By: Savannah Stoeckle / Assistant Athletic Director for Strategic Communications
August 28, 2023
Fresno State (0-0, 0-0 MW) at Purdue (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, Sept. 2 • 9:00 a.m. PT • Ross-Ade Stadium (57,282) – West Lafayette, IN
QUICK LOOK
- Fresno State closed the 2022 season with a 10-4 record, and as Mountain West and LA Bowl champions.
- The Bulldogs became the first team in FBS history to open a season 1-4 and finish with 10 wins in 2022.
- Fresno State is riding a 9 game winning streak, the third-longest active winning streak in the FBS.
- Fresno State finished the 2022 season ranked No. 24 in the AP and Coaches poll. It was the fourth time in program history (1992, 2004, 2018 and 2022) that the team appeared in the final rankings.
- Head coach Jeff Tedford is back in his second stint as the program’s head coach, having previously coached the ‘Dogs from 2017-19 before stepping away for health concerns.
- Fresno State retained its entire coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball under defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle.
- The ‘Dogs added two new position coaches to the offense in Brian Armstrong (OL) and Aaron Prier (RB).
- The ‘Dogs have a new offensive coordinator for 2023 as Tedford promoted Pat McCann from wide receivers coach to OC in January 2023. Matt Wade was also elevated from offensive quality control to quarterbacks coach.
- Fresno State was picked to finish third in the Mountain West this season. The ‘Dogs received five first place vote.
- Two Bulldogs were on the MW preseason all-conference team in offensive lineman Mose Vavao and defensive lineman Devo Bridges
- For the first time since the 2020 season, Fresno State will have a new starting quarterback as Tedford announced UCF transfer Mikey Keene will
- ABOUT THE MATCHUP
- Fresno State and Purdue will meet for the first time in program history on Saturday.
- This week’s travel trip is the furthest in mileage for Fresno State this season, traveling 2,222 miles to West Lafayette.
- Fresno State is facing a current Big Ten member for the first time since defeating Rutgers in overtime in 2013 (52-51). Rutgers was not a member of the Big Ten that year.
- The last true Big Ten opponent the ‘Dogs have faced has been Nebraska on Sept. 3, 2016. Fresno State lost, 43-10 on the road.
- Fresno State is playing on the Big Ten Network for the first time since 2016 (vs. Nebraska)
- Fresno State is 59-38-4 in its season openers all-time. As head coach of the Bulldogs’ program, Tedford is 3-1 in his season openers with wins in the 2017, 2018 and 2022 openers.
- Fresno State is opening the season on the road for the first time since the 2019 season when the ‘Dogs opened at USC.
- Anybody, Anytime, Anywhere. Fresno State has 40 wins all-time against current Power 5 programs.
- Fresno State has defeated a Power 5 opponent in back-to-back seasons.
