The defense had been sliding since that first season, when coach Tim DeRuyter turned a 4-9 Fresno State football team into a 9-4 Mountain West champion.
The Bulldogs in 2012 had ranked fifth in the nation in turnovers gained, only to fall to 47th, then 65th, then 69th last season. They were 22nd in total defense, then 95th, then 111th and then 102nd. They were 36th in scoring defense then 86th, then 101st, then 119th.
There are myriad reasons behind that, but what came next DeRuyter had been through before.
“When I was at Navy, my first year, we dramatically improved, everything was great.