Matt Entz is standing by his quarterback.

Even though E.J. Warner leads the nation in interceptions, Fresno State’s head coach has faith in his quarterback.

“He’s our starting quarterback. He did a great job and he got us to win a game,” Entz said at his weekly news conference Monday.

Warner led the Bulldogs to a winning drive with 29 seconds remaining in last week’s 36-27 victory at Oregon State. A late pick-six sealed the final score.

Through three games, Warner has thrown five interceptions, with no touchdown passes.

“I think it just comes down to decision-making, putting him in good situations. But we’re going to practice. We’re going to continue to move forward. We’re 2-1, we have a chance to go 1-0 (this week), that’s my priority,” Entz said.

The Bulldogs host Southern of the FCS Southwestern Athletic Conference on Saturday at Valley Children’s Stadium.

Entz praised Warner’s completion percentage — 68.9%, ranking 43rd in the nation. He also complimented his clock management on the game-winning drive.

Warner’s interception came on a third-and-13 in the second quarter.

Kurt Warner, E.J.’s Hall of Fame football father, shared his thoughts on the play on social media.

“Often times on deeper throws the QB is letting the ball go as a WR is breaking open BUT just on release the DB bumps the WR & it changes his course!! They end up looking like a bad miss but there is absolutely nothing the QB (or WR) can do about this & it often stinks for QB bc it looks bad, but they are often throwing it where it’s supposed to go & contact just happens!” Warner posted on X.

The elder Warner — also an NFL TV analyst — also showed off his new coffee mug.

Enjoying my new gift from my #GamedayMorning crew… Go Dogs!!! pic.twitter.com/HvfsZXghev

— Kurt Warner (@kurt13warner) September 7, 2025

Fixing the Defense

Oregon State racked up 528 yards, with 30 first downs in the loss to Fresno State.

Entz suggested fixes for the Bulldog defense.

“We’ve got to be better on third down (the Beavers went 10-for-17). We can’t extend drives or allow drives to be extended, so I think that’s something that we have to address immediately, and I think there’s some fixes out there,” Entz said.

Entz also wants to limit big plays.

“Our players, they’re self-aware enough to know that they didn’t play their best at different times. I don’t think we need to panic right now, and we’re just gonna get back to work,” Entz said.

Entz also wants to “clean up” Red Zone defense.

Entz brushed off the targeting penalty that will keep linebacker K’vion Thunderbird out of the first half Saturday.

“When you’re on the road, you got to beat everybody. You got to beat the opponent. You got beat the fans. And you probably got to beat the refs at some point,” Entz said.

Bulldogs Earn Player of the Week Honors

Linebacker Jadon Pearson and kicker Dylan Lynch earned Mountain West Players of the Week for defense and special teams, respectively.

Pearson led the Bulldogs with 16 tackles against Oregon State. He leads the nation with 34 tackles.

Entz praised him for being voted a captain, while only being with the program for eight months. He transferred from Utah State, where he played last season.

“It says a lot about him. It says a lot about his willingness to continue to develop,” Entz said.

Lynch went 3-for-3 on field goals, including a game-winning 43-yard kick with 29 seconds remaining.

About Southern

The Human Jukebox — see the movie “Drumline” for reference on HBCU bands — is coming to Fresno State on Saturday, and they are bringing some football players with them.

Southern University of Baton Rouge may be better known for its band than its 1-2 football team. The Jaguars lost a turnover-plagued game last week to Alabama State, 30-7.

Entz provided a scouting report. He expects a mobile quarterback. Cam’Ron McCoy rushed for 66 yards on 11 attempts against Alabama State.

On defense, DE Ckelby Givens leads the team with 5.5 sacks.

“They have kids that can run. They’re going to play extremely hard. So we’re looking for it’s going to be a good challenge for us this week and we need to have another good week of practice,” Entz said.

Entz — who coached one game against FBS teams when he led FCS North Dakota State, a 3-point loss to Arizona in 2022 — expects Southern to play “with a chip on their shoulder.”

“Everyone wants to prove that they belong. You’re going to get their best shot. And I wouldn’t expect anything different,” Entz said.

Over the decades, the Jaguars (9-5 last year) have sent more than 70 players to the NFL. Among them: Pro Football Hall of Famers Mel Blount, Aeneas Williams, and Harold Carmichael.

Entz Finds His Voice

Fans and media are used to Entz having a gravelly, scratchy voice. During his news conference, Entz sounded … normal. He says it usually takes an hour after a game for his voice to return.

“Believe me, I’ve had a lot of people give me a lot of advice. A lot of it had either honey, whiskey, some sort of alcoholic remedy. I don’t know if any of those things have worked. I have people try to give me cough drops, and those things taste terrible, so I don’t want them. So usually, it’s just time,” Entz said.

Speaking to Veterans

Entz addressed a group of veterans Monday before they took off for Washington for the Honor Flight, at the invitation of broadcaster and veterans advocate Paul Loeffler.

He recounted a story about how one of the veterans just wanted to hear about the Bulldogs.

“How humbling is this? You have served your country, you’ve probably been in a conflict overseas somewhere and the biggest thing on your mind was that the Bulldogs were able to get a win on Saturday,” Entz said.

Saturday, the team will honor Central Valley veterans.