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Fresno State football kicks off Saturday at Bulldog Stadium

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Sarah Soghomonian
TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!
Latest posts by Sarah Soghomonian (see all)

 

The Fresno State Bulldogs kick off the 2018 football season this Saturday with a home game against Idaho. Single game tickets are still available and start at $22.

The Dogs are looking to build on last season’s success. This is the second year for head coach Jeff Tedford. The former Fresno State quarterback lit a fire under his team and led them to a ten win season.

Fresno State is returning 17 starters from the 2017 team including senior quarterback Marcus McMaryion and receiver KeeSean Johnson. Johnson and linebacker Jeff Allison were both named to the 2018 Preseason All-Mountain West Team. That means they’re considered the best in the league at their positions.

Fresno State football kickoff

Fresno State went 10-4 and ended the regular season with a big win at home against Boise State.

The Red Wave has six chances to watch the Bulldogs play at home. They could play a seventh game at home if they host the Mountain West Championship game on Dec. 1.

All home games this season will be played on Saturdays. To get ready for the home opener, the Dogs recently practiced playing under the lights of Bulldog Stadium.

“I think it’s critical to go through every stage of what we’re going to do, from starting in the morning all the way through game day, so they understand on game day how much time they have and focus we need, and certain things we do throughout the day,” said head coach Jeff Tedford. “How we take the field, what it looks like in the locker room, how to get back to the locker room, and the time in which we have to do it. There’s a lot of organization. I think it’s critical to make sure we have a dress rehearsal of that.”

March to Victory

This year the Bulldogs are going to continue a tradition that Coach Tedford started last year. It’s called the “March to Victory.” Two-and-a-half hours before kickoff, Tedford will lead the team on a walk around the west side of the stadium and through the White Lot (tailgate area) to interact with fans. They’ll enter the stadium on the north side and walk the field in unison before heading into the locker room to dress for the game.

After Saturday’s home game against Idaho, the Bulldogs will play on the road Sept. 8 at Minnesota and Sept. 15 at UCLA.

They’ll return home Sept. 29 to host Toledo before playing Nevada in Reno on Oct. 6.

Fresno State’s conference home opener is Oct. 13 against Wyoming. On Oct. 20 they play at New Mexico. Oct. 27 is homecoming for Fresno State. The Dogs will host Hawai’i.

Fresno State football kickoff

On Nov. 3, Fresno State will play in Las Vegas against UNLV and then head to Boise State on Nov. 9 for their only Friday night game of the season.

The Bulldogs will wrap up the regular season at home with games against San Diego State on Nov. 17 and San Jose State on Nov. 24.

Season tickets start at $99. Three- and four-game mini plans are available, along with group tickets and a $79 Bulldog Pass for faculty, staff, and young alumni. You can learn all about tickets by visiting the Bulldog Ticket Office, calling 278-DOGS or logging on to GoBulldogs.com.

Coach Jeff Tedford is pumped for upcoming Bulldogs season

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Sarah Soghomonian
TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!
Latest posts by Sarah Soghomonian (see all)

 

Fresno State football coach Jeff Tedford told a crowd of supporters that his Bulldogs are going to be ready for an exciting 2018 football season.

I was in attendance Thursday night when Tedford spoke to members and guests of the Fresno Trex Fraternity during their annual Fresno State Football Coach Dinner.

“Spring ball went really well,” Tedford said. “It was pretty productive.”

Jeff Tedford

Bulldogs Coach Jeff Tedford talks to fans at local event.

Team makes changes on and off field

Since Tedford took over as head coach last year, the Bulldogs have undergone some pretty big changes. The coach says mentally, his players are in a good place and changes to conditioning and nutrition have improved physicality.

“Players’ trust and confidence is up,” Tedford says. “They’ve worked very hard. We have very high standards.”

Fresno State is coming off a stellar year. The Bulldogs are only the second team in NCAA history to go from a double-digit losing season to a double-digit winning season.

“I’m really, really proud of our staff and our team,” Tedford says. “They did a fantastic job. On and off the field it was a great year for us.”

