Fresno State heads to Arizona Bowl. Here are 3 things to know about Miami Ohio

Fresno State is headed to the Dec. 27 Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, where it will play Miami Ohio from the Mid-American Conference. It is the fifth bowl game in a row for the Bulldogs and the 34th in school history.

Coach Matt Entz will be their fourth different coach to lead them in their past five bowl trips, following Tim Skipper in the 2024 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and 2023 New Mexico Bowl, Jeff Tedford in the 2022 L.A. Bowl and Lee Marks in the 2021 New Mexico Bowl. Skipper in 2023 filled in for Tedford due to health issues, and Marks in 2021 replaced Kalen DeBoer, who had accepted a job at Washington.

Entz is the fifth Fresno State coach to lead the Bulldogs to a bowl in his first season with the program, and would join Tedford as the only coach to win a bowl in their first season.

Miami Ohio is 7-6 and lost to Western Michigan in the conference championship game, its third consecutive shot at a title. The RedHawks lost to Ohio last season and beat Toledo in 2023.

Here are three things to know about the Bulldogs’ bowl opponent …

The RedHawks’ quarterback quandary

Dequan Finn, who started eight of the first nine games, left the program in mid-November to prepare for a shot at the NFL. He was replaced by senior Henry Hesson, who started the next two games, and redshirt freshman Thomas Gotkowski started the final regular-season game and conference title game.

Gotkowski was just 7 of 17 (41.2%) for 92 yards in the loss to Western Michigan in the Mid-American title game. Hesson was 7 of 20 (35%) for 109 yards with one touchdown.

Since Finn left the team, Miami Ohio has completed just 40% of its passes in four games. It has averaged 15.1 yards per reception, though, and there is some big play potential in the pass game.

Miami Ohio is tied for second in the conference with 40 explosive pass plays of 20 or more yards, and leading receiver Kam Perry is averaging 23.0 yards on 42 receptions.

A solid run defense

Miami Ohio ranked third in the MAC in rushing defense, allowing just 3.8 yards per rush and 130.7 rushing yards per game. The RedHawks held all eight conference opponents during the regular season under their season rushing average including Ohio, which gained 5.3 yards per rush and 228.8 yards per game against a schedule that included Power Four opponents Rutgers, West Virginia and Ohio State.

Ohio beat Miami Ohio 24-20, but rushed for only 133 yards at 4.3 yards per play. One of the Bobcats’ scores that game came on special teams, on a 97-yard kickoff return.

Western Michigan did pound out 286 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground in the MAC championship game, leaning much more heavily on a zone blocking scheme than it had in the regular-season match up against the RedHawks.

Game of turnovers

Fresno State is tied for eighth in the nation in turnovers gained with 24. Miami Ohio is tied for 24th with 20.

The RedHawks have forced 13 fumbles, tied for first in the MAC and tied for eighth in the nation. They have managed to recover just six of those fumbles, however.

Miami Ohio also has intercepted 14 passes, leading the MAC. Pressure has played a role there. The RedHawks rank third in the nation with 40.0 sacks, behind only Texas A&M and Oklahoma, which are tied with 41.0. Miami Ohio defensive end Adam Trick is ranked second in the nation with 66 total pressures — 8.0 sacks, 20 quarterback hits and 38 quarterback pressures.

This story was originally published December 7, 2025 at 3:59 PM.