Is Fresno State’s Brandon Ramirez a blocking fullback? Or, is he a bruising running back?

Bulldogs coach Matt Entz likes to keep opponents guessing, and Ramirez takes whatever assignment comes his way.

“I feel like I’ve been able to take advantage of my opportunities — blocking for my teammates and also running the ball — just whenever they need me,” says Ramirez, a sophomore from Hanford.

With Ramirez in the lineup, the offense can show different formations, such as putting Rayshon Luke in motion.

“Brandon has really kind of become a Swiss Army knife for us offensively. Having multiple backs on the field creates some challenges for people. How do you treat him? Is he a tailback? Is he a fullback? He can still carry the football and be effective in both the run game and the throw game,” Entz said.

Several schools recruited Ramirez, including Colorado, BYU, and Yale. He chose to stay home.

“Everything just fit right. I was able to come here and play offense at the last second (Ramirez played defensive back in high school), which is what I wanted — to be a running back. All my childhood was about playing in this stadium. And now the dream is real,” Ramirez said.

Pearson on Final Home Game

Linebacker and team captain Jadon Pearson may not have played all four years at Fresno State, but he will still be honored Saturday on Senior Night.

“It’s definitely a surreal moment. I’ve been in college a while and I’ve seen a lot of seniors go. It gets pretty emotional on Senior Day. I’m looking forward to spending that time with my teammates and having my family come out,” said Pearson, who leads the team with 84 tackles.

Pearson made stops at Air Force, Reedley College, Utah (undergrad in criminology) and Utah State (master’s in sports administration) before closing his career as a Bulldog.

“My mom keeps saying, like, hey, maybe get a doctorate. No thank you,” Pearson said.

While an Aggie, he was teammates with dynamic quarterback Bryson Barnes.

“I have a ton of respect for him and the way he plays. I’m just super excited to play against him and that style of offense in a game-like environment,” Pearson said.

Entz on Utah State

Barnes has eight rushing touchdowns this season for the Aggies and has thrown for 18.

“They have a quarterback who is a really talented player — run game, throw game — and they complement him with a lot of nice pieces around him,” Entz said. “He’s a tough kid, and you can tell he loves to play the game the right way.”

Entz has talked several times this season about the Bulldogs’ complementary style. Utah State head coach Bronco Mendenhall agrees.

“Their offensive style complements their defensive style and vice versa. You’re playing an entire team,” Mendenhall said of Fresno State at his weekly news conference. “There is a clear identity to the team.”

The Bulldogs are middle of the pack in the Mountain West in both scoring (seventh) and yards gained (sixth). Mendenhall also repeated something Entz often says — it’s not about stats, it’s about wins.

Entz said getting pressure on Barnes is a key to winning. The Aggies have allowed an average of 3.5 sacks per game. Barnes said his team has made “tremendous strides” in recent weeks protecting the quarterback.

“The guys up front have taken it as a chip on their shoulder, and they continue to show up and work every day,” Barnes said at the team’s news conference.

No Sexy Offensive Numbers

Despite a 7-3 record, no Fresno State offensive player has produced spectacular stats. The team has had only one single-game 100-yard rusher — Bryson Donelson’s 167 against Georgia Southern — and no 100-yard receivers.

“As long as we’re winning, I don’t think it matters,” Entz said.

On the ground, six players have 19 or more carries this season. Rayshon Luke leads the team with 587 rushing yards. Entz likes his running back room.

“They’re tremendous fans of each other, and when one has success, they all get excited,” Entz said.

Josiah Freeman leads receivers in catches (33) and yards (378).

Availability Report Update

Starting defensive tackle Martin Owusu and backup defensive back Jomarion Briggs are listed as questionable, according to the availability report released Thursday night. Several players are listed as out that were previously known, such as linebacker K’vion Thunderbird, nursing a broken arm.

Quarterback Jayden Mandal, who underwent surgery this week, is not listed.

Utah State safety Titan Saxton, who was carted off the field last week at UNLV, is out for the Fresno State game.

This Week in the Mountain West/Future Pac-12

All times Pacific

Friday, Nov. 21

Hawai’i (7-3, 4-2 MWC) at (8-2, 4-2)*, 7:30 p.m., FS1 (Dan Hellie, Petros Papadakis)

Saturday, Nov. 22

Washington State§ (5-5) at James Madison (7-0), 10 a.m., ESPN+ (Curt Dudley, Brian Barlow, David Hulvey)

Nevada (2-8, 1-5) at Wyoming (4-6, 2-4)*, 11 a.m., Altitude/MWN digital (John Ramey, Jared Petrino)

Texas State§ (4-6, 1-5 Sun Belt) at ULM (3-7, 1-5 Sun Belt), 2 p.m., ESPN+ (Brant Freeman, Keith Moreland)

New Mexico (7-3, 4-2) at Air Force (3-7, 2-4)*, 4 p.m., CBSSN (Chris Lewis, Randy Cross)

Colorado State (2-8, 1-5) at Boise State (6-4, 4-2)*, 4 p.m., FS1 (Chris Myers, Spencer Tillman)

San Jose State (3-7, 2-4) at  San Diego State (8-2, 5-1)*, 7:30 p.m., FS1 (Dan Hellie, Petros Papadakis)

Off: Oregon State§ (2-9)

* MWC game; § 2026 Pac-12 member not in 2025 MWC; most announcer info from 506 Sports.