| Fresno State Bulldogs football | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
 | |||||||
| First season | 1921; 105 years ago | ||||||
| Athletic director | Garrett Klassy | ||||||
| Head coach | Matt Entz 2nd season, 9–4 (.692) | ||||||
| Stadium | Valley Children's Stadium (capacity: 40,727) | ||||||
| Field | Jim Sweeney Field | ||||||
| Year built | 1980 | ||||||
| Location | Fresno, California | ||||||
| NCAA division | Division I FBS | ||||||
| Conference | Mountain West (Pac-12 in 2026) | ||||||
| All-time record | 660–457–27[1] (.589) | ||||||
| Bowl record | 18–15 (.545) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Conference division championships | |||||||
| MW West:2013,2014,2017,2018,2022 | |||||||
| ConsensusAll-Americans | 2 | ||||||
| Rivalries | Boise State (rivalry) Hawaii (rivalry) San Diego State (rivalry) San Jose State (rivalry) Nevada Cal Poly | ||||||
| Colors | Cardinal red and blue[2] | ||||||
| Fight song | Fight Varsity | ||||||
| Mascot | TimeOut, Victor E. Bulldog IV | ||||||
| Marching band | Fresno State Bulldog Marching Band | ||||||
| Outfitter | Adidas | ||||||
| Website | GoBulldogs.com | ||||||
TheFresno State Bulldogs football team representsCalifornia State University, Fresno, in NCAA Division I FBScollege football as a member of theMountain West Conference (Pac-12 Conference in 2026). The green "V" on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, and playing field symbolizes California'sCentral Valley, specifically theSan Joaquin Valley, the agricultural valley from which they draw their support.
Football was first played on the Fresno campus in 1921, and for its first year it played as an independent. The Bulldogs joined theCalifornia Coast Conference, which included several regional opponents the next year, and moved to theNorthern California Athletic Conference of which it was among the charter schools in 1925. These early years laid the foundations of rivalries to come, with games against San Jose State and Pacific in the first year, and adding UC Davis, Nevada, and San Diego State in the following years of NCAC play.
TheNCAA began classifying schools into University Division and College Division groups in 1937, and the Bulldogs, along with the other major college schools in the conference, broke off into theCalifornia Collegiate Athletic Association in 1939, a conference it remained in until joining thePacific Coast Athletic Association, later known as theBig West Conference, in 1969.
Notable coaches during this period includeCecil Coleman, who during his five years at Fresno State had a .760winning percentage. Coleman took the1961 team to an undefeated season, capped by a 36–6Mercy Bowl victory overBowling Green State.
Fresno State football experienced a stretch of seasons hovering around the .500 mark during the later 1960s and 70s. Yet despite also having a number of winning seasons, including two where the Bulldogs went undefeated, they only participated in twoUniversity Divisionbowl games before the 1980s.
In 1976,Jim Sweeney took over a Bulldog squad that had had 8 winning seasons since its last bowl bid, and promptly took the 1977 squad to a 9–2 record in his second year as head coach. The Sweeney era bristled with confidence as the Bulldogs became, along with rival San Jose State, the class of the Big West, earning postseason bowl berths four times in the 1980s. Sweeney's 1985 squad is particularly memorable for Bulldog fans, as the team finished as the only unbeaten Division I-A team in the country, ranked 16th in the coaches poll. The 1985 squad did not, however, finish untied, after a 24–24 tie at home against the Rainbow clad Warriors of Hawaii. The lone blemish to a perfect season, coupled with the difficulty either team has had in winning in the other's home stadium, has led the Warriors and Bulldogs to contend for one of the WAC's fiercest rivalries.
The face of Fresno State football changed with the construction ofBulldog Stadium for the 1980 season. Before then, the Bulldogs played their home games in Fresno City College'sRatcliffe Stadium, which seated approximately 13,000 fans. The construction of a modern new on-campus stadium which held over 30,000 in attendance was an outstanding improvement for the Bulldogs, who saw drastic increases in attendance and alumni support. The new stadium brought with it a renewed success for the football team, as they enjoyed four Big West championships in the new stadium which took them to fiveCalifornia Bowl appearances against opponents from the Mid-American Conference. During the Sweeney era, the Bulldogs posted nine consecutive winning seasons, a run which included five double-digit win seasons. 1994, however, marked the beginning of three consecutive losing seasons which ended the Sweeney era and brought inPat Hill, who had worked both in the NFL and colleges for the past several decades—including a stint as an assistant under Sweeney from 1984 to 1989.
