No. 17 Fresno State faithful are swaying after 3-0 start

The former floundering program is now swimming with the big boys.
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) -- Between the third and fourth quarters of Fresno State's home football games, Bulldog Stadium shakes from its foundation. Thousands of fans get up and jump around, stomping and swaying to a beat that nearly brings down the house.
This frenzied little interlude is called the Bulldog Bounce, but that phrase could describe more than a group dance number. It's also an apt description of the path to national prominence followed by coach Pat Hill's teams during eight improbably successful seasons in a former college football backwater.
Fresno State (3-0) is ranked No. 17 after finishing its annually fearsome nonconference schedule unbeaten.
The Bulldogs knocked off Kansas State and Washington on the road, but eight Western Athletic Conference games stand between Fresno State and another chance to earn one of the BCS' two at-large bids.
"I guarantee you, if we keep winning, everything will take care of itself," Hill said. "The rankings aren't going to make any difference. The stage has been set for this team to make a run, and we just have to make that run."
So far
A red-clad, enthusiastic sellout crowd -- the best in school history, according to the hyperbolic coach -- bounced in its seats during Fresno State's 27-17 win over Portland State last week. The dream of BCS glory, tirelessly sold by Hill to the fans and recruits of California's central San Joaquin Valley, seems more realistic than ever this season.
After a slate of offseason rule changes, smaller-conference teams have their best chance yet to crack the BCS bowls. The computer rankings that hurt Fresno State, Boise State, Miami of Ohio, TCU and others in the past don't have as much importance in the new formula, which puts two-thirds of its weight on the two major polls.
And Fresno State has the team to take advantage of it. The Bulldogs returned with experience and depth at nearly every position, including three-year starting quarterback Paul Pinegar and three talented tailbacks behind one of the nation's best offensive lines.
"The most important thing is that we're still at the big table," said Hill, who has grown uncommonly fond of poker metaphors this season. "We are 3-0, and that's the bottom line. We've still got all of our chips in the middle of the table. If we keep winning, it's going to happen. It's that simple."
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