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Oct 23
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Mystery Box: Fresno State Men’s Basketball Season Preview

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Perhaps it’s déjà vu or perhaps it’s a sign of positive change just around the corner. 

Nevertheless, the Fresno State Men’s Basketball team enters Year 3 in the Vance Walberg era of Bulldogs Hoops similar to the first two, a mixed bag of unknowns with roster turnover increasing by the year.

“It is what it is,” Walberg said. “No excuses. It’s just really tough.”

Success was hard to find during the first two years under Walberg, going 6-26 in 2024-25 before improving to 13-19 a year ago. 

Despite more than doubling the team’s win total in year two, Fresno State returns zero minutes from last year’s team. 

Last year’s leading scorer and All-Mountain West Third Team selection Jake Heidbreder (17 PPG) and forward Cameron Faas (5.3 PPG) both graduated and guard D.J. Stickman was removed from the team after suffering an ACL injury during February of last season that’s expected to take up all of this season to recover from.

“It’s a tough situation,” Walberg said. “I’d love to have him, but we only have so many roster spots, and DJ won’t be healthy. He won’t get a chance to play 5-on-5 until the end of December or early January.”

Walberg noted the pileup of injuries in recent seasons as a major factor in the decision. Stickman averaged 3.5 points in 14.4 minutes per game over 21 appearances, including one start.

The remaining 11 players that played minutes last season all transferred elsewhere, including DeShawn Gory (Oregon State), Zaon Collins (Ball State), David Douglas Jr. (Northern Illinois), Gasper Kocevar (Howard), Jac Mani (Tarleton State), Wilson Jacques (DePaul). Jacques in particular will earn $1.1M as part of his NIL package, ‘life changing money’ as Walberg noted.

“I wish we had a few people back. I wish we would have them back,” Walberg said. “It’s the times that we’re in. The NIL is crazy.”

Walberg on Wednesday morning suggested the NCAA limit players to one transfer each to limit the amount of roster turnover from year-to-year. 

Fresno State, expected to be near if not at the very bottom of the Pac-12 in NIL budgets, will dearly miss Gory, a do-it-all freshman forward that averaged 13.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 2.0 APG. He also had 25 steals and 11 blocks on the year.

“DeShawn was a special breed. He had an aura of confidence that you just don’t find,“ Walberg said. “The sounds in that gym, if we had workouts at 6:30 in the morning, he wanted to be in the gym at 5:30.”

Gory will return to the Save Mart Center as a member of the Beavers when Oregon State comes to Fresno on February 20th. 

The one carryover from last year’s team to this year’s team was guard Nathan Zulemie, who will miss his second straight season with an ACL injury. 

So where does that leave Fresno State’s roster for the 2026-27 season? 

A brand new squad

What we have learned during the brief time they’ve been in action is Lipscomb transfer Ross Candelino can shoot the ball from deep and guards K.J. Perry and freshman Roger Fabrega Urpina are expected to carry the load of ball-handling duties.

It’s hard to place expectations on a squad with 15 players (14 excluding Zulemie) that have never played with each other, besides a brief trip to the Bahamas this summer and two “secret scrimmages.” 

“The biggest thing I think that we took away is we can compete with anybody. I believe that from day one,” Candelino said.

Candelino, a 6-foot-5 guard who appeared in 28 games last season, averaged 11.2 PPG and 5.2 RPG while connecting on a team-high 66 3-pointers (42.6%), providing Fresno State with an experienced perimeter shooting threat.

Perry, the number one JUCO recruit in the country a year ago, transferred to BYU but didn’t play last season. The combo guard should be among the team’s leading scorers and playmakers but he’s more focused on what he can provide on the other end of the floor, citing his on-ball defensive skills as his best asset. 

“Everything starts on defense. So if I can kind of just be that person to just get us started, I think everything will just flow with it right after that,” Perry said. 

K.J. Perry (Fresno State Athletics)

The 6-foot-1 Fabrega comes to the United States with plenty of professional experience already under his belt and high praise from his teammates. 

“I’ve never played with Roger, and obviously he doesn’t speak very good English, so you’re like you’re sitting there thinking like all right, but then you start playing with them and it’s like you guys have been playing with each other for seven years,” Candelino said. “Like you, just kind of form a connection with some players.”

The starting lineup early in the season is expected to be rounded out by fellow transfers Dragos Lungu (UT Martin) and center Bradey Henige (Cal Baptist), though Walberg said there could be a lot of movement in the rotation early in the season. 

Lungu has been a potent mid-level scorer in his career, including scoring 13.8 PPG on 62% from the field last season as a redshirt sophomore but the 6-foot-6 Romanian guard has managed to play in just 13 total games since appearing in 30 games (11 starts) for the University of San Diego in 2023-24. 

Henige, a 7-footer from Glendale, AZ transfers to Fresno State after spending his first two seasons at Cal Baptist. He averaged 4.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG over 20.2 MPG last season. 

He’ll be splitting time with transfer Baye Fall, a 6-foot-11 big who has played sparingly at three different major programs, including Arkansas, Kansas State and most recently Rutgers. 

A 4-star recruit and #1 rated prospect of his class out of Colorado, Fall hasn’t quite lived up to the potential but he hasn’t had a whole lot of playing time to prove himself (5.3 MPG in 22 career appearances). He does have 12 career blocks though. 

Beyond that, Fresno State brought in Nebraska transfer Quentin Rhymes, a 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman guard, who should see some playing time in the second unit as well as the only guy on the team who’s spent minutes in a Bulldog uniform: Brian Amuneke.

Déjà vu

Amuneke returns to Fresno State after spending the 2025-26 season at Wichita State. The 6-foot-6 guard began his collegiate career with the Bulldogs before transferring to the Shockers, where he appeared in 36 games, but averaged just 8 minutes a game. 

Fortunately for Amuneke, it’s a style he’s familiar with. 

“Our system is pretty much common sense type basketball,” Amuneke said. “Not only the dribble drive but just trying to play together as a team. Move the ball as a team, get the best open shot, best look for every single one of us.

Amuneke averaged 7.7 PPG as a freshman, and even saw seven starts down the stretch of the season in 2025 before transferring, and is excited to bring even more to the Bulldogs than he did a couple years ago. 

Brian Amuneke with Fresno State as a freshman (Vincent Ordonio)

“I just know that with me getting better, I can add on to the system more, way better than I did before,” Amuneke said.

The freshman class

In addition to Fabrega, Walberg brought in five other freshmen to round out a heavy forward class including academy players Anthony Granger and Yeshua Kesse-Beda. He also brought in Rylan Parsley from Arizona. 

Finishing up the 2026-27 freshmen class is a pair of 6-foot-8 European power forwards: Colin Schroeder (Germany) and Marko Vuckovic (Serbia), the latter of which Walberg described as an enigma. 

“He’s very talented, but he is a stubborn Serbian, and I mean stubborn,” Walberg said. “It’s the first time I’ve had a Serbian in, and Marko at times just looks at me like, ‘Coach, you’re crazy,’ Yeah, I am.” 

Vukovic projects as a rangy forward with the ability to shoot from distance while providing help on the glass. Schroder is more of an old-school big, playing the bruiser role. 

“Colin gives you everything he’s got, every day. I mean, he’s six seven and a half, 245 pounds. He’s going to knock some people around,” Walberg said. 

Their energy has been noticed by teammates already, including Candelino, who despite not always knowing what his European teammates are saying, feeds off their passion. 

“They’re both very passionate about the game of basketball, and I think that’ll be something that [the Red Wave] can get behind,” Walberg said. “Obviously for fans, it’s a little bit harder because you can’t play. You have all this aggression, like you want to be able to play the game too, but you can’t. So you gotta kind of gotta live through somebody else on the court. And I think that Marko and Colin will help them blow some steam off. I love being with them. They can really flip the energy in the game real fast.”

Colin Schroeder (via @28.colin on Instagram)

Schedule outlook

The Bulldogs begin the 2026-27 season with one final tuneup this Saturday, October 24th, a home exhibition at the Save Mart Center at 2 p.m. against Cal State Fullerton. 

“I had an old coach who said, ‘you only get one first impression.’ So we hope to make it a really good first impression,” Candelino said. 

Fresno State will play 15 non-conference games between November and December of this year. Excluding the exhibition on Saturday, Fresno State will play eight times at the Save Mart Center during non-conference play, beginning with its home opener versus Fresno Pacific on Nov. 2nd at 6 p.m. 

Other opponents coming to the Save Mart Center in 2026 include Georgia State, UC Riverside, Southern, Cal State University Northridge, San Francisco, Sacramento State and UC Santa Barbara.

The ‘Dogs will also host Alabama State at Selland Arena on Friday, Nov. 20th at 7 p.m. 

“We heard great feedback from the Red Wave; they love going downtown one game a year. Coach Walberg really enjoys it,” Klassy said. “We want to lean into what makes this place special.”


The feedback hasn’t all been positive but that’s something Fresno State’s Director of Athletics is grateful for nonetheless.

“Although I prefer it all be positive, the negative feedback means people care and I’ll always take that over someone not caring about the sports teams,” Klassy said.

Of the team’s six games away from Fresno, four of them are in California due to the team’s not ‘very big travel budget,’ as Walberg noted. They will be traveling to UC San Diego, San Jose State, Santa Clara and UC Irvine this season. 

The only two non-conference games outside the state will take place the weekend right after Thanksgiving as part of the Second Line Showcase in New Orleans, LA. Fresno State will play South Alabama (11/27) and South Dakota State (11/29) during the tournament. 

The Bulldogs will play its first of 16 Pac-12 Conference games at home on Sunday, January 3rd at 1 p.m. versus Washington State. 

