These are the four players I’ll be keeping an eye on when Fresno State hosts Washington State at Valley Children’s Stadium on Saturday.

Key Players to Watch for Fresno State

Offense: Junior wide receiver Josiah Freeman, No. 5

The wide receiver corps for the Bulldogs have had big games throughout the season. It’s now Freeman’s time to shine. He was dealing with an injury early in the season but returned on the road against the New Mexico Lobos on Sept. 21 with 5 receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown.

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There’s plenty of Bulldog playmakers for Washington State to keep an eye on. Senior Mac Dalena, sophomore Jalen Moss, and junior Raylen Sharpe have shown what they can do. While the Cougars will be focusing on those other players, that means Freeman is poised to have a breakout game. Their defense ranks No. 126 out of 133 teams in the country so this would be the game to do it.

“I want to be somebody who can give the team momentum, help our quarterbacks out, and make everybody else on the team better,” said Freeman. “What the fans can expect from me is that something explosive is going to happen sooner or later. A big play is going to happen, for sure, I can feel it.”

Defense: Sophomore safety Jayden Davis, No. 11

With senior safety Camryn Bracha out with an injury, Davis and senior Kosi Agina have had to step in for him. Even though they were defeated by the Rebels on Sept. 28, Davis led the team with seven tackles.

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He was a depth player, switching in and getting on the field for certain downs, situations, and coverages. Defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle praised him for having a great fall camp. He’s excited to show The Red Wave what he can do against a Cougars team that’s ranked No. 10 in the country.

“The defense has to play ball. We have a great game plan. We trust coach Coyle and do what he asks of us. My opportunity is here, and I prayed for this. All I got to do is go play,” said Davis.

Key Players to Watch for Washington State

Offense: Sophomore quarterback John Mateer, No. 10

He’s ranked No. 2 in the nation in total offense at his position, No. 15 in yards per pass attempt, No. 16 in passing touchdowns. He has 19 rushes of more than 10 yards to start the season, which is second-most by a quarterback in FBS and also leads FBS quarterbacks in missed tackles forced with 31.

Mateer is a statistical machine. He set a WSU record with 300 pass yards and 100 rushing yards in the win over San Jose State. Including another school record for rush yards by a QB with 197 rush yards in the week 2 win over Texas Tech.

Defense: Senior linebacker Kyle Thornton, No. 52

In 2023 Thornton led the team which 87 tackles, which ranked seventh in the Pac-12, and was on the Burlsworth Trophy Watch List Semifinalist (Top Former Walk-On).

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Mountain West Football Matchups:

All games will be played on Saturday, Oct. 12 (except UNLV vs. Utah State) and broadcast times are Pacific.

Air Force (1-4) at New Mexico (1-4)

Game Starts: 4 p.m.; Broadcast: truTV/Max. Analysts predict the Lobos will beat the Falcons. They both have the same record and are looking for their first conference win of the season.

Boise State (4-1) at Hawai‘i (2-3)

Game Starts: 8 p.m.; Broadcast: CBSSN. Analysts predict the Broncos will beat the Rainbow Warriors. The Broncos have accumulated nine consecutive wins over the Rainbow Warriors and won 15 of the last 16 meetings between the teams.

San José State (4-1) at Colorado State (2-3)

Game Starts: 12:30 p.m.; Broadcast: truTV/Max. – Analysts predict the Spartans will beat the Rams. CSU leads the all-time series 7-5 but San Jose State won the last meeting at home in 2022 and are looking to keep their place as the number one team in the conference.

Oregon State (4-1) at Nevada (2-4)

Game Starts: 4:30 p.m.; Broadcast: CBSSN. Analysts predict the Beavers will beat the Wolf Pack. Oregon State has won 13 of its last 14 games against non-AP-ranked teams and Nevada has lost 24 of its last 28 games.

San Diego State (2-3) at Wyoming (1-4)

Game Starts: 12:30 p.m.; Broadcast: CBSSN. Analysts predict the Aztecs will beat the Cowboys. San Diego State has won eight of its last nine October road games against non-AP-ranked teams and Wyoming has lost four of its last five games.

UNLV (4-1) at Utah State (1-4)

The game is on Friday; Game Starts: 6 p.m.; Broadcast: CBSSN. Analysts predict the Rebels will beat the Aggies. It’s Utah State’s Homecoming,and the Rebels are looking to bounce back from their loss to Syracuse and show why they deserve to be nationally ranked.

(Analysts are from Fox Sports and ESPN.)