College Football News Preview 2021: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Fresno State 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
– Fresno State Bulldogs Schedule Analysis
– Fresno State Bulldogs Previews
2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2020 Record: 3-3 overall, 3-3 in Mountain West
Head Coach: Kalen DeBoer, 2nd year 3-3
2020 CFN Final Ranking: 96
2020 CFN Preview Ranking: 77
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 91
Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Preview 2021: Offense
– The Fresno State offense in the first year under head coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb came up with a solid first season for an offense that finished No. 1 in the Mountain West and fifth in the nation in passing.
– It all starts with QB Jake Haener, a Washington transfer who got better as the year went on and with four 300-yard performances in the six games. He’s got all of his main receivers back with the top five wide receivers returning led by Jalen Cropper, who caught a team-high 37 passes for 520 yards and five scores. There’s a terrific blend of experience, size, and quick options in the group that should be among the best in the Mountain West.
– It only seems like Ronnie Rivers has been around since the David Carr era. The 5-9, 195-pound senior is back to provide the perfect balance to the big passing game as the leader and star of a deep and strong group of backs.
Rivers led the way with 507 yards and seven scores, and he’s once again joined by Jordan Mims who brings a bit more power. Helping the cause is Utah transfer Jordan Wilmore to make a good situation stronger.
Now the offensive line has to be stronger to give the group room to move. Rivers and Mims each averaged over five yards per carry, but there were too many problems in pass protection and keeping teams out of the backfield. Three starters are expected back, but top blocker Syrus Tuitele is gone at right tackle.
– What You Need To Know: Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Fresno State Bulldogs Schedule Analysis
NEXT: Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Preview 2021: Defense
4. Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Preview 2021: Defense
– On the good side, almost all of the starters and the top 20 tacklers from last year are back. Now everyone has to be better for a D that was brilliant at getting into the backfield – the Bulldogs were third in the nation in sacks – but gave u too many big plays and was pounded on against the run.
– The defense starts with the pass rushing ends. The combination of Kwami Jones and David Preales combined for nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss from the outside, and 6-3, 310-pound Kevin Atkins is a solid pass rusher from the interior. There’s decent size overall and enough depth to come up with a more consistent rotation.
– The linebackers have to make more big things happen in the 4-2-5 alignment. That’s where FIU/Boise State transfer Tyson Maeva brings some thump with his 230-pound size along with 233-pound sophomore Malachi Langley and a slew of smaller, quicker linebackers.
It’s not a plus that CB Bralyn Lux led the team in tackles, but he can hit. Like everywhere else on the D, almost everyone is back in the secondary – junior S Evan Williams is a potential all-star – but like the rest of the defense, the stops have to come.
– What You Need To Know: Offense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Fresno State Bulldogs Schedule Analysis
NEXT: Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Preview 2021: Top Players
Best Fresno State Bulldogs Offensive Player
QB Jake Haener, Sr.
Yeah, yeah, yeah … Ronnie Rivers is probably the best Fresno State offensive player. Haener, though, is going to be the star who makes everything go. He’s not all that big, but the 6-1, 195-pound former big recruit for Washington can sling it, hitting 65% of his passes for 2,021 yards and 14 touchdowns with five picks in his first season with the Bulldogs. He ran for three scores, but he’s not going to do much on the ground.
Great as the season wore on, he threw for over 400 yards in two of the last three games and gave up just two picks over the last five games after starting out the season with three picks against Hawaii.
2. RB Ronnie Rivers, Sr.
3. WR Jalen Cropper, Jr.
4. WR Keric Wheatfall, Sr.
5. WR Josh Kelly, Soph.
Best Fresno State Bulldogs Defensive Player
DE David Perales, Sr.
The Bulldogs got a top pass rusher who rocked right away from the JUCO ranks. The All-Mountain West performer led the way with 8.5 tackles for loss with 4.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, and 27 tackles as a quick playmaker off the edge. He’s only 6-3 and 245 pounds, but he can move.
