A day to forget for Fresno State.
The Fresno State (5-2) football team welcomes San Diego State (5-1) for its first and only home rivalry game of the 2025 season.
Football at Valley Children’s Stadium (VCS) this Saturday will look a bit different than it usually does. Not only are the Bulldogs donning all-black uniforms, kickoff will be at 12:30 p.m. in the afternoon with the game being broadcasted on Fox Sports 1.
What’s at stake?
A win for either team would mean that the winning school would 1) reach bowl game eligibility and 2) would control its own destiny towards a spot in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) championship game at the end of the season.
The winner would also get to hoist the honorable Oil Can trophy.
Battle for the Oil Can
Saturday will be the 63rd meeting between the two schools, the second most-played opponent (San Jose State) in program history. Despite being 27-31-4 during the rivalry; Fresno State has won seven of its last 11 games against SDSU since moving to the MW, including four of its five matchups at VCS.
The trophy itself stems from the discovery of an old oil can from Fresno (circa 1935) that was rediscovered at San Diego State during a campus building project.
The Aztecs are currently 3-point favorites to win on Saturday.
Fresno State Head Coach Matt Entz understands though that this Aztec team has certainly upped its level of play since the last time they came to Fresno.
“Great opportunity, in my opinion, they’re probably the best team we play and have faced since Kansas. I have a ton of respect for what Coach Lewis has done,” Entz said on Monday morning. “I know Sean is going to challenge you both offensively and defensively. You can tell they’ve just continued to grow. They’ve grown in personnel, but also you can tell the environment is that of learning, those kids have gotten a ton better from year one to year two.”
Tedford Legacy Game
Fresno State will honor former Bulldog quarterback and head coach Jeff Tedford at halftime as he joins the Ring of Honor, becoming the 3rd coach and 13th overall member in the exclusive club.
Over two head coaching stints in five years, he amassed a 45-22 overall record and four bowl wins.
Under his leadership, the Bulldogs achieved three 10‑win seasons, three West Division titles, two Mountain West titles, four bowl games and two AP Top‑25 finishes.
“Coach Tedford has been tremendous. He’s been a huge support and helped me get my feet on the ground,” Entz says.
Keys to victory for the ‘Dogs
Taking care of the football. The Bulldogs are 4-0 this season when committing two or less turnovers. E.J. Warner has played a lot of football. In fact, he is the only player in the country with over 10,000 career passing yards. Making sure the ball is going to his team is another conversation though and one that ought to be discussed. Entz says EJ Warner is still his Quarterback, but says he needs “to have more skin like a duck.”
“He needs to let some things go. I worry that when things compound, when he has one bad play, one turns into two. Turn two turns into four.”
Warner had four turnovers last time out, including three interceptions (nine this season). The Fresno State offense is at its best when the ground game is working. In order for that to happen, they need to be able to take care of the football and that includes Warner being able to throw the ball on long downs to extend drives.
Coming out of the second half on a strong note. The Bulldogs have yet to score points on a drive coming out in the third quarter this season. Doing so Saturday could go a long way to setting the tone in the second half to finish the game on a strong note.
Getting the Black Wave…yes, black, to take over. For the second straight year, Fresno State players and fans will be donning all black for its homecoming game, which seems to be becoming an annual tradition. The Red Wave has been averaging nearly 40,000 fans a game this season, eclipsing the mark for the first time this season against Nevada on Oct. 4. That mark is expected to hit again against San Diego State.
Despite the impressive numbers, keeping fans in the stands after halftime has been an ongoing issue. Perhaps the earlier start time will keep fans in their seats long enough to make a difference late in the game.
X-factors
Josiah Freeman (Fresno State) – The Bulldog wideout has 10 receptions for 129 yards and four touchdowns in his last two games, becoming the first ‘Dog since Jalen Cropper in 2022 to score 2+ TD’s in back-to-back games.
