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Nov 29
0

Fresno State overwhelms rival Spartans, reclaim Valley Trophy

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It won’t be the last time Fresno State and San Jose State meet, but the Bulldogs will forever hold bragging rights for taking home the Valley Trophy for the last time as Mountain West foes. 

Led by a relentless defense, Fresno State defeated San Jose State 41-14 on Saturday night at CEFCU Stadium in Silicon Valley. The Bulldogs recorded five interceptions and held the Spartans to just 227 total yards. Offensively, they ran the ball 53 times for 259 yards.

WIth the win, Fresno State finishes the regular season at 8-4 (5-3) in its first year under Head Coach Matt Entz. 

Key players

  • Josiah Freeman (FS): 6 receptions, 76 yards, TD
  • Simeon Harris (FS): 2 INT’s, 1 TFL
  • Elijah Gilliam (FS): 9 carries, 92 yards, 2 TD’s 
  • Jordan Pollard (SJSU): 19 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT

What happened 

For the second straight week, EJ Warner won the quarterback battle in practice over Carson Conklin. After three straight three-and-outs, Warner took over on the San Jose State 35 yard line thanks to a poor punt less than five minutes into the game. 

The Bulldogs ran for five of the six plays on the drive, before settling for a 34-yard field goal from kicker Dylan Lynch. 

Late in the first quarter, San Jose State quarterback Tama Amisone looked down the left sideline for star receiver Danny Scudero, only for the pass to be tipped. Nickelback Simeon Harris came down with it for his fourth interception, leading to another Lynch field goal, this time from 41 yards out. 

The next drive, the Bulldogs secondary stepped up again. This time it was senior Al’zillion Hamilton with his 4th interception of the season (8th of his career), giving the Bulldogs the ball back on the 37 yard line. 

Warner found wide receiver Josiah Freeman for a pair of medium sized completions on the outside, setting up a Brandon Ramirez touchdown run up the gut to give Fresno State a 13-0 lead. The Bulldogs got the ball back after forcing another three-and-out. 

Facing 3rd and short on the Spartans 45 yard line, Warner missed Freeman only to find the hands of Spartans linebacker Jordan Pollard who ran the ball back 58 yards for a touchdown. 

Warner redeemed himself late in the second half, finding Freeman open for a 37-yard pass for six points. Freeman followed it up with a reverse to give Fresno State the two-point conversion and a 21-7 lead heading into halftime. 

Like in the first half, the Bulldogs used another interception to set up points. This time it was safety Ethan Tierney. The turnover led to a third Lynch field goal, giving the Bulldogs a 24-7 lead. 

San Jose State did not score offensively until the fourth quarter. Third string quarterback Xavier Ward found Scudero open on a 3rd and long completion for 37 yards. Despite multiple goalline stops, the Spartans finally got through with Viliami Teu rushing in for a touchdown. 

The Bulldogs were relentless though, wearing down the Spartans defense. Elijah Gilliam, Ramirez and Jonathan Arceneaux ran seven times for a combined 75 yards and a touchdown from Gilliam. 

The rest of the quarter was more of the same, two more interceptions (Jayden Davis and Harris) as well as a cutthroat Bulldog running game that surpassed 2,000 yards in a season for the first time since 2018. 

Fresno State would go on to win 41-14.

What’s next 

The Bulldogs will get at least a few weeks off before finding out their next destination. Fresno State is bowl eligible for the fifth straight season. 

The next game at Valley Children’s Stadium will come on Sep. 12 next year against Sacramento State for week two of the 2026 season.

Recap written by Al Scott, cover photo by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine)

Nov 22
0

Bulldogs crumble in second half to Utah State

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A night that began with celebrating 27 seniors, ended in agony following a rough second half that saw Utah State outscore Fresno State 21-0. The result would be the Bulldogs (7-4) falling 28-17 to the Aggies (6-5) on Saturday night at Valley Children’s Stadium. 

“Frustrating night, one that we wish we’d probably have back,” Head Coach Matt Entz said. “Too many errors, we got in our own way.”

What happened 

Despite allowing a pair of chunk plays, the Fresno State defense got a first drive stop thanks to a pass breakup from Ryan Wilson. 

In a surprise twist, Entz opted to switch quarterbacks from sophomore Carson Conklin, back to senior E.J. Warner. 

Two possessions later, the Bulldogs took over on its own 31-yard line. Rayshon “Speedy” Luke broke away to the outside, running 69 yards down the Fresno State sideline for a touchdown (6th rushing TD of the season) to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead. 

