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

How will the Bulldogs fare in 2020?

Fresno State’s non-conference schedule in 2020 sets up with a pair of Power Five tests, an FCS opponent from the Big Sky, and one of the most downtrodden independent programs still operating at the FBS level.

Trips to Boulder and College Station hearken back to the Pat Hill days in Fresno, when the Bulldogs took on any and all opponents wherever they could.

On the other end of the spectrum, FCS Idaho State and New Mexico State offer must-win games if the Bulldogs are going to return to bowl eligibility. The Mountain West schedule lines up favorably for Fresno State this year, as the Milk Can Game against Boise State is off the schedule this year unless the two teams meet in the championship game.

What’s next for Fresno State?

Should the season commence on time, the Bulldogs get their first test of the season in a warm-up contest against Idaho State. Last season the Bengals went 3-9 against their Big Sky schedule, so Fresno State needs to use this opportunity to not just get a first win but to completely overpower an overmatched opponent and get meaningful reps for players deeper down the roster.

Prediction: 6-6 (4-4 MWC)

Unless Fresno State steal a game against Colorado or Texas A&M, the best the Bulldogs can probably hope for in 2020 is an even split in their non-conference schedule. That will require Kalen DeBoer’s team to find at least four wins in conference play if they hope to return to a bowl game this year. The wins are probably there, given their strength of schedule relative to preseason SP+.

The likeliest opportunities to win in Mountain West play will come in a three-game run in late October and early November against Nevada, Hawaii and UNLV.

Home games against Air Force and San Diego State and road contests at Colorado State and Utah State will be tough outs for the Bulldogs, making their home finale against San Jose State critical to reaching the postseason. Here’s guessing they get that sixth win to play in a bowl this year.