For example, the recently completed 7-6 record of 2008 was barely in the books before the media noted that the Bulldogs in 2009 were expected to have nine returning starters on defense and seven on offense.

In 2007, the Bulldogs went 9-4; six defensive and nine offensive starters were due back for 2008.

In 2006, the Bulldogs went 4-8; six defensive and eight offensive starters were due back for 2007.

In 2005, the Bulldogs went 8-5; eight defensive and eight offensive starters were due back for 2006.

In 2004, the Bulldogs went 9-3; nine defensive and eight offensive starters were due back for 2005.

In 2003, the Bulldogs went 9-5; eight defensive and nine offensive starters were due back for 2004.

In 2002, the Bulldogs went 9-5; seven defensive and eight offensive starters were due back for 2003.

Add it all up.

In those seven seasons, the Bulldogs went 55-36. They went a total of 21-2 against Utah State (3-1), San Jose State (6-1), Idaho (4-0) and New Mexico State (4-0) of the Western Athletic Conference plus Portland State (2-0), Weber State (1-0) and Sacramento State (1-0). Against everyone else, the Bulldogs went 34-34. There were no WAC titles for the Bulldogs in that span.

The Bulldogs emerged from those seven seasons with a total of 53 returning defensive starters and 57 returning offensive starters -- an average of nearly 16 returning starters every season. There are 22 starters between offense and defense (I'm not including specialists such as punter and place-kicker).

The Bulldogs finished those seven seasons with a total of 110 starters due back the next season, out of a total of 154 positions (22 times 7). That's a 71.4% returning-starter rate.

Put another way, not once in the past seven years did the Bulldogs conclude a season with starting lineups dominated by seniors. Never once at the end of a season has Hill said something like: "I sure hate to lose those eight starting seniors on offense and those eight starting seniors on defense."

Now, bear in mind that these statistics on returning starters aren't set in stone. I got them from The Bee archives from articles written either before the start of fall practice or during spring practice. However, I also never came across any published statement by Hill or his assistant coaches disputing the numbers.

And I understand that the concept of a starter in a rough sport like football, played over a four or five-month season, is squishy,

Yet, there is something interesting about the trend here. After all, in theory each recruiting class is more or less equal in numbers -- say, 18 to 22 players. Injuries happen to every program. The same is true with discipline and grade problems. You'd think that occasionally the stars would align to where a Bulldogs team would end with a majority of the starters being seniors, whether of the 4-year or 5-year variety.

But it hasn't happened for a long time.

What does it all mean? Here are some possibilities:

* Fresno State recruits don't improve as planned. Maybe they fail to reach their potential and plateau at the mediocre or merely decent level. Maybe Bulldogs recruiters overstated their ability. Either way, surviving seniors consistently find themselves surpassed by underclassmen.

* Fresno State starting lineups lack the continuity and the leadership that come from a critical mass of seniors.

* The lineup changes may be a sign of panic. The program is under constant pressure to produce the big win and the big season. When these lofty goals begin to slip away, the temptation to fiddle with the lineup must be overpowering.

* In February 1997, shortly after being hired, Hill said: "We'll build it with young kids, and we'll build a strong foundation." Turns out young kids are always the foundation. By the time they're seniors, they're usually reserves and a burden to the foundation.

* It's time for the junior-college football player to make a large-scale comeback at Fresno State.

First, I can't believe it's legal to exclude them as a matter of program policy.

Second, there should be no worries about academics/graduation if the social engineering abilities of our state higher education system are as advertised. State universities such as Fresno State are designed to embrace qualified transfers from the state's community college system.

Third, the JCs have a lot of good players.

Fourth, Fresno State needs a lot of good players.

Fifth, as those "returning starter" numbers prove, Fresno State football no longer depends -- if it ever did -- on a long player apprenticeship. Every year, the operational philosophy is "the future is now."

At 34-34 against their peers in the last seven years, the Bulldogs define what it means to be at the very middle of college football's bell curve.

Talented, dedicated, mature JC players, shunned by so many other programs, may be a way to move the program to the right of that middle.