This season will mark the Bulldogs first time ever playing at Texas State (2/18/27) and first time playing at Gonzaga (1/27/27) since 1961. 

Of the other eight teams in its conference, seven of them have made the NCAA Tournament in the last six seasons. 

The Pac-12 Conference Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 9th in Las Vegas, Nevada. For a complete schedule, visit the Fresno State Athletics website. 

Fresno State men’s basketball will have 19 games televised nationally during the 2026-27 season, including all 16 Pac-12 Conference games.

Season prediction

Ceiling: 17-19 wins

Floor: 10-12 wins

Prediction: 15-17 record 

I think this team is better than either of the last two seasons. If the front court can

Stay healthy, I think a strong non-conference showing and 5 to 7 wins in a tough conference can have the Bulldogs finish around .500 this season. 

Is that the dream? Of course not, but Fresno State eventually needs to build some culture and continuity and perhaps that can happen beginning this season.

Story written by Al Scott, cover photo captured by Evan Hernandez (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Oct 17
0

Fresno State at ‘loss for words’ after to loss to Aztecs

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Good year or bad year, it doesn’t seem to matter for the San Diego State versus Fresno State rivalry in recent years. The Aztecs simply have the ‘Dogs number. 

For the third time in four years and three consecutive matchups, San Diego State has defeated Fresno State, following its 26-23 victory over Fresno State on Saturday night to keep the Old Oil Can in San Diego. A “frustrated” Matt Entz spoke to the media after the game. 

“I’m at a loss for words for why it takes us to the second quarter to get going? We change things up. We try different things. We just have to keep working,” Entz said. “We’re a better team than the product we put out there.”

The loss drops Fresno State to 4-3 (1-2) on the season. 

Key players

  • Bryson Donelson (FS): 13 carries, 62 yards, TD
  • K’Vion Thunderbird (FS): 9 tackles, 1 TFL
  • Lucky Sutton (SDSU): 18 carries, 110 yards
  • Tano Letuli (SDSU): 11 tackles, sack

What happened 

After forcing a three-and-out, San Diego State took over and handed it off to starting tailback Lucky Sutton for gains of 8 and 4 yards apiece, making his return after missing two games. Fresno State forced a punt though, thanks to a 3rd down sack from Martin Owusu. 

The ‘Dogs appeared to be moving down the field with momentum, getting first downs from Bryson Donelson and Jake Appleget. Quarterback Jayden Mandal then found Brock Lium open. 

San Diego State linebacker Sione Hala poked the ball free though, giving the Aztecs the ball on Fresno State’s 32-yard line. The Aztecs would get on the board first with a 32-yard field goal from senior place kicker Cooper DiLeva. 

The Aztecs got the ball back a couple minutes later and on the sixth play of the drive, Quarterback Jayden Denegal made a deep throw down the right sideline, finding wide receiver Jaylon Hawkins streaking open for a 52-yard touchdown, giving them a 10-0 lead with 1:58 remaining in the first quarter.

Fresno State finished the first quarter with just 33 yards, to the Aztecs 135. 

“We can’t get down 13-0 and then anticipate. It’s never going to be easy getting back. We have to come up with a way where we can start faster. I’ve seen us start faster in games, like we did a week ago,” Entz said. 

The two teams traded field goals early in the second quarter to make it 13-3. Manaki Watanabe’s 51-yarder made him the first Bulldog in program history with four 50+ yard field goal makes in a single season. 

Denegal left the game midway through the second quarter, replaced by redshirt freshman transfer Stone Saunders. His first play resulted in a muffed snap recovered by Fresno State EDGE Dylan Hampsten. Facing a third and three, Mandal kept the ball and ran up the middle for a gain of 16 and a first. Bryson Donelson followed it up with a gain of 11 before rushing four yards to the left for six points. 

The Aztecs went into halftime with just a 16-10 lead despite out-gaining the Bulldogs 201-121. 

San DIego State opened the second half with a long drive, but a missed field goal this time from DiLeva kept the game at 16-10. The momentum shift is exactly what the Bulldogs needed. 

Mandal led Fresno State on a 10-play, 75-yard drive, including a 19-yard reverse run by wide receiver Ezekiel Avit. The next play was a fake reverse for Mandal handed it off to redshirt freshman running back Julius Gillick who only had one man to beat on the right side as he ran in for a 7-yard rushing touchdown, the third time he has found the end zone this season to make it 17-16 Bulldogs. 

San Diego State opened the fourth quarter with a 67-yard run from Sutton. Two plays later, Saunders found do-it-all receiver Bert Emanuel Jr. for a 24-yard gain to the two yard line. After a play that went nowhere and a false start penalty, Emanuel Jr. (at quarterback) dumped it off to wide receiver Jordan Napier for a seven-yard race to the left pylon and a touchdown to give the Aztecs a 23-17 lead.

On second and ten with less than six minutes left in the game, Mandal connected on a deep shot to Avit who won out despite triple-coverage. It set up another Gillick rushing touchdown but a missed extra point by Watanabe kept the game tied at 23 apiece. 

San Diego State steadily moved the ball down the field on a drive that took off nearly four minutes, including a critical 26-yard pass from Saunders to Napier. It was just enough to set up a 53-yarder from DiLeva to win the game. 

The Bulldogs got one last drive but a sack on the first play killed any momentum Fresno State may have had left from its previous drive. Mandal completed 13-of-25 passes for 141 yards on the night. 

What’s next

Fresno State will get some rest with its bye next week.

“The resolve of the team is tremendous, we just need to be more opportunistic,” Entz said. “We got to get better at the simple things, better at tackling, better at blocking, better at communication, better at all the alignment assignment things, things that win games.”

Following the bye, Fresno State will return home to Valley Children’s Stadium on Saturday, October 31, for a late night Halloween battle with the Oregon State Beavers (5-2, 3-0). 

Game recap written by Al Scott, photos captured by Evan Bradley (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Oct 15
0

‘Spirited’ Revenge Game: SDSU Preview

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We’ve reached the midway point through the season and the Bulldogs find themselves at 4-2 (1-1), following a narrow 38-31 loss at home to #23 Boise State last week. 

It’s a new week though and a fresh opportunity to “go 1-0” against a new opponent as Head Coach Matt Entz likes to say. Funny enough, the Bulldogs will get a crack at a canned trophy for the second straight week.

The ‘Dogs are heading down south to play San Diego State (2-4, 1-1) for the Oil Can. The ‘Dogs will be looking to get revenge after losing the last two battles, including a 23-0 shutout last season.

“I did remind them about last year,” Entz said at his Monday morning press conference. “It was spirited and I pulled up some video evidence of how spirited it needs to be.” 

Need to know for Saturday

  • What: Fresno State (8.5-point favorites) at San Diego State
  • When: Saturday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Where: Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, CA)
  • TV: CBS Sports Network (Rich Waltz, Adam Breneman and Jordan Giorgio)
  • Radio: ESPN Fresno – 1430/790 (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill and Kenny Wiggins), Caliente – 105.1 KKBZ (Jose Gonzalez and Abraham Montano)

Bulldog Bites

  • Fresno State leads the Pac-12 in scoring defense, allowing 20 points per game, including 16.2 PPG over the last five games. 
  • The ‘Dogs rank 6th in the FBS with a 1.33 turnover margin per game (11-3 overall in 2026). Fresno State has only had one turnover overall in its last five games. 
  • Fresno State has committed 27 penalties for just 192 yards this season. The 32 penalty yards per game rank first in the conference and 5th in the FBS. 
  • Former Fresno State wide receiver and current Los Angeles Rams star Davante Adams moved into a tie with Larry Fitzgerald for 6th all-time in touchdown receptions (121). He’s also now 4th in NFL history with 30 multi-TD game performances. 

The Oil Can

Saturday will mark the 64th meeting between Fresno State and San Diego State (leads series 32-27-4), a rivalry dating back to 1923 that has come and gone over the decades with conference realignment before being officially coined in 2011. 

The can was introduced after alumni associations from both universities ran a joint fan contest to create a formal rivalry. The winning submission was an old oil can from Fresno that turned up in San Diego during a campus building project.

As a result, a antique 1930s oil can was purchased and converted into a plaque-adorned trophy to track the history of the matchup. Since its introduction, Fresno State has won seven of the 13 matchups but not its two most recent ones. 

The can honors the California roots between the two schools and the distance in between them, namely the grapevine and the 99 freeway. Because early motor vehicles frequently overheated or burned oil, fans driving had to carry extra oil and water to make the long trip. 

San Diego won last year’s battle 23-0 with a dismantling of the Fresno State offense, holding them to just 227 yards of offense. It was the Bulldogs first time being shutout at home since 1980 and it’s a day that still lives very clearly in Offensive Coordinator Josh Davis’ mind. 

“Public humiliation is long-lasting, and what happened last year at home, I know it still affects me, and I remember that day very well,” Davis said. 

Josh Davis talking to the media on Wednesday.

San Diego State also won in 2023, 33-18, to close out the regular season that year. Fresno State’s last win against the Aztecs has a case for being the most memorable ending in Fresno State Football history. 

Trailing 28-17 at home with under four minutes left in 2022, Fresno State Quarterback Jake Haener led the Bulldogs on a three-minute, 80-yard drive before ending it with a three-yard rush up the middle from Jordan Mims. 

Wide Receivers Zane Pope and Nikko Remigio combined for 269 yards on 20 receptions and 3 Touchdowns. Pope also recovered the critical onside kick by Dylan Lynch with just over a minute left in the game that allowed the Bulldogs to score two late touchdowns in the matter of 13 seconds to complete a 32-28 comeback victory over the San Diego State Aztecs. 

