The road to a final Mountain West championship starts now.
The Fresno State football team opens up its season on the road at Kansas University in a Week 0 matchup on Aug. 23.
Last season, under Interim Head Coach Tim Skipper, the Bulldogs finished fourth in the Mountain West with a 6-7 overall record, which concluded a loss to Northern Illinois University in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Now, under Head Coach Matt Entz, the Bulldogs enter the season opener against the favored Jayhawks with a chance to showcase their talent from both new and returning players.
Starting quarterback E.J. Warner is set to make his first start under center for the ‘Dogs. He previously started two years at Temple University and last year at Rice University. Over his three seasons, Warner amassed 8,814 yards while throwing 58 passing touchdowns and 37 interceptions.
Joining Warner in the backfield is sophomore running back Bryson Donelson. Despite not being a focal point in the offense to start last season, Donelson became a key contributor as the season went on.
On Nov. 23, 2024, Donelson erupted for 140 rushing yards on 12 carries and a rushing touchdown in a home win against Colorado State University.
The running back room doesn’t stop with Donelson. University of Arizona transfer Rayshon Luke and returners Elijah Gilliam and Johnathan Arceneaux complement this backfield with their different styles.
As for wide receivers, the Bulldogs retain just two receivers with at least one catch from 2024.
On the defensive side of the ball, new Defensive Coordinator Nick Benedetto has quite a few veteran players to lean on, including captains Camryn Bracha, Jadon Pearson and Al’zillion Hamilton.
Hamilton makes his return after a successful 2024 campaign, where he was rated in the Top 10 in the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) in passes defended.
Much like the Bulldogs, the Kansas Jayhawks team is full of changes with the coaching staff and players.
On defense, Kansas lost multiple starting defensive backs to the transfer portal and the NFL, like Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson.
Despite the losses, new Defensive Coordinator D.K. McDonald still presents challenges to the Bulldogs.
“You can look at what they’ve done in years past, but what changes, what adjustments, what new coverages, fronts will he implement for the Bulldogs?” Entz said.
A new coach and new players present a different challenge for the Bulldogs.
“I think they’re probably strongest defensively,” Entz said. “If you look right down the middle of the field, you know, they have great depth at defensive tackle.”
The Jayhawks do have some returners from the defensive line, including defensive end Dean Miller, who led the team in sacks with six, and defensive tackle D.J. Withers, who had 21 tackles and three sacks.
But one aspect of the Jayhawks has remained constant– their quarterback.
Senior Jalon Daniels is making his return under center, having played his last five years for the Jayhawks.
Daniels is a dual-threat quarterback, able to produce with both his arm and legs. Last season, Daniels threw for 2,454 passing yards and 14 passing touchdowns, but also threw 12 interceptions. He also added 447 rushing yards on 4.8 average yards per carry and six rushing touchdowns.
“Being able to contain him, not giving up, you know, scramble rules, unnecessary yardage, he’s a huge concern,” Entz said. “He’s playing well, he’s as good a quarterback as there is out there right now.”
In 2024, Daniels led the Jayhawks to a 5-7 record, which included wins against ranked opponents like Iowa State University, Brigham Young University and the University of Colorado.
After weeks of fall camp, Bulldog football is officially back.
“We’ve got to find ways to limit the noise and the excitement, because there’s going to be a ton of it,” Entz said. “It’s time for us to play somebody in a different color jersey.”
The Bulldogs are set for their season opener on the road as they take on Kansas at the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 23, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. on FOX.
