Fresno State Football: Are Bulldogs ready for a breakout season?

How will Fresno State football fare in 2021?

The Bulldogs have had a great history of coming back from disappointing seasons and rebuilding processes to get back into contention for conference titles. It wasn’t long ago when the Bulldogs were 22-6 in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Head coach Kalen DeBoer believes he has found the right coaching staff that can utilize the talent they currently possess.

There isn’t pressure for them to win big this 2021 College Football season, but the team believes it has what it takes to win the West Divisional title this season. The Bulldogs will battle a schedule composed of two Pac-12 teams, some tough road games, and two of the top projected teams in the Mountain Division in Boise State and Wyoming.

There is potential for the Bulldogs to compete heavily for the MWC title, but they will need to go through a tough gauntlet of games.

• Game 1: Connecticut (W) – This will be the first college football game for the UConn Huskies since the 2019 season. There will be some bad play from the Huskies on both sides of the ball.
• Game 2: at Oregon (L) – The Ducks will be a heavy favorite to win the Pac-12, it is highly unlikely for the Bulldogs to be within 14 by halftime.
• Game 3: Cal Poly (W) – Cal Poly only played three games last season. Defensively, they were overmatched by allowing an average of 56.3 points per game.
• Game 4: at UCLA (L) – The Bruins look to be more aggressive on both sides of the ball as head coach Chip Kelly fights for his job.
• Game 5: UNLV (W) – The Bulldogs defeated the Rebels last year with a 40-27 on the road. They will host the Rebels this season.
• Game 6: at Hawaii (W) – While Hawaii returns some key starters, its below average in most major offensive and defensive categories.
• Game 7: at Wyoming (W) – The Bulldogs get a big win on the road as they will have an edge in the weaknesses of the Cowboys this season.
• Game 8: Nevada (L) – In a potential MWC game of the year, the Bulldogs’ offense will fall short playing catch up with an explosive offense of the Wolf Pack.
• Game 9: at San Diego State (W) – The one weakness of the dominant Aztecs defense is their ability to stop the passing game, which is something that Fresno State can exploit.
• Game 10: Boise State (L) – The Broncos’ high-power offense looks more consistent now that their star players have experience.
• Game 11: New Mexico (W) – Fresno State football has more experience and more capable playmakers than the Lobos.
• Game 12: at San Jose State (L) – Like the Wolf Pack, the Spartans will have a dominant defense and an explosive offense.

Prediction: 7-5 (5-3 in MWC play)

The Fresno State Bulldogs come into this season expecting to compete for the Mountain West Conference. While they have the talent to win some big games, they are not up to the potential as other members in the conference such as Boise State and Nevada.

It doesn’t help that the Bulldogs will face the top four projected teams in the Mountain West. Just winning one of these games will help their bowl eligibility case tremendously.

The Bulldogs offense looks to be one of the most explosive offenses in the Mountain West due to their devotion to the passing game. They also have a solid run game thanks to their star running back in Ronnie Rivers.

It will be up to their offensive line that will determine how consistently the Bulldogs will drive the ball down the field. Defensively, the Bulldogs look to have a solid defensive line that can put pressure on the opposing quarterback. The defense will need to be more efficient in stopping the run as there are talented backfields in the Mountain West this season.

Fresno State will have a big hurdle to climb this season with a brutal schedule in conference play, it may be able to shock some teams down the line depending on how well the Bulldogs have developed over the offseason.

There is little doubt after a productive year last season that Bulldogs won’t be going to a postseason bowl game. The Bulldogs will look to go even higher this season. An overall record of 7-5 will not be disappointing, considering the teams that Fresno State will have to play. If there is an upset this season, Fresno State looks to be on the right side of it to potentially be in the mix for the West Divisional title this season.