2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football team
American college football season
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The 2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented California State University, Fresno in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs were led by second-year head coach Jeff Tedford and played their home games at Bulldog Stadium. They were a member of the Mountain West Conference in the West Division.
| 2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football | |
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Mountain West champion MW West Division champion Las Vegas Bowl champion | |
Las Vegas Bowl, W 31–20 vs. Arizona State | |
| Conference | Mountain West Conference |
| West Division | |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 18 |
| AP | No. 18 |
| Record | 12–2 (7–1 MW) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Kalen DeBoer (2nd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
| Defensive coordinator | Bert Watts (1st season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Home stadium | Bulldog Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mountain Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Boise State x | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 22 Utah State | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wyoming | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Air Force | 3 | – | 5 | 5 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado State | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 Fresno State x$ | 7 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nevada | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hawaii | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Diego State | 4 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UNLV | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| San Jose State | 1 | – | 7 | 1 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Fresno State 19, Boise State 16 (OT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In one of the best seasons in program history, the Bulldogs finished the season 12–2, 7–1 in Mountain West play, to be champions of their conference's West Division. They represented the West Division in the Mountain West Championship Game, where they defeated Boise State to become Mountain West champions. They were invited to the Las Vegas Bowl where they defeated Arizona State. Their 12 wins were the most wins in a single season in school history.
Recruiting
Recruits
The Bulldogs signed a total of 17 recruits.[1]
| College recruiting (2018) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
| Nick Abbs OT |
Fresno, California | Fresno City College | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 280 lb (130 kg) | Oct 19, 2017 | |
Recruit ratings: Scout:  Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Ricardo Arias WR |
Fresno, California | McLane High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jul 14, 2017 | |
Recruit ratings: Scout:  Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Elijah Carson OT |
San Diego, California | Morse High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | Dec 20, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Steven Comstock QB |
Covina, California | Northview High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jun 24, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Shawn Dourseau S |
Perris, California | Citrus Hill High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jan 22, 2018 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Emoryie Edwards WR |
Tulare, California | Tulare Union High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | Jun 26, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Isaiah Johnson WR |
Modesto, California | Thomas Downey High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Feb 9, 2018 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Sherwin King S |
Fresno, California | Sunnyside High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Jul 14, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Matt Kjeldgaard DT |
Oakdale, California | Oakdale High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | Jul 14, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Matthew Lawson DT |
Ontario, California | Colony High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | Dec 14, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Leonard Payne DT |
Los Angeles, California | Salesian High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | Dec 17, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Deshawn Ruffin CB |
Fresno, California | Sunnyside High School | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | Jul 14, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Tyrone Sampson Jr. OC |
Detroit, Michigan | East English Village Preparatory Academy | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 330 lb (150 kg) | Feb 16, 2018 | |
Recruit ratings: Scout:  Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Clive Truschel OG |
Clovis, California | Clovis West High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | Dec 20, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Shamar Whestone CB |
Upland, California | Upland High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Apr 30, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Ben Wooldridge QB |
Pleasanton, California | Foothill High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jun 26, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Rodney Wright WR |
Fresno, California | Clovis West High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Dec 11, 2017 | |
| Recruit ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
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Preseason
Award watch lists
Listed in the order that they were released