Under Hill, Fresno State continued the advances it had made during the Sweeney era. Soon after returning to Fresno, Hill declared that his Bulldogs would play "anybody, anywhere, anytime." He recalled that this was the same blueprintBobby Bowden followed in turningFlorida State into a powerhouse.[3] To that end, Hill's Bulldogs frequently played particularly difficult non-conference schedules against elite, highly ranked teams. The Bulldogs have also been the only BCS non-AQ conference school to record three consecutive bowl victories over schools from BCS conferences.
In 1998, the Bulldogs, under Hill took on all comers and had a strong season led by WAC offensive player of the year Jaime Kimbrough. In 2001, the Bulldogs, andquarterbackDavid Carr, began their season with several upsets of ranked teams. The Bulldogs opened the season inBoulder against theColorado Buffaloes, leaving with a 24–22 win over the eventualBig 12 champions. The next game of the 2001 season was at home against theOregon State Beavers, the team thatSports Illustrated had been picked as its preseason No. 1. In an electric game at Bulldog Stadium[citation needed], the Bulldogs outplayed the Beavers[citation needed] in a 44–24 rout. Fresno State then headed toMadison to take on theWisconsin Badgers, winners of the Sun Bowl over UCLA the previous year. The Bulldogs also topped the Badgers by a score of 32–20. These victories, followed by wins overTulsa,Louisiana Tech, andColorado State led the Bulldogs to a ranking of No. 8 in the polls, the highest for a mid-major team since(BYU was ranked No. 5 in 1996), and earned the Bulldogs a degree of prestige not usually afforded a mid-major program. This changed abruptly, however, when theBoise State Broncos andHawaii Rainbows upset the Bulldogs in Fresno and Honolulu respectively to smash the Bulldogs' hopes of playing in a BCS bowl. The defeats led the team instead theSilicon Valley Classic againstMichigan State, a game which was taken by the Spartans by a score of 44–35. Nonetheless, the impressive performances of the regular season earned[citation needed] Fresno State its first number one overall NFL draft choice in David Carr, picked first by the expansionHouston Texans.
The 2002 squad, which had difficulty opening the season with a 1–3 record, finished strong to finish the regular season 8–5 and earning another bid to the Silicon Valley Classic againstGeorgia Tech. This resulted in a win for the Bulldogs, who beat the Yellow Jackets 30–21.
The 2003 squad earned a spot in the Silicon Valley Classic for the third year in a row, this time facingUCLA in San Jose. The Bulldogs defeated the Bruins 17–9.
The 2004 season began for the Bulldogs much as the 2001 season had, with surprising upsets over BCS opponents in their home stadiums. The Bulldogs opened the season atHusky Stadium againstWashington, a team with high expectations in its second year with head coachKeith Gilbertson. The Bulldogs came away with the win by a score of 35–16. The second game was against the Big 12 champions, theKansas State Wildcats, who had beaten the No. 1 rankedOklahoma Sooners to finish the previous year. The Bulldogs walked out ofManhattan with an unexpected 45–21 win, again earning the squad national attention and a ranking in the polls. Again, similarly to the 2001 season, the Bulldogs unexpectedly lost to Louisiana Tech, followed by two more losses, including to newly cemented rival Boise State. However, the Bulldogs found their redemptive qualities pervading in five straight wins by 40 or more points, including a 70–14 home rout over rival Hawaiʻi, to earn a bid to theMPC Computers Bowl. In the MPC Bowl, the Bulldogs won their third straight bowl victory against a BCS conference team, beating theVirginia Cavaliers 37–34 in overtime.
