2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football team

2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football
2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football
Mountain West champion; MW West Division champion; Las Vegas Bowl champion
MW Championship Game, ; W 19–16 OT vs. Boise State
Las Vegas Bowl, W 31–20 vs. Arizona State
Conference	Mountain West Conference
	West Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 18
AP	No. 18
Record	12–2 (7–1 MW)
Head coach	Jeff Tedford (2nd season);
Offensive coordinator	Kalen DeBoer (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Bert Watts (1st season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Bulldog Stadium
	Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

The 2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented California State University, Fresno in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs were led by second-year head coach Jeff Tedford and played their home games at Bulldog Stadium. They were a member of the Mountain West Conference in the West Division.

2018 Mountain West Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Mountain Division
No. 23 Boise State x	7	–	1	10	–	3
No. 22 Utah State	7	–	1	11	–	2
Wyoming	4	–	4	6	–	6
Air Force	3	–	5	5	–	7
Colorado State	2	–	6	3	–	9
New Mexico	1	–	7	3	–	9
West Division
No. 18 Fresno State x$	7	–	1	12	–	2
Nevada	5	–	3	8	–	5
Hawaii	5	–	3	8	–	6
San Diego State	4	–	4	7	–	6
UNLV	2	–	6	4	–	8
San Jose State	1	–	7	1	–	11
Championship: Fresno State 19, Boise State 16 (OT)
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

In one of the best seasons in program history, the Bulldogs finished the season 12–2, 7–1 in Mountain West play, to be champions of their conference's West Division. They represented the West Division in the Mountain West Championship Game, where they defeated Boise State to become Mountain West champions. They were invited to the Las Vegas Bowl where they defeated Arizona State. Their 12 wins were the most wins in a single season in school history.

Recruiting

Position key

Back	B	Center	C	Cornerback	CB	Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE	Defensive lineman	DL	Defensive tackle	DT	End	E
Fullback	FB	Guard	G	Halfback	HB	Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR	Offensive tackle	OT	Offensive lineman	OL	Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS	Punter	P	Punt returner	PR	Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB	Safety	S	Tight end	TE	Wide receiver	WR

Recruits

The Bulldogs signed a total of 17 recruits.^[1]

US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Nick Abbs OT	Fresno, California	Fresno City College	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	280 lb (130 kg)	Oct 19, 2017
Nick Abbs OT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Ricardo Arias WR	Fresno, California	McLane High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Jul 14, 2017
Ricardo Arias WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Elijah Carson OT	San Diego, California	Morse High School	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
Elijah Carson OT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Steven Comstock QB	Covina, California	Northview High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Jun 24, 2017
Steven Comstock QB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Shawn Dourseau S	Perris, California	Citrus Hill High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Jan 22, 2018
Shawn Dourseau S	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Emoryie Edwards WR	Tulare, California	Tulare Union High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	184 lb (83 kg)	Jun 26, 2017
Emoryie Edwards WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Isaiah Johnson WR	Modesto, California	Thomas Downey High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Feb 9, 2018
Isaiah Johnson WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Sherwin King S	Fresno, California	Sunnyside High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Jul 14, 2017
Sherwin King S	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Matt Kjeldgaard DT	Oakdale, California	Oakdale High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	Jul 14, 2017
Matt Kjeldgaard DT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Matthew Lawson DT	Ontario, California	Colony High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Dec 14, 2017
Matthew Lawson DT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Leonard Payne DT	Los Angeles, California	Salesian High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	Dec 17, 2017
Leonard Payne DT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Deshawn Ruffin CB	Fresno, California	Sunnyside High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	160 lb (73 kg)	Jul 14, 2017
Deshawn Ruffin CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Tyrone Sampson Jr. OC	Detroit, Michigan	East English Village Preparatory Academy	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	330 lb (150 kg)	Feb 16, 2018
Tyrone Sampson Jr. OC	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Clive Truschel OG	Clovis, California	Clovis West High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
Clive Truschel OG	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Shamar Whestone CB	Upland, California	Upland High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	Apr 30, 2017
Shamar Whestone CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Ben Wooldridge QB	Pleasanton, California	Foothill High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Jun 26, 2017
Ben Wooldridge QB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Rodney Wright WR	Fresno, California	Clovis West High School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Dec 11, 2017
Rodney Wright WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports:
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Fresno State Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 2, 2018. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 2, 2018.

