FRESNO STATE
DeRuyter brings new brand to Valley

Standout quarterback Derek Carr is poised for another break-out season. photo: Fresno State Athletics

Fresno State football fans will see a new style of football come Saturdays this fall with the hiring of new head coach Tim DeRuyter.

DeRuyter, who was introduced as Fresno State's 17th head coach in program history in December, is installing an up-tempo approach to the game on both offense and defense.

"We're going to put a product on the field that the fans are going to be extremely proud of," DeRuyter said. "It's going to be up-tempo and fast. When you play football, you got to be passionate about playing the game.

"We're going to talk a lot of the time about playing with ‘fanatical' effort. That's a level that most aspire to, but it doesn't come naturally. As long as our guys understand that we are going to approach this with fanaticism, that's going to be the winning edge for us on both offense and defense."

Defense is where DeRuyter has made his name and he's going to install his highly successful 3-4 scheme.

"Defense to me, in many ways, is an attitude," he said. "We're going to play with fanatical effort that I think our fans are going to be excited to see. Our guys are going to hit that field ready to attack and we're going to be a 3-4 multiple pressure-based defense."

On the offensive side of the ball, DeRuyter inherits an offense that returns a number of proven playmakers. He plans to take advantage of that by installing a spread offense.

"Fans are going to see an offense that's going to be no-huddle and attacking a defense in a number of different ways," DeRuyter said. "We're going to spread the field horizontally; we're going to spread it vertically by taking vertical shots, and try to put a defense on its heels with our tempo."

Running back Robbie Rouse, 317 yards away from becoming the all-time leading rusher in Fresno State history, believes that philosophy will fit perfectly.

Derek Carr, coming off one of the best seasons by a Bulldog quarterback in school history, is excited about the capabilities of this offense. "It takes me back to my senior year in high school," Carr said in an interview with KMJ, the flagship station for the Bulldog Sports Network. "That was some of the most fun I ever had playing football, was in that same kind of offense."

DeRuyter and the players know this game is all about winning. At his introductory press conference, he said that the team's No. 1 goal will be to win conference championships.

It appears with the new systems DeRuyter will be installing, the players will have many opportunities to make big plays.

To purchase 2012 football season tickets, go to gobulldogs.com or the Bulldog ticket office at Bulldog Stadium, or call 559-278-DOGS (3647). Premium seating is also available through the Bulldog Foundation, 559-278-7160.