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UCLA Football Early 2018 Schedule Preview: Fresno State Bulldogs

By David Rosenthal

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Jeff Tedford of the Fresno State Bulldogs looks on prior to the game against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 16: Head coach Jeff Tedford of the Fresno State Bulldogs looks on prior to the game against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 16: Quarterback Marcus McMaryion #6 of the Fresno State Bulldogs looks downfield to pass against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA – SEPTEMBER 16: Quarterback Marcus McMaryion #6 of the Fresno State Bulldogs looks downfield to pass against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /

Fresno State Offense

The Bulldogs are coming off a year where they struggled to put points on the board but Jeff Tedford may have at least found a reliable quarterback. After coming over from Oregon State as a graduate transfer last year (with two years of eligibility remaining), Marcus McMaryion started every Mountain West Conference game for the Bulldogs. His 14 touchdowns and 62.1 completion percentage along with his 9-2 record gives Tedford a bright light on the offensive side of the ball.

Fresno State 2017 Offensive Stats

Total Offense Passing Offense Rushing Offense Scoring Offense
 392.9 (9th)  237.9 (4th) 155.0 (8th) 27.1 (8th)

( ) – denotes ranking in the Mountain West

The two main targets for McMaryion will be KeeSean Johnson and Jamire Jordan. Johnson returns as Fresno State’s leading receiver racking up 1,013 yards on 77 catches. Jordan, an undersized wide receiver listed at 5’11”, was 12th in the nation last season in yards per catch at 20.8 yards per reception.

Fresno State also returns their top four rushers including McMaryion’s 300 yards.

Sophomore Jordan Mims should again see the majority of carries. Last year he lead the team with 622 rushing yards to go with six touchdowns. The Bulldogs’ top four rushers accounted for 21 touchdowns; a balanced attack to go with Fresno State’s 19 passing touchdowns.

With an additional year of experience for the running backs and returning three starting offensive linemen, the Bulldogs’ offense should be able to move the ball more efficiently and ultimately score more points.

Stat to Watch: 33.14% – Fresno State’s third down conversion percentage in 2017

The Bulldogs’ offense had a difficult time staying on the field last year converting barely a third of their third down opportunities. If Coach Tedford can find a way to bump that percentage closer to a more respectable 40%, Fresno State could have an offense as feared as their defense.