The Fresno State Bulldogs return to the gridiron against the San Diego State University Aztecs on Oct. 25 for homecoming, former Head Coach Jeff Tedford’s Ring of Honor induction and a blackout game at Valley Children’s Stadium.
The Bulldogs had to sit with a tough 49-21 loss to the Colorado State University Rams in their previous outing on Oct. 10. In a game where the Bulldogs outgained the Rams by over 100 yards, it was the penalties and turnovers that sunk them.
Following the loss, Head Coach Matt Entz said the bye week was “the worst thing, because now we have to be pissed off for two weeks.”
Bouncing back was even harder.
“I think after Monday, we needed to start turning the page,” Entz said at his media availability. “We could sit around and feel sorry for ourselves, continue to, you know, wear and tear on our team, but at some point, we got to get them back. We got to get them going.”
Entz added that there was a “level of frustration” when the Bulldogs returned to practice last Monday, but that the focus needed to move forward to the next game.
At 5-2 on the season and 2-1 in the Mountain West, the Bulldogs are not out of a Mountain West title game, but the loss to the Rams severely hurts their chances moving forward. The loss pushed the Bulldogs down to fifth in the Mountain West standings. To make a Mountain West title game, they’ll have to win out, most likely.
The box score shows some positives for the Bulldogs, mainly the time of possession and total yards of offense. The box score also shows the 13 penalties and four turnovers that cost the Bulldogs a crucial game in Fort Collins.
“Half of [the penalties] were administrative, and that means it happened before the snap, or something silly after the snap,” Entz said.
To prevent the mistakes that the Bulldogs can control, Entz said that it comes down to the level of detail that they practice with during the week
The Aztecs stroll into Valley Children’s Stadium for the first time since 2022 and for the final time as Mountain West rivals. The Aztecs hold the last win, which was in 2023 in San Diego. The Bulldogs fell 33-18 to end the 2023 season on a three-game losing streak.
Predicted to finish in the bottom five of the Mountain West in 2025, the Aztecs have outplayed their prediction thus far. They received national attention this past week, receiving seven votes to be in the AP top-25 poll.
“I think if you get caught up and lost in what the experts think, you’re spending your time doing the impossible — you’ll never be right,” Entz said. “ I think it shows that [Head Coach Sean] Lewis and his staff have done a tremendous job of getting buy-in, getting their type of guys in the program.”
At 5-1, Lewis and his staff have quickly turned around a program in free-fall. In his first season, the Aztecs finished 3-9, but he now has the Aztecs on the edge of bowl eligibility. A win for the Aztecs would get them to a bowl game for the first time since 2022, where they went to the Hawaii Bowl and lost to Middle Tennessee State University 25-23.
A key part of the Aztecs’ success is their defense. Through six games, the Aztec defense has given up 12.2 points per game, which ranks top five in the nation and first in the Mountain West.
“They got good players, and we’ve got to execute at a higher level than we did last time we lined up and played,” Entz said.
Defensive end Trey White was a piece of the defense that Entz highlighted. The preseason Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year has racked up 24 total tackles and four sacks this season.
Along with White, defensive back Chris Johnson is another key piece for the Aztec defense. He’s racked up 18 total tackles, a forced fumble and three interceptions, including a 97-yard pick-six against the University of California, Berkeley Golden Bears.
On Monday, Johnson was named to the Associated Press midseason All-America First Team.
For quarterback E.J. Warner, Johnson will be hawking in the secondary. Warner’s nine interceptions on the season rank him second in the nation.
“We need E.J. to have more skin like a duck,” Entz said. “He needs to let some things go. I worry that things compound.”
Jayden Denegal will duel Warner on Saturday. In 2025, the junior from Apple Valley, California, eclipsed 1,000 yards passing last time out against the University of Nevada, Reno.
Previously with the University of Michigan, Denegal saw limited action in 2023. After not seeing the field in 2024, he transferred to San Diego State.
In his first season as a starter, Denegal has seven touchdowns and two interceptions this season. The interceptions are the only turnovers the Aztecs have had this season. They are one of five teams in the FBS that have not lost a fumble this season.
The Bulldogs’ lack of ball security against the Rams cost them any shot at coming back. While the defense for the Bulldogs has forced 11 turnovers, the Bulldog offense has given opposing defenses the ball 14 times.
The homecoming game will be the final installment of this rivalry before both teams make the move to the Pac-12 next season.
The last time the Bulldogs played the Aztecs at Valley Children’s Stadium, the Bulldogs pulled off an improbable comeback.
Down 11 points with under four minutes to go, former quarterback Jake Haener led an 11-play, 80-yard drive to cut the Aztec lead to three. After recovering an onside kick, the Bulldogs needed just one play to find the endzone again. The Bulldogs took a 32-28 lead with 56 seconds left, and an interception from Carlton Johnson sealed the deal for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs will hope to capture more of this magic for homecoming on Oct. 25. Kickoff at Valley Children’s Stadium is set for 12:30 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.
