At Monday’s news conference Fresno State football head coach Tim Skipper evaluated his team’s performance on Saturday that earned him his first win in Valley Children’s Stadium against the Sacramento State Hornets. The score was 46-30.

“It was a good effort. We started out really fast and, on the attack,” Skipper told GV Wire. “It kind of slowed down a little bit and then the turnovers happened. We picked things back up after halftime. We just need to play consistent throughout the whole entire game for 60 minutes and we’ll keep working on that.”

Even though they earned a victory, he voiced what needs to be fine-tuned on both sides of the ball to prepare for this Saturday’s home game against New Mexico State.

Skipper’s view on the offense: “We just have to play Bulldog football and be consistent. Always stay positive and keep on doing what we do, and we’ll be fine.”

Defense: “I was happy with those guys. There was a lot of energy. We were causing turnovers. As you get deeper into rotating guys that haven’t really communicated with each other the whole time some bad things started to happen. We were on two different pages with a couple of coverages. It was a good learning experience.”

Related Story: Dalena, Moss, Sherrod & Defense Shine in Home Opener Against Sac State

Moss: This Game Is ‘Personal for Me’

The teams played each other last season in the 2023 Isleta New Mexico Bowl, where the Bulldogs beat the Aggies. It was coach Skipper’s first time in the interim role.

This is the ninth time meeting in Fresno in the series, and Fresno State is 8-0 against New Mexico State at home. The Bulldogs have won 19 out of the previous 20 meetings against the Aggies.

Skipper and New Mexico’s head coach Tony Sanchez are in the first year of their leading roles for their respective programs. While Sanchez was the head coach at Fresno’s Mountain West rival, UNLV, Skipper was the defensive coordinator there from 2018-2019.

Sophomore wide receiver Jalen Moss agrees that this game has personal implications. “I know a couple of people with the Aggies. It’s personal for me. I want to make plays like I did last weekend and continue to perform the way I did for the rest of the season.”

Related Story: Players to Watch in Fresno State’s Home Football Opener Against Sac State

Standout Performances and Offensive Strategies

Moss has been putting in work the last couple of weeks. For his performance against the Hornets, he was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week. His confidence is at an all-time high.

“I’m just going to go into the game with the right mentality of no one can guard me and that I’m the best on the field. When you feel that way that’s how you perform,” said Moss.

The wide receiving corps has stepped up. Senior Mac Dalena is coming off of a career-high game as he finished with 235 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions against Sac State. The long balls he caught throughout the game were helpful in placing the offense in the red zone and setting them up with opportunities to score.

They did open up the playbook more than versus Michigan. Against the Hornets, there were deep ball shots, play-action fakes, another QB draw, and a play featuring a linebacker lined up as a fullback running an out route. It was those plays that propelled them to 46 points and 513 total yards.

Even though they did display the “explosiveness” they’ve preached during the preseason, junior quarterback Mikey Keene threw two interceptions and the offense had several three-and-outs.

The offense will be getting an upgrade as junior wide receiver Josiah Freeman returns to the lineup. He missed action the last couple of weeks rehabbing an injury. Freeman can’t wait to get back on the field.

“I feel really good coming back from this injury, physically and mentally. I’m a completely different player from last year. The confidence is there, and I know what I can do,” said Freeman.

Related Story: Winning Is the Name of the Game as Bulldogs Prepare for Home Football Opener

Defensive Improvements and Expectations

Players and coaches have stated that they’re not evaluating the tape of last year’s bowl game by heart. This is a new coach, defensive coordinator, and team. They’re approaching the preparation with a clean slate and expecting the unexpected.

What is expected is another standout performance from the defense. They for sure carried that enthusiasm displayed against Michigan into the game against the Hornets. It was the tale of the turnovers and critical stops for the defense.

Redshirt junior defensive end Korey Foreman and senior safety Kosi Agina caused fumbles. Senior linebacker Tuasivi Nomura and senior cornerback Cam Lockridge recovered them. Nomura made a critical tackle on a fourth down attempt. Senior safety Camryn Bracha got himself an interception.

Nomura led the defense with a career-high 11 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. After a solid showcase in the first two quarters the defense let the foot off the gas pedal later in the game. The defense’s productivity has helped out the team tremendously but they need to be consistent for all four quarters so they can dominate their opponents.

Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle stresses consistency will lead to improvements with his unit. “We got to play better than we did last week that’s for certain. I like that we have guys with experience from these two games and that’ll bode well for us as the season progresses,” said Coyle. “We have the ability to play real solid defense when everybody is on the same page. I’m excited about this week and where we’re at.”

The Aggies are going to bring everything they got. They already lost a conference game to Liberty and this game is revenge from their bowl game loss in 2023. Nomura said the Aggies have a strong run game which allows for them to open up the passing game and the defense will come to work when gameday rolls around.

The Aggies Better Watch Out

Saturday’s game is Heroes Night, celebrating all active-duty military and veterans, first responders, and various heroes throughout the Central Valley. It’ll be Fresno State’s first game broadcast on truTV/MAX this season.

“We can play with anybody. Any team that comes down the ramp at Valley Children’s Stadium, they’re ours for the entire game. Show them what Bulldog football is all about and send them home,” said Freeman.