Utah State responded late in the first quarter, a lateral throw from Bryson Barnes to Anthony Garcia, who then found Brady Boyd open in the end zone to tie the game. 

Fresno State began the second quarter with a wide receiver reverse to Josiah Freeman, who ran 55 yards into the end zone. The play was called back, however. 

Seniors Finn Claypool and Korey Foreman both had drive ending sacks in the first half, the latter of which led to a 30-yard field goal from Dylan Lynch. 

Fresno State took over again late in the first half. On the seventh play of the drive, Warner evaded a pair of Aggies defenders before finding Jahil McClain over the middle of the field for a 43-yard touchdown. 

Utah State moved the ball down the field but missed a 46-yard field goal attempt heading into half, down 17-7 to the Bulldogs. 

Warner went 12-of-15 in the first half with 129 passing yards, leading them to 256 yards of total offense, the most first half yards in a game this season. 

Following a three-and-out from the Bulldogs, Barnes led the Aggies down the field on a 15-play, 78-yard drive, resulting in another lateral for a touchdown, this time from Barnes to Garcia, back to Barnes. 

With just over a minute remaining in the third quarter, the Fresno State safety Camryn Bracha forced a fumble from Aggies running back Miles Davis, picked up by Bulldog linebacker Jadon Pearson in the Utah State red zone. 

The ‘Dogs fumbled the prime opportunity a few plays later though, as Warner was intercepted over the middle of the field by linebacker Bronson Olevao Jr.

Utah State got the ball back to end the third quarter and took advantage of a pair of massive Bulldog defensive penalties, including a third down facemask from Mordecai Hines. Utah State ended up moving the ball down the field. The drive would end in a 19-yard rush up the middle for a touchdown from tailback Javen Jacobs.  

The Bulldogs had a 3rd and short opportunity, but opted to throw instead of running it. Aggies safety Ike Larson read it perfectly, breaking up a pass intended for Elijah Gilliam, giving the ball back to Utah State following a three-and-out. 

Utah State went on to win 28-17.

What’s next

The Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season next Saturday, Nov. 29, at San Jose State with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. It will also be the third rivalry game of the season as the two teams will battle for the Valley Trophy. 

The next official game at Valley Children’s Stadium will come on Sep. 12 next year against Sacramento State for week 2 of the 2026 season.

Recap written by Al Scott, cover photo by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine)

Nov 16
0

Toughness won as Fresno State drowns Cowboys 24-3

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The season has not been perfect, but with only two games left to play, the Fresno State Bulldogs (7-3, 4-2) are right in the thick of the race for the Mountain West Championship game in December. 

In the thick of the rain, the ‘Dogs defeated Wyoming 24-3 late Saturday night behind a strong rushing attack and gritty defense

Linebacker Tytus Khajavi said after the game that special teams coach John Baxter told the team pregame, “I don’t care if we see Noah’s Ark going down the ramp, we’re going to play some Bulldog football.”

And Bulldog football they did, the defense in particular was effective limiting the Cowboys to just 184 yards of total offense and an interception. 

Khajavi led the defense with six tackles, including a sack. While he wasn’t interested in talking about his individual performance, the Clovis West alum did say that the win gave the team a lot of momentum. 

“It’s not an individual game. I don’t see myself better than anybody on the field. 11 men on defense. I just want to do my part and execute it and then see success for our defense,” Khajavi said. 

If the Bulldogs win out, they may have a chance at redemption with rival San Diego State in December. With the win, the ‘Dogs are currently tied for second place in the Mountain West Conference standings. They also hold tiebreakers over both Hawaii and Boise State. 

Head Coach Matt Entz said after the game that he was encouraged by the win and is excited to see the team continue to grow down the stretch. 

“Can we be better? We sure can. I’m not satisfied, but seven wins is a good starting spot. We got an opportunity to win a couple more this year,” Entz said. 

What happened 

Fresno State used a 10-play, 73-yard opening drive, capped off by a 12-yard rush to the left corner of the end zone by sophomore Bryson Donelson to get on the board early. After a pair of penalties, kicker Dylan Lynch nailed the point after to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead. 