The2005 season began with heady expectations which the Bulldogs largely lived up to for much of the season. The2005 squad, after an early 3-point loss toOregon inEugene, rallied to win seven straight, including the first winat Hawaiʻi since 1994, and a redemptive home victory over Boise State, traveled to theLos Angeles Coliseum to face the No. 1 rankedUSC Trojans, bringing with them an 8–1 record, a ranking of No. 16, and senior leadership and depth at key positions. The match up against USC turned out to be one for the ages as Fresno State quarterback Paul Pinegar continually drew against USC quarterbackMatt Leinart, and Fresno Staterunning backs Wendel Mathis and Bryson Sumlin exchanged touchdown runs with eventualHeisman Trophy winnerReggie Bush. Despite taking a halftime lead and trading scores with the Trojans all night, at the end of regulation, USC's athleticism with Reggie Bush, the Bulldogs lost by a score of 42–50. The loss to the Trojans changed the character of the team, who proceeded to lose their next four games, including theLiberty Bowl against Tulsa.
The2006 squad, weakened by key senior losses at quarterback, running back and on the defense, struggled with the schedule, opening the year 1–7 before winning three straight, only to close the season with the first loss to San Jose State since before the fall of the Soviet Union.
After a disappointing season in 2006, the 2007 Fresno State Bulldogs bounced back, finishing 9–4. They started strong against a weak Sacramento State team before losing a close game atTexas A&M in triple overtime. After another loss to Oregon, they won 8 of their final 10 games, including a victory overGeorgia Tech in theHumanitarian Bowl.
On September 1, 2008, the Bulldogs opened their season with a 24–7 victory overRutgers in a non-conference game. The Bulldogs would end the season with a 7–6 record, including a loss in the New Mexico Bowl againstColorado State.
The 2009 season begin with high hopes as Fresno State dominated its first opponent,UC Davis. However, the Bulldogs would go on to lose three straight games against Wisconsin,Boise State, and Cincinnati. The Bulldogs would rebound to win their next five games, before falling to rival Nevada. The Bulldogs would also go on to beat Illinois, in one of the more memorable college football games of the year. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown with only seconds left. Down by one point, the Bulldogs decided to go for two rather than kick a field goal to tie it up. With time expiring, Fresno State QBRyan Colburn was forced to throw the ball into the end zone. The ball was deflected by an Illinois player, and caught by Fresno State offensive lineman Devan Cunningham who barreled his way into the end zone for a two-point conversion. The Bulldogs won 53–52. This miraculous play has been dubbed by many as the "remarkable deflection". The Bulldogs would end the season at 8–5 including a loss to Wyoming in the New Mexico Bowl. However, Ryan Mathews had one of his best seasons to date, rushing for 1,800 yards, and scoring 19 touchdowns. Ryan Mathews declared his eligibility for the NFL draft, and was selected 12th over-all by the San Diego Chargers.
Much like the 2009 season, the 2010 season saw its share of highs and lows. The Bulldogs would start the season off with a victory over Cincinnati. However, they'd go on to lose against the upper half of the WAC conference and finish the regular season at 8–3. The Bulldogs accepted an invite to faceNorthern Illinois in theHumanitarian Bowl. It marked the third straight year that Fresno State would face a fellow non-AQ program in a bowl game. The Bulldogs would lose the game to Northern Illinois adding to its disappointing bowl record against other non-AQ programs.
On December 5, 2011, after finishing the year 4–9, Fresno State announced thatPat Hill had been fired as the head coach of the football program. On December 14, 2011,Tim DeRuyter, defensive coordinator and interim head coach of Texas A&M was introduced as the new head coach. He led the Bulldogs to back-to-back conference championships in his first two years withDerek Carr playing as quarterback. DeRuyter was then given a five-year contract extension and Carr was drafted by theOakland Raiders at 36th overall in2014. With Carr gone, the Bulldogs would rotate through several quarterbacks and would finish with losing records the next two seasons. After opening the 2016 season with a 1–7 record, DeRuyter was fired.[4]
