Weekend Results for Top 25

After a stellar 3-0 start, highlighted by their upset victory over Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., the Fresno State Bulldogs have become the buzz of the college football world.

Going into the Wisconsin game, many observers felt the Badgers would have the upper hand. After all, they took Oregon to the wire at Eugene the week before, nearly ending the Ducks' 20-game home winning streak at Autzen Stadium.

	Fresno State's Tierre Sams picks off a pass as Lee Evans watches in the Bulldogs' win Saturday.

In addition, the game was scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. local time, figuring to cause some problems for Fresno State players who had to reset their body clocks in preparation for an earlier-than-usual kickoff.

After the first half, it appeared that the skeptics might be correct. Wisconsin held a 20-10 lead, with QB Jim Sorgi directing a balanced attack featuring tailback Anthony Davis (87 first-half yards on 13 carries) and WR Lee Evans.

In the first half, Sorgi completed 8-of-14 passes for 138 yards and one TD, without an interception. The Badgers' offensive line also did its job, preventing the Bulldogs' defensive front (led by senior DT Alan Harper) from recording a sack.

But the second half was a completely different story. Before Badgers fans could return to their seats, Fresno State's multi-talented junior Bernard Berrian had taken the kickoff 96 yards for a TD, igniting a second-half turnaround that saw the Bulldogs outscore Wisconsin 22-0. Adding insult to injury, the Bulldogs went for two points after both TDs to begin the second half, converting each opportunity. At that point, it seemed that Bulldogs coach Pat Hill and offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig felt the diversified and sophisticated Fresno State attack could not be stopped.

The Bulldogs' defense limited Sorgi (5-for-17 in second half), coming away with two interceptions and three sacks. Field position in the second half was a key as well. The average start of drives for Fresno State was the 50-yard line, while Wisconsin's average was its own 28-yard line. And how about time of possession: When the Badgers were forced to comeback mode, Carr and the Bulldogs controlled the clock. Fresno State had the ball for 10:22 in the fourth quarter (leaving Wisconsin just 4:38).

For Hill and Ludwig, it helps to have a bona-fide star at the controls. Senior QB David Carr has been on quite a roll, delivering precise and accurate strikes to any point on the field. If he continues to post such lofty numbers and the Bulldogs run the table, which is entirely possible, Carr could end up landing in the early first round of the 2002 NFL draft in April. And guess what, even though I don't have a vote and it's still awfully early in the season, Carr is right now clearly at the top of my Heisman list.

Besides Berrian, also assisting Carr in the early going has been the outstanding play of senior wideout Rodney Wright. Able to take a short pass and do significant damage in the open field,Wright has teamed with Carr to play pitch-and-catch to convert a number of key opportunities.

Defensively, you also have to applaud the performance of senior DT Alan Harper. While Tennessee's John Henderson, North Carolina's Julius Peppers, Notre Dame's Anthony Weaver and Wisconsin's Wendell Bryant may have garnered more national publicity prior to the 2001 campaign, Harper has definitely made his mark as one of the elite DTs in the country. In the process, he's also soaring up the draft board. Check out my updated Top 25 senior prospect board on ESPN.com this Wednesday to see where he stacks up.

As for Pat Hill, there's no question that he's the early leader for Coach of the Year honors. Winning marquee games on the road in college football is quite an accomplishment (just ask my good friend, Beano Cook). Hill and the Bulldogs have already done so twice, coming away with hard-fought victories at Boulder and Madison, in addition to their impressive home win over Dennis Erickson's talented Oregon State Beavers.

Hill, 50, has a wide-ranging background in the coaching profession. He's been an assistant at L.A. Valley College, Arizona, Fresno State, UNLV and Utah, while also coordinating the offense for Calgary of the CFL in '83. Before becoming a head coach for the first time at Fresno State in '97, Hill served as tight ends and offensive line coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

With his intense and dedicated approach, Hill has the ability to complement his vast knowledge of the game with the ability to maximize the capability of every player on the roster. There is no question that Hill is quite a motivator, which is essential to become one of the elite in the head-coaching ranks at any level.

Strong start for UCLA's Foster
How about the start of UCLA's DeShaun Foster? The gifted senior running back enjoyed a strong opening performance against Alabama, then followed it up with another big-time effort Saturday afternoon against Kansas.

Foster showcased his natural running skills once again, finishing with 179 yards. If he can put to rest any concerns about durability, Foster could emerge as the top running back on the draft board.

South Florida's Blackwell engineers upset of Pitt
Hats off to head coach Jim Leavitt and the South Florida Bulls for pulling off the shocker of the day in college football. Granted, the Pittsburgh Panthers were without their top overall performer, WR Antonio Bryant, due to injury. But this should not minimize what South Florida accomplished.

Keyed by impressive junior QB Marquel Blackwell, the Bulls went to Pittsburgh and came away with a 35-26 victory. As was the case in their opener against Northern Illinois, wideout DeAndrew Rubin was outstanding, hauling in 11 receptions for 144 yards and two TDs.

As for the multi-talented Blackwell, he completed 37-of-65 aerials for 343 yards and four TDs. Despite the 65 attempts, Blackwell was not sacked and was intercepted just once. By the way, Blackwell and Rubin have been a top-flight pass catch tandem since their Pop Warner and high-school days.

When you factor in the near-upset of Northern Illinois, it's conceivable that Leavitt's surprising Bulls could finish with anywhere from six to eight victories. What an accomplishment this would be for a South Florida squad that was competing at the Division I-AA level as recently as '99, with last year considered a transitional season.