Fresno State celebrating 32-28 win over San Diego State in 2022 (Fresno State Athletics).

The win marked the 3rd of 9 straight victories for the Bulldogs that season that ended with a Mountain West Championship and a LA Bowl win over Washington State.

Get to know San Diego State

The Aztecs are under Head Coach Sean Lewis who went 3-9 in his first season at San Diego State in 2024 before jumping to 9-4 in year two under Lewis and a top-10 nationally ranked defense. Fast forward to year three and things seem to be trending backwards in San Diego.

Coming off a really bad loss in Corvallis, where they fell 66-14 to a potential conference favorite in Oregon State, the Aztecs are 2-4 (1-1) on the season and further raised questions for its struggling offense that is averaging just 22.8 points per game (104th out of 138 FBS teams), 277.7 YPG (135th) and 143.7 passing YPG (130th). 

Senior Quarterback Jayden Denegal has completed just 76-of-141 pass attempts (53.9%) for 787 yards and six touchdown passes (5 interceptions) through six games. His struggles have put his job in jeopardy and been the subject of media scrutiny. Lewis was asked about Denegal and his his starting role going forward on Monday. 

Jayden Denegal (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune).

“I’m aware of his deficiencies. I’m aware of his strengths. I also know what else is there…for the sake of change, if it’s not warranted and doesn’t give the team and the program the best opportunity to be successful, that’s not the right thing to do,” Lewis said, in regard to a potential switch. 

Beyond him, the Aztecs have redshirt freshman transfer Stone Saunders, but he is currently still questionable for Saturday after suffering a broken collarbone in the Aztecs season opener at Portland State. They also have walk-on redshirt freshman Draiden Trudeau and true freshman Brady Campbell.

The ‘Dogs aren’t going to overlook Denegal, who appears by all accounts to be starting this weekend and the Aztecs offense though.

“Anytime someone has a returning quarterback, that makes you concerned, a guy that has played a lot of football. They have two really talented running backs and a veteran offensive line that comes back,” Entz said. 

Defensively, San Diego State is allowing 35 PPG (110th) and 477.8 YPG (129th) on the year, including the 62 points to Oregon State this past Saturday. 

“I think they’re probably the hardest hitting football team we’ll have played, which leads to missed tackles because they don’t wrap you up, but they’ll thump you,” Davis said. 

Aztecs to watch 

Lucky Sutton and Javion Kinnard — Speaking of the aforementioned talented running backs, the Bulldogs have been well acquainted with these two and not for good reasons. 

“Both of them can make people miss in the open field. If I remember right, Sutton had a 54-yarder against us last year, and Kinnard had a 70 or 80-yarder against us at Colorado State,” Entz said. 

Lucky is one of the top returning backs in the conference after rushing 254 times for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago as the Aztecs lead back. Sutton (45 carries, 150 yards, 3 TDs) has missed three games this season though with a high ankle sprain, including the last two. Listed as questionable to play on Saturday, is one of 31 Aztecs currently listed on their injury report. 

Kinnard (67 carries, 355 yards, TD), a Colorado State sophomore, has taken over the lead back role with Sutton missing some time. Fresno State defensive tackle Deijon Laffitte spoke on Tuesday morning after practice on facing the talented duo.

“They’re really good at making guys miss, they have good patience, being able to read the gaps and see where D tackles go and see where linebackers fit, and being able to make them the one cuts or the one jump moves and just being able to restart their feet,” Laffitte said.

Deijon Laffitte (Ryan Sepulveda).

It will be a big test for the Bulldogs defense to see if they can bounce back after allowing Boise State’s running back tandem of Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines to combine for 334 yards. 

“We got to be better. I thought we were tackling way too high with our hand placement and our feet too,” Defensive Coordinator Nick Benedetto said. “That’s not the standard. We’ve got to coach better. We’ve got to play better.”

Like Sutton, Kinnard is also questionable to play on Saturday. Beyond this duo, freshmen Josiah Lucas (42 carries, 169 yards, 2 TD) and Jordin Thomas (14 carries, 55 yards, TD) are next in line for rushing duties. 

“They have a good offensive line. They got good receivers, and just really being able to bottle up their energy because they do come out swinging, regardless of who they play,” Laffitte said.

The linebackers — San Diego State starting linebackers Sione Hala and Tano Letuli have combined for 112 tackles. Hala, a Boston College and Weber State transfer also has two sacks. Letuli had a pick-6 in the Oil Can rivalry last season.

Tano Letuli (21) celebrating with teammates after his 31-yard interception returned for a touchdown last season versus Fresno State (San Diego State Athletics).

“We’re talking to our backs a lot about bracing for contact because these guys are kamikaze tacklers at the second and third level, so it will be a physical football game. We’re going to need to protect the ball and break tackles,” Davis said.

Junior outside linebacker Djibril Rahman leads the Aztecs with three sacks. He has 18 total tackles this season. 

The fast freshman — San Diego State wide receiver and redshirt freshman Jaylon Hawkins has returned 14 kicks for a nation-leading 543 yards (38.8 yards per attempt) and three touchdowns.

“That’s a career for most kick returners, and that’s probably generous to say that. But to have that in the first half of the season is unbelievable,” Entz said.

Hawkins was named the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week for the second straight week and third time this season following his 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Oregon State. He is one of only five players since 2020 with kickoff returns for touchdowns in back-to-back games.

“He is a dynamic player with the ball in his hands, and we have to do a really good job of hitting our spots with that specialist and covering the field,” Entz said.

Former ‘Dogs — San Diego State football has two former Bulldogs who were with Fresno State from 2022 to 2024: Wide Receiver Nathan Acevedo and defensive lineman Gavriel Lightfoot.

Acevedo caught nine balls for 65 yards as a redshirt sophomore in 2024 before transferring home to San Diego where he has caught 32 balls for 367 yards and a pair of touchdowns over the last two seasons. He is currently listed as doubtful though. 

Lightfoot was a three-year starter for the Bulldogs before also transferring during the Bulldogs coaching change at the end of the 2024 season. The Moreno Valley native went to Colorado but missed the 2025 season with an injury before returning to California to play for the Aztecs this season. The senior defensive tackle has 28 tackles and three pass deflections on the season. 

“They’re going to be hungry,” Benedetto said. We expect them to be at their best, and we have to be at our best. It’s a new week, a new challenge, and every team in the Pac-12 is a good football team.”

Dog-Factors 

Run the clock – Fresno State is currently rushing for 139.7 yards per game (93rd in the FBS), which by all accounts is not great for a run-first offense. The lack of a consistent ground game has made it hard for the ‘Dogs to sustain long drives and get into and score in the red zone. 

The Aztecs have given up plenty of yards in the passing game (299.2 YPG) but they haven’t been much better against the run (178.7 YPG allowed). Both marks rank 7th out of 8 PAC-12 teams, though the rushing marks could have more to do with being on the field so much. 

Despite the large total, San Diego State is allowing just 4 YPC on the ground, 2nd best in the PAC-12. 

Running back Bryson Donelson

“If you run it 50 times, that adds up to dang near almost 200 yards, which is kind of the Toledo way that they were able to do that versus them,” Davis said. 

San Diego State dropped to 138th (last) in the nation in average time of possession (24 minutes per game) after holding the ball for just 17:28 minutes at Oregon State.

Saturday could be Fresno State’s best chance to get the running game going and reestablish ball control after struggling mightily in that department last week against Boise State (21:04 time of possession).

“We know that they’ll be disciplined and well coached, but we have to be stubborn with that. We got to keep their offense off the field and help our defense be successful a little bit better. But if we do run for four yards a carry and we don’t turn the ball over, I think we’ll be tough to beat,” Davis said. 

Running back Rayshon Luke is questionable to play after leaving during the first half at Washington State on Oct. 3. Bryson Donelson left last game with an injury as well but returned and is expected to be a full-go against the Aztecs. 

Get it to Zeke – Fresno State junior wide receiver Ezekiel Avit has emerged as an elite playmaker for the Bulldogs this season, catching 19 balls for 330 yards and four touchdowns (two last week). 

The first touchdown, a 59-yarder that Avit broke free down the east sideline for a touchdown, was from his former Maryland, now current Fresno State teammate, Khristian Martin, who briefly replaced starter Jayden Mandal at the end of the first quarter. 

“I was just encouraging K-Mart when he came into the game. It was a big game against a ranked opponent, just letting them know we got his back. The first time he threw the ball, it was to me, we didn’t connect. And I was just telling them, you know, we’re gonna get it back. We’re gonna get it back, next play. He throws it to me,” Avit said. 

Avit said he noticed in film the corner on him liked to go for the knees and he applied that knowledge in the moment. 

“He’s a small guy, so I had to pick my knees up, and when I had seen the space between me and 10, I felt like I had to just start getting on my horse, and I felt like I picked up the speed, and it was honestly a race to the pile on. I feel, and I felt like I won that,” Avit said. 

His sprint speed got up to 21.7 mph, tied for the second fastest max speed in the FBS last week. 

“I feel like my speed’s always been there. You know, it’s just got to be put on display. I feel like I’m a playmaker when the ball is in my hands,” Avit said. “It only takes me four or five steps to get up to max speed.”

Avit later caught a slant over the middle in the end zone to score right before halftime. 

Injury Report

  • A final updated injury report is expected less than three hours before kickoff on Saturday, visit the PAC-12 website for the latest on Fresno State player availability throughout the week. 
Harold Duvall returned to action versus Boise State but played just four snaps (Ryan Sepulveda).

