Fresno State Football: Jeff Tedford is the secret to the Bulldogs’ success

2018 Fresno State Schedule and Predictions

Fresno State’s season really begins in Week 2. After a warm-up game against an Idaho team that just transitioned down from the FBS to the FCS, the real fun begins. The Bulldogs follow up the opener against the Vandals with back-to-back road trips to Minnesota and UCLA. Win against even one of those teams, and the Bulldogs could begin to sniff around an Access Bowl opportunity.

After a bye week, the non-conference schedule concludes with a visit to Fresno by Toledo. The Rockets should be a contender once again in the MAC, so that could serve as a Group of Five elimination game. Then Mountain West fun begins.

Road trips to Nevada, New Mexico, and UNLV should cause little worry for Fresno State. The trip to Boise to face the Broncos in the Battle for the Milk Can is always a major challenge. Fresno beat Boise State once last season, at home to steal the Milk Can, but couldn’t follow up the victory a week later on the Smurf Turf for the MWC crown.

If they can get past the Broncos with an unbeaten or one-loss record, two old foes remain. San Diego State hopes to regain its primacy in the Mountain West after failing to three-peat in 2017. Then San Jose State, the same team that doomed Fresno State’s BCS Buster bid in 2013, comes to the Central Valley. After that, a potential date against the MWC Mountain winner would settle the conference bragging rights if Fresno State makes it that far.

What’s next for Fresno State?

For the Bulldogs, they cannot overlook Idaho. But most of the season hinges on a few key early tests and a few key late tests. October should provide a relatively straightforward series of victories. September dates with Power Five opponents could bring national attention to Fresno State, and November dates with MWC rivals will settle whether the Bulldogs are serious contenders for the conference crown.

Prediction: 8-4 (6-2 Mountain West)

The offense will improve under McMaryion in 2018. But with Orlondo Steinauer back in Canada, the defense will regress under Watts. Add it up, and the Bulldogs will have trouble remaining consistent enough to maintain a hold on the division in the upcoming campaign.

Next: Post-spring Top 25 projections

Tedford is a good coach, and Fresno State will be back in a bowl game. They could even get a statement win in one of their Power Five opportunities. But double digits in the win column are too much to ask for a second straight year.