2. DT Kevin Atkins, Sr.
3. LB Tyson Maeva, Sr.
4. DE Kwami Jones, Sr.
5. S Evan Williams, Jr.
Top Incoming Fresno State Bulldogs Transfer
LB Tyson Maeva, Sr.
The Bulldogs are bringing in several solid transfers who’ll play big roles right away. The 6-0, 230-pounder, though, should be a star from the moment he steps on the field. He put up 185 tackles with five sacks and 12 tackles for loss for Boise State, transferred to FIU and made 19 tackles with a sack in his four games, and now he should be one of Fresno State’s leading tacklers.
NEXT: Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Preview 2021: Keys To The Season
Fresno State Bulldogs Biggest Key: Offense
The pass protection has to be better. The offensive line has size and experience, and the top running backs averaged over five yards per carry, but QB Jake Haener needs more time to work and there can’t be so many plays allowed behind the line.
The Bulldogs allowed 24 sacks on the season with three or more in five of the six games, bottoming out against New Mexico in the season finale allowing eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Fresno State Bulldogs Biggest Key: Defense
Generate more third down stops. It’s crazy that a defense that finished third in the nation in sacks and was great at generating tackles for loss just couldn’t get off the field in the losses.
New Mexico was able to convert time after time – 12-of-16 times – to close out a rough year for the Bulldog D that allowed conversions over 48% of the time. The offense will do its part to crank up the production and pick up the slack, but the defense has to stop allowing so many big plays.
Fresno State Bulldogs Key Player To A Successful Season
DT Kevin Atkins, Sr.
The four-year veteran is back for his senior season as one of the key parts of the defensive front. The 6-5, 310-pounder hasn’t been the problem for the run defense that struggled last year, but for a run D that allowed over 212 yards per game, he’s got to be an even stronger anchor.
He already logged in 100 tackles with 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in his four years, and he’s got the pass rushers around him. As long as he’s healthy and producing, the D will be better.
Fresno State Bulldogs Key Game To The 2021 Season
Nevada, Oct. 23
If the Bulldogs have any hopes of winning the West division, taking down the Wolf Pack at home is a must. San Diego State, Hawaii and San Jose State are on the road – and with Boise State to deal with from the Mountain – so lose to Nevada for the third year in a row and there’s going to be a big problem.
– Fresno State Bulldogs Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2020 Fresno State Bulldogs Fun Stats
– Average Yards Per Carry: Opponents 5.2 – Fresno State 3.4
– Time of Possession: Fresno State 31:38 – Opponents 28:22
– Fresno State 2nd Quarter Scoring: 88 – 2nd Half Scoring: 68
NEXT: Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
Fresno State Bulldogs College Football Preview 2021: What Will Happen, Season Prediction
Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer knows offense.
He was great at the head coach of the University of Sioux Falls, he was strong as an offensive coordinator as he worked his way up the ladder, and his Fresno State team was outstanding offensively in his first season as the head coach of the program.
Now it’s time for the defense to do its part.
It was great at generating pressure, but it had a whole slew of problems in the 3-3 season. And now comes the turn.
Out of a new coaching staff – especially in the insane 2020 season – all you really want is to see the vision. You want to see how the program is about to be a differentiating factor under a coach, and this one has the offensive style and the aggressive defense.
And this year’s version has the experience, too.
Set The Fresno State Bulldogs Regular Season Win Total At … 6.5
Everyone seemingly has experience with a year full of super-seniors, but Fresno State has depth, transfers, and talent to go along with all of the guys taking an extra year before dealing with the real world. This one will keep the offense rolling and will get just a wee bit more out of the defense.
That should be enough for a pivot.
The Bulldogs will will get by UConn, Cal Poly, UNLV, and New Mexico – even after last year’s loss to the Lobos – and they’ll be stronger against the better teams.
There might not be quite enough to win the West division – especially with a brutal conference road schedule – but DeBoer will get Fresno State to a bowl game for the first time in three years.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Fresno State Bulldogs Schedule Analysis
