For one final time in their Fresno State careers, over 20 senior football players will play in front of the Red Wave at Valley Children’s Stadium.
On Nov. 22, Fresno State takes on the visiting Utah State Aggies in the Bulldogs’ final home game of the season.
In his weekly Monday press conference, Head Coach Matt Entz recognized his senior class and the impact they’ve had, not just on the team, but on him.
“[I] owe them a lot, especially first-year head football coach,” Entz said. “Those are kind of the first guys you get a chance to try and create some relationships with when you arrive, so I want to make sure that I recognize those guys, as the week goes on we’ll continue to recognize those guys internally.”
As the team prepares to honor their seniors, the Bulldogs will also be preparing for a Utah State squad that can provide problems for opposing defenses.
The Aggies are led by a dual-threat quarterback in senior Bryson Barnes.
Barnes is in his second year with the Aggies and is having his best statistical year thus far. He has thrown for 2,352 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns and just three interceptions.
When he isn’t using his arm, Barnes has been effective in the ground game, rushing for 531 yards and eight rushing touchdowns. Due to the dual-threat nature of Barnes, Entz made a note of playing smart defense come Saturday.
“We can’t all of a sudden be at the line of scrimmage right now because then we’re gonna open up some of those uncontested throws that he’ll make off the glance look or off the RPO [run- pass option] look,” Entz said.
An issue for Barnes and the Aggies has been with protecting their quarterback from opposing defenses.
The Aggies have allowed the most sacks against them in the Mountain West with 35 through 10 games. Outside of the conference, only 10 other teams in college football have allowed more sacks than Utah State.
As for the defense, the Aggies have the third-most sacks in the Mountain West with 23. Linebacker John Miller leads the team with 7.5 sacks, good enough for the 13th most in the country.
“They’re gonna try and keep you on your heels a little bit by moving the front and trying to create some TFLs [tackle for loss],” Entz said.
The Bulldogs are coming off a game where the rushing attack was on full display, going for over 200 rushing yards.
While Bryson Donelson and Rayshon Luke combined for 29 carries, the Bulldogs also got use out of guys lower on the depth chart.
Senior Johnathan Arceneaux totalled four carries for 70 yards, including a 58-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“They’re tremendous fans of each other,” Entz said. “When one has success, they all get excited. I think that’s a compliment and reflection on [running backs] Coach [Aaron] Prior.”
Players like Arceneaux, Brandon Ramirez and Elijah Gilliam have seen important snaps despite not being starters.
The Bulldogs will look to replicate their success, riding a two-game win streak into Saturday’s showdown against the Utah State Aggies at Valley Children’s Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on the CBS Sports Network.