Score predictions 

Fresno State 27, San Diego State 10

The Aztecs will be desperate after a humiliating loss last week and will be aggressive in the first half. I predict Fresno State to wear San Diego State down as the game goes on with an overwhelming second half, similar to the Washington State game. 

Game preview written by Al Scott, cover photo captured by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Oct 13
0

Logan Mankins: Enshrined Forever at Fresno State

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A little over 44 years ago, a legend was born in Catheys Valley, a small town near Mariposa, less than an hour and a half away from Fresno State. 

When you think of guys that really represent Fresno State Football, there aren’t many guys that come to mind more than Logan Mankins.

“He’s someone who really epitomizes the Valley, the toughness, the grit that’s required to be a Bulldog,” Head Coach Matt Entz said. 

Mankins returned home this last week to the same Valley where he grew up. 

“[Catheys Valley] was just a small town in the foothills before you got up to Yosemite,” Mankins said of his hometown in the Valley. “There is not a whole lot going on there. There is a lot of ranching and loggers. And that is all my family had done forever, so that is all I knew about.”

On Saturday during halftime against Boise State, Mankins became the 14th overall member (including his former Head Coach Pat Hill) and the first Bulldogs offensive lineman inducted into the Fresno State Ring of Honor, forever retiring the number 74 uniform.

“I never expected it,” Mankins said. “I’m truly honored…there have been so many great players that have played at Fresno State and to be included with them and the coaches that have been there is pretty special.”

He may not have expected it but it was certainly well deserved. After redshirting in 2000, Mankins earned the starting job as the left tackle in 2001, serving as the blind side protector for quarterback David Carr. Mankins allowed just two sacks all season and was named a Sporting News First-Team All-American. 

Mankins missed his entire junior year but it didn’t derail his career. 

“I was raised around a lot of old-school and hardworking men,” said Mankins. “My dad always said no matter what, you get up and go do your job.”

His time at Fresno State peaked as a senior when he returned to start every game in 2004, not allowing a sack or pressure all year while recording a school record 82 pancakes en route to being named a Second-Team All-American. He also became the ‘Dogs first Offensive Lineman in school history to be named team Most Valuable Player. 

He did not allow a sack in 387 consecutive pass plays to end his career, and allowed just three total QB sacks in his 40 game collegiate career.

Mankins would go on to be drafted in the first round by the New England Patriots where he played left guard for the first 9 of his 11 seasons. He was a 6x All-Pro (1st team in 2010) and a 7x Pro Bowler. 

In front of friends, family and 43,086 Bulldog fans on Saturday, Mankins recalled Fresno State upsetting then No. 10 ranked-Oregon State 44-24 in September of 2001 at Bulldog Stadium. 

Fans rush the field and tear down the goalposts at Bulldog Stadium after Fresno State beat Oregon State.(Fresno Bee/Kurt Hegre)

“I remember my first game …[the fans] stormed the field and tore the goal post because we beat the (crap) out of Oregon State,” Mankins said. 

Mankins, who got to ride out on the tractor pregame, lives back east in Massachusetts now with his wife Kara where they live on a farm, fitting ain’t it. 

Either in California or back in Massachusetts, one thing remains true no matter what, Logan Mankins and the number 74 will be remembered forever at Fresno State. 

Story written by Al Scott. Photos courtesy of Ryan Sepulveda (FSM). 

Oct 12
0

Al Things Considered: 5 takeaways from Homecoming

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It was a hard week for Fresno State Athletics, particularly at the hands of the school’s biggest rival Boise State who defeated the Bulldogs in soccer, women’s volleyball and football this weekend. The Equestrian team also lost to both TCU and Baylor. 

Here’s five takeaways from this past week in Bulldog sports:

The good: the ‘Dogs made it close

Not everyone wants to hear it but Fresno State played well on Saturday in its 38-31 loss to #23 Boise State and somehow, enough to feel good about it. Was it perfect? No, far from it to be honest. But they played well enough to put themselves in position at the end of the game. 

Moral victories may seem insignificant and unimportant, especially against a rival whom you previously beat three times in a row, but if Saturday’s loss told me anything, it told me Fresno State belonged on the same football field as one of the 25 best teams in all of college football. There’s something to be said about that. 

Like I said before, they weren’t perfect. The Bulldogs have been a pretty good team overall on defense against the run but they haven’t been invincible. We saw it two weeks ago against Rice and again on Saturday against the Broncos. The Bulldogs had no answer at the line of scrimmage. Offensively, the run game was nonexistent without Rayshon “Speedy” Luke (concussion) and the injuries on the offensive line aren’t going away. 

With that said, there were plenty of positives as well. Quarterback Jayden Mandal had another good game and is now up to 1,329 total yards and 10 touchdowns over the last five games with no interceptions. 

Mandal and the offense also scored touchdowns on all three of its red zone opportunities on Saturday. They also scored its first two first quarter touchdowns of the year. 

The crowd was…good?

Saturday’s game left me with some mixed feelings about the fans overall. Maybe that’s unfair, after all, the Red Wave showed up in record numbers including a stadium high 43,086 to sing ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ and cheer on the Bulldogs on against Boise State.

In fact, the crowd was very lively and making an impact for the first 2 ½ quarters. It was as loud as it had been since probably 2023, the last time Boise was in Fresno and that impact was felt on the sidelines. 

“The fans did a tremendous job. They were loud when we needed them to be loud. They were quiet when we needed them to be quiet, and our players were feeding off the energy of the Red Wave,” Head Coach Matt Entz said on Monday morning. 

There are two issues with that though: 1) why did so much of the crowd start to leave halfway through the third quarter in the middle of a close game and 2) why can’t they keep this energy for every game? 

The former of these questions could be answered for many fans as it relates to time. With plenty of families with small children, a 7:30 kickoff is too late for fans to stay for four quarters. I’m not sure an 8 p.m. kickoff to end October will help the Bulldogs much for its next home game. 

The second question is the one I have more trouble with. The crowd really was making an impact, not only on third down but they were loud on first and second down too. They made things tricky at times for Boise State on offense in the first half. I was impressed. I was also frustrated because there’s no reason it can’t be like that every game. 

The Red Wave has shown the potential to be the best college atmosphere on the west coast, outside of maybe Oregon, but they’re far too inconsistent. 

Bottom line: there’s only six Saturday home games a year, I think fans should be able to get up, be loud and stay loud for four quarters six nights a year. 

Emerging star: Zeke Avit

Entering the year, there were plenty of questions on offense outside of the running backs room and top wide receiver Josiah Freeman. 

Well one of those questions, who would be the number two receiver has definitely been answered halfway through the year, it’s Ezekiel Avit. 

The Maryland transfer is in his second year with the Bulldogs and through six games has already set career highs in receiving yards (330) and touchdowns (4). 

Avit has shown an uptick in 1-on-1 opportunities on the outside and he’s taken advantage. His ability to catch the ball and then make defenders miss makes him a critical piece of this offense and will be a very important factor in Fresno State’s hopes of climbing back atop the conference standings. 

“He’s been an integral part all year,” Entz said after the game on Saturday. 

The bad: Fresno State women’s soccer

I would like to preface this by saying, I think Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy has done an incredible job since coming to Fresno State. The outside-the-box thinking ideas and the countless hours of time and energy devoted to connecting with the community has not gone unnoticed.

He’s also hit on almost every single head coaching hire since taking over, all but one in my opinion. 

Gabe Bolton was hired on Christmas Eve last year and came to the Bulldogs after a pretty successful career at Stanislaus State that saw him win 223 games and reach the NCAA Tournament four times in 21 seasons with the Warriors. 

That success has not translated in his first year at Fresno State. The Bulldogs are 1-12-2 (0-4 in PAC-12) through 15 games and it’s not even close. They have been outscored 48-7 by its opponents in 2026 and the only win was against Texas A&M Corpus Christi. 

Time will tell if things will change but after watching the last couple of games I can confidently say it won’t happen under the current coaching staff. 

Fresno State looks unprepared and tactically at a disadvantage every game. They aren’t generating opportunities for themselves and it shows: dead last in the conference with only 127 shots taken this season, that’s less half as much as Utah State (273). 

2026 is a lost year but the ‘Dogs have some talented young players like freshman Mariona Sene Corominas and juniors Tatiana Saunders and Hayden Crotty-Romero that they should want to keep and build off of for next season. If they have any hopes of keeping them, Klassy should have a list of coaching candidates ready to interview this winter. 

The ugly: fighting outside stadium

There were multiple large fights after the game on Saturday just outside of Valley Children’s Stadium (near Bulldog Locker and Bulldog Boulevard) that made their way to social media.

It’s not a good look and frankly, it overshadows what is an overall great fan base. Game days at Fresno State have such a great environment and create a space for the Valley community to come together in unison to support the Bulldogs. 

Incidents like we saw on Saturday not only affect the people involved in the altercation. They affect the families who no longer feel comfortable taking their kids to a game out of fear of their kids witnessing or worse, getting caught in the middle of a fight. 

Column written by Al Scott. Photos courtesy of Ryan Sepulveda and Evan Hernandez (FSM).

Oct 11
0

Broncos hold off ‘Dogs upset attempt

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There are no moral victories when you lose. That was the message from Fresno State Head Coach Matt Entz who was in disbelief after the Bulldogs’ 38-31 loss to #23 ranked Boise State on Saturday. 

“If you would have told me we would have scored 31 points and lost, I would have thought you were joking. If you would have told me we would have given up 38, I would have thought you were crazy,” Entz said. 

Boise State (5-1) got 334 total yards of offense from running backs Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines, who seemed to move through the Bulldog defense at will. 

“Really good players, strong, powerful. They got a good offensive line in front of them. I think that complements each other, and then they got a QB that’s going to get them in and out of plays and does a tremendous job,” Entz said.

