The team that gave Fresno State the most problems this season wasn’t Michigan, Hawai’i, UNLV, or even Air Force. The Bulldogs’ biggest opponent has been themselves.

The Bulldogs are coming off a bye week after a devastating loss to Air Force in a matchup they were predicted to dominate. And while the Falcons entered as two-touchdown underdogs, the outcome hardly qualified as a surprise.

Mental mistakes, injuries, losing to teams they should beat, lack of innovative play calling, and questionable coaching decisions have become hallmarks of Fresno State’s disappointing season.

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Gearing Up for Colorado State

Hopefully this extra week of practice has been utilized diligently to gear up to play Colorado State at Valley Children’s Stadium on Saturday. The Rams are second in the Mountain West conference and poised to compete in the conference championship against No. 12 nationally ranked Boise State.

If the Bulldogs can get out of their own way, not only can they become bowl eligible, but they can also crush CSU’s hopes for a championship. If that wasn’t enough motivation, Saturday is Senior Night.

“This is going to be a physical ball game. This is a major week for us to get our minds right and get ready to go,” said coach Tim Skipper this week.

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Injury Concerns and Player Availability

First priority, will the team be with or without standout senior cornerback Cam Lockridge? He was meant to miss the first half against Air Force following a targeting penalty the previous week against Hawai’i. Instead he missed the entire game. He got injured in a tackling drill during warmups.

Right now, he’s going through some personal stuff that’s putting his playing time into question. Skipper and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle are letting him deal with whatever is going on, and there have been communication between Lockridge and the coaches. Whether or not he’ll be ready for Saturday is up in the air.

He was not the only player that missed the last game and whose availability is in doubt. The Bulldogs also didn’t have senior safety Dean Clark, junior defensive tackle Gavriel Lightfoot, junior wide receiver Raylen Sharpe, and junior linebacker Phoenix Jackson against Air Force. Those players are on a wait-and-see basis.

Coyle said before the season that this squad had good depth. The question is, can the backups deliver the same production as the starters? They’ll need to against the Rams.

“Our backup players have stepped up and competed really hard for us. I can’t say the backups have been as good as the starters that might’ve missed a game here or there, but I think certainly we competed extremely hard. I think they’ve proven that they’re quality players at this level,” said Coyle.

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Challenges on Both Sides of the Ball

The fanbase was expecting defensive end and USC transfer Korey Foreman to be one of those quality players. So much hype centered around his recruitment ranking and athletic ability, but it necessarily hasn’t translated to significant playing time. Some scouting reports listed him as a starter for some games, but he wasn’t taking the starting snaps with the first string.

Coyle considers Foreman a work in progress. How can he be at this juncture? Whatever the reasons preventing Foreman from getting into a three-point stance on a consistent basis, the defense needs all hands-on deck to contain the Rams’ offense.

Speaking of work in progress, the biggest question directed toward the Fresno State offense has been the line changes and how it’s affected the running game. A couple of weeks ago, they were tied with three other teams for the most starting offensive line changes among FBS programs. Now, with seven lineups on the year, they’ve taken the top spot.

With the calvary always switching in the trenches, it’s often left the running game ineffective.

And there’s quarterback Mikey Keene’s 11 interceptions. At face value, it seemed those errors were his fault due to bad decisions and ill timing. Now, the season has revealed that some accountability needs to go to the coaches, and the lack of protection up front isn’t helping him put the ball where he needs to.

Will offensive coordinator Pat McCann make the adjustments with the schemes or personnel needed to improve the offense with a banged-up o-line?

His answer: “As coaches we got to put guys in a position to be successful. At the end, the run game has struggled but it’s not all their fault. Some of our ways haven’t been successful. We got to get creative and a big part of it is using our personnel to our advantage.”

Senior Night and Future Implications

For seniors like defensive end Devo Bridges and linebacker/fullback Tyler Mello, this game carries a lot of weight. It’s Senior Night and the last time they’ll suit up in front of The Red Wave. They’re also among the few players that have been Bulldogs throughout their collegiate careers.

“Don’t be sad that it’s over, be glad that it happened. That’s something that I’ve been thinking of,” said Bridges. “Being able to flip that switch, go from shedding a few tears, and then lock back in and get the job done.”

All Mello ever wanted to be was a Bulldog, and it’s been quite a journey.

“It’s surreal to think that it’s the last time, but it’s going to be fun. I’m really excited for it,” he said. “I’ve never been anything except a Bullpup or a Bulldog ever since I was seven years old so it’s pretty exciting for the last one.”

Redshirt freshman tight end Richie Anderson wants to send out the seniors on a good note. “I want to play the best I can and do extra to go above and beyond for them so we can do our job and get a win,” said Anderson.

Not only is a sixth win and bowl eligibility at stake, but also Skipper’s quest to shed the interim label and become the permanent head coach. As Fresno State transitions to the Pac-12 in 2026, now is the time for Skipper to demonstrate that he should be the one leading them on that journey.