FRESNO STATE FOOTBALL - 2018 END OF SEASON NOTES - Football Contact: Matt Burkholder, Director of Communications Office: 559-278-6186 (direct) Cell: (559) 862-3771 Twitter: FresnoStateFB E-mail: [email protected] Website: gobulldogs.com Instagram: Fresno_State_Football Additional support: Josh Mitchell, Taylor Martinez, Travis Blanshan and Savannah Stoeckle No. 18/18 Fresno State (12-2, 7-1 MW) 2018 Mountain West Champions 2018 Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl Champions Fresno State in the Polls (FINAL) -- AP Top 25: No. 18 | Amway Coaches Poll: No. 18 | College Football Playoff: No. 21 Headlines from 2018 QUICK FACTS → With a 12-2 final record, the 2018 Fresno State football team became the first team in the 97-year history of COACHES: the program to win 12 games in a season. Jeff Tedford (Fresno State, 1992) → Fresno State was one of seven FBS to teams to record 12 wins in 2018 (Alabama, Clemson, Fresno State, Notre Fresno State Record...........................22-6 (2nd season) Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and UCF). FBS Career Record ................. 104-63 (13th season) → Fresno State became the first team in FBS history to secure back-to-back double-digit winning seasons following a double-digit loss season (2016: 1-11, 2017: 10-4, 2018: 12-2). → The ‘Dogs finished the season winning 21 of its last 25 games dating back to Sept. 30, 2017. OFFENSIVE QUICK FACTS: → Fresno State finished ranked in the end of season rankings for the first time since 2004. The Bulldogs finished Fresno St. (conf. rk.) ranked No. 18 in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches poll in 2018. It was the best finish in the AP Top 25 in program Scoring 34.6 (#3) history, besting No. 22 in 2004. The Bulldogs’ best finish in an end of season poll remains No. 16 in the 1985 Rushing 154.4 (#7) Coaches poll, which was the United Press International poll before USA Today took over in 1991. → Fresno State finished the season ranked in the Top 10 in the FBS in 11 statistical categories - red zone Passing 267.1 (#6) defense (1st), scoring defense (3rd), passes intercepted (4th), tackles for loss allowed (5th), 4th down conversion Total 421.5 (#5) percentage (5th), team passing efficiency defense (5th), sacks allowed (6th), completion percentage (6th), team KO Return 20.3 (#6) passing efficiency (8th), turnover margin (9th) and punt return defense (10th). 3rd-DN Conv. 44.6% (#3) → Fresno State faced a total of eight bowl eligible teams in 2018. 4th-DN Conv. 7-of-10 (#1) → The Bulldogs defeated two Pac-12 teams in one season for the first time since 2003 (Oregon State/UCLA) by defeating UCLA and Arizona State. DEFENSIVE QUICK FACTS: → Entering the contest ranked No. 25, Fresno State defeated No. 19 Boise State, 19-16, on the road in overtime Fresno St. (conf. rk.) to capture its third Mountain West Championship in seven seasons as a league member. Scoring 14.1 (#1) → Fresno State snapped a 10-game losing streak at Boise State. It was the Bulldogs’ first win at BSU since 1984. The Rushing 132.2 (#5) ’Dogs first played on the blue turf in 2002, and had dropped 10-straight until the 2018 MW Championship game. Passing 189.4 (#1) → By defeating Boise State in the championship game, Fresno State won its first game road game versus a ranked Total 321.6 (#1) opponent since traveling to No. 13 Kansas State on Sept. 12, 2004. Net Punting 40.0 (#1) → Fresno State snapped its six-game losing skid in bowl games in 2017, with a 33-27 win over Houston at the Opp. 3rd-DN Conv. 34.0% (#4) Hawai’i Bowl, and with its 2018 Las Vegas Bowl win, the ‘Dogs have now won back-to-back bowl games for the first time since winning three-straight from 2002-04. Opp. 4th DN Conv. 14-of-27 (#5) → Ronnie Rivers was named the MVP of the Las Vegas Bowl; Rivers posted the fourth-most all-purpose yards in school history with 286 (212 rush/41 punt return/33 receiving - Rivers’ 212 rushing yards marked the 21st 200- yard rushing game in program history and tied for the 14th-most rushing yards in a single game. → Jeff Allison was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year; Fresno State had four All-MW first- team selections and six All-MW second-team selections. → Jeff Tedford was named one of eight finalists for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. → Jeff Tedford was named one of seven finalists for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award. → Mykal Walker was named the MVP of the Mountain West Championship Game; Walker recorded 12 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. → KeeSean Johnson completed his nation-leading streak of consecutive games with at least one catch at 50 at the Las Vegas Bowl. He set the program and Mountain West record. 