Fresno State faces off against Northern Illinois at the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Monday, Dec. 23, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho. (GV Wire Composite/Paul Marshall)
- Interim coach Tim Skipper to lead Bulldogs in bowl game, his second time in this role following 2023 New Mexico Bowl victory.
- New head coach Matt Entz hired amid busy recruiting period, with 11 high school recruits signed.
- Many key players entering transfer portal following coaching change, creating uncertainty for bowl game lineup.
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Time/Date: 11:30 a.m., PT, Monday, Dec. 23
Location: Albertsons Stadium
Records: Fresno State 6-6, 4-3 MW; NIU 7-5, 4-4 MAC
Watch Live: ESPN
Listen Live: 1340 AM and other Bulldog Sports Network stations
Betting Odds: Huskies minus 1.5 points
Series History: NIU (3-2)
The Fresno State football team accepted an invitation to play in the 2024 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Northern Illinois on Monday, Dec. 23, at Albertsons Stadium in Boise, Idaho.
The Bulldogs will be led in the bowl game by interim head coach Tim Skipper. This will be Skipper’s second time serving the interim role in a bowl game, having done it in the 2023 New Mexico Bowl, leading them to a 37-10 victory.
Bulldogs fans with long memories will recall that the Huskies inflicted one of the biggest beatdowns in Fresno State history when they defeated the 24th-ranked Bulldogs, 73-18, on Oct. 6, 1990, in DeKalb.
Get your tickets here.
Related Story: New Coach Matt Entz Promises to Make Bulldog Football ‘Something ...
New Head Coach and Recruiting Developments
The bowl announcement comes at a busy time for the Bulldogs. Matt Entz, former North Dakota State head coach (2019-2023)Ā and USC linebackers coach (2024), was hired as the new head coach last Wednesday.
That same day they signed 10 high school football recruits for the 2025 freshman class on National Signing Day.
A new prospect, Clovis East’s Harold Duvall, a three-star wide receiver, committed to the program on Friday. He is the third local player to sign with the team. He chose Fresno State over Arizona, Washington, Washington State, Colorado State, Boise State, San Diego State, and San Jose State.
Related Story: Fresno State Hires USC’s Matt Entz as Head Coach. Will It End the Player ...
Player Transfers
Even before Entz took the job, Bulldog players have entered the transfer portal.
Key players like quarterback Mikey Keene, wide receiver Jalen Moss, junior linebacker Phoenix Jackson, cornerback Alāzillion Hamilton, amongst others have departed. Some cited the coaching decision as their reason for leaving the team.
Another defensive back has joined that list. Julian Neal made the decision on Saturday. Neal wrote on X: “I have grown tremendously on and off the football field. I want to thank all of the Coaches & Staff that believed in me.”
Thank you RedWave! ā¤ļøš¤ pic.twitter.com/4QxRcstcpF
ā JuBang (@J12_neal) December 7, 2024
For 16 seniors ā standouts like wide receiver Mac Dalena, offensive lineman Mose Vavao, linebackers Malachi Langley and Tuasivi Nomura, safety Dean Clark, and cornerback Cam Lockridge ā the bowl game will be the last game of their collegiate careers.
There’s no word on which backups will start in certain positions like quarterback, which seniors will play, and who will sit for the NFL Draft, and if Lockridge will play.
Related Story: Three Bulldogs Selected to All-MW First Team in Football
2024 Season for Fresno State & Northern Illinois
The season resulted below expectations for the Bulldogs. Fresno State had a chance to beat a then ranked, and defending national champion Michigan in the season opener but critical mistakes prevented an upset. Devastating losses to UNLV, Washington State, Hawai’i, Air Force, and UCLA produced an inconsistent season.
The highlight for Northern Illinois was upsetting the then fifth-ranked Notre Dame on Sept. 7. It was the first win over a Top 5 team in school and in Mid-American Conference history. The Huskies earned bowl eligibility for the second straight season with three wins in their last four games as four of their five losses came by a total of 19 points.
The Huskies are coming into the matchup as three-point favorites.
Fresno State’s Bowl Game History
Fresno State will participate in its fourth bowl game in the past four years and its 33rd bowl game in program history. It’s the first time since 2007-2010 that the Bulldogs appeared in a bowl game in four-straight seasons.
The Bulldogs are 17-15 all-time in bowl games, winning their last five since 2017. Their active bowl game winning streak is third in the nation behind Georgia and Minnesota with seven each.
The Bulldogs are 2-1 in the Boise bowl matchups, having played there in 2004, 2007 and 2010.
The Mountain West has been represented in nine of the last 11 Potato Bowl games, while the MAC has earned a spot in the game in 11 of the last 14 years.
Mountain West Coaching Changes
Other teams in the MW have dealt with coaching changes, leaves, and hirings. UNLV head coach Barry Odom left to take the Purdue head coaching job on Sunday.
On Friday, New Mexico head coach Bronco Mendenhall skipped ship after just one season to be the head coach at conference rival Utah State.
Like Fresno State, Utah State is exiting the MW for the Pac-12 for the 2026 season.
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