that made an impression this season in the Mountain West.

Most tackles by a true freshman – Mountain West 2015
122 - Andrew Wingard, Wyoming
96 - Asauni Rufus, Nevada 
75 – Frank Ginda, San Jose State
58 – Dameon Baber, Nevada
47 – James Bailey, Fresno State

• Ejiro Ederaine had a big senior season, one that matched and surpassed his breakout sophomore campaign when he posted 63 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks. This year, Ederaine had 99 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss and 9.0 sacks. He tied for the Mountain West lead in sacks, ranked second in tackles for a loss and was fourth in total tackles. 

With two seasons recording 15 or more tackles for a loss in his career, Ederaine joined Alan Harper as the only two players in school history to post 15 or more tackles for a loss in multiple seasons. Harper actually did so three times in consecutive years from 1999-01. Harper had 15.0 TFLs in 1999, 16.0 in 2000 and a school single-season record of 21.0 in 2001.

• This is just the third season in the last 15 years that Fresno State has missed a bowl game. But did you know that the Bulldogs are one of just 26 Football Bowl Subdivision programs and one of just two in the Mountain West that has made at least 12 bowl appearances in the last 15 years? Fresno State and Boise State are the only two schools from the Group of Five that make that list.

Most Bowl Appearances Last 15 Seasons (2001-15)
Florida State – 15 
Georgia – 15
LSU – 15
Virginia Tech – 15 
Boise State – 14
Clemson – 14 
Florida – 14
Georgia Tech – 14
Oregon – 14 
Wisconsin – 14
Alabama – 13 
Auburn – 13 
Iowa – 13 
Nebraska – 13
Ohio State – 13 
Oklahoma State – 13 
TCU – 13
Texas – 13 
USC – 13
West Virginia – 13
BYU – 12 
Boston College – 12 
Fresno State – 12 
Louisville – 12 
Pitt – 12 
Utah – 12

• It is finals week at Fresno State and then the Bulldogs are off for winter break. Classes resume on Jan. 19 and then on Jan. 25 the Bulldogs will begin a five-week winter strength and conditioning program that will take them up to the start of spring football on March 1.

Physical development will remain a theme even when spring football does begin, as the Bulldogs have shifted their scheduling during spring ball to allow for more lifting days to go with their NCAA-allotted 15 practices. In years past the Bulldogs held four practices a week for three weeks and then three during the final week. This year, Fresno State is holding three practices per week with three lifting days over a five-week football period that actually spans six total weeks when you add in the week for Spring Break that the team will take off.