Jeff Tedford

Last season, Fresno State went 10-4 and ended the regular season with a big win at home against Boise State.

In addition to excelling on the field, Tedford is proud that his team is also competing in the classroom. Last season, sixty-three players had a 3.0 GPA or higher.

If players miss class, the coach says they are penalized. They are forced to stay and study at the coaching offices on the weekends. “It’s great to win games,” Tedford says. “But you also have to be productive citizens.”

All homes games on Saturdays

Fresno State recently learned that all six of their home games will be played on Saturdays this fall. That’s the ideal situation for college football.

Jeff Tedford

The season kicks off Sept. 1 at home against the Idaho Vandals. Fresno State will also host Toledo, Wyoming, Hawaii, San Diego State, and San Jose State. Season tickets are on sale now.

If you graduated from Fresno State in the last ten years or work at the university, you’re eligible for a money saving promotion. For $129 you can get the Bulldog Mobile Pass. You’ll use your iPhone or Android phone to scan your tickets.

Jeff Tedford

Coach hopes fans show up for Rose Bowl game

An away game that’s getting a lot of attention is when the Bulldogs take on UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Sept. 15. Tickets are on sale now. You can contact the Bulldog ticket office at (559) 278-DOGS to learn more. Tedford says he hopes a lot of the Red Wave will make the trip down south to see the Dogs take on the PAC-12 opponent.

“I feel great with where we are going,” Tedford says. “Our team is awesome. I love going to work every single day.”

Spring practice begins for Bulldogs as Mountain West releases football schedule

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Sarah Soghomonian
TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!
Latest posts by Sarah Soghomonian (see all)

The Fresno State Football team begins spring practice today. They’ll practice seven times over the next two weeks and then practice another eight times following spring break.

The NCAA allows all teams 15 practices in the spring. Fresno State’s final spring practice is scheduled for April 14 and is the only practice open to the public. It’s scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

The Bulldogs are coming off a fabulous first year under head coach Jeff Tedford. Fresno State went 10-4 in 2017 after winning just one game the previous season.

The Bulldogs are only the second team in FBS history to go from a double-digit losing season to a double-digit winning season.

Fresno State has 46 returning players; 17 of which started last year.

Bulldogs spring practice

The Bulldogs begin Spring Practice following last season’s strong performance.

The Bulldogs recently learned their Mountain West conference schedule. They’ll play four of their first six conference games on the road before closing the season at home with back-to-back games against San Diego State and San Jose State.

Fresno State has known their non-conference schedule for a while. To read more about the upcoming season check out my previous article about new recruits.

The Bulldogs kick off the 2018 season at Bulldog Stadium on September 1 against Idaho. Here’s the whole 2018 schedule.

As of now all the games are being played on Saturdays, but that could change.

“Mountain West national television partners CBS Sports Network and ESPN will now initiate a selection procedure which will include the shifting of particular games,” says Matt Burkholder, Director of Athletic Communications.

Last year was the first time in a long time that all of Fresno State’s games were played on Saturdays. That was partly because the Bulldogs did so poorly in 2016; networks didn’t choose to broadcast Fresno State’s games. Now that the Dogs are doing well, they may be back on TV. That’s great for exposure, but not necessarily ideal for fans who prefer that the Bulldogs play on Saturday, the traditional day for college football.

The Bulldogs’ conference opponents are the same as last year. “The 2018 season marks the second year of the four-year cycle of Mountain West conference games,” Burkholder says. “The Bulldogs’ Mountain West schedule will mirror 2017, but with the host-site flipped for all eight opponents.”

Bulldogs spring practice

The Bulldogs final home game of 2017 was a big victory over Boise State.

Fresno State is part of the Mountain West’s West Division. That means the Dogs play San Diego State, Nevada, San Jose State, UNLV, Nevada, and Hawai’i each year. They play three of the six Mountain Division teams in back to back years and then switch off to the other three.

That means after this season Fresno State won’t play Wyoming, New Mexico, and rival Boise State in the regular season again until 2021.

