The Fresno State Bulldogs return to Valley Children’s Stadium for Mountain West play as they host the University of Nevada, Reno on Oct. 4.
After winning their conference opener against the University of Hawaii 23-21, the Bulldogs look to keep the momentum rolling against the Wolf Pack for the final time as Mountain West rivals.
Going into the bye week, the mentality for the Bulldogs remained as if there was a game to be played.
“I didn’t want anyone to come into this room thinking we were just off that week,” said Head Coach Matt Entz. “We called it Bulldog Week — we were emphasizing us. We were the priority that week.”
The defense was the difference-maker for the Bulldogs on the road, and they’ll be tested again against a tough Wolf Pack rushing attack.
The Wolf Pack’s leading rusher is their quarterback, Chubba Purdy — the brother of San Francisco 49ers starting quarterback Brock Purdy. He has racked up 276 yards on the ground to go along with his 494 passing yards.
The Wolf Pack offense boasts a strong option game with Purdy and running backs Herschel Turner and Caleb Ramseur. The running back duo has accounted for 374 of the Wolf Pack’s 757 rushing yards this season.
The passing attack from the Wolf Pack is a weakness that the Bulldogs can take advantage of. Purdy has thrown only one touchdown to six interceptions this season. To add, the Wolf Pack offense is only averaging 14.25 points per game.
The Wolf Pack is led by second-year Head Coach Jeff Choate. Formerly the head coach of the Montana State Bobcats from 2016-19, he and Entz have some head-to-head history.
Entz defeated Choate and the Bobcats in the 2019 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs 42-14, where Entz would go on to win his first FCS National Championship.
The last time the Bulldogs and Wolf Pack matched up was in 2024, where the Bulldogs squeaked out a 24-21 win in Reno. The Wolf Pack led at halftime 21-17, but Joshua Wood’s rushing touchdown in the third quarter gave the Bulldogs the lead that they would not surrender.
Running back Elijah Gilliam helped in the offensive effort with 66 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns to push the Bulldogs over the edge.
The last time these two rivals played at Valley Children’s Stadium was in 2023. As the No. 25-ranked team in the AP poll, the Bulldogs would defeat the Wolf Pack 27-9 for the program’s 14th consecutive victory, which dated back to 2022.
Quarterback Mikey Keene ripped through the Wolf Pack defense through the air with 269 yards passing and two passing touchdowns to wide receiver Jaelen Gill.
Running back Malik Sherrod tore through the Wolf Pack defense on the ground with 123 yards rushing on 12 rushing attempts and found the end zone once.
The last time the Wolf Pack defeated the Bulldogs at Valley Children’s Stadium was in 2019. In a 35-28 loss, quarterback Marcus Reyna threw for 267 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
The interception came with the Bulldogs up 28-21. With a short field, the Wolf Pack punched in a game-tying touchdown and would take the lead with 12 seconds left in regulation.
A win for the Bulldogs on Saturday would give them their longest winning streak since 2023, when they opened the season with five consecutive wins.
The Bulldogs’ Mountain West Conference home opener kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 at Valley Children’s Stadium and can be seen on the CBS Sports Network.