Trey White (San Diego State) – The Aztec junior defensive end is a “future player on Sundays” as Entz put it on Monday. White has 25 total tackles on the season, including four sacks and six tackles for loss. He has an opportunity to make things extremely uncomfortable for a Bulldog offensive line that has been shaken up during the month of October.
Chris Johnson (San Diego State) – The Aztec was recently named to the Associated Press Midseason All-American Team after a strong start to the season (27 TKL / 1 TFL / 3 INT / 3 PD). Per PFF, Johnson’s 15.0 passer rating when targeted is the second best mark in the FBS among cornerbacks.
Injury report
Aztec running back Christian Washington (198 rushing yards, 3 total TD’s) and wide receiver Jacob Bostic are both questionable to play.
Fresno State linebacker K’Vion Thunderbird has been officially ruled out. Wideout Ezekiel Avit is also questionable to play.
Click here for full injury report.
Cover photo provided by Fresno State.
Not a night to remember.
Clovis Community College (Fresno, CA) officially broke ground on the I.S.E. Diamond L.I.F.E. Sports Complex Wednesday morning.
The complex is positioned on the southwest corner of the campus and will include a competition soccer field, an all-weather 9-lane track with runways and pits in addition to an athletic fieldhouse.
The new facility, four years in the making, is expected to be complete by December of 2026. It will be home to the Crush men’s and women’s soccer teams as well as the men’s and women’s track and field programs. In addition to the main field, there will be practice fields built on the outside of the track.
Orlando Ramirez, who’s been the head coach of the women’s soccer program since 2016, says he’s excited about the boost it will future Crush athletes.
“The new facility will help the program grow by providing a high level environment for our student athletes to experience and be proud of,” Ramirez said.
The complex is being designed and built with the intent of hosting State Championship caliber events and will create an elevated athletics experience for our student-athletes, college, and local communities.
The project has a $14.9 million budget primarily funded through savings over the past 10 years and bonds including Measure C.
The school also received a $500k donation from Jamie Hamel De La Cerda of the Diamond Learning Center last October.
DLC is a Clovis-based educational institution where adult students are given the opportunity to be successful no matter their abilities or disabilities.
“Our community partnership enables our vision for lifelong learning to continue to grow and inspire independence,” said Hamel De La Cerda, who first became involved with the Crush athletics program in 2022.
Clovis Director of Athletics James Sewell says that the college and DLC “share a common mission” for growing the community.
“The financial support provided by Jami has been tremendous for our College and Department of Athletics in so many ways, but through our relationship with DLC, our students have been able to better realize the value in themselves, and for that we are truly grateful,” Sewell said.
The project is being done by Darden Architects and Quiring Construction Company. Robert Petithomme (Darden Architects) says he is excited for the future of the project.
“Our goal has always been to design spaces that reflect the spirit of the people that they serve. In this case, the vision was clear to create a sports complex that inspires achievement, welcomes all and enhances the campus for generations to come,” Petithomme says. “Today’s milestone is the beginning of a vision becoming reality.”
The entire complex will be approximately 4,000 square feet.
Sewell is especially excited about the fieldhouse equipped with a new athletic training room, state-of-the-art locker rooms, and showers.
Additionally, there will be bleachers, a press box, public restrooms and a video scoreboard with integrated sound, and other additional amenities. Sewell says ‘enhancing the atmosphere’ is crucial
“We are excited to take our existing resources and people and put them into a state of the art facility like this,” Sewell said.
Clovis is not stopping here. The school has already done preliminary work on plans for a gymnasium on campus that will serve the women’s volleyball team and other potential sports teams on campus, as well as for classes.
The Fresno State Bulldogs improved to 5-1 on the season after defeating the University of Nevada 20-17, backed by four first half turnovers forced by the Bulldogs, including inceptions from Camryn Bracha, K’vion Thunderbird and Simeon Harris.
Despite the win, Head Coach Matt Entz said the locker room had mixed emotions but the goal at the end of the day is to win.
