Fresno State Football 2014 – Better, Worse or about the Same?

OFFENSE

Fresno State’s offense is unlikely to be better in 2014 than it was in 2013. Derek Carr, Marcel Jensen, Davante Adams, and Isaiah Burse have moved on to the NFL Draft. The Bulldogs’ biggest task will be replacing Carr, who is considered by many to be a first-round NFL Draft pick. Fortunately, the Bulldogs got a little help in this department when Duke QB Brandon Connette transferred to Fresno State last week.

Connette brings a dual-threat style with him, but will still have to fight Brian Burrell for the job of starting QB. Burrell did enough to be named the leader headed into fall, but it wasn’t by a landslide and it was before Connette announced his intentions. The smart money is on Connette starting, but one probably shouldn’t bet on Fresno State starting out on fire. Fresno’s first month will see them on the road against USC (10-4) and Utah (5-7), and then their home-opener will be against Nebraska (9-4).

Duke QB Brandon Connette (Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports)

DEFENSE

The defense, on the other hand, ought to be much better than 2013’s. Last year the Bulldogs were saddled with injuries and depth concerns. With virtually no experience at the cornerback position, the Bulldogs were shredded when teams went vertical on them (San Jose St. & USC). That changes this year as they have starters back, guys now have more experience, and they’ve brought in a JuCo transfer in Stratton Brown to add depth.

This is a team that returns a substantial portion of their starters from last year. Most importantly, guys who probably weren’t ready to play a year ago have more confidence. Guys like cornerback Curtis Riley, who was thrown to the wolves without a second thought because of defensive back injuries. These guys now have an entire season and offseason to have learned their position. The Bulldog defense will definitely be tested early, but they should be good enough to keep them around in most games.

Will Fresno State be better, worse or about the same as last year? 

It’s probable and likely that this team will be worse than last year’s. The 2013 Bulldogs nearly finished the regular season undefeated and there’s little to no chance that happens again this year. The first two weeks of their schedule have them on the road in two of the toughest Pac-12 environments to win for anybody, let alone a team with a new offense. Utah might not have been a powerhouse in 2013, but they took Stanford behind a woodshed when they traveled to Salt Lake City.

USC might be one of the most dangerous teams in the country in 2014 and Fresno State was humbled by Troy in the Las Vegas Bowl. It’s hard to imagine a Carr-less team could somehow close the gap on a USC team that has reloaded and moved to an up-tempo offense. The most important part of Fresno State’s season has always been winning the Mountain West conference and that’s something they can do.

Fresno State may be playing one of the toughest OOC schedules in the country, but their conference slate is going to be more than manageable with their offense. San Diego State and Boise State are on the 2014 schedule and these games will be a great litmus test for how far the Bulldogs can go in 2014. I still expect to see Utah State and Fresno State re-matching in the Mountain West Championship Game, but this time they’ll be playing in Utah. 

For more Fresno State analysis and commentary, follow Josh on Twitter @FightOnTwist.