Nose guard Tyeler Davison on Red Dawn workouts

While most normal people are sound asleep, defensive lineman Tyeler Davison and rest of the Fresno State football team are up participating in Red Dawn workouts.

These highly intense, physical and fast workouts have the players up at the crack of dawn. Station by station each group of players is put to the test as they are pushed physically and mentally by their coaches and peers.

Of course, coming off a winning season and becoming Mountain West co-champions with a new coaching staff is going to be tough to follow up. Davison believes the Red Dawn workouts help the team reach a new level conditioning wise and the coaching staff has modified the regimen since last year's successful season.

"They've definitely changed it," Davison said after Thursday's workout. "Last year it felt like they were just out here to kill us, but I feel like there is more of a purpose to it this year."

Red Dawn isn't the most popular workout amongst the team; it has pushed the players to their limits and tested their mentality over the past week.

"I feel like we're competing a lot more, where the first day we were trying to get through it since we were really tired," Davison said.

After the first day players were exhausted by the third station and vomiting from overexertion.

"We're in better shape since we've been out here a few days" Davison said, "it's a little more fun than it was in the beginning I would say."

Davison has been one of the leaders and most noticeable throughout the Red Dawn workouts. After coming off a highly successful 2012 season, Davison wants to improve his skills as a nose guard and continue to compete at a high level.

He was named a first-team All-Mountain West selection last year for his 42 tackles, 6 tackles for losses, two sacks and three fumble recoveries which was the second most in the conference. He also recovered a fumble for a touchdown in the win at Nevada.

Red dawn workouts end just before spring ball starts, where players will put to work the new stamina and conditioning they achieved.

"Every spring ball and every summer camp you need to use it to get to the next level," said Davison who plans on using spring practices as a way to improve on the little things that will help gear him up for the 2013 season.

The real challenge though will not be to finish a brutal Red Dawn workout or impress fans at the annual Red and White scrimmage this spring but, rather prove to themselves last season wasn't just a onetime thing or a stroke of luck.

Stay tuned to FSBulldogs.com for more updates on the 2013 Fresno State football team.

You can follow Shavon Furrow on Twitter at @jumpgurl23.

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