If Fresno State Can Do It. . .
posted by Scott Hood on Thursday, June 26, 2008
One of them is this: While talent alone can carry a team a long way, the ones with the best intangibles typically climb to the forefront during the post-season.
Was Fresno State the most talented team in the nation? Heck, no. Not even close. They lost 31 games, yet still managed to find a way to get the job done when they had to.
Georgia, the team they beat in the final best-of-three series, had better players overall. The Bulldogs (the ones from Athens) had two of the best players in all of college baseball in shortstop Gordon Beckham and closer Joshua Fields.
But, in my opinion, Fresno State walked away with the championship trophy because they won the battle of the things that ultimately matter most.
Night after night, the Fresno players displayed superiority over their opponents in the following areas:
-- Team chemistry
-- Senior leadership
-- Mental toughness
-- Ability to Make Clutch Plays
-- Great coaching
You could tell the FSU players had remarkable togetherness, as if they all knew beforehand they were a team of destiny. They all seemed to like each other. There was no evidence of jealousy, no spitefulness, no envy.
I’ve been a big believer for a long time in strong senior leadership, and Fresno State showed everyone why it’s such an important asset. Younger players usually need someone older – not a coach, but a peer - to point them in the right direction and make sure they stay on course.
Further, no team came from the depths Fresno State did (they were the No. 4 seed in the Long Beach Regional) without an incredible amount of mental toughness. They had a refuse to lose mentality.
They also did it all on the road, including the Super Regional victory at No. 3 national seed Arizona State.
ESPN had a great graphic Wednesday night showing all the ranked teams Fresno State had beaten on the long road to the title. It was a Who’s Who of college baseball.
But FSU didn’t care about reputations or whom they were facing; they went out and won anyways. Bottom line, they weren’t intimidated by the name of the opponent on the front of the jersey.
Of course, Fresno State isn’t the first team to make a magical run to a national title, as the four-letter network kindly reminded us on numerous occasions.
But they share many of the same characteristics with those clubs.
What lessons can South Carolina’s football team learn from Fresno State’s ‘miracle’ run to the national title? Plenty.
Steve Spurrier has already said on multiple occasions that USC has the players to contend with the best teams in the SEC. So, as the start of the 2008 season approaches, USC fans should be confident the Gamecocks possess enough physical talent.
But, what about the all-important intangibles? Will the Gamecock players mesh? Will they get along? Will they refuse to allow petty feuds to get in the way of progress, unlike some USC teams in the past?
Will seniors like Jasper Brinkley, Kenny McKinley, Mike Davis, Marque Hall, and Stoney Woodson step up and become the vocal leaders of the team? Or will they surrender that responsibility to the younger players?
Will USC achieve a refuse to lose mentality? Will they show the internal fortitude to overcome adversity? Will they allow one poor game to bleed over into the following week’s game?
Finally, will they show the ability to make plays when the games are on the line? Will the defense rise up and stop the opponent on third and fourth downs with the outcome in doubt? Will they fall on the football when there’s a critical fumble? Can the offense go on a time-consuming drive in the fourth quarter to kill the clock?
Those are all important questions. The answers will shape the course of the 2008 season. In the past, unfortunately, we’ve received the wrong responses.
All those questions boil down to the most important one – has USC learned how to compete? Unless the answer is in the affirmative, the Gamecocks will likely struggle again.
That’s a point Spurrier has made in the past, and one he’ll probably make again before the season starts Aug. 28.
Here’s a suggestion: If USC’s players ever need a gentle reminder that it takes far more than physical talent to win, Spurrier should just have his players watch Fresno State’s CWS highlights.
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Fresno State’s improbable run to the College World Series title in baseball reinforced - again – a couple of important viewpoints I hold when it comes to college athletics.
One of them is this: While talent alone can carry a team a long way, the ones with the best intangibles typically climb to the forefront during the post-season.
Was Fresno State the most talented team in the nation? Heck, no. Not even close. They lost 31 games, yet still managed to find a way to get the job done when they had to.
Georgia, the team they beat in the final best-of-three series, had better players overall. The Bulldogs (the ones from Athens) had two of the best players in all of college baseball in shortstop Gordon Beckham and closer Joshua Fields.
But, in my opinion, Fresno State walked away with the championship trophy because they won the battle of the things that ultimately matter most.
Night after night, the Fresno players displayed superiority over their opponents in the following areas:
-- Team chemistry
-- Senior leadership
-- Mental toughness
-- Ability to Make Clutch Plays
-- Great coaching
You could tell the FSU players had remarkable togetherness, as if they all knew beforehand they were a team of destiny. They all seemed to like each other. There was no evidence of jealousy, no spitefulness, no envy.
I’ve been a big believer for a long time in strong senior leadership, and Fresno State showed everyone why it’s such an important asset. Younger players usually need someone older – not a coach, but a peer - to point them in the right direction and make sure they stay on course.
Further, no team came from the depths Fresno State did (they were the No. 4 seed in the Long Beach Regional) without an incredible amount of mental toughness. They had a refuse to lose mentality.
They also did it all on the road, including the Super Regional victory at No. 3 national seed Arizona State.
ESPN had a great graphic Wednesday night showing all the ranked teams Fresno State had beaten on the long road to the title. It was a Who’s Who of college baseball.
But FSU didn’t care about reputations or whom they were facing; they went out and won anyways. Bottom line, they weren’t intimidated by the name of the opponent on the front of the jersey.
Of course, Fresno State isn’t the first team to make a magical run to a national title, as the four-letter network kindly reminded us on numerous occasions.
But they share many of the same characteristics with those clubs.
What lessons can South Carolina’s football team learn from Fresno State’s ‘miracle’ run to the national title? Plenty.
Steve Spurrier has already said on multiple occasions that USC has the players to contend with the best teams in the SEC. So, as the start of the 2008 season approaches, USC fans should be confident the Gamecocks possess enough physical talent.
But, what about the all-important intangibles? Will the Gamecock players mesh? Will they get along? Will they refuse to allow petty feuds to get in the way of progress, unlike some USC teams in the past?
Will seniors like Jasper Brinkley, Kenny McKinley, Mike Davis, Marque Hall, and Stoney Woodson step up and become the vocal leaders of the team? Or will they surrender that responsibility to the younger players?
Will USC achieve a refuse to lose mentality? Will they show the internal fortitude to overcome adversity? Will they allow one poor game to bleed over into the following week’s game?
Finally, will they show the ability to make plays when the games are on the line? Will the defense rise up and stop the opponent on third and fourth downs with the outcome in doubt? Will they fall on the football when there’s a critical fumble? Can the offense go on a time-consuming drive in the fourth quarter to kill the clock?
Those are all important questions. The answers will shape the course of the 2008 season. In the past, unfortunately, we’ve received the wrong responses.
All those questions boil down to the most important one – has USC learned how to compete? Unless the answer is in the affirmative, the Gamecocks will likely struggle again.
That’s a point Spurrier has made in the past, and one he’ll probably make again before the season starts Aug. 28.
Here’s a suggestion: If USC’s players ever need a gentle reminder that it takes far more than physical talent to win, Spurrier should just have his players watch Fresno State’s CWS highlights.
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.