“There’s probably people out there that say we’re lucky to win. I’m okay with that. I’d rather be lucky than have lost,” Entz said.
Bracha echoed a similar mentality.
“I think the last two games, we played six quarters. I think we left two out there today in the second half. A sign of a good football team is when you can win when you’re not playing your best football, ” Bracha said. “Our best football is still in front of us.”
What happened
Warner’s only real blip in the first half came three plays into the game, when he threw over the middle, only to be intercepted by Nevada safety Murvin Kenion III.
Thankfully for Fresno State, it didn’t take long to get the ball back. Facing a 3rd and short, Chubba Purdy (younger brother of San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy) stepped back in the pocket and threw deep left to the Fresno State end zone but underthrew it. Bracha, the Bulldogs safety, came down with it, preventing the Wolfpack from scoring.
Neither team was able to do much offensively. Nevada kicker Joe McFadden nailed a 39-yard field goal with 1:39 remaining for the only scoring in the first quarter.
The ‘Dogs fourth drive of the game took up 14 plays and seven minutes of game clock but did result in points, a 21-yard field goal for kicker Dylan Lynch. The senior would also hit from 38 yards later in the quarter.
The real difference maker in the game was two second half touchdown passes from Warner to wide receiver Josiah Freeman, including a 24-yard dart in the final minute of the half to give Fresno State a 20-3 lead.
“We’re emphasizing complimentary football. It’s our job to put them in good positions to succeed,” Bracha said, in regards to the offensive and defensive sides of the team working together.
Nevada’s offense got a boost after switching quarterbacks to Carter Jones. The freshman threw a pair of touchdowns, one late in the third quarter to Dakota Thomas. The second came with 12:36 remaining in the game to running back Caleb Ramesur to make it 20-17.
The following drive, Warner was sacked on a 3rd-and-long opportunity, leaving the field to a smattering of boos.
The Bulldogs defense forced a three-and-out though, capped off by a huge 6-yard tackle for loss from linebacker Jadon Pearson.
With four minutes remaining in the game and facing a 3rd and 11, Warner scampered through the left side of the line with his legs to pick up a pivotal first down.
Brandon Ramirez ran the ball four times for 39 yards as the ‘Dogs ran the clock out, sealing the 20-17 victory.
All 20 Bulldog points came in the second quarter.
“If you stay committed to your plan, eventually it’s going to come through,” Entz said. “What most people want to do is throw the plan in the garbage and start over. And that’s about the last thing I think you can do with the football team.”
The Bulldog head coach added that he thought all three facets of the game (offense, defense and special teams) played well during parts of them, especially during the second quarter.
Key stats
E.J. Warner: 18-for-26, 190 passing yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rayshon Luke: 8 carries, 83 yards
Josiah Freeman: 3 catches, 40 yards, 2 TDs
Jadon Pearson: 11 tackles, 2.5 TFL
Jahzon Jacks: 6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FR
What’s next
The Bulldogs are set for a short week with a Friday home game at Fort Collins, taking on Colorado State (1-4). A win would give them its sixth straight victory heading into the second bye of the season.
“My favorite thing about being a Bulldog is everyone is going to give us their best shot,” Bracha said.
Following the bye, the ‘Dogs will host rival San Diego State on Saturday, Oct. 25 for homecoming while donning black uniforms. They will also honor legendary Head Coach Jeff Tedford with his induction into the Fresno State Football Ring of Honor.
The Bulldogs (3-1) return to the Aloha State this Saturday to face Hawaii (3-1) to open up 2025 Mountain West Conference play. With Fresno State leaving the MWC after this season, this is the last scheduled game between the two schools for the foreseeable future.
While the ‘Dogs will be playing in Hawaii, Head Coach Matthew Entz is keeping the focus on football.
“Our emphasis this week is to make sure that we’re thinking about football and not all the other the beaches, the sand, you know, all the other things and that you can become distracted with,” Entz says.
