College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Fresno State Bulldogs season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Fresno State Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 4-8 overall, 2-6 in MW
Head Coach: Kalen DeBoer, 1st year
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 91
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 91
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 69
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Fresno State Bulldogs Offense 3 Things To Know
– New head coach Kalen DeBoer knows offense. He spent last year as the offensive coordinator at Indiana, and before that he was the OC for a few seasons at Fresno State. He has been a terrific assistant, and now he gets his shot with a team that struggled and sputtered too much offensively, but has back several nice parts.
CFN in 60 Video: Colorado Preview
Fresno State at Colorado, Sept. 12
– Starting quarterback Jorge Reyna is gone, but there might be an upgrade at the position with Washington transfer Jake Haener ready to battle with JUCO transfer Danny Velasquez for the gig. Haener sat out last year, and he’s not all that big, but he has a live arm and should be able to push the ball all around the yard – if the can hold off Velasquez.
The receiving corps didn’t come up with enough big plays, but junior Zane Pope is back after leading the team with 47 grabs for 529 yards and a score. He’s a good, big talent, and the No. 2 yardage wideout last year – 6-1 senior Keric Wheatfall – only caught 17 passes. Sophomore Emoryie Edwards is a good-looking young target, but top tight end Jared Rice is done.
– Ronnie Rivers is only 5-8 and 183 pounds, but he’s one of the Mountain West’s best all-around backs. He ran for 899 yards and 13 scores, caught 43 passes for 348 yards and three scores, and has the quickness to work as a return man, too.
The No. 2 rusher was WR Jalen Cropper – he ran for 343 yards and three scores – and there needs to be some thump after losing Josh Hokit and his nine touchdown runs. Jordan Mims is back after missing last year – he ran for 436 yards and six scores in 2018 – and Wyoming transfer Jevon Bigelow is a 6-1, 218-pounder who should handle enough work to take the pressure off of Rivers.
Now the O line has to be better. It was never healthy, it tried out a whole slew of things to get the right mix, and now it’s a veteran group that should be stronger around guard Quireo Woodley.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Fresno State Bulldogs Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Fresno State Bulldogs Defense 3 Things To Know
– Ten of the top 13 tacklers are expected back for a defense that allowed 420 yards and 30 points per game. The pass rush wasn’t there, the run defense was just okay, and the secondary allowed 259 yards per game.
– The line needs reworking with three starters gone. Senior Kevin Atkins is back at one tackle job, but the front four needs former JUCO transfer Kwami Jones to step up at one end after making 3.5 sacks in his first two years. A rotation has to be found inside next to Atkins, but there’s not a ton of size.
The linebacking corps gets back leading tackler Justin Rice after a 112-tackle season, and 6-4, 230-pound Arron Mosby is a hitter in the middle who’s also solid in pass coverage. Add in the athleticism of 6-2, 200-pound sophomore Levelle Bailey on the outside, and the corps is a positive.
– Two starters are done are gone from the secondary, but sophomore Evan Williams is a growing talent at one safety job and Chris Gaston is a big corner to rely on after missing half of last year. Now the pass defense has to be more active after coming up with 11 interceptions – it picked off 19 passes in 2018.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Fresno State Bulldogs Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Fresno State Bulldogs Players
Best Fresno State Bulldogs Offensive Player
RB Ronnie Rivers, Sr.
The veteran made his biggest splash with a massive performance in the win over Arizona State in the 2018 Las Vegas Bowl, and last season he kept it all going – even if it took have the year to get there.
He didn’t hit 100 yards in any of the first six games, and then the O line helped the cause he and ran for 100 or more in four of the last six games with four multi-score games. He’s not a workhorse, but he’ll make a ton of catches and has a knack for doing big things in the red zone.
2. OG Quireo Woodley, Jr.
3. QB Jake Haener, Jr.
4. WR Zane Pope, Jr.
5. RB Jordan Mims, Jr.
Best Fresno State Bulldogs Defensive Player
LB Justin Rice, Sr.
One of the Mountain West’s best tacklers should be able to do it all again.