The Bulldogs announced it had hired formerCal head coach, former quarterback under Coach Jim Sweeney, former Bulldogs offensive coordinator, and Fresno State alumnusJeff Tedford to be its next head coach beginning with the 2017 season.[5] In his first season as Fresno State's head coach, Coach Tedford led the Bulldogs to a 10–4 season, including wins over rivals San Diego State and the No. 25 Boise State Broncos. They clinched the MW West Division, but would lose to Boise State 14–17 in theMW Championship game. Fresno State got an invite to participate in the2017 Hawaii Bowl, to face theUniversity of Houston Cougars. The Bulldogs would win their bowl game with a score of 33–27, ending a six-year bowl drought. Fresno State would the end the season at 10–4, making it one of the best turnarounds in college football. In 2018, Fresno State made back-to-back conference championship appearances, facing Boise State in a rematch of the previous championship game; this time defeating Boise State 19–16 in overtime. They faced theArizona State Sun Devils in the2018 Las Vegas Bowl, winning 20–31. Their victory over Arizona State gave Fresno State the first 12-win season in school history. The team suffered a setback in 2019, finishing 4–8 overall and 2–6 in conference play. On December 6, 2019, Tedford announced his resignation from Fresno State after 3 seasons for health reasons.[6]
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On December 17, 2019, former Fresno State offensive coordinatorKalen DeBoer, who had spent the 2019 season atIndiana, was hired as Tedford's replacement.[7]
On September 18, 2021, the Bulldogs beat #13UCLA Bruins 40–37. It is the second highest ranked opponent ever defeated by Fresno State.[8]
On November 29, 2021, DeBoer left Fresno after 2 seasons for the head coaching job atWashington.[9]
Tedford was rehired on December 8, 2021 for the 2022 season. Under Tedford, the Bulldogs won another Mountain West championship and beatWashington State in theJimmy Kimmel LA Bowl.[10]
The Bulldogs'2023 home opener againstEastern Washington was historically significant as the first FBS game with linear television coverage exclusively inSpanish, withUniMás televising the game in theFresno andBakersfield markets. English-language coverage was exclusively bystreaming, with audio being a simulcast of Fresno State's (English) radio broadcast.[11]
On July 15, 2024, Tedford resigned as head coach once again, citing health reasons. Assistant head coach and linebackers coachTim Skipper stepped in as interim head coach for the 2024 season. Skipper had previously served as the acting head coach while Tedford was away for the 2023 Isleta New Mexico Bowl. He also played his collegiate career at Fresno State, a four-year starter at middle linebacker from 1997 to 2000.[12] Fresno State started off its 2024 campaign against the defending national championMichigan Wolverines atMichigan Stadium, losing 30–10.[13] The Bulldogs finished the season 6–6.
On December 4, 2024, Fresno State announced the hiring of formerNorth Dakota State Bison football coach Matt Entz.[14]
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Fresno State has won 28 conference championships through the 2024 season.
| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | California Coast Conference | Arthur W. Jones | 7–1–2 | 2–0–1 |
| 1923 | California Coast Conference | Arthur W. Jones | 7–2 | 3–0 |
| 1930 | Far Western Conference | Stanley Borleske | 8–0 | 5–0 |
| 1934† | Far Western Conference | Leo Harris | 7–2–1 | 3–0–1 |
| 1935 | Far Western Conference | Leo Harris | 6–3 | 4–0 |
| 1937 | Far Western Conference | James Bradshaw | 8–1–1 | 4–0 |
| 1941 | California Collegiate Athletic Association | James Bradshaw | 4–3–2 | 2–0–1 |
| 1954 | California Collegiate Athletic Association | Clark Van Galder | 7–3 | 4–0 |
| 1955 | California Collegiate Athletic Association | Clark Van Galder | 9–1 | 2–0 |
| 1956 | California Collegiate Athletic Association | Clark Van Galder | 8–2 | 2–0 |
| 1958 | California Collegiate Athletic Association | Clark Van Galder | 5–5 | 4–1 |
| 1959 | California Collegiate Athletic Association | Cecil Coleman | 7–3 | 5–0 |
| 1960 | California Collegiate Athletic Association | Cecil Coleman | 9–1 | 5–0 |