Series history
The ‘Dogs own the “Golden Screwdriver” series with a 30-25-1 record over the Rainbow Warriors, despite falling 21-20 at home to Hawaii last year (11-2-2024).
Fresno State safety Jayden Davis told Dylan Morgan of KSEE 24/CBS 47 earlier this week that last year’s defeat left a sour taste in his mouth.
“That’s a game we should have won and we let it slip away,” Davis says. “This year’s a revenge game for sure.”
While it remains an unofficial rivalry, these two schools have a storied history with plenty of photo finishes. The Bulldogs last win over Hawaii came in 2022 when then quarterback Jake Haener threw for 327 yards and four scores in a 55-13 rout. Hawaii has won 15 of the 29 matchups that have taken place in Honolulu.
Quarterback battle
Starter Micah Alejado is expected to be a full go after missing the last two games with an ankle injury. In the first two games of the season, the redshirt freshman threw for 367 yards and two touchdowns.
After struggling to find the end zone through the first three weeks of the season, Fresno State quarterback E.J. Warner completed 20-of-24 passes for 240 yards and four touchdown passes against Southern last Saturday to put an end to any questions about his job stability for at least another week.
“Just keep doing your job and do it at a high level. And the only people you gotta worry about are the people in the locker room with you,” Entz says.
The biggest key towards his success was not turning the ball over. Limiting the interceptions will be key if the Bulldogs want to leave Hawaii with a win. The Warriors have already picked off three balls this season.
Key players for Hawaii
Often an underrated aspect of the game, special teams can sometimes be half the battle and Hawaii’s unit has been one of the best in the country. Billy Gowers is currently averaging close to 47 yards a punt, with eight of his 17 punts being marked inside the opposing team’s 20 yard line.
Japanese kicker Kansei Matsuzawa has been nails, converting 11-of-11 on FG’s including a career long 47-yard FG last week against Portland State.
Hawaii is allowing less than 21 points per game, led by defensive end Jackie Johnson III (3.5 sacks) and defensive back Peter Manuma (25 tackles, 1 sack, 4 pass breakups).
Injury report
For the first time ever, Fresno State was required to release an official injury report. One notable is starting wideout Josiah Freeman (lower body) who missed last week’s game after being a gametime decision. Entz said Monday morning that he expects the senior to suit up versus Hawaii.
“I don’t know if anyone’s ever 100% after the first day of fall camp, but we’re gonna get him as close to ready as we can so he can play. I know he wants to,” Entz says.
Safety Ethan Tierney and backup quarterback Jayden Mandal are also questionable to play.
Keys to winning
Running the ball…Fresno State needs to run the ball in order to be successful.
The Bulldogs have run the ball 143 times through four games, which has allowed them to maintain control of the play clock and momentum of the game.
“As long as it’s an equation for success, then we’ll continue to do it.
Bryson Donelson and Rayshon Luke have combined for 555 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground through four games to lead a rushing attack that is averaging over 200 yards a game.
The duo have also combined for 20 catches and 167 yards through the air, instrumental in the passing attack.
The other key to winning, both on Saturday and long term, will be the continued usage and success of the youth, particularly a pair of true freshmen: wide receiver Harold Duvall and left tackle Brayden Walton.
“It speaks volumes to the potential recruits out there…that as long as you’re coming to work every day, showing up with a willingness to continue to improve, that you’re going to reap the benefits of it,” Entz says.
Duvall in particular had his “first of many” touchdowns against Southern.
Where to watch
The game will be free to watch on the Mountain West App. It is also available with Spectrum Sports. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. on the west coast.
After entering Saturday still without a passing touchdown in 2025 following three weeks of play, EJ Warner responded with one of the best games of his college career to lead Fresno State to a 56-7 victory over Southern University.
“Anytime you go 1-0 in a week, that’s a positive,” Head Coach Matt Entz says.
Warner finished the day going 20-for-24 with 240 passing yards and four touchdowns through the air before being rested halfway through the third quarter.
