Oregon State Football Opponent Outlook 2025: Fresno State Bulldogs

On September 12, the Beavers will welcome Fresno State to Corvallis for the first meeting between the two programs since 2022, when Oregon State won a 35-32 thriller in Fresno.

After their first losing season since 2019, the Bulldgos are looking to get back on track.

They've brought in former NDSU head coach Matt Entz, who has won two FCS national championships.

Entz was most recently at USC, where he was an assistant head coach during the 2024 season.

2024 was thrown off the rails for Fresno State just before the beginning of the season with the loss of head coach Jeff Tedford, who had to step down due to health reasons.

Now, the Bulldogs will be entering this season with a lot more stability, and are looking to climb back towards the top of the Mountain West.

There have been a few questions surrounding the strength of the Entz hire, as some have pointed out that every coach has won championships with NDSU.

Now with Fresno State, Entz has an opportunity to prove he can coach winning football at the FBS level.

Offense: Fresno is bringing back their two leading rushers in senior Elijah Gilliam and sophomore Bryson Donelson.

While Fresno struggled to run the football last year, part of this can be attributed to poor play from the offensive line.

In an effort to bolster the line of scrimmage, coach Entz has brought in four transfers on the offensive line from power four schools.

None of them have starting experience, however, and the Bulldogs will probably be relying on returning pieces from last season's unit that struggled mightily.

Because of this, the offensive line could be a work in progress early in the season.

But if the group is able to come together, Fresno could find success running the ball this year with the return of two experienced halfbacks.

Last season as a freshman, Bryson Donelson averaged six yards a carry.

With the departure of their top receivers, the Bulldogs will have some questions to answer in the passing game.

At QB, Entz has brought in veteran EJ Warner (son of Kurt Warner), who has starting experience at both Rice and Temple.

While he's known for throwing a lot of interceptions, Warner has also shown promise in his college career, passing for over 3,000 yards in the 2023 season with Temple.

With years of starting experience under his belt, the Bulldogs are hoping that the son of a Super Bowl champion can lead a quality passing attack this season.

Equally important, however, is who he'll have to throw it to.

Fresno's three receiving leaders from a year ago have all departed, and they'll be looking for other guys to step up.

At the top of this list is Josiah Freeman, who was injured for the majority of 2024.

Freeman hauled in two TD receptions in three games played last year, and could be primed for a big season if he stays healthy.

In the portal, the coaching staff has landed three power four transfers at WR, including Louisville transfer Jahlil McClain, a sophomore who had an 89 rating from 247 out of high school.

Josiah Ayon is another intriguing addition at wideout, a Division II transfer who had a strong 2024 season at Western Colorado.

Though there are a lot of new pieces in play here, the Bulldog passing attack certainly has potential if the offensive line is able to protect EJ Warner.

Defense: The Fresno State defense was abysmal in 2024, but they might be on track for a stronger campaign this season.

Entz has hired former Northern Illinois defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto, who found success last season with the Huskies.

There has been significant turnover on this side of the ball with just three returning starters, but after finishing 125th in total defense last season, this might not be a bad thing.

This being said, Benedetto is going to have his work cut out for him on the defensive line.

He's brought in Martin Owusu and Bryson Harrington from power four programs, but neither of them have starting experience.

FCS transfer Michael Jordan Jr had an impressive 2024 season at Northern Colorado, but it might take a few games for him to get adjusted to the FBS level.

When it comes to the front seven, the linebacking group looks stronger.

D'vion Thunderbird transfers in from a very good ASU program, while Utah State transfer Jadon Pearson played a lot of quality snaps last year with the Aggies.

In addition, edge/OLB Finn Claypool joins the program after a strong season in the FCS, and will give the Bulldogs a pass-rushing boost.

But as a whole, this front seven will likely need time to develop because of inexperience on the defensive line.

Fresno State's defense is looking strongest in the secondary.

They are returning two starters from last season, and have also found some solid additions in the portal.

Safety Ethan Tierney has followed DC Benedetto from NIU, while corner Sammie Hunter comes over from Utah with an 85 transfer rating from 247.

Still, this is a group that will need to prove itself after Fresno's passing defense struggled in 2024.

Wrap-up: This is a matchup the Beavers should feel pretty good about.

The Bulldogs will have a lot to figure out chemistry-wise early in the season, and Oregon State should have an advantage at the line of scrimmage.

But Entz' side will be led by a veteran arm, and it will be crucial for the Beavers to generate pressure on the passer.

It will be hard to predict how Fresno State will look this season, but the Beavers will certainly want to keep an eye on the Bulldogs' week one matchup against Kansas..

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