Fresno State featured on Sports Illustrated Cover 18 years ago, iconic image is now seen around the Valley.
On Sept., 17, 2001, Sports Illustrated published a cover that would become a popular decor in homes, offices and restaurants around the Central Valley.
The cover, which is framed and hung in popular places like Dog House Grill, features former Fresno State quarterback David Carr.
“Fresno? Yep. Unheralded Fresno State is knocking off college football’s big boys,” the caption reads.
The author, Austin Murphy, asks a rhetorical question to begin the story.
“For such a huge victory, it seemed a rather muted celebration,” Murphy wrote after the Bulldogs shocked No. 23 Wisconsin. “On the other hand, what are we to expect from a team whose motto is, Shut up and hit somebody?
The Bulldogs had a 16-game home winning streak at that time and went from unranked in the preseason to No. 11, beating top-ranked teams such as Colorado and Oregon State.
“Not one of the 10 unbeaten teams ranked above the Bulldogs has such an impressive collection of wins, mainly because none is coached by Pat (Have Playbook, Will Travel) Hill ,” Murphy wrote.
👀18 years ago today, one particular Bulldog made the cover of @SInow‼️ That particular Bulldog happens to be making an appearance at Bulldog Stadium on Saturday as the analyst for @Stadium 📺
— Fresno State Football (@FresnoStateFB) September 17, 2019
Welcome back, @DCarr8 🏈#GoDogs #BulldogBornBulldogBred pic.twitter.com/bJzhTrHxKI
Bernard Berrian’s 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to open the second half fueled the Dogs’ comeback win against Wisconsin.
Berrian returned six kicks for 182 yards and caught eight passes for 102 yards in the win.
Carr completed 22 of his 38 throws against Wisconisn, with two touchdown passes and one interception.
In the previous season, Carr made his first start against Ohio State and suffered a 43-10 loss .
“That was one of the toughest days of my life,” Carr told Sports Illustrated. “But I learned a lot, too. I learned that if I could battle through that, I could withstand anything.”
The Bulldogs finished the 2001 season with an overall record of 11-3, 6-2 in the WAC.
Carr would become the first overall pick by the Houston Texans in the 2002 NFL Draft.
Read the full Sports Illustrated story here