There was some controversy at the end of last season when Fresno State beat Boise State at home during the last conference game of the year and then had play the Broncos the following week in Boise for the Mountain West Championship Game, which Fresno State lost.

“This season, every contest played on the final weekend before the Mountain West Championship game will each be intra-division contests,” Bulkholder says. “The final weekend of cross-division match ups will be the weekend of November 10.”

Tickets for the 2018 Fresno State football season are now on sale at GoBulldogs.com or by calling (559) 278-3647.

Fresno State is offering the Bulldog Pass this year for current Fresno State faculty, staff and alumni who graduated within the last 10 years, from 2009 to Spring 2018.

The pass is only $79 and provides mobile tickets for all six home football games. Fan interested in the pass will need an iPhone or Android phone to receive game tickets. Paper tickets will not be provided.

Seat locations will be determined a couple days before each game, so pass holders will not be sitting in the same location for each game.

Click here to learn more or to purchase a Bulldog Pass.

Go Dogs!

It’s a Merry Christmas for Bulldog fans as Fresno State signs 15 new recruits

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Sarah Soghomonian
TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!
Latest posts by Sarah Soghomonian (see all)

Fresno State is looking to build on this year’s successful football season by adding an exciting crop of new recruits.

Last week, the Bulldogs received 15 National Letters of Intent during its first-ever early signing period instituted by the NCAA.

“Everyone we felt was going to sign did,” says head coach Jeff Tedford. “It’s nice to have this class pretty much finished. I don’t know that it’s completely finished, there may be one or two more to still come, but we’re very happy about the guys we were able to sign, and fired up they’re going to be part of the future with us.”

Eight of the 15 signees are from the Central Valley, including five players from Fresno/Clovis. That’s the most Valley recruits since 2010.

Fresno State new recruits

There will be plenty of reasons to fill Bulldog Stadium next season! Bulldogs are excited about new recruits.

Fresno State signed seven offensive players and eight defensive players. The largest position group signed was on the defensive line. Four of the Bulldogs’ current starters are graduating.

Two of the new Bulldog recruits, Rodney Wright III and Clive Truschel, are truly Bulldog Born and Bulldog Bred. Their dads both played for Fresno State. They join three other legacy players already on the Fresno State roster, Brent Bailey, Ronnie Rivers, and Mykal Walker.

Wright, a wide receiver, comes to Fresno State from Clovis West High School. His dad, Rodney Wright Jr., played for the Bulldogs during the David Carr era and was drafted into the NFL in 2002.

“Really love what Rodney brings to the table as slot receiver—really dynamic with the ball in his hands,” Tedford says. “[He’s a] quick, versatile player that makes it really hard on defenses.”

Truschel played with Wright at Clovis West. The offensive lineman graduated in June and took the year off to recover from an injury. Coach Tedford believes that he’ll be a really good interior O-lineman.

“Right when I was first hired here, [former Fresno State Coach] Pat Hill told me about Clive,” Tedford says. “We evaluated him and was impressed with his competitiveness and versatility.”

Because Truschel is already done with high school, he is able to join the team early and start practicing with the Bulldogs this Spring.

Clovis West’s Golden Eagles are well represented in this year’s recruiting class. Richard Arias is set to graduate from CW in June. The wide receiver transferred from McLane for his senior year. At 225 pounds, Tedford says he loves his size.

“He’s a big, thick kid that can go up and snag the ball,” he says. “He will bring versatility to our wide receiver position.”

Another wide receiver to sign on to Fresno State is Emoryie Edwards. The Tulare Union High senior was one of the more highly-recruited players in the Valley. He owns Valley records in receiving yards and receptions. Tedford says he’s an “explosive route runner with really natural hands.”

Fresno State new recruits

Coach Tedford loves talking to fans about his Bulldogs. He’ll enter his 2nd season with a strong recruiting class.

There’s a pair of Sunnyside High School seniors that have also signed on to play for the Bulldogs. Sherwin King is a linebacker that Tedford says is “already pretty well-developed physically” and Deshawn Ruffin, a defensive back, who Tedford says “plays with an edge.”