Key players

  • Jayden Mandal (FS): 19-for-33, 218 yards, 2 TD, 26 rushing yards
  • Ezekiel Avit (FS): 6 catches, 96 yards, 2 TD
  • K’Vion Thunderbird (FS): 13 tackles
  • Dylan Riley  (BS): 23 touches, 214 total yards, 2 TD
  • Sire Gaines (BS): 20 rushes, 120 yards, TD

What happened 

The Bulldogs got the ball to start the game and did something they hadn’t done all year: score a touchdown. Quarterback Jayden Mandal worked a 10-play, 75 yard drive ending in an 8-yd run up the middle by Mandal for six. 

Boise State returned the favor though. The nation’s leading rusher Dylan Riley found a hole on the left side and ran 72 yards for a touchdown. A two-point conversion gave Boise State an 8-7 lead. 

After surrendering a 24-yard run to Bryson Donelson, the Broncos defense made three straight stops to get the ball back. A 15-play, 90-yard drive ended with a 22 yard pass from Quarterback Maddux Madsen to Wide Receiver Terrious Favors to give them a 15-7 lead. 

Mandal lasted all but one play on the next drive, getting taken out on a late hit. Khristian Martin came in and on the second play found Wide Receiver Ezekiel Avit open on the left, made a man miss and ran 59 yards down the sideline for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 15-13 (missed two-point conversion) to close out the first quarter. 

“He’s been an integral part all year,” Entz said. “What I get excited about is we’re taking some access throws, we’re taking some, second-level throws and turning them into explosive plays because we’re making people miss.”

Ezekiel Avit

Boise opened the second quarter with an 18-play drive going 75 yards and ending in a touchdown run by Sire Gaines. It also took eight minutes off the clock. 

After trading punts, Fresno State took over on its own 41-yd line. On third and 11, Mandal threw deep to Josiah Freeman. A pass interference call gave Fresno State a massive first down. Mandal made key first down completions to Jahlil McClain and Gavin Correia before finding Avit open over the middle of the end zone to make it 22-20. Boise State closed the half with a 49-yard field goal from Canaan Moore. 

The Broncos rushing attack really came alive in the second half, wearing down an exhausted Bulldog defense that spent most of the half on the field trying and failing to slow Riley and Gaines down. 

Fresno State did score a touchdown in the quarter. Two plays after a Boise State facemask penalty, awarding the Bulldogs a much-needed first down, Mandal needled a dart to tight end Gavin Correia for a 15-yard score, his first career touchdown. Correia finished with three catches for 36 yards. 

The two teams traded field goals before Fresno State attempted a last resort onside kick, but it was unsuccessful. The loss dropped Fresno State to 4-2 (1-1) on the year. 

“I think we’re better than what we played tonight. It’s frustrating, and I know the kids across the hallway are frustrated too because you know when you get beat, you want to get beat playing your best,” Entz said.

Manaki Watanabe

Injury update

  • RB Rayshon Luke (concussion), OL Marquise Thorpe-Taylor, Gino Quinones, Jonah Leaupepetele, LB Justin Johnson did not suit up due to various injuries. Logan Studt also did not play. 
  • WR Resean Jones (concussion) was among the inactive players for Boise State. 

What’s next

Fresno State will travel to San Diego State this next week to play the Aztecs on Oct. 17th at Snapdragon Stadium. 

“The next one is the most important one,” Entz said. 

The Oil Can matchup will be the 3rd and potentially final rivalry game (possible SDSU rematch for flex game on Nov. 28) of the 2026 season. 

Fresno State will then have a bye before returning home to Valley Children’s Stadium on Saturday, October 31, for a late night Halloween battle with the Oregon State Beavers. 

Game recap written by Al Scott, photos captured by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Oct 07
0

Homecoming Week: Boise State Preview

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Every game in college football matters and coaches and players alike will tell you that all the games matter the same. But they know deep down that’s not 100 percent true. 

Rivalry games, in-conference battles, and matchups with potential end of the season implications all matter immensely, whether it’s in the middle of the year or in December. The players know it, the coaches know it, the fans know it, the players know it. Some games do in fact mean, just a little mean more. 

When Fresno State welcomes the #23 ranked Boise State Broncos to the Valley this weekend, it will mean just a little bit more. 

“Part of the reason why I went to the Pac-12, we’re gonna play meaningful games in mid-October, and that’s exciting,” Fresno State Head Coach Matt Entz said after the game this past Saturday at Washington State. 

Both the Broncos and Bulldogs enter the weekend at 4-1 (1-0) after losing Week 1 to Oregon and USC respectively. The newly-minted PAC-12 schools responded to their losses by ripping off four straight wins apiece. Now the rivals meet with plenty at stake, including an opportunity to be one of two remaining teams unbeaten in conference play after just two weeks. 

Fresno State celebrating its win over Boise State on Nov. 1, 2025 (Fresno State Athletics).

The Bulldogs are currently on a three game winning streak over Boise State, including a 30-7 victory last November, something Broncos Head Coach Spencer Danielson has not forgotten. 

“Rivalries are back and forth. Right now, it’s not back and forth,” Danielson said at the Broncos Monday morning press conference. “I don’t even know what [the milk can] looks like, we haven’t had it in years. Shoot I’m going to have to Google image it to find out what it looks like.”

In addition to Boise State, the Bulldogs are going western themed for Boots & Buckles Night (fitting given the opponent). It’s also going to be Homecoming and former offensive lineman Logan Mankins’ induction into the Fresno State Ring of Honor, meaning several alumni and Bulldog legends could be in attendance. 

“One of the great things about Bulldog Football and the history is the number of former players that we have that have had tremendous amounts of success here and potentially at the NFL level or competed at the NFL level…I think it’ll be really cool to see Logan here and his family with him, but also just the the number of former coaches, teammates, people associated with the program that’ll be here because of the impact he left,” Entz said. 

The Bulldogs are underdogs but don’t let that stop Captain and Edge Jahzon Jacks from believing they can win a matchup he’s already been apart of four times.

“I take my guys against the world. I take my guys against anybody. I feel like we come out, we play our football, we can beat anybody in country,” Jacks said.

Need to know for Saturday

  • What: #23 Boise State at Fresno State (6.5-point underdogs)
  • When: Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Where: Valley Children’s Stadium (Fresno, CA)
  • TV: The CW (Rick Allen, Will Blackmon and Michael Bumpus)
  • Radio: ESPN Fresno – 1430/790 (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill and Kenny Wiggins) and Caliente – 105.1 (Jose Gonzalez)

Bulldog Bites

  • Fresno State has outscored its opponents 139-43 during its 4-game winning streak.
  • The Bulldogs have forced 11 turnovers (4th in the FBS) and 7 interceptions (6th) this season, both marks lead the Pac-12.  
  • Linebacker Justin Johnson got his first career interception on Saturday, picking off Washington State Quarterback Caden Pinnick in the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs have an interception in four straight games. 
  • Defensive Coordinator Nick Benedetto was named the CBS Sports Pac-12 Defensive Coordinator of the Week, following the team’s 26-6 win over Washington State. 
  • Kicker Manaki Watanabe ranks t-3rd in the FBS with 11 made field goals this season. 
  • NKL Simeon Harris ranks 2nd in the FBS and 1st among west coast schools in PFF rating for cornerbacks (87.6). 
  • The ‘Dogs are outscoring teams 38-5 in the third quarter this season. 
Simeon Harris

The Milk Can

The Boise State-Fresno State series dates back to 1977 before intensifying in 2001 when the Broncos joined the Bulldogs in the Western Athletic Conference. 

Fast forward four years later, tailgaters and organizers purchased and introduced the can in 2005 for the sake of the growing rivalry and to honor two of the nation’s biggest dairy producing regions, before officially unveiling the can a year later. 

The Milk Can (Al Scott)

Boise State owns the series battle, having won 17 of the 27 matchups but the Bulldogs have won five of the last nine, including the last three. A win on Saturday would be the longest winning streak in the series for Fresno State, against a program Entz described on Monday as the ‘Golden Standard’ of Group of Six Football schools. 

“Well coached football team. Spencer does an outstanding job. They’re the standard of, I’ll say the Pac-12 regardless of the league right now,” Ents said. 

Fresno State will have the can at practice all week, just as they did as a reminder for what’s at stake. Senior captain and Edge Jahzon Jacks is well familiar with the Broncos, having played them four times (3-1) and there’s no love lost. 

“Hate them, straight up,” Jacks said on Tuesday after practice. 

The tone is a little bit different in Boise where Broncos defensive end Max Stege reiterated the need to beat Fresno State before putting extra adage on the game. 

“I wouldn’t necessarily call it a rivalry because I’ve never beat them,” Stege said, before calling last year’s 30-7 loss ‘one of the worst days in his life.’ 

Rivalries are fun and exciting, something Fresno State Defensive Coordinator Nick Benedetto noted on Wednesday, how you channel that energy is critical though.

“You don’t have to do anything different than what you’ve done before. You just have to do it at a high level and be your best. And so you don’t have to make some crazy play that’s outside of your eyes, feet, and hands where they’re supposed to be. You just have to make your play at a high level, throughout the course of four quarters of a football game, and so getting you to execute at that high level, that’s what’s important,” Benedetto said. 

Nick Benedetto (Ryan Sepulveda)

He’ll be facing off against Boise State Offensive Coordinator Nate Potter, who was an offensive lineman for the Broncos from 2007-11.

“It was always something you thought about,” Potter said. “It’s always been very, very competitive.” 

Only six players were on the Broncos roster last time they beat Fresno State, including starting Quarterback Maddux Madsen, but none were significant contributors. 

