Fresno State football coach Matt Entz admitted Monday that he wears his heart on his sleeve, which is why he was in no mood to talk about the Bulldogs’ revolving door at quarterback after a 28-17 loss to Utah State last week.
Entz pulled a fast one last week and started EJ Warner against the Aggies after Sacramento State transfer Carson Conklin started the past three games.
“I made that decision based on what I see at practice every day,” Entz said during his weekly press conference.
Warner started the first seven games of the season, but turnovers were an issue for him at Temple and Rice, and they have been an issue again this year. He threw nine interceptions and lost three fumbles before being benched. Warner showed off his arm last week with a 43-yard touchdown pass, but he also threw a pick with the Bulldogs clinging to a 17-14 lead late in the third quarter.
Entz stopped short of confirming Warner will start when Fresno State travels to San Jose State for the regular season finale on Saturday, but he did respond “I think we’re in a good place at quarterback” when asked about it. He also praised Warner’s professionalism after he was benched.
“He never flinched, and I think that says a lot about him and how he was brought up,” Entz said. “He continued to pour into his teammates, continued to compete, and stepped out of his comfort zone in practice.”
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When naming Conklin the starter earlier this season, Entz cited his natural leadership abilities, especially when it came to interacting with teammates. But the Bulldogs’ offense struggled with him under center. Conklin managed just 310 yards and one touchdown through the air in three starts. Warner has thrown for 1,673 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Warner will lead Fresno State (7-4, 4-3 Mountain West) into a rivalry game Saturday at San Jose State (3-8, 2-5).
San Jose State is coming off a 25-3 loss to San Diego State, and the Spartans lost the Mountain West’s passing leader, quarterback Walker Eget, to an injury early in the game. Head coach Ken Niumatalolo said Tuesday that Eget will not play Saturday. Eget leads the league with 3,047 passing yards, and he’s No. 4 in the conference with 17 touchdown passes.
He was replaced by freshman Tama Amisone, who finished with 104 passing yards and a team-high 75 rushing yards. He’ll make his first career start against Fresno State.
Fresno State vs. San Jose State Betting Odds
Fresno State is a 3.5-point college football betting odds favorite on BetMGM as of this writing, and the Over/Under is 46.5 points. The moneyline is at -155 for Fresno State and +130 for San Jose State.
Fresno State leads the all-time series 45-39-3. The Bulldogs have won three of their past four meetings, including a 33-10 win last season.
San Jose State is 4-16 overall and 9-10-1 against the spread in its past 20 regular season games as an underdog at home. Fresno State is 13-7 overall and 9-10-1 ATS in its past 20 regular season games as the favorite on the road.
Fresno State vs. San Jose State On TV
The Mountain West game featuring San Jose State and Fresno State at CEFCU Stadium in San Jose, California, will be televised on FS1.
Kickoff is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET.
Fresno State vs. San Jose State Prediction
I predict Fresno State wins 28-14.
I think Entz made the right choice in going back to Warner at quarterback, despite another costly interception in last week’s loss. The offense was way too one-dimensional with Conklin taking the snaps, I believe, and even though Warner is turnover prone, his big arm gives Fresno State a puncher’s chance against almost anyone. His experience could be key this week.
No matter who is at quarterback, I think the Bulldogs need to lean on their backfield and let Rayshon Luke and Bryson Donelson carry them to a win.