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Chuck Bednarik Award^[2]	Jeffrey Allison	LB	JR
Maxwell Award^[3]	Marcus McMaryion	QB	SR
Fred Biletnikoff Award^[4]	KeeSean Johnson	WR	SR
John Mackey Award^[5]	Jared Rice	TE	JR
Butkus Award^[6]	Jeffrey Allison	LB	JR
Wuerffel Trophy^[7]	Marcus McMaryion	QB	SR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award^[8]	Marcus McMaryion	QB	SR

Mountain West media days

During the Mountain West media days held July 24–25 at the Cosmopolitan on the Las Vegas Strip, the Bulldogs were predicted as favorites to win the West Division title.^[9]

Media poll

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
West Division
1	Fresno State	126 (16)
2	San Diego State	116 (6)
3	UNLV	78
4	Nevada	72
5	Hawaii	45
6	San Jose State	25

Preseason All-Mountain West Team

The Bulldogs had two players selected to the preseason all-Mountain West team.^[10]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	7:00 p.m.	Idaho*		Bulldog Stadium Fresno, CA	Stadium	W 79–13	31,170
September 8	4:30 p.m.	at Minnesota*		TCF Bank Stadium Minneapolis, MN	FS1	L 14–21	38,280
September 15	7:30 p.m.	at UCLA*		Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA	FS1	W 38–14	60,867
September 29	7:30 p.m.	Toledo*		Bulldog Stadium Fresno, CA	ESPNU	W 49–27	33,401
October 6	7:30 p.m.	at Nevada		Mackay Stadium Reno, NV	ESPNU	W 21–3	15,367
October 13	7:30 p.m.	Wyoming		Bulldog Stadium Fresno, CA	ESPNU	W 27–3	28,501
October 20	4:30 p.m.	at New Mexico		Dreamstyle Stadium Albuquerque, NM	ESPNU	W 38–7	16,708
October 27	7:30 p.m.	Hawaii		Bulldog Stadium Fresno, CA (rivalry)	ESPN2	W 50–20	33,659
November 3	7:30 p.m.	at UNLV	No. 23	Sam Boyd Stadium Whitney, NV	CBSSN	W 48–3	15,276
November 9	7:15 p.m.	at Boise State	No. 23	Albertsons Stadium Boise, ID (Battle for the Milk Can)	ESPN2	L 17–24	33,118
November 17	7:30 p.m.	San Diego State		Bulldog Stadium Fresno, CA (Battle for the Oil Can)	CBSSN	W 23–14	36,123
November 24	4:00 p.m.	San Jose State		Bulldog Stadium Fresno, CA (Valley Cup)	ESPNU	W 31–13	26,162
December 1	4:45 p.m.	at No. 22 Boise State	No. 25	Albertsons Stadium Boise, ID (MW Championship Game)	ESPN	W 19–16 ^OT	23,662
December 15	12:30 p.m.	vs. Arizona State*	No. 21	Sam Boyd Stadium Whitney, NV (Las Vegas Bowl)	ABC	W 31–20	37,146
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 30 released prior to game All times are in Pacific time

Sources: ^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]

Game summaries

Idaho

Idaho Vandals at Fresno State Bulldogs

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Vandals	6	0	7	0	13
Bulldogs	16	28	14	21	79

at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California

Date: September 1, 2018
Game time: 7:06 p.m. PDT
Game weather: Clear, 88 °F (31 °C)
Game attendance: 31,170
Referee: Kelly Holman
TV announcers (Stadium): Dan Hellie, David Carr, and Kelli Johnson
Mims has 3 of Fresno State's 7 rushing TDs in win over Idaho,^[15] Game Book^[16]

Game information

Junior defensive back Jaron Bryant was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week after returning two blocked field goals for touchdowns.^[17]

At Minnesota

Fresno State Bulldogs at Minnesota Golden Gophers

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	7	7	14
Golden Gophers	7	3	0	11	21

at TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

Date: September 8, 2018
Game time: 6:40 p.m. CDT
Game weather: Clear, 72 °F (22 °C)
Game attendance: 38,280
Referee: Mark Kluczynski
TV announcers (FS1): Eric Collins and Ben Leber
Winfield's late pick helps Minnesota beat Fresno St. 21–14,^[18] Game Book^[19]

