Fresno State Football returns to the gridiron on Saturday, Aug. 23, with its season opener at Kansas University. It will be the first time the two teams have played all-time.
After finishing 6-7 in 2024, the ‘Dogs are hopeful to improve under first-year Head Coach Matt Entz.
“I think they want to prove people wrong,” Entz said. “They’re excited to get out there and put a good product on the field.”
2024 recap
To put it bluntly, 2024 was not a good season for the ‘Dogs. Unexpected losses to the University of Hawaii, the Air Force Academy and Washington State University, along with the blowout loss to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, exposed some weakness for the ‘Dogs.
The lack of spark the team had at times during games was depressing. A Week 11 loss against a 1-7 Air Force saw the ‘Dogs defense give up 344 rushing yards. The offense had the ball for only 14 minutes in the loss.
This loss was rock bottom in 2024.
After a solid 2023 season, fans expected a lot out of the ‘Dogs in 2024. The expanded playoff gave fans a pipe dream that there would be more than just a bowl game.
Perhaps the loss of Head Coach Jeff Tedford before the season caused some low morale, but the disappointment of 2024 still lingers. Hopefully, Entz and the ‘Dogs can give fans something to look forward to on Saturdays this season.
2025 outlook
Entz praised this year’s roster for the work they have put in during camp and their cohesiveness. A statement echoed by running back Bryson Donelson.
“We are all like one big fish, but we need to be all in this together,” Donelson said.
The ‘Dogs replaced many pieces of their roster after losing three-quarters of their players from graduation or the transfer portal.
The schedule for the ‘Dogs gives a good look into how 2026 could pan out. They will play five of their new Pac-12 conference opponents.
The Bulldogs’ home schedule is very favorable. They play four of the five bottom teams in the Mountain West. They also play the Sun Belt East runner-up, Georgia Southern University, and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent Southern University.
The away schedule for the ‘Dogs is arguably one of the toughest in the nation. To pair with the Week 0 opener against the Jayhawks, the ‘Dogs will face Oregon State University in the non-conference.
The conference schedule for the ‘Dogs has them play the Mountain West Champion Boise State Broncos, and two other top-five Mountain West teams that they defeated in 2024: Colorado State University and San Jose State University.
Add in a trip to Hawaii, and that is a lot of miles for the ‘Dogs this season. Before October, they will travel 9,298 miles.
Although Entz praised his support staff for keeping their players fresh throughout fall camp, the amount of travel early in the season could create a huge factor as the season goes on for the ‘Dogs –fatigue.
A positive to this schedule is that the ‘Dogs do not have back-to-back road games. Because of their Week 0 matchup, the ‘Dogs get an extra bye week built into their schedule.
It’s not unreasonable to expect the ‘Dogs to be undefeated at home this season. That alone will give the ‘Dogs bowl eligibility. The wildcard is the away schedule.
Game to watch
The obvious game on the schedule that everyone has circled is the Week 9 matchup against Boise State. The ‘Dogs will look to add a third straight victory over the Broncos in this rivalry.
The last time the ‘Dogs played the Broncos in Boise was in the 2022 Mountain West Championship. Hopefully, this 2025 matchup is a preview of the 2025 Mountain West Championship.
But the game that I think will give the Red Wave a serious look at how good the ‘Dogs will be in 2025 and beyond when they move to the Pac-12 will be their Week 2 matchup against the Oregon State Beavers.
Last season, the Beavers went 2-4 against Mountain West opponents, with bad losses to Air Force and the University of Nevada, Reno.
Under second-year head coach Trent Bray, I think the Beavers will be much improved, and it will be a good test for the ‘Dogs with the travel, environment and overall atmosphere of a Pac-12 game early in the season.
2025 prediction
The Red Wave always has high expectations for its football team. The overarching goal for any team is to win championships, but a successful season for the ‘Dogs is one where they can win the games that they are supposed to, run the football with efficiency and maybe pull off an upset in Boise.
It’s going to be an emotional year for the ‘Dogs. Leaving the Mountain West, where they have won four championships and played in countless bowl games, is going to charge this team to play some of its rivals harder.
If the ‘Dogs start hot and build some early momentum, there is a strong possibility that the ‘Dogs play for a Mountain West Championship in December, perhaps at Valley Children’s Stadium.
Realistically, there will be growing pains with the new coaching staff. They have a tough road ahead to figure out which pieces will fit.
The ceiling for the ‘Dogs is 11-1 with a Mountain West Championship game appearance. The floor, if the season has a horrible outcome, is 5-7 with no bowl game. Realistically, the ‘Dogs are looking at an 8-4 record.
With the favorable home schedule, all the ‘Dogs need to do is string some wins together early in the season. It’s hard to stop a freight train going full speed.
