Feature

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).