Stenge, who joined the Broncos as a freshman in 2023, compared the Fresno State atmosphere to that of a passionate European soccer club. 

“There’s so much history around [the rivalry], and I feel like we kind of owe it to the players that came before us and won the trophy to get it back,” Stenge said. “So yeah, it does matter.” 

Stenge will be trying to get around a behemoth of a man in Fresno State left tackle Brayden Walton, who told reporters he still remembers watching the Bulldogs beat Boise State to win Mountain West Conference Championship in 2022. 

“It’s going to be loud (on Saturday), and just walking down the ramp is going to be special. That’s my favorite part,” Walton said. “Defense is going to be on all fours. They’re just going to be getting after it. There’s going to be a lot of energy, a lot of juice in that stadium.” 

Brayden Walton

Logan Mankins returns to Fresno 

The legendary offensive lineman and Maripoda native makes his return to the Valley and to Valley Children’s Stadium, or “Bulldog Stadium” as he might remember it.

Former Fresno State All-American left tackle Logan Mankins returns to the school he called home from 2000 to 2004. In his senior year, he was named first team All-WAC and was the first offensive lineman in school history to be named team MVP. 

“Someone who really epitomizes the Valley, the toughness, the grit that’s required to be a Bulldog,” Entz said. 

Mankins went on to be drafted in the first round by the New England Patriots as a left guard, where he spent the first 9 of his 11 years in the NFL. He was a 6x All-Pro (1st team in 2010) and a 7x Pro Bowler. 

Logan Mankins

At halftime on Saturday, Mankins will become the 12th player and 14th total member of the Fresno State Ring of Honor, joining his former Quarterback David Carr and Head Coach Pat Hill. 

Injury Report

  • Injury report for both teams as of 7:10 p.m. on 10/09.
  • An updated injury report is expected less than three hours before kickoff on Saturday, visit the PAC-12 website for the latest on Fresno State’s availability report. 

Broncos to watch 

Maddux Madsen — “He’s gotta graduate at some point,” Entz said on Monday, jokingly. 

The Boise State starting quarterback is 87-of-132 this season for 1,058 yards and 11 touchdowns (0 interceptions). 

“He’s at home in their offense. So it’s just kind of just making sure to make him uncomfortable and things like that,” Jacks said on how to stop Madsen. “He runs their offense really well. We know he’s able to run.”

Jahzon Jacks

He’s also got a touchdown and over 100 yards on the year on the ground, serving as a dual-threat option. 

“He’s good at identifying pre-snap where he wants to go with the football. He’s very strategic about when and where he does have the mobility, the athleticism to hurt you with his legs to extend plays,” Entz said. 

Dylan Riley — The nation’s leading rusher has been quite busy this season: 108 carries, 685 yards and five touchdowns. He’s also caught seven passes for an additional 56 yards. 

Dylan Riley (Boise State Athletics)

“An explosive runner, a guy that runs downhill, runs through contact, and so we got to do a great job of keeping our feet alive. ‘Dead feet don’t eat’ is a big thing that we always hammer with our players, and making sure you gang tackle anyone that’s like that, that has explosive yards after contact, we have to gang tackle them, and we have to be able to push him back in order not to get those extra free yards,” Benedetto said. 

Travis Anderson – The redshirt sophomore safety from Mission Viejo has been a ball hawk in 2026, snapping up three interceptions. He also is second on Boise State in total tackles (24).

Dog-Factors 

Starting fast – Despite the strong record, the Bulldogs only entered the second quarter this season with a lead once (3-0 vs Washington State). In fact, Fresno State’s only points in the first quarter this season came off a field goal from kicker Manaki Watanabe on Saturday. 

Manaki Watanabe

The slow starts and eventual second half wear downs of its opponents have worked over the last month for the Bulldogs, something Entz attributes to his strength and conditioning staff and the team’s #toughnesswins mentality. 

 “I think our kids understand that our style of football, our demeanor, our approach, our process is going to allow us to be in these close games and always feel like we’re competitive,” Entz said. 

With that said, it could be argued that Boise State is a lot closer in caliber to a team like USC, who defeated the Bulldogs 39-0, than the ‘Dogs previous four opponents. 

If Fresno State stands a chance against Boise State, and they do, they must score early and establish a lead so that they can utilize the run game and establish momentum. 

How they can score early is another question. Fresno State has had opportunities in opponents red zones in the first quarter a few times this year, and were aggressive in trying to score six over three. 

Give Offensive Coordinator Josh Davis credit, he’s been increasingly more creative in playcalling. Perhaps another Jordan Malau’ulu throw or Josiah Freeman reverse is in the works this week to catch Boise off guard. 

“Josiah’s skill set is extreme. There’s not a whole lot he can’t do on a football field, so he’s really grown up in the football IQ realm these last two years as well, being a number one, being a number two, or even a number three receiver. He’s got banked experience at all three of those spots now, so he feels comfortable, and we feel comfortable putting him there,” Davis said. “We just gotta continue to be creative and find weaknesses and defenses where we can exploit that.”

Josiah Freeman

Let’s get to Dallas – The Dallas Cowboys? No. Dallas as in Dallas Gaius-Anyaegbu. The true freshman tight end continues to see the field more and more each week, including 70 total snaps over the last two weeks.

The Omaha, Nebraska native was on the receiving end of a double flea flicker that resulted in a 36-yard catch on Saturday. It was the first of potentially many big plays for the early enrollee freshman. 

“He’s blessed with his body and his skill set, and he’s also tough. He’s not afraid of a situation. He’s very confident,” Davis said. “A really quiet kid. He doesn’t say a whole lot, but when you play football, his personality kind of shows and his attitude and the way he attacks practice.”

Jahlil McClain and Dallas Gaius-Anyaegbu chest bumping after a touchdown versus Rice on Sept. 26 (Evan Hernandez).

Starting tight end Jake Appleget was in uniform this past Saturday but didn’t play with an undisclosed injury. If he’s unable to suit up again against Boise State, expect more opportunities for Gaius-Anyaegbu. 

Getting to the QB – I said last week for defensive x-factors that edges Dylan Hampsten and Jahzon Jacks needed to step up, particularly in getting to Cougars Quarterback Caden Pinnick. 

The Bulldogs had five sacks this past week, 1.5 of them from Hampsten. Fresno State held Pinnick and Washington State to just 182 yards of total offense and the amount of pressure they were getting on Pinnick played a huge role in that. 

Dylan Hampsten

The mission stays the same this week. The Bulldogs have to get to Maddux Madsen. The Boise State signal caller is mobile and is adept at getting away. But sacks aren’t everything. 

“Sometimes the best sack is because of coverage, or sometimes the best coverage is because of a sack, and we’re all tied together,” Benedetto said. 

Score predictions 

Fresno State 27, Boise State 24

Game preview written by Al Scott, cover photo captured by Bobby Sedano (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Oct 04
0

Dogs wear Cougars down in first PAC-12 win

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Not every victory is beautiful, and even for a Fresno State team that had already won three straight games by 14+ points, Saturday was no different. The Bulldogs used a relentless defense and a creative second half offensively to wear Washington State down and defeat the Cougars 26-6 on Saturday night in Pullman. The win improves Fresno State to 4-1 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. 

“Winning the first one in the Pac-12 was a big deal,” Head Coach Matt Entz said after the game. “This was an opportunity for this group to leave their legacy by winning the first one in Fresno State’s Pac-12 history.”

Brayden Walton

Key players

  • Jaosiah Freeman (FS): 2 carries, 17 yards, TD, 7 receptions, 61 yards
  • Dylan Hampsten (FS): 5 tackles, 1.5 sacks
  • Deijon Laffitte (FS): 2 tackles, sack, FR
  • Matyus McLain (WAZZU): 4 tackles, 2 TFL, 0.5 sacks

What happened 

The first quarter offensive struggles Fresno State continued on Saturday, with a three-and-out on the first drive. The defense returned the favor giving them the ball right back. 

This time the Bulldogs got the run game going, with a trio of first downs, including a 13-yard scramble up the middle by Jayden Mandal and a 36-yard outside zone run by Rayshon “Speedy” Luke. The ‘Dogs were on the WAZZU five yard line prepared to go for it on fourth and short before a false start, forcing them to go for a field goal, good by Manaki Watanabe from 27 yards out. 

Rayshon Luke

A couple minutes into the second quarter, Mandal fumbled on a 4th-and-1 QB sneak attempt. The Cougars took over at the 50 and ripped off a pair of first downs, but nothing else. Cougars kicker Jack Stevens nailed it from 32 to tie the game. 

The next drive included a double flea-flicker reverse, 36-yard pass from Mandal to tight end and true freshman Dallas Gaius-Anyaegbu. The drive stalled from there though. On third down, Mandal found Josiah Freeman on the right side of the zone but after replay review, it was ruled he didn’t have a foot in bounds, leading to another field goal. 

The Cougars added a field goal at the end of the half to tie it up at 50. Fresno State out-gained the Cougs 197-116 in the first half but only had six points to show for it. Mandal in particular was 0-for-3 on QB sneaks. 

When the Bulldogs went into the locker room, Entz said he walked in and they were already ready to go back out, “you don’t even have to say it, we got this.”

Sure enough, they did. 

The Bulldogs defense came out with another 3-and-out, including a Dylan Hampsten sack. The offense took over and looked a whole lot different than we’ve seen in 1.5 years under Josh Davis. 

A deep throw from Mandal to Jahlil McClain for 27 yards followed by a Josiah Freeman 14-yard reverse set the Bulldogs in the Cougars Red zone. A few plays later, Mandal pitched it to Freeman who practically walked into the end zone. 

