Mountain West Football: 12 most important 2017 non-conference games
By Zach Bigalke
Fresno State made a name for itself in the 1990s and early 2000s under Pat Hill by being willing to take on anyone at anytime and anywhere. Of course, it also helped that the Bulldogs took advantage of those opportunities by beating top-tier competition. If the current squad is going to make any noise in 2017, they need to at least show up and be competitive.
That means the September 9 trip to Tuscaloosa probably won’t result in a win for Fresno State. Few teams manage to go to Bryant-Denny Stadium and knock off the Crimson Tide, after all. And Nick Saban is bound to have another strong roster at his disposal as Alabama strives to return to the College Football Playoff for a fourth straight year.
This game, however, will help determine where the Bulldogs stand in their development. Fresno State has fallen from 6-8 to 3-9 to 1-11 in the three seasons since Derek Carr was drafted by the Oakland Raiders. The Alabama is a referendum on whether the team will manage to be competitive in the Mountain West in new head coach Jeff Tedford’s first season at the helm.