These are fragile times in the central San Joaquin Valley.

The economy is bad. The housing market continues to tank.

And those doggone Fresno State Bulldogs suffered yet another unexpected defeat.

It's one of those here-we-go-again scenarios that has prompted will-it-ever-change thoughts to run through the mind of many Fresno State fans.

That familiar frustration has replaced the excitement from this once much-anticipated season.

And it's forced Fresno State coach Pat Hill to take on two tough assignments this week: prevent the Bulldogs from feeling down, and perhaps more challenging, lift fans' spirits.

No longer nationally ranked following a 32-29 overtime loss to Hawaii last week, Fresno State faces the danger of playing before a sparse crowd on homecoming Saturday against Idaho (1-5, 0-2).

"I know it's frustrating for our fans," Hill said as part of his opening remark during his weekly radio show on KMJ 580. "Not near as frustrating as it was for our team."

Seven times Hill mentioned Fresno State fans during his hour-long radio show that is broadcast live before a room of about 20 people at Fresno Distributing.

Four times he thanked fans for various reasons, either for support or for understanding particular parking situations.

All were attempts to soothe fans' feelings.

Telephone lines were full immediately when the show went to the question portion as callers wanted to know how could Fresno State lose to a struggling Hawaii team and what can be done to prevent such mistakes.

Hill tried not to show his frustration, even when one caller said: "You've taken us to new heights. But the heights you've taken us to might be your limitations."

Hill, who has heard such sentiment before, did not argue with the caller.

Instead, he agreed. But Hill had questions of his own for callers.

"Maybe I have taken it as far as I can take it," Hill said in a calm tone but also appearing to be on the verge of frustration. "But let me ask you something. What would you do differently?"

Hill and Fresno State fans have been on this roller coaster almost every year since that memorable 2001 run when quarterback David Carr led the Bulldogs to a No. 8 national ranking but failed to win a WAC title.

Seasons that began with big dreams and a goal of a Bowl Championship Series game have all been ruined at some point by an inexplicable loss, which also turned out to cost the Bulldogs a chance at a WAC championship.

Will Fresno State's loss to Hawaii cause a similar result this year?

"It's a Catch-22," a caller said during Hill's radio show. "You've taken us to this level, and yet we know we can exceed it."

Hill then turned the tables.

"If you want good water, do you want to pay for it?" Hill said. "Getting it to the next level is the support we need from the community.

"Lets see what happens in the Idaho game and filling it because we need to do that to get over the hump."

Former Fresno State assistant Tom Mason, who left this past offseason after nine years to become the defensive coordinator at Southern Methodist, echoed Hill, but was more blunt.

"The problem with Fresno fans is that they've got a champagne appetite, but Pat's doing it on a beer budget," Mason said. "He's really running a Top 25 program on a budget that probably ranks 90th in the country. He doesn't have the big-money guys that can write $100 million checks.

"My take is Fresno should appreciate the things that Pat Hill has done. It's just a crime if they're not. The schools with big football tradition, they're at games whether their team wins or loses.

"Fresno is an established program that's six points from being undefeated still."

At Doghouse Grill, a popular sports-themed restaurant across from the Save Mart Center, people's feelings about Fresno State football fell into one of four categories, the first two being the most common:

1. Tough loss, but I'll still keeping supporting the 'Dogs.

2. They did it to me again; unacceptable loss; I'm done supporting.

3. I root for a different team.

4. I don't follow football.

Why is much of a community's mood affected by Fresno State football?

Dr. Thomas E. Granata, a Fresno-based psychologist who teaches psychology part time at Fresno State and has worked with athletes, said prominent sports teams often influence a community's mood.

"A community tends to identify with their prominent sports team," Granata said. "And to that extent, the success and failure of the sports team affects the self esteem of the community.

"In Fresno's case, there's a certain level of elation when they win and high self-esteem, and when they lose, it generates great disappointment and low self-esteem.

"That cause-and-effect is more prominent in towns where there are fewer things for people to identify with, whether it's more sports teams, architecture, arts, the weather."

The university does not alter its marketing to compensate when the team is down, associate athletic director Paul Ladwig said.

"Life always seems to be easier when you're winning," Ladwig said. "That's true everywhere. Everyone loves a winner."

But when your team is losing?

"We got to move through this together," Hill said toward the end of his radio show. "We haven't gotten it over that hump. That's very frustrating to me, too. ... In order to do that, we've got to work together on this."