Do you believe in moral victories?

If you do, Fresno State’s 30-10 loss at the Big House stadium to the defending National Champion Michigan Wolverines would certainly qualify as one.

The Bulldogs played in primetime coverage in front of 110,665 fans (the most in program history) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, showing they could compete with the best of the best.

Despite losing by 20, the Bulldogs kept the game competitive until the very end. Wideout Raylen Sharpe’s 16-yard touchdown catch with 10:06 remaining in the fourth quarter cut the deficit to one score at 16-10.

Interim Head Coach Tim Skipper was pleased with his team’s effort despite taking the loss.

“I’m proud of the guys,” Skipper said in the post-game press conference. “We stuck to the plan. We had it close in the fourth and then we wanted to step on the gas. We were there, just a couple of plays, and it would’ve went our way.”

The game provided the Bulldogs with some excellent feedback, both good and bad, to build on throughout the season.

Here are five key takeaways from the game:

1. Patience with Mikey Keene

The Bulldogs’ quarterback looked shaky and perhaps timid for most of the game Saturday night. Between several high throws and a pair of costly interceptions leading to touchdowns, the junior had a less-than-stellar evening.

With that said, it wasn’t all bad. Keene connected on 22 of 36 passes for 235 yards, plus the touchdown pass to Sharpe. He also maneuvered in the pocket pretty comfortably, only getting sacked three times against an elite Wolverine defensive line.

After struggling in the first half, he seemed a lot more comfortable and in sync with his receivers as the game went along, particularly in the fourth quarter, completing 10 of 14 passes for 129 yards.

It’s important to note that this game is by far the toughest opponent Keene has faced in his career and he won’t face another one of similar caliber this season barring the team reaching the College Football Playoff in January.

Look for Keene to bounce back next week at home against Sacramento State as he continues to build a rapport with the offense.

2. The Bulldogs Defense is really good

Just reading the box score, allowing 30 points doesn’t seem all that great. But taking a closer look, Fresno State held their own against one of the nation’s blue bloods.

After allowing a touchdown on Michigan’s first drive of the game, the ‘Dogs limited the Wolverines to three long field goals of 45, 53 and 55 yards over the next eight drives.

Senior cornerback Cam Lockridge picked up his tenth career interception in an athletic play to prevent a touchdown. He finished the night with six tackles and a pass deflection as well.

Other standouts included safety Camryn Bracha, who had a team-high of 10 total tackles, and defensive lineman Ezra Christensen, who had a sack early in the second quarter, forcing a three-and-out.

All in all, allowing a mere 16 points in the first three-and-a-half quarters to the Wolverines deserves that moral victory.

Michigan only had one drive the entire night where it was clear they were in control. The Wolverines marched 75 yards down the field late in the fourth quarter before quarterback Davis Warren connected on a pass to tight end Colston Loveland to make it 23-10 in favor of Michigan.

Keene threw a pick 6 with 3:57 remaining to cornerback Will Johnson, which put the final nail in the coffin. Johnson was one of three Wolverines named to the ESPN Preseason All-American team, along with Loveland and defensive tackle Mason Graham.

As mentioned earlier, this will easily be the best team the Bulldogs will face all season. If they can limit Michigan to just a pair of touchdown passes and a trio of field goals, they should fare well in Mountain West play.

3. Jalen Moss is set for a breakout season

On a field full of stars, Moss may have been the most impressive player on Saturday. The sophomore wideout caught six balls for a game-high of 97 yards, including some acrobatic grabs.

A leg injury in the fourth quarter sidelined him until the end of the game, but he was well enough to hobble off on his own over to the sideline.

Moss figures to be one of Keene’s preferred weapons after seeing team-high 10 targets. The duo connected on 55 passes last season for 706 yards and six scores.

If he can stay healthy, Moss might be able to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in 2024.

4. Playing too conservative?

Skipper and his coaching staff made a lot of sensible decisions on Saturday. One that seems to be puzzling was the team’s offensive game plan to end the first half.

After allowing a field goal to make it a 10-3 Wolverine lead, the ‘Dogs got the ball with 31 seconds remaining and still had all three time outs.

Rather than trying to move the ball down the field and go for a field goal, Keene handed the ball off to tailback Elijah Gilliam who went nine yards before being stopped.

Instead of using a timeout or pushing the tempo, Skipper elected to let the clock run out and go into halftime down a touchdown.

Looking back, the decision seems questionable and begs the question, “Were they too conservative?”

“So on purpose, we tried to slow it down,” Skipper said. “It was going our way, it really was. I thought in the first half we controlled the line of scrimmage and did a good job on both sides of the ball.”

Perhaps the decision came down to not wanting to risk turning the ball over and losing all momentum gained in what was a quality first half.

All in all, I thought Skipper handled the game well, especially considering the matchup and it being his first regular season game as a head coach.

His team had a plan of attack. They stuck with it and made the game close. It will be intriguing to watch him grow throughout the season.

5. The Big House is … you guessed it, BIG

Players and coaches talked all week about the challenge of playing in a hostile environment, but nothing could have really prepared them for more than 110,000 fans breathing down their necks.

Fresno State alum Ricky Oaks traveled to Michigan with his family for the game and was astounded by the dedication and sheer volume of the crowd.

“I’ve been to the Coliseum and the Rose Bowl, and those experiences were OK. But this stadium had the whole lower bowl filled by the time the marching band was on the field 30 minutes before the game,” Oaks said. “This place was louder than an NFL playoff game.”

Similar to the Red Wave jamming out to “Don’t Stop Believing” at Valley Children’s Stadium, Michigan fans have a tradition of their own: a city-sized karaoke version of “Mr. Brightside” at the end of the third quarter.

While the Bulldogs may not be able to live up to all that, the ‘Dogs still averaged close to 40,000 fans per game in 2023, leading all Group of 5 schools in the nation.

Al Things Considered

The Bulldogs lost week one, but there are still 11 games left against 11 beatable teams to make for a great season.

It would not be out of the realm of possibility for Fresno State to run the table, win the conference and play in a meaningful bowl game at the end of the year.

The ‘Dogs will return to Valley Children’s Stadium next Saturday to face Sacramento State (0-1) for the first home game of the season. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

It will allow the team to spread out the offense more and put on a show for the Valley.