“Just trusting the path and trusting that you know the guys are gonna make those blocks for me. The O-line gets that push and they just guide me into the end zone. Basically, they make it easy,” Freeman said.

Freeman finished the night with 78 total yards, which isn’t a lot, but he was the only player on either side of the ball to really make noise offensively. 

“He’s one of the best players on the West Coast right now, and playing with an unbelievable amount of confidence,” Entz said. 

Coach added that Freeman’s leadership and ability to play without the football are two positive traits that stand out about him and it’s causing a chain effect.

“You ask him to block, you ask him to crack on the safety, he’ll be the first one to volunteer, and guess what? That passes down to everybody else in the room. When your best players are your best leaders and your hardest workers, it makes my job really easy,” Entz said. 

Following the touchdown, Deijon Laffitte jumped on a first play fumble by Quarterback Caden Pinnick. In addition to the fumble, the Bulldogs defense got to Pinnick five times on the ground and forced by throw after bad throw. He finished the night 21-of-34 with 152 yards thrown. 

The Cougars for their part actually hung around in this game until the fourth quarter. After another 3-and-out, Mandal found wide receiver Ezekiel Avit open deep on the right side of the field for 38 yards to put the Bulldogs in the red zone. It only resulted in a field goal but it began as a sprinkle and turned into a down pour.

“Coach Hardy says every game, it will feel like everything revolves around us,” Freeman said. “We start making big plays. Zeke gets going, Jahlil gets going, and it’s really hard to stop us because you can’t just focus on one person.”

With less than five minutes in the game, the Bulldogs forced a turnover on downs inside the Cougars 10-yard line. Washington native Julius Gillick found the end zone on the first play, on an inside run that ended up with him jumping back to the outside. 

The very next play, linebacker Justin Johnson picked off Pinnick, leading to another Manaki Watanabe field goal, who finished with 14 points on ⅘ field goals and 2/2 extra points. The interception for Johnson was the first for his career.

One could argue the score was a lot closer than it was, after all, it was still 13-6 a few minutes into the fourth quarter. But for Fresno State, it’s just how they operate. They continue to wear teams down in the second half and Saturday in Pullman, Washington was no different. The Bulldogs have won all four games during its winning streak by coming from behind or being tied after the first quarter.

“We believe in strength and conditioning. We believe in practicing with a physical nature. We believe in still putting on full pads,” Entz said. “I think our kids understand that our style of football, our demeanor, our approach, our process is going to allow us to be in these close games and always feel like we’re competitive.”

There were no touchdowns on Saturday but Mandal finished with another productive win, doing just enough to lead his team to victory. The signal caller completed 24-of-33 passes for 245 yards. He also rushed for 27 yards. 

Man, we’ve grown a whole lot. He came in as an early-enrollee freshman (in 2023). We’ve had that connection ever since. When he got the starting job, there was no real trying to build the connection. We’re just building on the connection that we have already,” Freeman said.  

Josiah Freeman

The duo have become film junkies off the field and it shows. Mandal and Freeman are up to 25 completions for 322 yards on the season through five games. 

“Whatever he needs me to do, I’m gonna go do it because I trust him, and I know he trusts me,” Freeman said. 

Injury update

  • Running back Rayshon Luke left the first half, going into concussion protocol and did not return. 
  • Brayden Walton returned to action, starting at left tackle for Fresno State.
  • Starting tight end Jake Appleget was in uniform but didn’t play. 
  • Linebackers Logan Studt and Niko Baumgartner, wide receiver Harold Duvall, guards Gino Quinones, Jonah Leaupepetele and Braylen Henderson all missed Saturday and remain out with lingering injuries. 

What’s next

Fresno State returns home to Valley Children’s Stadium this next Saturday, October 10, for Homecoming and Boots & Buckles as they welcome the rival Boise State Broncos, who are . The Bulldogs will also be inducting legendary offensive lineman and Fresno State alum Logan Mankins that evening into the Ring of Honor at halftime. 

“If every ticket isn’t sold, I’m gonna be frustrated. It’s a huge game,” Entz said. “Part of the reason why I went to the Pac-12, we’re gonna play meaningful games in mid-October, and that’s exciting. Not gonna worry about it yet. I’ll worry about it when I wake up tomorrow. I’m gonna enjoy this one right now with the football team.”

Fresno State will travel to San Diego the following week to play the Aztecs on Oct. 10 at Snapdragon Stadium. 

Game recap written by Al Scott, photos captured by Bobby Sedano (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Oct 02
0

A new frontier: WAZZU preview

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It’s a new era for Fresno State Football. When the Bulldogs take the field tonight at Martin Stadium, it will be the program’s first ever PAC-12 conference game, against a legacy conference opponent no less. 

Is it the same conference as it used to be? No. But it still is the PAC-12 and with it presents an opportunity for Fresno State to make a lasting first impression on its new conference home. 

After a Week 1 loss at USC, the Bulldogs put together three consecutive solid wins, including last week’s 38-24 victory over Rice. A win tomorrow for the ‘Dogs would not only be the first PAC-12 victory and the first regular season win over the Cougars since 1991, it would give Fresno State a 4-1 record heading back home for its biggest game of the year: Boise State.

But the Bulldogs can’t get too far ahead of themselves. They still have a game tomorrow against a savvy, veteran led Washington State team that despite its 1-3 record, has looked like it at least belonged on the field in each of its three losses (all to Power 4 opponents). Fresno State actually enters the weekend as 1.5 point underdogs, though Head Coach Matt Entz isn’t concerned about that. 

“It doesn’t affect my world. I can’t gamble on it anyway, so that doesn’t have any bearing on how we approach it,” Entz said. “It’s the next one on the schedule. That’s why it’s the most important one right now, and it’s a really good football team that we’re playing, and it’ll be exciting.”

Need to know for Saturday

  • What: Fresno State at Washington State (1.5-point favorites)
  • When: Saturday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m.
  • Where: Martin Stadium (Pullman, WA)
  • TV: USA Sports 
  • Radio: ESPN Fresno – 1430/790 (Paul Loeffler, Pat Hill and Kenny Wiggins) and Caliente – 105.1 (Jose Gonzalez)

Bulldog Bites

  • Fresno State ranks 6th nationally and 1st in the PAC-12 with a +1.75 turnover margin per game. Fresno State has forced nine turnovers, while only committing two. The Bulldogs have gone three straight games without a turnover. 

“We’re gonna stay consistent in what we do. Every day we have shots on the ball chart to see how much time someone shot the ball, which is a punch out, rake out, knock out. So we really, really key on that, and technique-wise, like before practices, you got ball hog drills, like trying to work on stripping the ball from offense and helping them get better as well, keeping the ball,” linebacker Tytus Khajavi said after practice on Tuesday.

  • Fresno State has outscored its opponents 83-38 in the second and third quarters this season. The Bulldogs are still looking for their first points in the first quarter this season. 
  • Simeon Harris has had an interception in three straight games, raising him to nine his career, tied for the most in the FBS among active players (Braden Awls, Iowa State). 
  • Fresno State leads the PAC-12 in scoring defense, allowing just 19.0 PPG. 
  • Washington has four non-offensive touchdowns this season, including back-to-back punt return touchdowns vs Duquesne. 
  • Saturday will mark the 7th total matchup and third this decade, including a 29-6 Bulldog win in the 2022 LA Bowl for Jake Haener, Jordan Mims and company over Cam Ward. 

Injury Report

An updated injury report is expected less than three hours before kickoff on Saturday. 

Washington State

As mentioned earlier, Washington State went 1-3 in its non-conference slate, including a 34-24 loss to Arizona last week. The Cougars had an early 14-0 lead before falling behind in the second half. They also lost Week 1 at then #17 Washington 24-10 and in Week 2, 34-7 at Kansas State. The lone Washington State win this season came at home for the Cougars against Duquesne (48-7) in Week 3.  

The Cougars are under the leadership of first year head coach and former Bulldog Offensive Coordinator Kirby Moore. Saturday will mark the first meeting between Entz and Moore.

WAZZU is averaging just under 14 points per game in its three losses. Between struggles under center and third down efficiency (25.5% on the season), they have their work cut for them against a Fresno State defense that has allowed 13.3 PPG over its last three games. 

Running backs Kirby Vorhees (36 carries, 210 yards, 2 TD) and Maxwell Woods (28 carries, 173 yards) work in tandem for a rushing attack averaging 152.8 YPG, a duo Fresno State Defensive Coordinator Nick Benedetto has done his homework on. 

“They will run downhill. A lot of outside zone, a little bit of duo action too as well. And then you’re going to see receivers on the edge being able to make some plays and get in some one-on-one situations because of what that quarterback can bring to the table,” Benedetto said. 

Coug-Factors (with Jamey Vinnick, 247 Sports)

Caden Pinnick — There’s been some good and there’s been some bad for the Washington State sophomore signal caller who transferred to Pullman from UC Davis. Pinnick is 41-of-63 for 644 yards passing and three touchdowns. The dual threat quarterback also has 201 yards and three scores on the ground. 

“A lot of their offense goes through him. A tremendous athlete, he has played a lot of football. From an experience standpoint, [Pinnick] is very comfortable in the pocket. There’s some designer quarterback run game, the ability to scramble and move around. They’ve been very productive on the ground, but as you saw last week against Arizona the pass game elevated too,” Entz said. 

Pinnick also has thrown four interceptions and taken 13 sacks already this year. When there’s pressure, he has struggled at times. 

