DeRuyter and the 'Dogs ready for early season test against Ole Miss

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Like a college professor wanting to get a gauge of where his students are early in the year, Bulldogs head coach Tim DeRuyter is challenging his team to an early season test.

"I do like the challenge. I like seeing us compete against the best in the country. Having said that be careful what you wish for because this is a group on both sides of the ball that has talent, size, speed and tenacity everywhere," DeRuyter said.

Junior defensive back Jamal Ellis added, "We are going to go down there with a chip on our shoulder, like we belong there. We aren't going to go down there nervous. We are going to go down there and you know like we belong there and we can play with these guys and let the chips fall where they may."

The Rebels can bring it on the field with talented players at every position and in the stands with a raucous crowd expected to pack the house on Saturday. Coach DeRuyter has a noise plan in place and the Bulldogs will practice with loud speakers all week to prepare for the conditions at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium which seats 60,580 Rebels fans.

Saturday will be also homecoming of sorts for Bulldogs senior running back Martez Waller, "Martez being from Putnam County, Ga., it's tough for his family to get out here. So for us to be a little bit closer, hopefully he will have a ton of people there. Hopefully he will have a terrific game but it's going to be tough against one of the best defenses in the country," DeRuyter said.

A test Bulldogs fans hope the team will be ready for come Saturday afternoon.