Fresno State’s wide receiving corps was decimated by graduation and the transfer portal last year. Leading receiver Mac Dalena exhausted his eligibility, and the Bulldogs’ other top options, Jalen Moss (Arizona State) and Raylen Sharpe (Arkansas), hit the transfer portal.
The only experienced receiver back was former junior college transfer Josiah Freeman, who missed all but four games last season because of an injury. But he showed last weekend that he’s back to his old self, and there’s still some pop in the Bulldogs’ passing game.
The fifth-year senior from Soledad, California, turned two of his three catches against Nevada into touchdowns, the second of which gave Fresno State a 17-point lead in the second quarter of what turned into a nail-biting 20-17 win for the Bulldogs (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West). In 2023, Freeman averaged 13.1 yards per catch and had at least one reception in eight of the 13 games he played in.
He’ll lead the Bulldogs on the road for another conference game at Colorado State. Freeman scored his first two touchdowns of the season against the Wolf Pack and leads Fresno State with 211 receiving yards. He’s No. 3 on the team with 17 catches behind Maryland transfer Ezekiel Avit (19 catches) and running back Rayshon Luke (18).
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Fresno State’s rushing attack wasn’t dominant against Nevada, but the Bulldogs’ backfield had its moments, including a 68-yard run by Luke which set up an early field goal. Fresno State’s defense was dominant. The Bulldogs held Nevada to 246 total yards and forced four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble).
Colorado State (1-4, 0-1) is coming off a 45-24 loss at San Diego State. New starting quarterback Jackson Brousseau played well enough to win after throwing for 155 yards and a touchdown and adding a rushing touchdown, and running back Jalen Dupree averaged 6.4 yards a carry (16 attempts for 103 yards).
The problem was Colorado State’s defense had no answer for anything the Aztecs did. San Diego State running backs Byron Caldwell and Lucky Sutton combined for 242 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and quarterback Jayden Denegal needed just 13 completions to rack up 256 yards and two touchdowns.
Fresno State vs. Colorado State Betting Odds
Fresno State is a 6.5-point college football betting favorite at BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 48.5 points. The moneyline is at -250 for Fresno State and +200 for Colorado State.
The Bulldogs are 14-6 overall and 9-10-1 against the spread in their past 20 regular season games as the favorite on the road. The Rams are 3-17 overall and 9-11 ATS in their past 20 regular season games as an underdog at home.
Colorado State leads the overall series 10-7, but Fresno State has won the last two meetings. This is the Bulldogs’ first game in Fort Collins since 2019.
Fresno State vs. Colorado State On TV
The Mountain West game featuring Fresno State and Colorado State at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado, will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Kickoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Friday.
Fresno State vs. Colorado State Prediction
I predict Fresno State wins 35-21 and covers the spread. I also predict the game goes Over 48.5 points.
The Bulldogs’ first two Mountain West games went down to the wire: a 23-21 win at Hawaii and a 20-17 win over Nevada. Their defense was dominant in both. I don’t think that will change this weekend.
Fresno State’s rushing attack hasn’t been as dominant the past two weeks. That could change on Friday. Colorado State is giving up 191.4 rushing yards a game, which puts the Rams in last place in the conference. I believe Luke and Bryson Donnelson should have a field day against this defense.
I think Colorado State is going to have to protect the ball and its quarterbacks better if the Rams are even going to keep it close. They gave up four sacks last week against San Diego State.