The Cowboys ran twice with running back Samuel Harris before quarterback Kaden Anderson gained a first down, courtesy of a sneak up the middle. The following play, Anderson eluded a Bulldog pass rush before lofting a ball downfield, finding wideout Chris Durr Jr. open for a 40-yard gain. It set up a 41-yard field goal for Wyoming kicker Erik Sandvik (6:39 remaining in the first quarter). 

That was the last time either team scored until 26 seconds left in the first half, when Lynch nailed a 40-yard field goal, finishing off an 11-play drive. 

Neither team was able to muster much offensively, with Fresno State outgaining Wyoming 156-73 in total first half yards. This was especially apparent in the passing department, with neither team throwing for 50 yards in the first half. 

“Those kids are having fun playing football. You see it every day. They’ve got great energy. We’re playing with a lot of people. So there’s a lot of guys that are engaged on a weekly basis, probably playing 8-10 defensive lineman. We’re playing four linebackers, a ton of guys in the secondary,” Entz said.

The second half looked awfully similar to the first half with neither team seeming to be able to move the ball down the field. Wyoming gave the ball to Fresno State on the Bulldog 36 yard line with just under 11 minutes to go in the third quarter. 

The Bulldogs methodically moved the ball down the field using over eight minutes of play clock on a 16-play drive, including four first downs. Unfortunately for Fresno State, it resulted in no points on a missed 27-yard FG try from Lynch. 

Wyoming got into Fresno State territory early in the fourth quarter thanks to a pair of big runs from Harris. Aiming to make a big play, Anderson looked for wide receiver Jackson Holman deep over the middle of the field, only to be intercepted by Bulldogs corner Al’zillion Hamilton. 

On the very first play of the drive, Fresno State running back Johnathan Arceneaux got loose on the outside, running 58 yards down the right side of the field for a Bulldog touchdown, giving them a 17-3 lead. It was the second touchdown for Arceanaux’s career, a pivotal one for the senior.

“He has tremendous value, not just from the running back room, but a great leader on our football team. He broke the team down just a second ago in the locker room, and it was fun to see him get his moment there tonight,” Entz said. 

It was the ‘cherry on top’ for a classic Matt Entz football game, tough defense and nose to the ground defense. 

On a 2nd and 13 with four minutes remaining, Anderson was sacked by Bulldogs fifth year senior Julius Gandy. Two plays later, the Cowboys turned it over on downs.

Carson Conklin found Josiah Freeman in the left corner of the end zone in the final minutes to extend the Bulldogs lead to 24-3, and secure Conklin’s first touchdown pass as a Bulldog. 

The sophomore transfer completed 12-of-27 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown. Noteworthy, for the second straight game, he led an offense that did not commit a turnover. 

Key players

  • Rayshon “Speedy” Luke (FS): 16 carries, 92 yards, 3 receptions, 16 receiving yards
  • Al’zillion Hamilton (FS): 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 BrUp
  • Samuel Harris (WYO): 12 carries, 96 yards
  • Evan Eller (WYO): 9 tackles, 1 TFL

What’s next

The Bulldogs will stay home this next week, hosting the Utah State Aggies for the sixth and final home game of the 2025 season on Senior night. 

Kickoff for next Saturday, Nov. 22, is set for 7:30 p.m. For those that cannot make it to Valley Children’s Stadium, the game will also be available to watch on CBS Sports Network. 

In addition to honoring the team’s seniors, Saturday is Boots and Buckles Night and whiteout The team will wear all-white uniforms with Green-V lettering on both the jersey numbers and the helmets in recognition of the Central Valley’s rich agriculture. Click here for a uniform preview. 

Fresno State will finish the regular season at San Jose State (kickoff TBA) on Saturday, Nov. 29.

Story written by Al Scott, cover photo by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine)

Nov 13
0

Preview: Dogs set to host Wyoming with season on the line

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The third and final bye week of the season has finally passed and the Fresno State football team (6-3, 3-2) has three games left in its quest to return to the conference title game in its final season in the Mountain West.

Head Coach Matt Entz is eager to get back on the gridiron. 

“I was bored to death on Saturday,” Entz said. 

While the Bulldogs were resting up, Hawaii upset San Diego State and both Utah State (51-14 W vs Nevada) and UNLV (42-10 W at Colorado State) had huge wins to make things complicated down the stretch. 

With three weeks left to play, seven teams are within a game of each other atop the MWC and still in contention of hosting the conference title game in early December. 

“You have to be prepared, especially when you go on the road. Road victories are hard to come by in this league, and so you have to make sure that you’re fully prepared in all levels, in all three areas, and make sure that your kids are aware of the kind of the traps that are out there,” Entz said.

