Through the first five weeks of the season, there is one thing that is clear about this year’s Fresno State team: Head Coach Matt Entz was the right hire for the program.
Entz described the team’s latest win, a 23-21 road victory against Hawaii, as “a gritty win.” It’s this perseverance instilled by the Bulldog head coach through the first five games that has helped Fresno State start 4-1 and 1-0 in conference play.
While the Bulldogs did beat Georgia Southern by 28 points and Southern University by 49, it’s the Oregon State and Hawaii games that embody the grit this year’s Fresno State team has. The Bulldogs went 4-2 at home last season and are 2-0 at Valley Children’s Stadium this year, while also winning both home games by 28 or more points.
The Bulldogs were outgained by 210 yards against the Beavers, but found a way to win. The Bulldogs capitalized on the Beavers’ special teams’ blunders when defensive back Jaden Carrillo returned a punt 42 yards for a touchdown following a bad snap from the Oregon State special teams unit.
As the Bulldogs trailed by five with 1:13 to go, E.J. Warner marched Fresno State 44 yards down the field to set up Dylan Lynch’s 43-yard, game-winning field goal. Warner was just 9-of-14 passing for 104 yards and an interception until the final drive. He was able to put that behind him and move his team down the field for the most crucial moment of the game.
Warner had ups and downs through the early part of the season. But the final drive against Oregon State is just one example of many that show the level of heart and grit this Fresno State team plays with.
Against the Rainbow Warriors, it was the defense that had to secure a late win for the Bulldogs. Entering the season, the defense was thought to be the strength of the team and the unit has played well since the season opening against Kansas.
The stop on the possible game-tying two-point conversion attempt was the icing on the cake for a strong defensive showing the Bulldogs had against the Rainbow Warriors. They recorded four sacks, one forced fumble and intercepted three passes.
While some may call it luck, those two wins are proof of a team that knows how to win close games. It’s something even NFL teams struggle all season long to figure out, and the Bulldogs have shown twice in five weeks that they can do it.
So how does Fresno State keep the wins coming? The ground game has to continue its dominance, and the Bulldogs have to continue to pounce on their opponents’ mistakes.
The Bulldogs’ 881 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns put them inside the national top 20 in terms of both stats. Sophomore Bryson Donelson and junior Rayshon Luke have combined for 584 of those yards and eight of those touchdowns while both continue to average five yards a carry.
The aforementioned Oregon State and Hawaii games were perfect examples of the Bulldogs taking advantage of opponents’ mistakes. They have to continue to do that if they want a shot at leaving the Mountain West with one last conference title before moving to the Pac-12 next season.