Fresno State has one junior college recruit. Nick Abbas is an offensive lineman from Fresno City College. The Portland, Oregon native is 6’6” and weighs 290 lbs. “We’re really excited to get him here this fall and expect him to compete at right tackle next season,” Tedford says.

The Bulldogs have also signed two quarterbacks. Steven Comstock is from Glendora, CA. In addition to football, he’s an All-State Wrestler. “We’re really excited about Steven,” Tedford says. “One thing that stands out about this kid is how tough and competitive he is.”

Ben Wooldridge is a quarterback coming to Fresno State from Pleasanton, CA. He came out to Fresno’s camp in the summer and coaches were impressed. Described as a pro-style quarterback, Woodridge overcame a shoulder injury early in his season and ended up still winning his League MVP.

Fresno State new recruits

The Bulldogs’ last home game of 2017 was an exciting one. Fresno State beat rival Boise State!

Other players to commit to Fresno State include Elijah Carson, an offensive lineman from San Diego; Matt Kjeldgaard, a defensive lineman from Oakdale; Matt Lawson, a defensive lineman from Ontario; Leonard Payne, a defensive lineman from Downey; Isaiah Johnson, a defensive lineman from Modesto; and Shamar Whestone, a defensive back from Victorville.

The Bulldogs 2018 season kicks off Sept. 1 at home against Idaho. The non-conference lineup also includes games at Minnesota and UCLA, and a home game against Toledo. Season tickets are already on sale. Visit GoBulldogs.com for more information or call 278-DOGS.

Derek Carr returns to Fresno State for jersey retirement Sept. 2

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Sarah Soghomonian
TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!
Latest posts by Sarah Soghomonian (see all)

The Bulldogs will kick off their 2017 football season in a special way—by welcoming home former Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr.

The university will retire his No. 4 jersey during a halftime ceremony at the September 2 home opener at Bulldog Stadium. His will be only the seventh retired jersey in the 95-year history of the program.

Derek Carr jersey

Derek Carr’s No. 4 will be retired by Fresno State on Sept. 2.

Carr is the Bulldogs’ all-time leading passer. He played for Fresno State from 2009-2013. He’s now entering his fourth season with the Oakland Raiders.

“I am deeply honored that my alma mater, Fresno State, will be retiring my No. 4 jersey,” Carr said. “It is very humbling and exciting for me as it has been a childhood dream.”

He also shared his excitement in a video posted on Instagram:

Carr led the Bulldogs to back-to-back Mountain West championships in his final two seasons. His senior year, Fresno State went 11-2 and was ranked as high as No. 13 in the national rankings.

During his time as a Bulldog, Carr set 27 new school records and was a two-time All-American.

Derek Carr jersey

The scoreboard following Fresno State’s Mountain West Championship win in 2013.

This isn’t the first Carr jersey to be retired by Fresno State. Brother David Carr also had his No. 8 jersey retired. The older Carr played quarterback at Fresno State from 1997-2001.

“Having the honor of retiring a second Carr jersey in Bulldog Stadium is a momentous event and one that Fresno State and our fans will always cherish,” said Fresno State Athletics Director Jim Bartko. “We are so very appreciative of what Derek and his family continue to do in support of our community.”

Derek Carr jersey

Derek Carr on the big screen after winning the Mountain West title game in 2013.

Other Fresno State football players who have had their numbers retired include Trent Dilfer (quarterback), Henry Ellard (wide receiver), Dale Messer (running back), Vince Petrucci (kicker) and Kevin Sweeney (quarterback).

Derek Carr jersey

Derek Carr will be the seventh player in Fresno State history to have their number retired at Bulldog Stadium.

Valley Children’s Healthcare is serving as the halftime sponsor for the September 2 game. They are providing a limited-edition commemorative Derek Carr No. 4 t-shirt to every fan in attendance.

Tickets are on sale now. There’s a single-game flash sale happening in honor of Carr. You can buy four tickets for $44 in section 4 for a limited time.

Season tickets start at $99. There are four- and three-game mini plans on sale, too. Learn more at GoBulldogs.com.

