Fresno State Football: Can Kalen DeBoer lead Bulldogs back to top?

Kalen DeBoer will kickstart offense

Last year, when Kalen DeBoer left Fresno State to take the Indiana offensive coordinator position, the Bulldogs regressed on offense. After ranking in the top 30 nationally in scoring, the Bulldogs regressed by 4.6 points per game to fall out of the top 50 in the FBS. The hope is that DeBoer’s return to town revives a unit back to its previous standard.

For the third straight season, Fresno State will turn to a new quarterback to lead its offense. Jorge Reyna took over under center after Marcus McMaryion’s graduation, with a subsequent drop-off in results. Now the job falls to Washington transfer Jake Haener to try to return the passing game to its previous productivity.

Five of the top seven receivers return from last year’s roster, including top threat Zane Pope. Offensive tackle Syrus Tuitele and center Matt Smith provide veteran leadership along what will be an otherwise young line.

Focusing on Ronnie Rivers

The most important cog in the offense this season, however, is senior running back Ronnie Rivers. Over his first three seasons in Fresno, Rivers has gradually improved as both a runner and a receiver out of the backfield. Now he must take the next leap in his final year of college eligibility for Fresno State to have any chance at reaching a bowl game and contending in the Mountain West.

Last year Rivers racked up a baker’s dozen of scoring runs and a trio of receiving scores to lead the Mountain West in total touchdowns. In addition to leading the team in rushing, Rivers also ranked second on the team with 352 receiving yards on 43 catches.

If Rivers can top 1,000 yards on the ground this season for the first time in his college career, and add another 300 to 400 yards running routes out of the backfield, it could be the difference between an offensive rebound and another regression further back to the mean.