Fresno State Football: Can Bulldogs compete for Mountain West title in 2019?

Quarterback battle is the focus on offense

When Ronnie Rivers was on his game last season, there were few backs that could match his production at the FBS level. In the Las Vegas Bowl against Arizona State, Rivers went off for 212 yards and two touchdowns on two dozen carries. In the previous game for the MWC crown against Boise State, he was the hero in overtime on the game-winning touchdown.

Too often in 2018, though, Rivers played at a fraction of his potential. Only twice, including the bowl win, did he top 100 yards in a game. The other contest where Rivers topped triple digits was the late October win at home against Hawaii.

Getting the run game up to speed will depend on Rivers playing more consistently. The fact that he has to do so behind one of the most inexperienced offensive lines in the country will make things that much more difficult for the Bulldogs as they try to rebound from a year where they finished 86th in rushing offense as a team.

Focusing on the quarterback situation

A rebuilt offensive line will also make life more difficult for the quarterback replacing Marcus McMaryion. Tedford benefitted from an experienced transfer quarterback from Oregon State for his first two seasons in the Central Valley, and now he has to work with a new passer.

Now is the time for the man who groomed two future Super Bowl champions and a half-dozen first-round picks in the NFL Draft to step up his game once again. Tedford is likely to lean on junior-college transfer Jorge Reyna, who spent the past two years learning first as a redshirt on the scout team in 2017 and then as McMaryion’s backup last season.

Reyna offers a dual-threat skill set that could translate well to the Mountain West. As a sophomore at West Los Angeles College in 2016, Reyna threw for more than 3600 yards with 39 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He also ran for seven touchdowns and nearly 400 yards. If he can translate that potential to the FBS level, Fresno State shouldn’t miss a beat. Of course, that is always a big if with an unproven quarterback.