For more information on the upcoming season, including details on new head coach Jeff Tedford, check out my July 31st post here.

Go Dogs!

Get excited: We’re just a month away from Bulldog Football

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Sarah Soghomonian
TV Producer and fan of all things fabulous.Bulldog Born, Bulldog Bred!
Latest posts by Sarah Soghomonian (see all)

bulldog football

Are you ready for some Bulldog Football? This week, Fresno State holds their first official practice of fall camp.

They will have 29 practices before kicking off the 2017 season at Bulldog Stadium on Saturday, September 2, against Incarnate Word.

Fresno State is looking to rebuild after a rough season last year. Fans are excited about new head coach Jeff Tedford. He played for Fresno State in the 1980s and was a Bulldog assistant coach from 1992 to 1997. He went on to be the head coach at Cal.

“Fresno State’s new leader brings a wealth of experience, having left Cal as its all-time winningest coach in program history with 82 wins in his 11 seasons from 2002-12,” says Matt Burkholder, Director of Athletic Communications at Fresno State.

There are 18 starters returning to the Bulldog Football Team this season. Three of them have been named to national preseason watch lists. Senior center Aaron Mitchell was named to the Rimington Award watch list, senior kicker Kody Kroening was named to the Lou Groza Award watch list, and junior wide receiver KeeSean Johnson was named to the Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List.

Johnson and senior defensive end Nathan Madsen joined coach Tedford in Las Vegas last week for the Mountain West Football Media Summit. The conference takes place before the start of each football season.

At the conference, the media picked Fresno State to finish sixth in the West Division of the Mountain West Conference. San Diego State was picked to finish first.

In the Mountain Division, Boise State was picked to finish first.

The Bulldogs are hoping to exceed expectations just like Cal did when Tedford took over the Golden Bears back in 2001. They went 7-5 that season, despite winning just one game the season before.

For the first time in years, Fresno State will be playing all 12 regular season games on Saturdays, including six home games.

bulldog football

Season tickets, group packages and mini plans are on-sale now. Season tickets start at $99.

Four- and three-game mini plans include the BYU game on November 4, and you get to choose the other games.

To learn more about securing your tickets visit GoBulldogs.com or call 559-278-DOGS.

FTW: Food Trucks and Fresno State Bulldogs Football

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Talk to Me!
Alisa Manjarrez
Alisa is the Global Marketing Manager at FocusVision, the global leader in market research technology. As an Executive Coach, she works with professionals across the country to achieve their goals and grow as leaders.

In midst of all this, a girl has gotta eat, right? Alisa is loves chatting with chefs behind the scenes and exploring the rich food culture of the Central Valley.
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Fresno State Athletics is offering pre-game activities this football season with their community tailgate on Bulldog Boulevard for all home games. Thankfully, there will be plenty of delicious food options. Food Truck Row will feature a variety of mobile food vendors at each tailgate, carefully curated by Enzo’s Table (formerly Bella Frutta).

Beginning four hours prior to kick-off, this free event will also have live entertainment, interactive displays and a fun zone for kids of all ages. Food Truck Row kicked off (pun intended) at the Nebraska game this past weekend with all family-owned vendors, and many will be there again this Saturday for the next Fresno State game.

bite-me-fresno-mobile

Do you like strawberries and whipped cream? Hurry, before the season is over and taste the strawberry crepe from Bite Me, owned by Ellen Moxley and her daughter. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look from Eat Mobile!:

And remember Tower Dogs? Former Tower Dogs owner Steve Duquette and his son Sean have been serving NY-style pizzas around the valley since March of this year.

Zamore' Pizzeria

I haven’t tried Zamore’ Pizzeria yet, but it’s on my list.

Zamore' Pizzeria Sean

Zamore-Pizzeria-pizza
Cowboy Shaman, an Asian-Americana fusion truck and Tacos Mazatlan, a Fresno taco favorite, will also be there for the September 20 game.

RSVP on Facebook to share which trucks you’d like to see on Food Truck Row!

food-truck-row

Special thanks to Eat Mobile! for sharing the images in this post.