He added that the ‘parity’ is exciting but that his focus remains that of Fresno State and not on other schools. 

“Worry about us, we have to take them one at a time. You let in those outside distractions, and I think you’re setting yourself up,” Entz said. 

What’s next

The Bulldogs final three games are all in California, with the next two Saturdays hosting Wyoming (Nov. 15) at 7:30 p.m. and Utah State (Nov. 22) before wrapping up the regular season in Silicon Valley to take on rival San Jose State (Nov. 29). 

Welcoming the Cowboys

On Saturday, Fresno State (3.5 point favorites) will host the Wyoming Cowboys for the 16th matchup in program history, with the ‘Dogs leading the series 9-6 including a 6-1 record at home. 

It will also mark the 45th anniversary of the game played at what now is called Valley Children’s Stadium. The Bulldogs beat Montana State 21-14 on Nov. 15, 1980 to open up Bulldog Stadium. 

The Cowboys have been held to seven or fewer points in four of its last five meetings with Fresno State, the only exception being the Cowboys 24-19 win over Fresno State in Laramie, Wyoming in Oct. of 2023. 

Like the Bulldogs, this year’s Cowboys team presents a strong rushing attack, averaging 149.7 yards a game on the ground with three running backs with at least 321 rushing yards this season. Samuel Harris leads that group with 450 yards on 85 carries in 2025. 

Their offense is led by sophomore quarterback Kaden Anderson, who’s completed 58.7% of passes for 1,727 yards this season with 11:9 TD/INT. 

Like Fresno State starting quarterback Carson Conklin, Anderson struggled last time out, completing just 12-of-24 passes for just 93 yards, while throwing three interceptions. 

His favorite target is sophomore speedster Chris Durr Jr. who has 37 catches for 398 yards through the air and four touchdown receptions. 

Defensively, Wyoming is allowing 20.2 points per game and 348 yards per game. Nose tackle Ben Florentine (25 tackles, 4 sacks) and linebacker Brayden Johnson (54 tackles, two interceptions) lead an experienced and talented defense. 

Forcing the issue on defense

Following the 30-7 win over Boise State, Nick Benedetto (MWC Coordinator of the Week) and nickel Simeon Harris (MWC Defensive Player of the Week) were both honored for their efforts. 

Harris had six tackles in the win, including three tackles for loss and a strip sack. He also had an interception, 3 of 12 picks (t-1st in MW, Top 10 in FBS) by the Bulldog defense this season. 

The Utah State transfer has had a “No Panic” mantra throughout the year, one that he shares with his teammates. 

“I think it’s his way of just kind of circling the wagons and saying, hey, the most important people are the ones that are in this {locker room}…we’re going to continue to keep growing, keep building, because there’s still better football out there for the Bulldogs,” Entz said. 

The Bulldogs as a team have made things tough on opposing offenses, especially in regards to taking care of the football. Fresno State is second (SDSU) in the conference at forcing turnovers. 

“I think if you’re plus three, you win 80% of the games. If you’re plus one, you win 60% so I think statistically, it tells you that you have to protect the football, the ball is the program, and on defense and special teams, you have to find ways to get your opponent to put it on the ground,” Entz said. 

Fresno State is 4-0 this season when winning the turnover battle, including 3-0 when forcing at least three turnovers. 

Entz added that Coach Benedetto starts each practice with some sort of ball security and or tackling circuit, ‘just to re-emphasize the little things’ on a daily basis.

Junior defensive lineman Jahzon Jacks currently leads the FBS in fumble recoveries with four, a stat that his coach says is not luck. 

“Our team has heard me say that your value is determined by the distance from you and the ball. (The fumble recoveries) tell me that he’s around the football a lot. It’s hard to take those guys off the field,” Entz said. 

What to know for Saturday

Saturday’s matchup with the Cowboys is big for Fresno State. They likely need to win out for an opportunity to play in the title game at the end of the year. 

Beyond that, the Bulldogs will be celebrating the rich Native American culture in the Central Valley. The first 7,500 fans in attendance will also receive a Timeout bobblehead, courtesy of Table Mountain Casino. 

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. with a good chance of rain, so fans should come prepared with the proper attire to stay warm and dry as much as possible. 

Final Prediction: Fresno State wins 20-17

Story written by Al Scott, cover photo by Ryan Sepulveda (Fresno Sports Magazine)