Game information

At UCLA

Fresno State Bulldogs at UCLA Bruins

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	13	3	15	7	38
Bruins	0	7	7	0	14

at Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California

Date: September 15, 2018
Game time: 7:35 p.m. PDT
Game weather: Clear, 79 °F (26 °C)
Game attendance: 60,867
Referee: Mark Duddy
TV announcers (FS1): Justin Kutcher, DeMarco Murray, and Petros Papadakis
McMaryion scores 4 touchdowns to lead Fresno State over UCLA,^[20] Game Book^[21]

Game information

Toledo

Toledo Rockets at Fresno State Bulldogs

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Rockets	7	6	0	14	27
Bulldogs	7	21	21	0	49

at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California

Date: September 29, 2018
Game time: 7:32 p.m. PDT
Game weather: Clear, 74 °F (23 °C)
Game attendance: 33,401
Referee: Kevin Hassell
TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens and Kirk Morrison
McMaryion accounts for 5 TDs, Fresno St. beats Toledo 49–27,^[22] Game Book^[23]

Game information

At Nevada

Fresno State Bulldogs at Nevada Wolf Pack

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	7	7	7	21
Wolf Pack	0	3	0	0	3

at Mackay Stadium, Reno, Nevada

Date: October 6, 2018
Game time: 7:35 p.m. PDT
Game weather: Rainy, 52 °F (11 °C)
Game attendance: 15,367
Referee: Steve Baron
TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Corey and Rene Ingoglia
McMaryion, Rivers help Fresno State beat Nevada 21–3,^[24] Game Book^[25]

Game information

Wyoming

Wyoming Cowboys at Fresno State Bulldogs

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	0	0	0	3
Bulldogs	6	7	14	0	27

at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California

Date: October 13, 2018
Game time: 7:33 p.m. PDT
Game weather: Clear, 75 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 28,501
Referee: Brandon Cruse
TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens and Kirk Morrison
McMaryion accounts for 4 TDs, Fresno St. beats Wyoming 27–3,^[26] Game Book^[27]

Game information

At New Mexico

Fresno State Bulldogs at New Mexico Lobos

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	10	14	14	0	38
Lobos	0	7	0	0	7

at Dreamstyle Stadium, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Date: October 20, 2018
Game time: 5:32 p.m. MDT
Game weather: Clear, 67 °F (19 °C)
Game attendance: 16,708
Referee: Reggie Smith
TV announcers (ESPNU): Mike Couzens and Kirk Morrison
McMaryion leads Fresno State past New Mexico 38–7,^[28] Game Book^[29]

Game information

Hawaii

51st rivalry meeting: Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Fresno State Bulldogs

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Rainbow Warriors	3	10	0	7	20
Bulldogs	14	23	10	3	50

at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California

Date: October 27, 2018
Game time: 7:40 p.m. PDT
Game weather: Clear, 75 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 33,659
Referee: David Alvarez
TV announcers (ESPN2): Dave LaMont, Ray Bentley, and Olivia Dekker
McMaryion energizes Fresno St. in 50–20 win over Hawaii,^[30] Game Book^[31]

Game information

At UNLV

No. 20 Fresno State Bulldogs at UNLV Rebels

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 Bulldogs	7	10	17	14	48
Rebels	0	0	0	3	3

at Sam Boyd Stadium, Whitney, Nevada

Date: November 3, 2018
Game time: 7:32 p.m. PDT
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 69 °F (21 °C)
Game attendance: 15,276
Referee: Kevin Hassell
TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, and Amanda Balonis
McMaryion, No. 20 Fresno State defense roll past UNLV,^[32] Game Book^[33]

Game information

At Boise State

Battle for the Milk Can: No. 16 Fresno State Bulldogs at Boise State Broncos

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Bulldogs	0	10	7	0	17
Broncos	3	0	7	14	24

at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho

Date: November 9, 2018
Game time: 8:25 p.m. MST
Game weather: Partly cloudy, 35 °F (2 °C)
Game attendance: 33,118
Referee: Cooper Castleberry
TV announcers (ESPN2): Mike Couzens and Kirk Morrison
Rypien leads Boise State past No. 16 Fresno State 24–17,^[34] Game Book^[35]

