Boise State football opponent preview: Fresno State

The top two football programs in Mountain West history will face off for the final time in MWC regular-season play before heading off to the Pac-12. 

Boise State is a six-time MWC champion while Fresno State has captured four titles. The Broncos and Bulldogs are joining the Pac-12 next summer alongside fellow MWC schools Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State.

Fresno State missed Boise State last season en route to a 6-7 overall record that included a double-overtime loss to Northern Illinois in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. The Bulldogs won the 2023 matchup between the MWC powers at home, 37-30. 

Will Fresno State be able to hang with its archrival at Albertsons Stadium? 

Game 9: Fresno State at Boise State 

Date: Saturday, Nov. 1

Kickoff time: TBD

Location: Boise, Idaho

TV/Streaming: FOX networks 

Fresno State offense preview

Boise State’s trend of facing a new quarterback will continue against the Bulldogs as previous starter Mikey Keene transferred to Michigan.

Neither Rice transfer E.J. Warner nor Sacramento State transfer Carson Conklin secured the starting job in spring practice.

Warner, the son of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner, has started 31 career games for Temple and Rice with 8,814 passing yards, 58 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. Conklin put up solid numbers for the Hornets last season, completing 261 of 418 passes for 2,858 yards with 28 TDs and eight interceptions. 

Bryson Donelson had a strong freshman season for Fresno State, running for 462 yards and three scores on 77 carries. Elijah Gilliam also returns in the backfield after piling up 466 yards and eight TDs. 

The Bulldogs, who landed transfers from 11 different Power 4 programs during the offseason, are inexperienced at wide receiver and offensive line. 

Veteran Jacob Spomer is slated to start at center and anchor Fresno State’s offensive line. 

Fresno State defense preview

The Bulldogs should be well-schooled on defense with head coach Matt Entz and defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto. 

Entz guided North Dakota State to a pair of FCS national titles in his five seasons at the helm and spent last year as a defensive assistant at USC. Benedetto had plenty of success as the defensive coordinator at Northern Illinois, including a 16-14 upset of College Football Playoff finalist Notre Dame last season. 

Fresno State should be strong up front with the addition of defensive lineman Finn Claypool, who tallied 155 total tackles (51 for loss), 30.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles in three seasons at Drake. The Bulldogs are also counting on senior Korey Foreman, who appeared in 12 games last season after transferring from USC.

Linebacker Jadon Pearson, a Utah State transfer, recorded 42 total tackles a season ago. 

Senior cornerback Al’zillion Hamilton was Fresno State’s lone representative on the preseason all-MWC team. The Bulldogs also have a strong safety tandem in Jayden Davis and Camryn Bracha.