2018 Fresno State Results Opponent Opp. Date Opponent [TV] Ranking! Time/Result Record Series Note Sept. 1 Idaho - W, 79-13 4-7 12-4 Bulldogs tally most points since 1991 in season-opening win Sept. 8 at Minnesota [FS1] - L, 21-14 7-6 0-1 Fresno State loses heartbreaker in contest that came down to final minute Sept. 15 at UCLA [FS1] - W, 38-14 3-9 3-6 ‘Dogs defeat UCLA on the road for third-straight win over the Bruins Sept. 22 BYE WEEK - - - - - Sept. 29 Toledo [ESPNU] - W, 49-27 7-6 3-1 ‘Dogs rebound from 13-7 deficit and score 42-straight to run away with win Oct. 6 at Nevada* [ESPNU] - W, 21-3 8-5 29-20-1 Kept opponent out of the end zone for first time since at SDSU (10/21/17) Oct. 13 Wyoming* [ESPNU] - W, 27-3 6-6 7-5 Defense holds opponent to just 3 points for second-straight week Oct. 20 at New Mexico* [ESPNU] - W, 38-7 3-9 13-4 FS extends win streak over Lobos to 7-straight/longest win streak against any MW team Oct. 27 Hawai’i* [ESPN2] - W, 50-20 8-6 28-22-1 Bulldogs tab seventh win in last eight games versus UH Nov. 3 at UNLV* [CBSSN] - W, 48-3 4-8 14-7 ‘Dogs hold their oppenent from the end zone for third time in first nine games Nov. 9 at Boise State* [ESPN2] #23/#24 - L, 24-17 10-3 7-15 Fresno State’s drought extends to 10-straight road losses on the blue Nov. 17 San Diego State* [CBSSN] - W, 23-14 7-6 25-29-4 ‘Dogs clinch West Division; winner of FS-SDSU advanced to all six MWC games Nov. 24 San Jose State* [ESPNU] - W, 31-13 1-11 42-37-3 Bulldogs earn 10th win to secure back-to-back double-digit win seasons Dec. 1 at Boise State# [ESPN] #23/#24 - W, 19-16OT 10-3 7-15 Fresno State defeats BSU in dramtic fashion to earn third MW Championship Dec. 15 vs. Arizona State^ [ABC] - W, 31-20 7-6 1-3 Fresno State aps 2018 campaign with single-season program-best 12th win Key: * - MW Game; # - Mountain West Championship; ^ - Las Vegas Bowl; ! - AP Poll/USA Today Coaches Poll (Final rankings) REFERENCE: “Fresno State” (never: FSU, FRES, CSUF, Fresno State University or just “Fresno”); ABBREVIATIONS: Fresno St. or FS 2018 Fresno State Football MOST CONSEC. STARTS (14 GAMES +) Where the Mountain West stacks up in the polls Yr. by Yr. MW Champs OL Micah St. Andrew (Sr.) 43 -- FINAL -- 2013 – Fresno State Team AP (Votes) Coaches (Votes) CFP 2014 – Boise State LB James Bailey (Sr.) 40 Air Force -- -- -- 2015 – San Diego St. OL Christian Cronk (Sr.) 40 Boise State #23 (184) #24 (165) #25 2016 – San Diego St. LB Jeff Allison (Jr.) 28 Colorado State -- -- -- 2017 – Boise State DB Juju Hughes (Jr.) 28 Fresno State #18 (466) #18 (497) #21 2018 – Fresno State Hawai’i -- -- -- QB Marcus McMaryion (Sr.) 25 New Mexico -- -- -- QTR. BY QTR. SCORING DB Jaron Bryant (Jr.) 25 Nevada -- -- -- Quarter FS Opp. Differential WR KeeSean Johnson (Sr.) 24 San Diego State -- -- -- 1st: 97 50 +47 DB Mike Bell (Jr.) 23 San Jose State -- -- -- UNLV -- -- -- 2nd: 139 53 +86 TE Jared Rice (Jr.) 15 Utah State #22 (188) #21 (252) -- 3rd: 157 24 +133 DB Mykal Walker (Jr.) 14 Wyoming -- -- -- 4th: 86 68 +18 OL Markus Boyer (Sr.) 14 Two or less loss FBS teams Turnovers Lost (last 10 years) W L T % MOST CAREER STARTS (20 GAMES +) Games Total WR KeeSean Johnson (Sr.) 49 1. Clemson (ACC) ....................... 15 ......0 .......0 .......1.000 Year (gms) w/o TO Lost 2. Alabama (SEC) ........................ 14 ......1 .......0 .......0.933 WR Jamire Jordan (Sr.) 46 3. Ohio St. (Big Ten) ................... 13 ......1 .......0 .......0.929 2018 (14) 6 14 2017 (14) 5 13 OL Micah St. Andrew (Sr.) 45 4. Notre Dame (FBS Ind.) ......... 12 ......1 .......0 .......0.923 5. UCF (AAC) .............................. 12 ......1 .......0 .......0.923 2016 (12) 3 18 LB James Bailey (Sr.) 43 6. Fresno St. (MW) ...................... 12 ......2 .......0 .......0.857 2015 (12) 3 23 OL Christian Cronk (Sr.) 40 7. Oklahoma (Big 12) ................. 12 ......2 .......0 .......0.857 2014 (14) 1 27 8. Washington St. (Pac-12) ......... 11 ......2 .......0 .......0.846 LB Jeff Allison (Jr.) 28 9. Army (FBS Ind.) ..................... 11 ......2 .......0 .......0.846 2013 (13) 4 21 2012 (13) 3 20 DB Juju Hughes (Jr.) 28 10. Appalachian St. (Sun Belt) ... 11 ......2 .......0 .......0.846 11. Cincinnati (AAC) .................. 11 ......2 .......0 .......0.846 2011 (13) 2 22 DB Jaron Bryant (Jr.) 27 12.