Fresno State Bulldogs
Report Card
Offense: A- | Defense: A- | Special Teams: C- | Meeting/Exceeding Expectations: A
After losing so much talent to graduations and the transfer portal, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Bulldogs might need a year to bounce back to their championship ways. Despite getting tripped up at Wyoming, Jeff Tedford’s squad is, in the grand scheme of things, ahead of schedule.
Much of that credit is owed to a rebuilt passing attack that, under new offensive coordinator Pat McCann, has been slightly more pass-happy with Mikey Keene than they were with Jake Haener in 2022. The sophomore has answered that bell about as well as could be expected (Haener set an exceedingly high bar, after all) with a 68.5% completion rate and a respectable 7.3 yards per attempt. A mixture of returning seniors and relative newcomers has helped keep things potent on the other end: Erik Brooks, Jaelen Gill, and Jalen Moss are the only trio of FBS receivers on the same team who have at least 30 receptions each through Week 6.
The running back duo of Malik Sherrod and Elijah Gilliam has been solid in their complementary role, as well, averaging 4.99 yards per carry with six combined touchdowns. All told, it’s hard to quibble too much when you average 59.7% of available yards per drive (18th in FBS) and 3.27 points per drive (12th).
What’s made an even bigger difference is that Kevin Coyle’s defense has raised its overall game again, ranking in the top 20 nationally by available yards percentage allowed per drive (36.2%, 18th), points per drive allowed (1.35, 16th), and yards per play allowed (4.68, 16th). While there’s no David Perales to lead the pass rush this year, that hasn’t stopped Fresno State from being the only Mountain West team that, according to Pro Football Focus, has three different defenders who’ve accrued at least four quarterback hits each. Devo Bridges and Levelle Bailey have been a strong tandem in the defensive front, anyway, with a combined 40 stops.
The secondary has also been as good as advertised, too, ranking either first or second in the conference with a 56.5% opponent completion rate, six yards per attempt allowed, and eight interceptions. There are no gimmes on the back half of the schedule, though, so the Bulldogs can’t afford to let the disappointment of their first loss linger if they want the chance to defend their title.
Head of the Class: Levelle Bailey, LB
So far in 2023, Bailey has been every bit the defensive anchor that the Red Wave expected him to be. His 84.0 overall PFF grade ranks second among Mountain West linebackers for a number of reasons: He’s collected 39 total tackles, 21 stops, two forced fumbles, and two pass breakups while missing 4.8% of his tackle attempts and allowing only 4.2 yards per reception on 14 targets in coverage.
One Player Deserving of More Attention: Jaelen Gill, WR
No one was entirely certain about who would step up to replace the likes of Jalen Moreno-Cropper and Josh Kelly this fall, but the Boston College transfer has made his mark. Among Mountain West wide receivers, only Tory Horton has a higher overall PFF grade than Gill’s 84.2, but he also ranks in the top ten within the conference with 32 catches, 355 yards, and five touchdowns.
Midseason Grades By Team
Air Force | Boise State | Colorado State | Fresno State | Hawaii | Nevada | New Mexico | San Diego State | San Jose State | UNLV | Utah State | Wyoming
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