Last season was a major step backward for the Bulldogs, as they had gone 12-2 overall and 7-1 in Mountain West play in 2018, winning the division, the conference championship and eventually getting a win over Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. The down 2019 campaign led to the resignation of head coach Jeff Tedford, who was replaced by Kalen DeBoer, who himself is in his third overall season with the team. 

The good news is that DeBoer and his crew have some pretty solid playmakers returning this season, and if all goes well Fresno State should be able to do some damage offensively. Running back Ronnie Rivers returns for his senior season, and he’ll open up a lot of room for the quarterback—likely Jake Haener—to work the field with a deep crew of receivers. One storyline Fresno State is probably going to deal with this year is the health of their offensive line. Nine different players made at least one start there last year, so some consistency with avoiding the injury bug would go a long way toward the Bulldogs' success. 

Looking at Fresno State’s schedule, we’ll likely have a good idea of the team’s identity early on in the season. The Bulldogs have two tough matchups (at Colorado and Air Force) sandwiched around the open week, then have to travel to Colorado State and Texas A&M. The Nevada game looms large in late October, and San Diego State should be a potent team this year as well. Needless to say, none of those outings will be easy. 

Pick: I’m going with the over here. Overall, I’m optimistic about Fresno State’s chances; they’ve got a pretty good returning roster and an experienced coaching staff that should help the team reach its potential. There are some severely intimidating games on the schedule, but there are also a lot of wins to be had. I like the Bulldogs to improve over last season and reach the 7-to-8 win mark in 2020. 

2020 Fresno State Bulldogs Football Schedule 

Day, Date                                  Opponent

Saturday, September 5                Idaho State 

Saturday, September 12              at Colorado 

Saturday, September 19              OPEN 

Saturday, September 26              Air Force 

Saturday, October 3                    at Colorado State 

Saturday, October 10                  at Texas A&M 

Saturday, October 17                  New Mexico State   

Saturday, October 24                  at Nevada 

Saturday, October 31                  Hawaii    

Saturday, November 7                 at UNLV      

Saturday, November 14               at Utah State

Saturday, November 21               San Diego State 

Saturday, November 28               San Jose State 

Saturday, December 5                 MWC Championship