It’s a short week for Fresno State football, and that’s no problem for coach Matt Entz.

Fresno State (5-1, 2-0 Mountain West Conference) plays its only non-Saturday game of the year when it travels to Colorado State (1-4, 0-1 MWC) for a Friday night game.

“We think our schedule is built for games like this, so we’re not going to change much from a practice structure,” Entz said Monday at his weekly news conference.

The team will travel on Thursday, a day earlier than normal.

“We’ll get everything we need to get accomplished. Then, of course, we’ll have a good walk-through in the hotel on Friday,” Entz said.

Entz said the Bulldogs shouldn’t overlook Colorado State’s record, calling the Rams “a really good football team.” He praised Rams linebacker Owen Long as one of the best in the conference.

With a win, Fresno State becomes bowl eligible. Sticking to his “go 1-0 every week” mindset, Entz said he isn’t concerned about that.

Weather should not be an issue. The forecast calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 60s at kickoff.

“Whatever Mother Nature throws at you, you got to be able to handle it and no excuses,” Entz said.

Entz on the Running Game

Entz says the Bulldogs have yet to play their best football.

“We’re not where we need to be — nowhere near. Our kids know that. There’s a mindset of growth still when we come to every meeting. They know that our best football is ahead of us,” Entz said.

That includes the running game, which is averaging 172.2 yards per game, a “great number” Entz said.

“We need to be more consistent though. I think there were too many plays during the course of Saturday night’s game where we got behind the chains. We needed to make sure we’re staying on track, we’re staying ahead of the chains, we’re being more efficient in some of our early down run game,” Entz said.

The running backs need to fix footwork, pre-snap communication, and pad level, Entz said.

Bulldog runners are averaging 4.9 yards per carry with 13 touchdowns. However, Bryson Donelson’s 167-yard performance against Georgia Southern is the only 100-yard rushing performance by a Bulldogs running back.

Brandon Ramirez, the team’s short-yardage back, played an key role in the team’s game-sealing, time-elapsing final drive to preserve the 20-17 win last Saturday against Nevada.

Entz called Ramirez an “instrumental part of the program.”

A Computer Problem Looming?

Six teams remain unbeaten in Mountain West play, and Fresno State will face four of them — matchups that could determine any conference championship tiebreakers.

But what happens if Fresno State and UNLV finish tied — either for the second spot in the championship game or to determine which team hosts?

The two teams with the best conference records will meet for the championship on Friday, Dec. 5, at the school with the better record. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head results.

Because the Bulldogs and Rebels don’t play each other this season, the second tiebreaker would be national rankings — either the College Football Playoff poll or a composite of four computer rankings.

The first CFP poll will be released Nov. 4. Based on current computer rankings, Fresno State fans might want to root for a UNLV loss before then.

Here is how the relevant computer polls rank the teams now:

Connelly SP+: UNLV, 72; Fresno State, 73

ESPN SOR: UNLV, 26; Fresno State, 42

KPI: UNLV, 49; Fresno State, 45