“Coming from a football family, I gotta believe EJ probably doesn’t pay a lot of attention to the media,” Entz says. “Just keep doing your job and do it at a high level. And the only people you gotta worry about are the people in the locker room with you.”
Running back Rayshon “Speedy” Luke totaled 110 yards, including seven catches for a team leading 79 yards. He also had a pair of touchdowns, making it five in two home games for the Arizona transfer.
“One of my dreams when I was coming here was I love the lights going on and off. That just fires me up,” Luke says.
He added that he sets a goal for at least 50 receiving yards a game every week.
“That’s just like one of my expectations, that’s kind of the running back I am. I don’t take that for granted,” Luke says.
With the win, the Bulldogs improved to 3-1 on the season, finishing its non-conference slate.
What happened
The ‘Dogs opened the game with a six play, 65-yard drive ending in a 25-yard pass from Warner to the right side of the end zone where he found true freshman Harold Duvall.
The Jaguars converted one first down on its first drive thanks to a Fresno State penalty but a few plays later felt the wrath of Finn Claypool. Facing a 3rd and long situation, the Drake transfer got into the backfield to sack Southern quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy.
The Fresno State offense got the ball back and quickly moved the ball down the field. Warner eventually found Jordan Brown six yards out for his first career touchdown reception.
The Bulldogs would find the end zone on five of its six first half drives including touchdown passes to Luke and Richie Anderson. The lone punt was the only non-scoring drive of the game for the ‘Dogs.
Luke added that Warner leads by example and was not surprised in the bit by the breakout game from his quarterback.
“EJ is a quiet guy, so talking to him is, you know, sometimes we could be quiet, a little bit shy, but once he talks to everybody, like, yeah, like, you know, we love that, because once he leave, we all go behind him,” Luke says.
Running back Bryson Donelson also evaded the Jaguars defense for a 57-yard run to the end zone in the second quarter. He ran nine times for 90 yards. He added a pair of catches for 19 yards.
The Jaguars only score in the game came from a 1-yard rushing touchdown up the middle from running back Trey Holly, capping off a nine play, 75-yard drive.
The touchdown to Anderson late in the second quarter gave Fresno State a 35-7 lead going into halftime.
Following an entertaining halftime show featuring the battle of the bands, arguably Southern’s only highlight of the night, the Bulldogs got right back to business.
Entz says he didn’t notice the “Human Jukebox” but did have something else catch his eye.
“I looked over to the green V section, and I saw, instead of the V flag, I saw the American flag. I thought that was really cool and appropriate for today’s game,” Entz says.
The defense made Southern look absolutely helpless. The Jaguars finished the night with a mere 142 yards of offense compared to 507 for Fresno State.
Fresno State defensive end Korey Foreman helped lead the Bulldog defense, including 1.5 sacks. He also stressed the importance of versatility, something he’s really worked on with the new coaching staff.
“Focusing on being a good run stopper, and not just a pass rusher that it may seem last year, but once again, I wouldn’t be able to do that without the coaches, without the people that I’m around each and every single day,” Foreman says.
He was also sporting some incredible eye black.
“All I was thinking about today before the game was like Bruce Banner, Wolverine and he’s not green all the time, but on game day, claws are out, and I turn green,” Foreman says.
Meanwhile, after a lengthy drive that ended in a fumble to open up the second half, Entz turned the keys over to backup Carson Conklin who completed 5-of-6 passes for 42 yards.
The Sacramento State transfer led the ‘Dogs on three straight scoring drives, all ending in rushing touchdowns courtesy of Luke, Johnathan Arceneaux and Elijah Gilliam. The latter combined for 94 yards on 15 carries.
Fresno State went on to win 56-7 in a dominating effort.
What’s next
The ‘Dogs will begin Mountain West Conference play next Saturday (9/20/26) in the Aloha State as they visit the Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii.
Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. (PT).
