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)