| 1961 | California Collegiate Athletic Association | Cecil Coleman | 10–0 | 5–0 |
| 1968 | California Collegiate Athletic Association | Darryl Rogers | 7–4 | 4–0 |
| 1977 | Pacific Coast Athletic Association | Jim Sweeney | 9–2 | 4–0 |
| 1982 | Pacific Coast Athletic Association | Jim Sweeney | 11–1 | 6–0 |
| 1985 | Pacific Coast Athletic Association | Jim Sweeney | 11–0–1 | 7–0 |
| 1988 | Big West Conference | Jim Sweeney | 10–2 | 7–0 |
| 1989 | Big West Conference | Jim Sweeney | 11–1 | 7–0 |
| 1991† | Big West Conference | Jim Sweeney | 10–2 | 6–1 |
| 1992† | Western Athletic Conference | Jim Sweeney | 9–4 | 6–2 |
| 1993† | Western Athletic Conference | Jim Sweeney | 9–4 | 6–2 |
| 1999† | Western Athletic Conference | Pat Hill | 8–5 | 5–2 |
| 2012† | Mountain West Conference | Tim DeRuyter | 9–4 | 7–1 |
| 2013 | Mountain West Conference | Tim DeRuyter | 11–2 | 7–1 |
| 2018 | Mountain West Conference | Jeff Tedford | 12–2 | 7–1 |
| 2022 | Mountain West Conference | Jeff Tedford | 10–4 | 7–1 |
† Co-champions
| Year | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record | Opponent | CG result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | MW West | Tim DeRuyter | 11–2 | 7–1 | Utah State | W, 24–17 |
| 2014† | MW West | Tim DeRuyter | 6–8 | 5–3 | Boise State | L, 14–28 |
| 2017 | MW West | Jeff Tedford | 10–4 | 7–1 | Boise State | L, 14–17 |
| 2018 | MW West | Jeff Tedford | 12–2 | 7–1 | Boise State | W, 19–16OT |
| 2022 | MW West | Jeff Tedford | 10–4 | 7–1 | Boise State | W, 28–16 |
† Co-champion
Fresno State football has finished Top 25 in the nation per theAP poll 4 times in school history.[15]
| 1992 | 2004 | 2018 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 22 | 18 | 24 |
| Coach | Years | Seasons | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur W. Jones | 1921–1928 | 8 | 36–26–7 | .572 |
| Stanley Borleske | 1929–1932 | 4 | 16–18–2 | .472 |
| Leo Harris | 1933–1935 | 3 | 18–9–1 | .661 |
| James Bradshaw | 1936–1942 1946 | 7, 1 | 59–18–2 | .759 |
| Earl Wight | 1944 | 1 | 0–6 | .000 |
| Alvin Pierson | 1945, 1949 | 1, 1 | 7–14–2 | .348 |
| Ken Gleason | 1947–1948 | 2 | 6–12–3 | .357 |
| Duke Jacobs | 1950–1951 | 2 | 7–11–1 | .395 |
| Clark Van Galder | 1952–1958 | 7 | 46–22–2 | .671 |
| Cecil Coleman | 1959–1963 | 5 | 38–12 | .760 |
| Phil Krueger | 1964–1965 | 2 | 10–10 | .500 |
| Darryl Rogers | 1966–1972 | 7 | 42–32–1 | .567 |
| J. R. Boone | 1973–1975 | 3 | 10–25 | .286 |
| Jim Sweeney | 1976–1977 1980–1996 | 2, 17 | 144–75–3 | .655 |
| Bob Padilla | 1978–1979 | 2 | 7–15–0 | .318 |
| Pat Hill | 1997–2011 | 15 | 112–80 | .583 |
| Tim DeRuyter | 2012–2016 | 5 | 30–30 | .500 |
| Eric Kiesau† | 2016 | 1 | 0–4 | .000 |
| Jeff Tedford | 2017–2019 2022–2023 | 3, 2 | 45–22 | .672 |
| Kalen DeBoer | 2020–2021 | 2 | 12–6 | .667 |
| Lee Marks† | 2021 | 1 | 1–0 | 1.000 |
| Tim Skipper† | 2024 | 1 | 7–7 | .538 |
| Matt Entz | 2025–present | 1 | 9–4 | .692 |
† Interim
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The Battle of the Milk Can
The Boise State-Fresno State rivalry originated in 1977. TheMilk Can is awarded to each season's winner of the Battle of the Milk Can, acollege football game between theFresno State Bulldogs and theBoise State Broncos. The team who wins the Milk Can gets to keep it for a year. The trophy was created in 2005, but was not ready in time for the annual match in Fresno, which was won by the Bulldogs. It made its first appearance in 2006, when the victorious Broncos carried it off the field. The idea for a trophy as the prize for the newly arranged interstate rivalry was hatched by two separate dairy groups that decided to get involved with their local football programs. California (No. 1) and Idaho (No. 4) are two of the nation's leading dairy producers.[16] The South Valley Dairy Group began raising money for Bulldog football in 2001; the Bronco Dairy Boosters began contributing to Boise State in 2005. Two dairymen and friends in these organizations, Dan Van Grouw of Meridian, Idaho (in the Boise metropolitan area) and Roger Fluegel of Visalia, California (in Fresno State's home of the San Joaquin Valley), put forward the idea of a traveling trophy and began the administrative process. There was positive feedback from the teams, coaches, and fans, but an "administrative changeover" kept the trophy off the field for the 2005 game, though the Bulldogs' 27–7 victory is the first listed on the can.
