Career Stats

2006 - 3 total tackles, 0 interceptions, 0 sacks
2007 - 62 total tackles, 1 interception, 0 sacks
2008 - 75 total tackles, 0 interceptions, 1 sack

As each year passes it seems that Moses Harris becomes more and more involved on defense. Stats tend to tell the story of how important a football player is to his team. If this rings true Harris will be very important to the Bulldogs in 2009. In 2007 the Fresno State secondary seemed to take a step forward. Although they did not perform on the level that the 2005 secondary did, they improved by leaps and bounds when compared to the 2006 squad. Unfortunately 2008 seemed to be a step back for the secondary once again. With Lorne Bell hurt the personality of the secondary looked to be missing. That is not to say that Harris did not play as hard as he possibly could. If there was one player on defense that gave all of his effort every play it was Harris. If Harris hopes to make an impact on defense he will have to improve in various areas throughout this off-season.

Although Fresno State did not blitz often from the secondary they did attempt to do so from time to time. More often than not Harris could be found flying through the air as he would attempt to jump over the running backs blocking him. Harris will have to learn that he has the upper hand when running full speed at a running back. Harris does not need to jump over the running back but instead should learn to use his strength to either run over the blocker or attempt to dodge him on his way to the QB. Fresno State has had problems pressuring the QB for the past three seasons and part of the problem has been the scheme the defense has continually run. However, the player’s technique will need to be changed if the Bulldogs hope to force the QB to throw the football earlier than he desires to.

The biggest improvement required by Harris will need to be in pass coverage. Over the years Harris has had little problem running with receivers and providing pressure. His problem has been positioning himself to knock the ball down prior to the receiver catching it. Harris is a smart football player and will continue to be a starter from the safety position. Unfortunately if Harris cannot work on knocking passes down and becoming a solid tackler his football career will end here at Fresno State with no NFL future in sight.

BB.C Player Prediction
Harris will improve defensively as he has every year in his career. However, he will continue to have problems making tackles in the open field.

Ebahn Feathers (Freshman)

No Career Stats

As Ebahn Feathers begins his football career at Fresno State fans cannot wait to see how much of a difference a player with Feathers ability can make. Feathers is one of the fastest QB’s if not players to ever come through the Fresno State football program. The only time Bulldogs fans have been able to see Feathers has been in practices against his own team. However, in that short span Bulldog fans have been pleased with what Feathers has shown when given the opportunity to make plays.

Feathers will not be the starting QB for Fresno State this season but instead will generally be used in the same role that Clifton Smith was when he lined up at QB. The only difference between Feathers and Smith is the fact that Feathers can and will throw the ball when given the chance. Feathers has been viewed as a gamer. He may struggle in practices but in his short time here at Fresno State he has shown the ability to make the big play when fans are watching. Defenses will have their hands full on plays where Feathers lines up behind center if for no other reason that the fact that he can either run or throw the ball without problems.

As stated earlier Feathers will not be the starting QB for the team. He does not fit the traditional drop back QB mold that Pat Hill likes to stick with. However, Feathers offers the change of pace QB that may be the biggest difference between a win and a loss for the Bulldogs. If a game is close and Feathers can make a difference he will have the chance to this season which is something many Bulldog fans cannot wait to see.

BB.C Player Prediction
Bulldog fans will see plenty of Ebahn Feathers on the football field this season. Look for the offense to utilize Feathers at least 10-15 snaps per game.

#4 Derek Carr (True Freshman)

No Career Stats

Derek Carr may be one of the most highly anticipated freshmen to ever venture into Bulldogs stadium. Being the younger brother of a former Bulldog great only makes it that much easier for Fresno State fans to look forward to what Carr is capable of on the football field. Understand this: Derek Carr is not David’s Younger brother, but instead is Derek Carr. With all due respect to David, Derek is much further along in his football life than David was at this age partly due to David’s experience in the college and pro football world. Fresno State was lucky to receive a commitment from a top recruit such as Derek (one of only two four star recruits the Bulldogs received this past season). In high school Derek had no problems leading his team to the division five championship and has high hopes of bringing Fresno State a WAC title much sooner than later. But the question on everyone’s mind is: Will Derek play in his freshman year?

Pat Hill generally stays away from throwing a QB into the fire early in his college career. That might not hold true with Carr. Derek seems to be far more polished than most QB’s at his young age. During the 2009 spring game Derek completed 11 out of 13 passes for three touchdowns and looked very comfortable in the pocket. Carr’s arm strength may be the one thing that pushes him past every other QB on the Bulldogs roster. There are many throws that Carr is able to make that other QB’s just don’t have the ability to complete. However, Carr will have to gain weight and go through a college football maturity process in order to be ready to play football at the next level. In high school you can get away with locking on to receivers and throwing the ball into tight spots. The same cannot be said for the college game. Many may remember a former Bulldog QB Sean Norton and the interview he gave after his first game against Hawaii. Norton threw an interception for a TD early in the second quarter. After the game he stated “You cannot stare down receivers at this level.” Carr will deal with the same problems that all Freshman QB’s do at the college level. However, Carr is one QB that just may the ability to overcome it all and lead this team just as his brother did eight seasons ago.

BB.C Player Prediction
Fresno State fans will see Derek on the field early in the year against both UC Davis and Wisconsin. Whether he ends up being the starter prior to the Boise game will depend on three things: 1) Is Carr a better fit for the offense than Colburn, 2) Does he understand the offense well enough to make a difference, and 3) Does the offense rally around Carr better than Colburn?

#4 Damion Owens (Senior)

Career Stats

2006 - 4 total tackles, 0 sacks, 0 interceptions
2007 - 42 total tackles, 0 sacks, 1 interception
2008 - 35 total tackles, 0 sacks, 1 interception for a touchdown

Damion Owens also enters his final season at Fresno State. The past three seasons for Owens have been hit or miss at the corner position. At times Owens has played well allowing very few passes to be completed his way. Other times Owens has looked lost on the field putting himself in terrible positions to make a play. With a new corner coach this season look for Owens to be a much more physical corner than he has been in the past. Owens will be competing with Desia Dunn and A.J. Jefferson for the starting corner positions in 2009. If Owens shows improvement and learns to play with more fire he may have the opportunity to show his skills on the field far more than he has in the past. At the same time the Bulldogs often deal with injuries meaning we may see Owens regardless of what happens in the secondary competition this season.

In 2009 if the Bulldogs hope to have a successful season the secondary will have to make much more of a difference than they did in 2008. Over the past three seasons Owens has accounted for all of two interceptions, one of which came in the eighth game of the season against San Jose State for the Bulldogs first interception of the 2007 season. Fresno State’s defense cannot deal with another season forcing such a paltry amount of turnovers. When Owens is on the field he will have to do a better job of breaking up passes and providing pressure on the receiver to force the QB into making tough decisions. Fresno State has generally given opposing QB’s all the time in the world to throw the ball leaving receivers wide open at key points in the game (much like against Boise State in 2008). If the coverage improves in the secondary and the tackling takes a turn for the better the Bulldogs may be able to change the way the defense has played the last few seasons. Just as Harris often does, Owens also misses many tackles and needs to put himself in better position to stop the opposing team from breaking off big plays.