He’s only 6-2 and 225 pounds, but the former running back has grown into a whale of a hitter with 112 stops with three sacks and eight tackles for loss as a First Team All-Mountain West performer. Steady, he came up with double-digit stops in eight games.
2. DT Kevin Atkins, Sr.
3. LB Arron Mosby, Sr.
4. CB Chris Gaston, Jr.
5. S Evan Williams, Soph.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Fresno State Bulldogs Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Fresno State Bulldogs Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Fresno State Bulldogs Offense
Get the passing game going again. Jorge Reyna wasn’t bad – he hit 65% of his throws for 2,655 yards and 15 scores with 11 picks – but the Fresno State passing game failed to hit 3,000 yards for the first time since 2016.
Reyna is done, and now it’ll likely be up to ether Washington transfer Jake Haener or sophomore Ben Wooldridge to take over and get it going again.
The team didn’t always win when the passing attack worked, but it wasn’t consistent enough or explosive enough. Getting well over 12 yards per completion again – it was 11.29 last year – is a must.
Biggest Key To The Fresno State Bulldogs Defense
Crank up the pass rush again. The Bulldogs came up with seven sacks early in the season against Minnesota and Sacramento State, and six in the final two games against San Jose State and Nevada, and just six total in the other ten games.
There wasn’t the normal pressure of past Fresno State teams – dropping from 34 in 2017 to 24 in 2018 to 19 in 2019 – and that has to spike back up.
That might be tough with three starters gone off the front four and several of the producers for last year’s pass rush done. but there’s enough in place to manufacture a whole lot more pressure.
And that’s why …
Key Fresno State Bulldogs Player To A Successful Season
DE Kwami Jones, Sr.
Someone has to rise up on the end and become a force in the backfield.
After making 26 tackles with 2.5 sacks in 2018, the 6-2, 250-pound Jones was on his way to being a factor before missing most of last year hurt. He hasn’t been dominant since transferring in from College of San Mateo, but now he’ll get his shot to be the new star of the front seven.
At least, the team needs him to be a major factor.
Key Game To The Fresno State Bulldogs Season
San Diego State, Nov. 21
Hawaii represented the West in last year’s Mountain West championship. Fresno State was in the title game in 2014, 2017 and 2018, and San Diego State was in the title game in 2015 and 2016.
Fresno State beat San Diego State in 2014, 2017 and 2018, and it went the other way in 2015 and 2016.
The winner of the Bulldog-Aztec game won’t be assured of playing for the Mountain West title, but … assume the winner will be playing for the Mountain West title.
– Fresno State Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Fresno State Fun Stats
– Fumbles: Opponents 16 (lost 11) – Fresno State 15 (lost 7)
– Punt Return Average: Fresno State 13.3 – Opponents 4.2
– 4th Quarter Scoring: Opponents 108 – Fresno State 78
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Fresno State Bulldogs Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Fresno State Bulldogs Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
2019 was supposed to be a rebuilding year in what turned out to be the final season in the amazing and short run of the Jeff Tedford era, and now it’s up to Kalen DeBoer to turn it all back around in a hurry.
Fresno State became brutally efficient offensively in 2017 and 2018 runs to the Mountain West title game and 22 wins over two years, and last season the defense couldn’t find its groove again – especially when it came to getting into the backfield – and the offense stalled way too often.
But DeBoer is a talented and terrific get for the program as he tries to grow into the head coaching role. He’s going to try opening up the offense again, and he should bring the energy of a first time FBS head man – he coached at Sioux Falls for ten years in the 2000s – who knows how to generate production.
But there’s still plenty of rebuilding to do.
Set The Fresno State Bulldogs Regular Season Win Total At … 6.5
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 6
Fortunately, Fresno State is in the West.
There’s no Boise State to deal with, and missing Wyoming isn’t a bad thing. The Bulldogs will gear it all up with a win over Idaho State, and then it’s going to be about establishing something positive on the road.
They need to at least split the away games against Colorado State and Nevada, they’ll beat New Mexico State, and there can’t be a misfire against UNLV in Vegas or at home against San Jose State.
The schedule is built for at least six wins.
However, Tedford was able to take the one-win program to ten in just one season. DeBoer can take it from four to winning campaign with a bowl victory in his first year.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
