The Ducks would be foolish to look ahead to their week two showdown in Columbus, Ohio. Fresno State will have an upset on their minds following a dominant performance in their warm-up game.
After a 3-3 season in 2020, Fresno State was one of nine FBS teams to take part in a “week zero” matchup, defeating Connecticut 45-0 last Saturday. While the Bulldogs were expected to win by four touchdowns, the scoreboard read 31-0 at halftime.
There aren’t many conclusions to draw from the beatdown — especially considering UConn hadn’t played a game in 21 months — but it was a reminder that the Bulldogs should not be taken lightly.
A program on the rise?
Fresno State isn’t far from the top of the Mountain West. In 2018, the Bulldogs beat Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl to finish with a 12-1 record, their best to date.
While then-head coach Jeff Tedford retired after the 2019 season, his successor Kalen DeBoer boasts three national titles in the NAIA collegiate ranks. He went 67-3 between 2005-2009 coaching Sioux Falls, his alma mater. Of course, Division I-A is a different animal, especially in Eugene — and especially in front of a packed Autzen Stadium.
Oregon defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter has his own ties to the Fresno State program. DeRuyter was the head coach in Fresno from 2012-2016. He led the program to an 11-2 record and a Mountain West title in his second season with now-NFL quarterback Derek Carr.
Transfers
Mario Cristobal called the upcoming opponent “an impressive team — they have a lot of good players and they’ve acquired a lot of good players through the transfer portal.”
Washington transfer and senior Jake Haener leads Fresno at quarterback. He completed 20-of-26 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns in the opener. Wide receiver Ty Jones also transferred in from UW and caught a touchdown in the first half against UConn.
Fresno State totals seven new players from the transfer portal. Linebacker Tyson Maeva and safety Elijah Gates are the two other transfers to be named starters.
Defense
Defensively, Fresno State runs a 4-2-5 formation. The scheme ideally gives them the flexibility to switch from a true run-stopping front seven to an extra defensive back in pass coverage without changing personnel.
The fifth defensive back is their “Husky” position, a linebacker-safety hybrid. Sophomore Justin Houston played 41 of 64 snaps as the Husky in week zero, logging four tackles and a pass deflection.
Against UConn, the defense allowed just 107 yards (72 passing, 35 rushing) and produced a scoop-and-score touchdown. UConn was held to 2-for-16 on third down conversions.
Ground game
The star of Fresno’s show has to be senior running back Ronnie Rivers. Rivers, who opted into another year instead of entering the NFL Draft, set the school touchdown record with a 61-yard catch in the second quarter against UConn. He led the Mountain West Conference in all-purpose yards per game (163.8) in 2020.
Rivers is backed up by another experienced senior in Jordan Mims, as well as junior Jevon Bigelow. Any three of these backs have the potential to catch an unprepared defense off guard.
Experience
Rivers is part of a deep returning group. According to Bill Connelly of ESPN, Fresno State is returning 86% of its overall production from 2020. Many Fresno State faithfuls are praising this roster as its best in recent memory –– possibly ever.
Conversely, Connelly’s SP+, which adds recent recruiting and history to the equation, have the Bulldogs rated 82nd out of 130 nationally. Oregon has more talented players at every position and is expected to win handily. The Ducks are slated as three-touchdown favorites.
Oregon is 2-7 all-time against the Bulldogs, although the last loss came in 1982. While the talent gap favors the Ducks, Fresno State will be highly motivated against one of two Power Five opponents this year.
As Cristobal put it, “[It’s] gonna be a tremendous test for us.”
