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Fresno State Football: 2023 Non-Conference Schedule Breakdown
The Bulldogs will be challenged in non-conference play this fall, but the path is there for a fast start against quality opponents.
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New chapter, new tests.
After ripping off its fourth ten-win campaign in the last six seasons, the Fresno State Bulldogs will get back to work in 2023 and look to extend one of the most successful prolonged runs in program history while turning over new leaves on a lot of fronts.
As usual, Jeff Tedford’s ‘Dogs will be tested in non-conference action, hitting the road for a pair of contests against Power 5 opponents while hosting a MAC foe for the first time since 2018 and a Big Sky power looking to get back on track after a down year. Here’s a brief rundown on each one.
Saturday, September 2, 9:00 AM – at Purdue
The Boilermakers had a very successful 2022, winning the Big Ten West division and then having five players selected in the NFL Draft this past April, but that progress came with a cost: Head coach Jeff Brohm bolted West Lafayette for Louisville, his alma mater, and was replaced by Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.
Like the Bulldogs, though, turnover doesn’t necessarily mean Purdue is down and out. Texas quarterback Hudson Card arrived through the transfer portal to replace Aidan O’Connell and key playmakers return on both offense and defense like running back Devon Mockobee and linebacker Nic Caraway, so while the Boilermakers only return roughly half of their starters from last season, Big Ten road trips are never easy and the ‘Dogs will need to be at their best to avoid getting tripped up at the starting line.
Saturday, September 9, Kickoff TBD – vs. Eastern Washington
Life can come at you fast in the FCS. After finishing 10-3 in 2021 and then starting the season as a top-15 squad last fall, the Eagles fell to 3-8 for their first losing season since 2006. The primary culprit for that fall was a shaky defense which allowed the second-most yards per play, 6.92, of any in FCS and coughed up a whopping 42.4 points per game.
EWU is typically led by its offense, anyway, and that remained fairly potent behind quarterback Kekoa Visperas, wide receiver Efton Chism III, and others, so while this is likely to be more of a tuneup than anything for Fresno State, it was only two seasons ago that this program upended UNLV so they can’t be overlooked.
Saturday, September 16, 7:30 PM – at Arizona State
Following the off-field turmoil and middling on-field results of the Herm Edwards era, the Sun Devils gave themselves a blank slate to reset by bringing in Kenny Dillingham from Oregon. His energy has brought a new vibe to Tempe, but he’ll have plenty on his hands in year one to stabilize an offense that will need replacements at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver and rebuild a defensive foundation that finished in the bottom ten nationally by both points per drive allowed and available yards percentage per drive allowed.
Saturday, September 23, 7:30 PM – vs. Kent State
In recent years, the Golden Flashes built a reputation behind one of the MAC’s most prolific offenses, but when head coach Sean Lewis left to join Deion Sanders in Colorado, KSU went through dramatic upheaval that left them with the lowest percentage of returning production and the worst SP+ outlook of any team in the country headed into 2023.
New head coach Kenni Burns will have his work cut out for him with a new roster that returns just four total starters on offense and defense, but you never know how things will play out when MACtion is involved.
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