A new era is set to begin at Fresno State as head coach Matt Entz takes over for Jeff Tedford, who had to resign last year because of health issues. Entz won two FCS national titles at North Dakota State and worked under Lincoln Riley at USC, but this is his first FBS head coaching gig, and it comes at a pivotal moment for the Bulldogs.
Fresno State has one last chance to make a run at a Mountain West Championship before the Bulldogs join Boise State, San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State, Washington State, Oregon State, and Texas State in the rebuilt Pac-12 in 2026. Fresno State has played in the Mountain West title game three times since 2017 and won the conference in 2018 and 2022.
The Bulldogs’ defense was solid last season, and it should be the team’s strength again this year. Former quarterback Mikey Keene put up respectable numbers last fall, but the utter lack of a running game left Fresno State in a hole almost too deep to climb out of before finishing the year 6-7 and earning a bowl berth.
Entz and company are going to have to rely on an almost completely retooled offense, but a pair of talented running backs and a quarterback with an impressive bloodline has Fresno State believing it can punch its ticket to a fifth-straight bowl game.
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Fresno State Football’s Mountain West Title Betting Odds
Fresno State’s odds to win the Mountain West are +1100, via BetMGM.
Fresno State Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Fresno State’s win total Over/Under is 6.5.
- Under 6.5 is at +115.
- Over 6.5 is at -140.
Fresno State Football’s 2025 Schedule
Aug. 23 @ Kansas
Aug. 30 vs. Georgia Southern
Sept. 6 @ Oregon State
Sept. 13. vs. Southern University
Sept. 20 @ Hawaii
Oct. 4 vs. Nevada
Oct. 10 @ Colorado State
Oct. 25 vs. San Diego State
Nov. 1 @ Boise State
Nov. 15 vs. Wyoming
Nov. 22 vs. Utah State
Nov. 29 @ San Jose State
Bold indicates Mountain West games
Key Fresno State Football Returners
2024 All-Mountain West Honorable Mention
CB Al’zillion Hamilton
Fresno State Football Season Preview
Fresno State has long been considered one of the upper-tier teams in the Mountain West. The Bulldogs’ three conference titles since 2013 are second among current members to Boise State’s five since 2014. If they’re going to close that gap with the Broncos this year, they’re going to need an offense full of new faces to come together in a hurry.
The Warner Effect
Keene transferred to Michigan, leaving the door open for a new quarterback to take the reins of the offense. That quarterback is EJ Warner, who is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.
EJ Warner is a well-traveled signal caller who began his career at Temple and spent last season at Rice. He padded his stats in both stops, throwing for more than 6,000 yards in two seasons at Temple and 2,710 yards at Rice. He has also thrown at least 12 interceptions in every season of his college career.
Warner has some work to do to shrug off the journeyman label he’s earned the past few years, but overcoming obstacles is nothing new for his family. Don’t forget that his dad famously bagged groceries before returning to football and winning a Super Bowl title.
Rebuilt Receivers Room
Warner’s passing numbers could take a hit this year because he’s throwing to a completely retooled group of wide receivers.
The Bulldogs’ top three receivers from last season are gone. Mac Delena signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent. Jalen Moss transferred to Arizona State, and Raylen Sharpe transferred to Arkansas.
Fresno State’s lone experienced receiver is senior Josiah Freeman, who appeared in just four games last season. The team turned to the transfer portal in hopes of filling the void, adding Jahlil McClain (Louisville) and junior college transfers Jayon Farrar and Josiah Ayon.
Running Game Wanted
Thanks in large part to an injury suffered by former running back Malik Sherrod, Fresno State simply could not run the ball last season. The Bulldogs averaged just 98.1 rushing yards a game, which ranked No. 10 in the 12-team Mountain West.
Sherrod is gone. He opted to spend his final year of eligibility at Boise State, but an intriguing pair of runners emerged in his absence. Elijah Gilliam, a 215-pound senior, led the team with 466 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes. Sophomore Bryson Donelson added 462 yards and three touchdowns, including a 12-carry, 140-yard performance against Colorado State.
Donelson is the more explosive of the two runners, but if there’s one thing they both proved last season, it’s that they can carry the load for this offense.
The Defense Is Dangerous
The defense wasn’t the problem last year. The Bulldogs gave up the third-fewest yards a game and the fourth-fewest points per contest in the Mountain West last fall, and Fresno State should be pretty good on that side of the ball again.
Al’zillion Hamilton is one of the top returning cornerbacks in the conference after he posted 52 tackles, 13 pass breakups, and two interceptions last season. He’s paired with two veteran safeties in Simeon Harris and Jayden Davis.
Utah State transfer Jadon Pearson joins veteran Tim Thomas at linebacker, Korey Foreman and Finn Claypool form a dangerous pass-rushing tandem, and 306-pound Minnesota transfer Martin Owusu is going to be a problem in the middle of the defensive line.
Fresno State Football Season Prediction
I don’t predict that Fresno State will win the Mountain West Championship, but I do predict the Bulldogs will win more than 6.5 games.
Fresno State opens the season with a tough stretch that includes Kansas, Georgia Southern, and Oregon State. The Bulldogs don’t play conference foes UNLV or Air Force this year, but they do have to travel to Hawaii and Boise State.
The defense should be good enough to keep them in most games, but the Bulldogs need their rushing attack to steer the ship long enough for Warner to develop chemistry with his new receivers.