“Really, it’s about us. He’s learning what he did on those plays too, and so we have to put ourselves in position. Interceptions or takeaways happen because you put yourself in a position. Then it depends on if the quarterback throws it or not, and is the ball at risk or not. So what we have to do is focus on us, and then those are the results of our preparation and our focus within a football game,” Benedetto said. 

Jaylen Thomas — The former San Jose State Spartan, turned Washington State safety has a strong start to his 2026 campaign with 16 tackles and two interceptions, including one for a touchdown at Kansas State. Thomas had three tackles and a fumble recovery as a freshman against the Bulldogs last season. 

Consistency — “The offense has to be able to find a rhythm and stick with it. When things have gone awry, it’s because they’ve gotten caught flat-footed or are too slow to adapt,” Vinnick said.

Pass Rush — “The defense needs to bring heat. The pass rush has started to wake up and it’s been extremely impactful the last couple games,” Vinnick said. 

Dog-Factors 

Keep Speedy going – I stressed last week how important it was that Rayshon Luke get going on the ground game for Fresno State and surely enough, one of the fastest players in the country delivered: 177 yards and a touchdown, good enough for Offensive Player of the Week.

“He’s an element. He’s a guy that you need to find the football. Anyone who has the nickname Speedy, yeah, you better try to find a way to get the football in his hands,” HC Matt Entz said.

Now that they got Luke going, they need to keep him going. For the second straight week, I’ll predict a big game for Speedy. His versatility and obviously his speed are too much of a weapon to not be used. 

Dylan Hampsten and Jahzon Jacks – The pass rush was an issue for Fresno State the first two weeks of the season and while the Bulldogs primary edge rushers, Dylan Hampsten and Jahzon Jacks have been great contributors in the run game, getting to Pinnick will be paramount for the ‘Dogs to have success. been far from perfect, his 36.0 QBR ranks 122nd in the nation. 

Buy or Sell (with Jackson Moore of Barkboard)

Buy or sell: This one will sound similar to last week, Jayden Mandal will have 250+ total yards and no turnovers. 

  • Jackson Moore – “Sell, I will buy the no turnovers but sell the yards. I’m anticipating a defensive battle between these two. Like the San Jose State win, Mandal leads the offense to a win with under 250 yards as long as there are no turnovers.”
  • Al Scott – Buy, I went back and forth on this one several times but I’ve really been impressed with Mandal over the last 3 weeks and I think he keeps it going, even against a Cougars defense which will be one of the tougher looks he’ll see all season.

Washington State will have a non offensive TD, buy or sell? 

  • Jackson – “Sell. If Wazzu does have a non-offensive touchdown, they probably win the game. I think between Fresno State’s conservative offensive approach and coach John Baxter overseeing the special teams, that both phases of the game will be clean.”
  • Al – Sell, I think Fresno State’s key to victory in most games will be winning the turnover battle and that starts by protecting the ball on the offense. Coupled with a fundamentally sound special teams unit, there won’t be enough opportunities for the Cougars to score in alternate fashion.

Simeon Harris will make it 4 straight games with an interception, buy or sell? 

  • Jackson – “Buy – I do think another interception late in the game seals this one. And Simeon Harris always seems to be at the right place at the right time. Three Bulldog cornerbacks have combined for six interceptions, perhaps another defensive back like Loyall Mouzon also joins the party on Saturday.” 
  • Al – Buy, as Jackson said, Simeon always seems to be in the right place at the right time. If Fresno State can get a first half lead, I’m predicting a panicked Pinnick with 2-3 interceptions for the defense. I’ll also say sophomore Gerayas Grimes gets his first career interception.

Score predictions 

  • Al: Fresno State 27, Washington State 21
  • Jackson: Fresno State 16, Washington State 14
  • Jamey: Washington State 27, Fresno State 23

Game preview written by Al Scott, cover photo captured by Evan Hernandez (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.

Sep 26
0

Big second half spurs 3rd straight win for Fresno State

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For the third straight week, a not-so-pretty start to the game ending with Bulldogs celebrating in victorious fashion. 

Three Jayden Mandal touchdowns and a strong rushing attack were enough for Fresno State (3-1) in its 38-24 win over the Rice Owls (1-3) on Saturday at Valley Children’s Stadium. 

Mandal finished the night with 267 total yards and a trio of passing touchdowns. He also had zero turnovers for the third straight week. His running back Rayshon Luke was confident in Mandal even after the Week 1 loss at USC, citing “11 games to prove Jayden deserved to be the Quarterback.” Luke echoed those comments again tonight. 

“He should be the starting quarterback. You see why he should be playing. I think it’s very simple. Jaden comes in here every day ready to work. I love that kid,” Luke said. 

It’s also three straight games without a turnover for Mandal and the offense, something Entz is trying to stay aloof on. 

“I don’t think we should talk about it because I don’t want to hex anything,” Entz said. “We’ve gone three games. That’s a win. It’s big. We’ve spent a lot of time and effort on being you know ball security because I think we all know that there’s a couple other games last year that you know coulda woulda shoulda, but we turned the ball over too much.”

Key players

  • Jayden Mandal (FS): 22-for-34, 210 yards, 3 TD, 5 carries, 57 yards
  • Rayshon Luke (FS): 14 touches, 177 total yards, TD
  • Tytus Khajavi (FS): 4 tackles, 2 sacks
  • Jaccuri Brown (Rice): 8-for-17, 119 yards, 19 carries, 141 yards, 2 total TD
  • AJ Brown (Rice): 8 tackles, 1 pass defended

What happened 

Fresno State’s first quarter offensive issues plagued them again on Saturday night, limited to just 39 yards over 14 plays. The Bulldogs have yet to score in the first quarter this season. 

Rice was moving down the field on the first drive before Bulldog nickel Simeon Harris picked up on the read, intercepting Owls Quarterback Jacurri Brown. Harris is now tied for the FBS lead with nine career interceptions. 

The next drive, Rice running back Ben Grice found an open lane on the right side and the rest was history: 88 yards to pay dirt and a 7-0 lead for the Owls. 

The Bulldogs opened the second quarter with an 8-play, 69-yard drive ending in a Mandal to Josiah Freeman touchdown connection for the second straight game, this one for six yards on a slant pass. 

Brown matched Mandal with a touchdown scoring drive of his own, connecting with Max Mosey for 40 yards to give the Owls a 14-7 lead. 

Late in the half, Mandal escaped pressure for a 21-yard run for a first down. Two plays later he found a streaking Jahlil McClain down the left side of the field for a 28-yard touchdown. 

Rice marched back up the field, setting up a 22-yard field goal to take a 17-14 lead into halftime. The Owls had 254 yards rushing in the first half. 

A flip switched at halftime and the Bulldogs who were 13.5 point favorites entering the game, started to look like it, and then some. 

An onside recovery to open the half gave the Bulldogs great field position, leading to a 29-yard Manaki Watanabe field goal to tie the game. 

On the sixth play of the Owls opening drive, Fresno State brought the pressure on third down where linebacker Tytus Khajavi sacked Brown, poking the ball free in the process. Edge Dylan Hampsten recovered the fumble. Khajavi finished with four tackles, including two sacks. 

“Consistency shows up. His preparation is really good. He has a tremendous understanding of the game,” Entz said. “ He’s a selfless player, all about his football, all about his teammates, and that’s why he has success. He’s worked hard.”

Using the good field position, Mandal found Avit open twice on the drive, including for seven yards and a score to give the Bulldogs a 24-17 lead. 

The ‘Dogs ended the quarter by forcing a three-and-out, giving the offense the ball back in a near perfect third period. 

The two teams traded rushing touchdowns in the fourth, with Julius Gillick and Brown trading scores. It was a long 52-yarder run by Rayshon Luke that was the nail in the coffin for the Bulldogs to go ahead 38-24. Luke finished the night with a career best 167 yards rushing (177 total yards) after a showish start to the season. 

“All glory to God,” Luke said smiling. “It feels really good because I always ask questions, like God why? These first few games, I’m always just asking why, but I just keep working, putting my head down and trusting the process.” 

He would have had over 200 if it weren’t for him being called out of bounds on his 45-yard (could have been 75) run in the second half. Speedy insisted he never went out. 

It was not all sunshine and rainbows, despite the win, the Bulldogs still allowed 463 yards to the Owls, including 344 on the ground and the first quarter scoring woes continue to plague them. 

Brown finished with two touchdowns and 260 total yards. He had a couple other plays called back for penalties that would have had him well over 300 yards. Entz after the game called Brown “one of the top-2 players” he’s ever had to defend against as a coach.

“Tremendous athlete, made a lot of plays just with his legs when you know we thought we had some pressure on him at different times and he just took off running. They’re going to win some ball games because of him,” Entz said. 

Entz added that the no scoring in the first quarter isn’t a concern for him for now, citing opportunities over results as a priority for the offense. 

Injury update

Left tackle Brayden Walton, linebacker Logan Studt and Harold Duvall all missed Saturday but were walking around in good spirits. Studt injured himself earlier this week at practice. 

Right guard Gino Quinones also left the game on Saturday, joining Walton, Jonah Leaupepetele and Braylen Henderson with lingering injury issues on the offensive line. 

What’s next

The Bulldogs will begin Pac-12 conference play next week on the road in Pullman on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Washington State. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. 

Fresno State will return home to Valley Children’s Stadium on October 10, for Homecoming and Boots & Buckles as they welcome the rival Boise State Broncos. The Bulldogs will also be inducting legendary offensive lineman and Fresno State alum Logan Mankins that evening into the Ring of Honor at halftime. 

Game recap written by Al Scott, photos captured by Evan Hernandez (Fresno Sports Magazine). For more pictures and updates on Fresno State Athletics, follow @AlScott1998 on Twitter (X) or @AlScottSports on IG.