The rivalry with Hawaii has increased greatly in recent years, with both teams being the oldest members of the WAC contending regularly for the conference championship. Coaches from both schools have accused each side of various episodes of poor sportsmanship over the years, and both schools have some of the nation's rowdiest home fans. The rivalry has featured some lopsided results, including a 70–14 Fresno victory overHawaii in2004 and a 68–37Warriors victory in2006 overFresno. In2007, allegations thatFresno State fans were physically and verbally abused by hometownHawaii fans circulated the internet and television media added to this rivalry. The game is no longer an annual affair; the two teams are no longer designated as annual opponents in the MW's post-2022 divisionless scheduling model.
The Battle for the Old Oil Can
The Fresno State-San Diego State rivalry, also known as the Battle for the Oil Can, is one of the Bulldogs' biggest rivalry games. This in-state rivalry dates back to 1923, with the Aztecs winning the initial meeting at home 12–2. Since then, the sides have met 51 more times, including every year from 1945 to 1979, when the two competed in the same conference or were independents. After not facing one another between 1979 and 1991, the schools resumed the annual series from 1992 to 1998, when both were members of the Western Athletic Conference. The two teams have met twice since then, in 2002 and 2011. With Fresno State joining the Mountain West Conference in 2012 and the addition of the divisional format, the Aztecs and the Bulldogs will compete on an annual basis once again. The two teams play for the Old Oil Can as a trophy. The name comes from a 1930s-era oil can hailing fromFresno that was found at a construction site atSan Diego State. "The oil can likely came from a time when Aztec and Bulldog fans traveled to football games between the two schools via the old, twisting, precipitousGrapevine section ofHighway 99 overTejon Pass", said Jacquelyn K. Glasener, executive director of the Fresno State Alumni Association. "Cars in those days carried extraoil and water to be sure they could make it through difficult trips", added Jim Herrick, executive director of the San Diego State Alumni Association. As of 2023, Fresno State trails in the series 27–31–4.[citation needed][when?]
The Battle for the Valley Trophy
The Fresno State–San Jose State football rivalry started in 1921 and is the Bulldogs' oldest rival. San Jose State led the series from 1949 to 2001, but Fresno State tied it at 32 games each with a victory in 2002, and recaptured the lead in 2003. The Bulldogs have maintained the series lead since 2003, but have lost the past two games to the Spartans, including a 52–62 loss at Spartan Stadium (nowCEFCU Stadium) on 11/29/2013. The Bulldogs and Spartans played the first football game of the series in 1921. The football rivalry took a one-year break in 2012 afterconference realignment temporarily separated the two schools, with Fresno State moving to theMountain West Conference while San Jose State remained in theWestern Athletic Conference. It resumed as a conference rivalry in 2013 when San Jose State joined the MW, and the Spartans were designated as one of the Bulldogs' two permanent opponents in the MW's post-2022 divisionless scheduling model. As of 2023 Fresno State leads the 86-game series 44–39–3
The Sierra Showdown
The 'Sierra Showdown' is named after theSierra Nevada mountain range that runs along theCalifornia-Nevada border and is near the home cities of both schools (Fresno, California andReno, Nevada). As recent as November 2022 there was case made for the Nevada-Fresno State football game to add aSierra Showdown Trophy[17] Paul Loeffler, the voice of the Fresno State Bulldogs, suggested on Twitter thatNevada and Fresno State should play for the Sierra Showdown Trophy that is half silver (for the Silver State) and half gold (for the Golden State). Loeffler was quoted as saying ""You guys are on the eastern side of the Sierra. You're looking at the other side of the mountains that we're looking at from the western side. We have to go through or over that pass to play each other. We've been doing it forever. So why not make that mountain the symbol of this rivalry?" The Wolf Pack and Bulldogs have played each other 55 times. The series began in1923 and has been played every season since1998. The 55 matchups are more games than Nevada has played its main rival,UNLV (49 times). Nevada is the other of Fresno State's two protected rivalries in the MW's post-2022 divisionless scheduling model, meaning they continue to play every year. Fresno State leads the all-time series 32-22-1 as of 2023, including a 16–11 mark since the teams began playing regularly again in1994.
