Fresno St. returns to top of WAC after disappointing '05

Updated: September 7, 2006, 11:42 PM ET

Fresno State earned its keep; UTEP has a chance to defeat Texas Tech; San Jose State and Arkansas State try to find starting QBs and more in the non-BCS notes.

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By Adam Rittenberg
Special to ESPN.com

Fresno State earned its keep last week, taking care of WAC challenger Nevada to end a discomforting four-game losing streak and reclaim its position among the league's upper crust. The Bulldogs now try to bank a bonus; one they grew accustomed to as the nation's most feared mid-major pest.

Oregon tiptoes into Bulldog Stadium on Saturday night, providing Fresno State a chance to completely expunge last season's struggles before a sellout crowd and a national television audience (ESPN2, 10 p.m. ET). The Ducks are nationally ranked (No. 20) and carry momentum after throttling Stanford.

Most of Fresno State's biggest wins have come on foreign soil. After all, only three BCS teams have ventured to the Central Valley since coach Pat Hill took over in 1997.

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