| Award | Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuck Bednarik Award[2] | Jeffrey Allison | LB | JR |
| Maxwell Award[3] | Marcus McMaryion | QB | SR |
| Fred Biletnikoff Award[4] | KeeSean Johnson | WR | SR |
| John Mackey Award[5] | Jared Rice | TE | JR |
| Butkus Award[6] | Jeffrey Allison | LB | JR |
| Wuerffel Trophy[7] | Marcus McMaryion | QB | SR |
| Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[8] | Marcus McMaryion | QB | SR |
Mountain West media days
During the Mountain West media days held July 24–25 at the Cosmopolitan on the Las Vegas Strip, the Bulldogs were predicted as favorites to win the West Division title.[9]
Preseason All-Mountain West Team
The Bulldogs had two players selected to the preseason all-Mountain West team.[10]
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Offense KeeSean Johnson – WR Defense Jeffrey Allison – LB
|
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 1 | 7:00 p.m. | Idaho* | Stadium | W 79–13 | 31,170 | ||
| September 8 | 4:30 p.m. | at Minnesota* | FS1 | L 14–21 | 38,280 | ||
| September 15 | 7:30 p.m. | at UCLA* | FS1 | W 38–14 | 60,867 | ||
| September 29 | 7:30 p.m. | Toledo* |
| ESPNU | W 49–27 | 33,401 | |
| October 6 | 7:30 p.m. | at Nevada | ESPNU | W 21–3 | 15,367 | ||
| October 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Wyoming |
| ESPNU | W 27–3 | 28,501 | |
| October 20 | 4:30 p.m. | at New Mexico | ESPNU | W 38–7 | 16,708 | ||
| October 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Hawaii |
| ESPN2 | W 50–20 | 33,659 | |
| November 3 | 7:30 p.m. | at UNLV | No. 23 | CBSSN | W 48–3 | 15,276 | |
| November 9 | 7:15 p.m. | at Boise State | No. 23 | ESPN2 | L 17–24 | 33,118 | |
| November 17 | 7:30 p.m. | San Diego State |
| CBSSN | W 23–14 | 36,123 | |
| November 24 | 4:00 p.m. | San Jose State |
| ESPNU | W 31–13 | 26,162 | |
| December 1 | 4:45 p.m. | at No. 22 Boise State | No. 25 |
| ESPN | W 19–16 OT | 23,662 |
| December 15 | 12:30 p.m. | vs. Arizona State* | No. 21 |
| ABC | W 31–20 | 37,146 |
| |||||||
Game summaries
Idaho
Idaho Vandals at Fresno State Bulldogs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandals | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| Bulldogs | 16 | 28 | 14 | 21 | 79 |
at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California
- Date: September 1, 2018
- Game time: 7:06 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Clear, 88 °F (31 °C)
- Game attendance: 31,170
- Referee: Kelly Holman
- TV announcers (Stadium): Dan Hellie, David Carr, and Kelli Johnson
- Mims has 3 of Fresno State's 7 rushing TDs in win over Idaho,[15] Game Book[16]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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Junior defensive back Jaron Bryant was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week after returning two blocked field goals for touchdowns.[17]
At Minnesota
Fresno State Bulldogs at Minnesota Golden Gophers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Golden Gophers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 21 |
at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
- Date: September 8, 2018
- Game time: 6:40 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Clear, 72 °F (22 °C)
- Game attendance: 38,280
- Referee: Mark Kluczynski
- TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins and Ben Leber
- Winfield's late pick helps Minnesota beat Fresno St. 21–14,[18] Game Book[19]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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At UCLA
Fresno State Bulldogs at UCLA Bruins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 13 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 38 |
| Bruins | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
at Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
- Date: September 15, 2018
- Game time: 7:35 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Clear, 79 °F (26 °C)
- Game attendance: 60,867
- Referee: Mark Duddy
- TV announcers (FS1): Justin Kutcher, DeMarco Murray, and Petros Papadakis
- McMaryion scores 4 touchdowns to lead Fresno State over UCLA,[20] Game Book[21]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Toledo
Toledo Rockets at Fresno State Bulldogs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockets | 7 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 49 |
at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California
- Date: September 29, 2018
- Game time: 7:32 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Clear, 74 °F (23 °C)
- Game attendance: 33,401
- Referee: Kevin Hassell
- TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens and Kirk Morrison
- McMaryion accounts for 5 TDs, Fresno St. beats Toledo 49–27,[22] Game Book[23]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
At Nevada
Fresno State Bulldogs at Nevada Wolf Pack
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 0 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Wolf Pack | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Wyoming
Wyoming Cowboys at Fresno State Bulldogs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Bulldogs | 6 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 27 |
at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California
- Date: October 13, 2018
- Game time: 7:33 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Clear, 75 °F (24 °C)
- Game attendance: 28,501
- Referee: Brandon Cruse
- TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens and Kirk Morrison
- McMaryion accounts for 4 TDs, Fresno St. beats Wyoming 27–3,[26] Game Book[27]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
At New Mexico
Fresno State Bulldogs at New Mexico Lobos
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 10 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 38 |
| Lobos | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
at Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Date: October 20, 2018
- Game time: 5:32 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: Clear, 67 °F (19 °C)
- Game attendance: 16,708
- Referee: Reggie Smith
- TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens and Kirk Morrison
- McMaryion leads Fresno State past New Mexico 38–7,[28] Game Book[29]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Hawaii
51st rivalry meeting: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Fresno State Bulldogs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainbow Warriors | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Bulldogs | 14 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 50 |
at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California
- Date: October 27, 2018
- Game time: 7:40 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Clear, 75 °F (24 °C)
- Game attendance: 33,659
- Referee: David Alvarez
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Dave LaMont, Ray Bentley, and Olivia Dekker
- McMaryion energizes Fresno St. in 50–20 win over Hawaii,[30] Game Book[31]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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At UNLV
No. 20 Fresno State Bulldogs at UNLV Rebels
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 20 Bulldogs | 7 | 10 | 17 | 14 | 48 |
| Rebels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
at Sam Boyd Stadium, Whitney, Nevada
- Date: November 3, 2018
- Game time: 7:32 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 69 °F (21 °C)
- Game attendance: 15,276
- Referee: Kevin Hassell
- TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, and Amanda Balonis
- McMaryion, No. 20 Fresno State defense roll past UNLV,[32] Game Book[33]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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At Boise State
Battle for the Milk Can: No. 16 Fresno State Bulldogs at Boise State Broncos
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 16 Bulldogs | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
| Broncos | 3 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
- Date: November 9, 2018
- Game time: 8:25 p.m. MST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
- Game attendance: 33,118
- Referee: Cooper Castleberry
- TV announcers (ESPN2): Mike Couzens and Kirk Morrison
- Rypien leads Boise State past No. 16 Fresno State 24–17,[34] Game Book[35]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
San Diego State
Battle for the Old Oil Can: San Diego State Aztecs at Fresno State Bulldogs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aztecs | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California
- Date: November 17, 2018
- Game time: 7:39 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 55 °F (13 °C)
- Game attendance: 36,123
- Referee: David Alvarez
- TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, and Cameron Worrell
- Fresno St. beats SDSU 23–14, clinches berth in MW title game,[36] Game Book[37]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
San Jose State
Battle for the Valley Trophy: San Jose State Spartans at Fresno State Bulldogs
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 3 | 14 | 14 | 31 |
at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California
- Date: November 24, 2018
- Game time: 4:02 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 65 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 26,162
- Referee: Kevin Boltmann
- TV announcers (ESPNU): Jay Alter and Ray Bentley
- Johnson, Fresno State beat San Jose State 31–13,[38] Game Book[39]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
At Boise State (Mountain West Championship Game)
Mountain West Championship Game: No. 25 Fresno State Bulldogs at No. 19 Boise State Broncos
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 25 Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 19 |
| No. 19 Broncos | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho
- Date: December 1, 2018
- Game time: 5:50 p.m. MST
- Game weather: Rainy, 36 °F (2 °C)
- Game attendance: 23,662
- Referee: Kevin Hassell
- TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Todd McShay
- No. 24 Fresno State outlasts No. 19 Boise State in snow,[40] Game Book[41]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Vs. Arizona State (Las Vegas Bowl)
Las Vegas Bowl: No. 19 Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Arizona State Sun Devils
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 19 Bulldogs | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Sun Devils | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at Sam Boyd Stadium, Whitney, Nevada
- Date: December 15, 2018
- Game time: 12:36 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Sunny, 61 °F (16 °C)
- Game attendance: 37,146
- Referee: Charles Lamertina
- TV announcers (ABC): Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, and Tom Rinaldi
- Rivers, Fresno State top Arizona State in Las Vegas Bowl,[42] Game Book[43]
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Rankings
Honors
Mountain West
| Team | Player | Position | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| First | Christian Cronk | OL | SR |
| First | Mykal Walker | DL | JR |
| First | Jeff Allison | LB | JR |
| First | Tank Kelly | DB | SR |
| Second | KeeSean Johnson | WR | SR |
| Second | Jared Rice | TE | JR |
| Second | Micah St. Andrew | OL | SR |
| Second | JuJu Hughes | DB | JR |
| Second | Mike Bell | DB | JR |
| Second | Blake Cusick | P | JR |
| Honorable | Jason Bryant | DB | JR |
| Honorable | Jasad Haynes | DL | JR |
| Honorable | George Helmuth | LB | SR |
| Honorable | Marcus McMaryion | QB | SR |
Jeff Allison is the defensive player of the year in the Mountain West Conference.
Players drafted into the NFL
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 174 | KeeSean Johnson | WR | Arizona Cardinals |