Fresno State trailed Georgia Southern 14-10 late in the first half on Saturday, but the Bulldogs rode a dominant rushing attack to 32 unanswered points and a big 42-14 win in their home opener against Georgia Southern.
The Eagles opened the season ranked No. 16 in HERO Sports’ Group of Five Top 25.
Perhaps more important than the win itself was the message it sent to the rest of the Mountain West: Get ready for a battle in the trenches when Fresno State pops up on the schedule.
The Bulldogs (1-1) earned a win on Saturday with four second-half rushing touchdowns. They finished with five, which is their most in a game since 2019. They also finished with 351 rushing yards – their most in a game since 2014.
Fresno State struggled to run the ball last season. It ranked No. 10 in the 12-team Mountain West and No. 124 nationally with 98.2 yards a game on the ground.
The Bulldogs will take their much-improved running game on the road to face Oregon State on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET, The CW). Oregon State is a three-point college football betting odds favorite on BetMGM, and the Over/Under is 48.5 points.
Donelson Ready To Take Over
Freshman Bryson Donelson was the Bulldogs’ workhorse on Saturday. He finished with a career-high 167 rushing yards, averaged 7.3 yards a carry on 23 attempts, and added a touchdown.
He gave the world a glimpse of what he could do last season with 140 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries against Colorado State. The 5-foot-11, 207-pounder who played in 12 games last fall looks like he’s poised to join the Mountain West’s elite tier of running backs.
Fresno State hasn’t had a running back get 1,000 yards in a season since Jordan Mims finished with 1,372 in 2022. Former Fresno State running back Malik Sherrod, who is now at Boise State, finished with 966 rushing yards in 2023.
Welcome To The Show, Mr. Luke
Donelson isn’t the only star shining in the Bulldogs’ backfield. Arizona transfer Rayshon Luke has introduced himself to the Mountain West in a big way.
Luke put up 96 rushing yards on just 10 carries against Georgia Southern. He averaged 9.6 yards a carry and scored three rushing touchdowns, including a 29-yarder late in the fourth quarter.
The 5-9, 180-pound redshirt junior has speed. He played in 24 games during three seasons at Arizona. He joined the Wildcats as a four-star recruit after playing for national high school powerhouse St.John Bosco.
Best Backfield In The Mountain West?
The silent member of the Bulldogs’ backfield is Elijah Gilliam, a 210-pound senior who led Fresno State with 466 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground last season. He has played in 37 games and scored 15 rushing touchdowns since 2022. Gilliam scored the Bulldogs’ lone touchdown in their season-opening loss at Kansas.
With Donelson, Luke, and Gilliam sharing carries, the Bulldogs definitely have one of the top backfields in the Mountain West.
Boise State’s backfield is still strong, even if it didn’t look like it at times in the Broncos’ loss to USF. It’s led by a rising star in Sire Gaines and includes vets like Sherrod and Jambres Dubar and a speedster in Dylan Riley.
UNLV’s backfield hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire, either. The Rebels managed just 155 yards on the ground against Sam Houston, but Jai’Den Thomas may be the most explosive running back in the conference. He’s supported by two former Power Four veterans in Keyvone Lee and Jaylon Glover. Both of UNLV’s quarterbacks are also dangerous with their legs.
Fresno State quarterback EJ Warner, who is new to the program himself, is still building chemistry with a mostly rebuilt group of wide receivers this season. If the Bulldogs can keep running the ball the way they have, that transition will be much more smooth.
And with its rushing attack, Fresno State could be on track to extend its streak of bowl-eligible seasons to five, and it might even contend for the Mountain West title.