Game information

San Diego State

Battle for the Old Oil Can: San Diego State Aztecs at Fresno State Bulldogs

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Aztecs	7	7	0	0	14
Bulldogs	7	3	7	6	23

at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California

Date: November 17, 2018
Game time: 7:39 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 55 °F (13 °C)
Game attendance: 36,123
Referee: David Alvarez
TV announcers (CBSSN): Rich Waltz, Aaron Murray, and Cameron Worrell
Fresno St. beats SDSU 23–14, clinches berth in MW title game,^[36] Game Book^[37]

Game information

San Jose State

Battle for the Valley Trophy: San Jose State Spartans at Fresno State Bulldogs

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Spartans	0	0	0	13	13
Bulldogs	0	3	14	14	31

at Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, California

Date: November 24, 2018
Game time: 4:02 p.m. PST
Game weather: Cloudy, 65 °F (18 °C)
Game attendance: 26,162
Referee: Kevin Boltmann
TV announcers (ESPNU): Jay Alter and Ray Bentley
Johnson, Fresno State beat San Jose State 31–13,^[38] Game Book^[39]

Game information

At Boise State (Mountain West Championship Game)

Mountain West Championship Game: No. 25 Fresno State Bulldogs at No. 19 Boise State Broncos

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
No. 25 Bulldogs	7	3	3	0	6	19
No. 19 Broncos	7	0	0	6	3	16

at Albertsons Stadium, Boise, Idaho

Date: December 1, 2018
Game time: 5:50 p.m. MST
Game weather: Rainy, 36 °F (2 °C)
Game attendance: 23,662
Referee: Kevin Hassell
TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, and Todd McShay
No. 24 Fresno State outlasts No. 19 Boise State in snow,^[40] Game Book^[41]

Game information

Vs. Arizona State (Las Vegas Bowl)

Las Vegas Bowl: No. 19 Fresno State Bulldogs vs. Arizona State Sun Devils

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Bulldogs	10	7	7	7	31
Sun Devils	7	10	3	0	20

at Sam Boyd Stadium, Whitney, Nevada

Date: December 15, 2018
Game time: 12:36 p.m. PST
Game weather: Sunny, 61 °F (16 °C)
Game attendance: 37,146
Referee: Charles Lamertina
TV announcers (ABC): Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, and Tom Rinaldi
Rivers, Fresno State top Arizona State in Las Vegas Bowl,^[42] Game Book^[43]

Game information

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	RV	RV	—	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	20	16	RV	RV	25	19	18
Coaches	RV	RV	—	RV	—	RV	RV	RV	RV	23	17	RV	23	23	21	18
CFP	Not released									23	23	—	—	25	21	Not released

Honors

Mountain West

Team	Player	Position	Year
First	Christian Cronk	OL	SR
First	Mykal Walker	DL	JR
First	Jeff Allison	LB	JR
First	Tank Kelly	DB	SR
Second	KeeSean Johnson	WR	SR
Second	Jared Rice	TE	JR
Second	Micah St. Andrew	OL	SR
Second	JuJu Hughes	DB	JR
Second	Mike Bell	DB	JR
Second	Blake Cusick	P	JR
Honorable	Jason Bryant	DB	JR
Honorable	Jasad Haynes	DL	JR
Honorable	George Helmuth	LB	SR
Honorable	Marcus McMaryion	QB	SR

Jeff Allison is the defensive player of the year in the Mountain West Conference.

^[44]

Players drafted into the NFL

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
6	174	KeeSean Johnson	WR	Arizona Cardinals

References

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Search

2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football team

Contents

Recruiting

Position key

Recruits

Preseason

Award watch lists

Mountain West media days

Media poll

Preseason All-Mountain West Team

Schedule

Game summaries

Idaho

At Minnesota

At UCLA

Toledo

At Nevada

Wyoming

At New Mexico

Hawaii

At UNLV

At Boise State

San Diego State

San Jose State

At Boise State (Mountain West Championship Game)

Vs. Arizona State (Las Vegas Bowl)

Rankings

Honors

Mountain West

Players drafted into the NFL

References

2018 Fresno State Bulldogs football

Mountain West champion MW West Division champion Las Vegas Bowl champion
MW Championship Game, W 19–16 ^OT vs. Boise State
Las Vegas Bowl, W 31–20 vs. Arizona State
Conference	Mountain West Conference
Division	West Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 18
AP	No. 18
Record	12–2 (7–1 MW)
Head coach	Jeff Tedford (2nd season)
Offensive coordinator	Kalen DeBoer (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Bert Watts (1st season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Bulldog Stadium
Seasons ← 2017 2019 →