Battle for the Victory Bell
From 1956 to 1975,Cal Poly and the Bulldogs traded the"Victory Bell Trophy", which was donated to Cal Poly in 1952.[18] The trophy, which weighed about 200 pounds,[19] was ultimately retired due to repeated theft.[20] The two programs didn't play each other from 1986 through 2009, but brought back matchups in 2010,[21] 2013,[22] 2021[23] and 2022.[24] In the 46-game all-time series, Fresno State leads 34–10–2.
Battle for the Bone
From 2001 to 2011,Louisiana Tech and Fresno State played annually as members of theWestern Athletic Conference.[25] The two schools both feature Bulldogs as their mascots, hence the name"Battle for the Bone" was coined by Fresno State's 2001 Homecoming Chair, Terrance Mayes.[26] In 2012 Fresno State left the Western Athletic Conference and joined theMountain West Conference, effectively ending the rivalry.[27] In the 13-game all-time series, Fresno State leads 9–4.[28]
| Fresno State Bulldogs retired numbers | |||||
| No. | Player | Pos. | Tenure | Year retired | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | Derek Carr | QB | 2009–2013 | 2017 | [29] |
8 | David Carr | QB | 1997–2001 | 2007 | [29] |
9 | Kevin Sweeney | QB | 1983–1986 | [29] | |
12 | Trent Dilfer | QB | 1991–1993 | [29] | |
14 | Vince Petrucci | K | 1976–1978 | [29] | |
15 | Davante Adams | WR | 2011–2013 | 2022 | [29] |
21 | Dale Messer | WR | 1958–1960 | [29] | |
22 | Lorenzo Neal | RB | 1990–1992 | 2022 | [29] |
83 | Henry Ellard | WR | 1979–1982 | [29] | |
| Sam Baugh Trophy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Name | Position | ||
| 1993 | Trent Dilfer | Quarterback | ||
| 2001 | David Carr | Quarterback | ||
| 2013 | Derek Carr | Quarterback | ||
This honor is given by theTouchdown Club of Columbus, awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate passer.
| Paul Warfield Trophy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Name | Position | ||
| 2013 | Davante Adams | Wide receiver | ||
This honor is awarded annually to the nation's top collegiate wide receiver.
Results as of the conclusion of the2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season.[30]
| Opponent | Won | Lost | Tied | Percentage | Streak | First meeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 3 | 7 | 0 | .300 | Lost 3 | 1993 |
| Boise State | 9 | 17 | 0 | .346 | Won 2 | 1977 |
| Colorado State | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | Won 1 | 1992 |
| Hawaii | 30 | 24 | 1 | .555 | Won 1 | 1938 |
| Nevada | 32 | 22 | 1 | .583 | Won 3 | 1923 |
| New Mexico | 16 | 6 | 0 | .750 | Won 1 | 1947 |
| San Diego State | 27 | 31 | 4 | .475 | Lost 1 | 1923 |
| San Jose State | 44 | 39 | 3 | .535 | Lost 1 | 1921 |
| UNLV | 20 | 7 | 0 | .720 | Won 6 | 1979 |
| Utah State | 19 | 13 | 1 | .578 | Won 2 | 1952 |
| Wyoming | 9 | 6 | 0 | .643 | Lost 1 | 1992 |
| Totals | 214 | 182 | 10 | .540 |
Announced schedules as of February 11, 2025.[31]
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | 2031 | 2032 | 2033 | 2034 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| atKansas | atUSC | Utah Tech | Stanford | atStanford | atTexas Tech | atKansas | UCLA | San Jose State | atSan Jose State |
| Georgia Southern | Sacramento State | atWashington | atUSC | San Jose State | Kansas | atTexas Tech | |||
| atOregon State | atSan Jose State | atRice | Cal Poly | atSan Jose State | |||||
| Southern | Rice | San Jose State | atGeorgia Southern |
Media related toFresno State Bulldogs football at Wikimedia Commons
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