Fresno State Bulldogs 2018 Football Preview

Fresno State Bulldogs 2018 Football Preview

Opening Statement: Jeff Tedford's big return to college football was triumphant in 2017, as his Bulldogs bounced back from the cellar of the West Division of the Mountain West to win the division and finish with 10 wins. This was unthinkable at one point with as bad as the program became under former coach Tim DeRuyter, and the final days of Pat Hill were no picnic either. Still, Tedford took a tattered and beaten program, and turned it back into the proud winner that this program had been for years. This was no simple job, and what will be more difficult is taking the league by surprise once again.

Breakdown Offense: Marcus McMaryion's transfer from Oregon State at QB was one of the best things to happen to Fresno State in years. He took over at QB after Chase Virgil struggled early, and created a path at the position that the Bulldogs had not seen in some time. He passed for 2726 yards, with 14 TDs and just 5 INTs, but he gave them consistency, and that stabilized a struggling offense. He added 4 more scores on the ground, and kept defenses honest on a weekly basis.

The bad news at QB is that Virgil transferred to SE Louisiana, giving Fresno State zero experience on the bench behind McMaryion. Jorge Reyna, a JC transfer, could be the answer, but RS freshman Kyle Lindquist is fighting for a look. That fight should continue into the fall.

The Bulldogs really struggled to run the ball effectively last fall, and the line played no small part in that. Finding a back who can step up and make things happen may be dependent on better line play as much as it depends on finding someone who can take the job and run with it, and nobody has presented themselves as that guy, as a committee, the Bulldogs rushed for 155 yards, which was an improvement over the year before, but a star has not been identified yet. Jordan Mims rushed for 627 yards and 6 scores, while Ronnie Rivers rushed for 480 yards and 5 scores. Josh Hokit led the team with 7 rushing scores, along with 583 yards. DeJonte O'Neal and Saevion Johnson had limited carries and action last fall, but this should be the deepest the Bulldog RB stable has been in some time.

KeeSean Johnson is one of the more talented receivers in the nation, and returns as a senior after posting a line of 77-1013-8, and he averaged 13.16 yards per catch. Experience and production drops off significantly after Johnson, however, as Jamire Jordan caught just 27 passes, and is the next best receiver returning as far as numbers are concerned. Derrion Grim is back as the 3rd option after catching 13 passes last fall. Justin Allen and Kevin Parker also caught passes and provide some limited depth.

Jared Rice caught 22 passes at TE last fall and returns, but could get pushed for reps by senior Kyle Rittering, who caught 8 passes as a junior.

The line appears fairly set coming out of spring ball. Christian Kronk (LT), Netani Muti (LG), Markus Boyer (C), Micah St. Andrew (RG), and Syrus Tuitele (RT) are all projected as starters. This is a veteran unit overall, with 3 seniors starting, and so expectations are high. Nick Aibuedefeprovides as a backup at the OT spots, while Quireo Woodley is the backup inside.

Breakdown Defense: The Bulldogs allowed just 17.9 points per game last fall, but have some holes to fill if they want to repeat that feat this season.

Kwami Jones, a JC transfer, is the only real locked up option at DE this fall, as the Bulldogs lose both starters and a ton of production from last fall. Jones finished with 2 TFLs last fall in his first season in the program. Emeka Ndoh could get a look, as could Damian DeGruy, but the position, like the rest of the line, is thin.

Jasad Haynes and Kevin Atkins project as the starters at DT this fall. They combined for 4 TFLs last fall, and need some experience. Again, depth is a problem on the interior as it is on the exterior.

Jeffrey Allison is the star of the defense, and returns after recording 124 tackles last fall. He added 5.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 3 PBUs, and 2 forced fumbles. He starts at MLB, while Georgie Helmuth (89 tackles) returns at start at SLB. Helmuth added 8 TFLs, 4 sacks, and 5 QB hurries. James Bailey returns at WLB, and recorded 71 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and 2 PBUs. You will be hard pressed to find a better starting LB unit in the Mountain West this season. Justin Rice and Trent Soechting provide backup depth and experience in the program that few teams have this fall.

Anthoula Kelly and Jaron Bryant are projected as the starters at CB this fall, and they combined for 15 PBUs. Bryant led the team with 4 INTs on the season and recorded 67 tackles. Kelly finished with 44 tackles. Sherman Coleman, a senior, is the 3rd CB when needed, and played in 7 games last fall.

JuJu Hughes, a junior, is the starter at SS, while Mike Bell, also a junior, is the FS. Hughes finished with 7 PBUs last fall, and added 71 tackles in a solid season. Bell added 77 tackles of his own, and knocked away 3 passes. Ka'Lonn Milton Provides work as the 3rd Safety.

Breakdown Special Teams: Jimmy Camacho is gone at PK after hitting 25 FGs last fall. Even mor concerning is that he attempted 32 of them, so his leg was incredibly important last fall. Asa Fuller and Mateo Thompson, a JC transfer, will battle in the fall for the job to replace him. Blake Cusick, who averaged 42.54 yards per punt on 4.8 punts per game, returns.

Dejonte O'Neal returns at KR, but averaged just over 19 yards per return last fall, and could be pushed this fall by Jamire Jordan.

O'Neal averaged 13.33 yards per PR last fall, and could find his way back into that role once again as well.

Final Analysis: While it may be difficult to sneak up on everyone in the Mountain West once again, the talent to do so is on hand. Fresno State has some issues to iron out defensively up front, but the LB and DB corps are both rock solid, with tons of veteran experience on hand at the starting and backup spots. Offensively, McMaryion will have to increase what he was able to do, because he won't be shocking anyone again. Having KeeSean Johnson to throw to will be a huge gain, but the Bulldogs need to find other capable receivers to get the ball to, or else Johnson will get bottled up. Finding a step up star at RB should be important as well. Fresno State has the talent on hand to win the West once again, but will be in a dog fight with San Diego State. Can they get past the Aztecs, only to face an improved Boise State in the championship game once again? Possibly.