Fresno State has one of best offenses in Mountain West, but it doesn’t show in preseason poll
Fresno State played only six football games last season, and its three wins were against teams that were a combined 3-15. It did not play San Jose State or San Diego State due to issues with COVID-19 and lost at Nevada, three of the top four teams in the Mountain West Conference last season.
It’s not much of a surprise, then, that the Bulldogs were picked to finish only fourth in the West Division of the Mountain West in a media poll released Wednesday at the start of the conference’s media days.
Nevada was picked to win the West and received 19 of 25 first-place votes. The Wolf Pack was followed by San Jose State, with five first-place votes, San Diego State, Fresno State, Hawaii and UNLV.
The Bulldogs though picked to finish fourth received the other first-place vote, likely based on an offense that led the Mountain West in total offense a year ago, was second in scoring and returns a diverse set of weaponry with quarterback Jake Haener, running back Ronnie Rivers and a deep group of wideouts.
Kalen DeBoer on Jake Haener
“We’re excited about what Jake brings to the table, just leading our offense up and down the field,” coach Kalen DeBoer said. “We think he’s as good as it gets, not just his talent, but just who he is as a person, his leadership. We’re fired up about the progress he’ll make from Year One to Year Two.”
Boise State was picked to win the Mountain Division and received 23 first-place votes. The Broncos were followed by Wyoming, with two first-place votes, Air Force, Colorado State, Utah State and New Mexico.
The division champions will meet in the MW Championship Game Dec. 4, 2021, at the home stadium of the division winner with the highest winning percentage in conference games.
The preseason all-conference teams will be released on Thursday, the final day of the conference media days.
Ronnie Rivers on watch lists
Fresno State could be a surprise team in 2021 with that offense. Rivers, who led the conference with 136.3 all-purpose yards per game last season, has landed on watch lists for the Maxwell Award and the Doak Walker Award and the Bulldogs return more than 90% of their rushing and receiving production.
They might have to win high-scoring games, just as they did in 2013 when going 11-2 despite allowing 30.3 points per game. But they are capable with better health and continuity up front.
Fresno State had the same starting lineup on the offensive line its first four games of 2020, but started different groups in its final two games, a recurring theme over the past two seasons. In 2019, the Bulldogs had four players start at least one game at left guard and three start at least one game at left tackle, center and right guard.
“I really think we’re going to have a big jump,” DeBoer said. “Not only do I think we’ll have more depth, but I think that our top-end guys are another year older.”
With COVID-19 taking a big bite out of the position group due to contact tracing, the final two games of 2020 were a scramble. Mose Vavao stepped in at Nevada as a true freshman with no summer workouts and with limited fall camp and ended up playing 105 offensive snaps.
“A guy like that now has had a full offseason and there’s other players that were in that freshman to sophomore range and are now in that sophomore to junior range, and that’s where most of our offensive line still is, and now you’re seeing those guys with another year under their belt, a full offseason,” DeBoer said.
“That was one of the positions after the 2019 season that had been hit so hard by injury. You’d like to think a year later, OK, they’re better, but without being around our training staff, our strength and conditioning staff, there was still a healing and a strengthening process that happened, but I don’t think it was to the full extent. Those guys have had that now and we also as a staff have guys slated into spots where they fit better.”
This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 9:21 AM.