FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State football team appeared at No. 24 in the final college football rankings released by the Associated Press following the National Championship Game on Monday evening, capping another historic season in Bulldog football history.
Fresno State has appeared in the final AP Top 25 for now the fourth time in program history, adding to the previous list of the 1992, 2004 and 2018 teams. Fresno State also finished No. 24 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll rankings, released on Tuesday.
Fresno State became the first program in FBS history to open its season 1-4 and finish with a 10-win record. The Bulldogs won nine-straight games to close out the season with a 10-4 overall record, winning the Mountain West Championship on the road at Boise State and defeating Pac-12 opponent Washington State in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl. Fresno State's nine consecutive wins mark the third-longest active winning streak in the FBS.
The Bulldogs finished in the Top 20 nationally in punt returns (No. 1), blocked punts allowed (No. 1), completion percentage (No. 2), team passing efficiency defense (No. 9), fewest penalties per game (No. 13), blocked punts (No. 14), scoring defense (No. 14), fewest penalty yards per game (No. 16), passing yards allowed (No. 18), blocked kicks (No. 19), and winning percentage (No. 20).
The 2022 season was a rollercoaster year for Fresno State. Coming into the year with such promise and excitement behind returning head coach Jeff Tedford and veteran talent in all phases of the game, the Bulldogs were faced with adversity right off the bat, but never were discouraged.
The Bulldogs opened the season with a dominating 35-7 home win over Cal Poly in the season opener, beginning the year on the right foot. That Sept. 1 win would be the last win the Bulldogs would celebrate until mid-October.
The next four games would go the way of the opponent as Fresno State suffered a heartbreaking fourth quarter loss at home to Oregon State, falling 35-32 on Sept. 10 before traveling out to then-No. 7 USC a week later. Things were going steady for the Bulldogs in the opening half against a Top 10 team, down only 21-10 at the half, receiving the ball to begin the second half and momentum moving in the right direction for the Bulldogs. The opening drive to the second half would change things for the Bulldogs as quarterback Jake Haener suffered a severe lower leg injury that would sideline him for weeks. Fresno State also lost its captain on the opposite side of the ball in senior defensive back Evan Williams to a knee injury.
Sophomore quarterback Logan Fife was called upon to step in for the injured Haener. Working through the kinks of a new signal caller, and without the presence of the team captains on either side of the ball, the Bulldogs lost games at UConn and Boise State.
On Oct. 15, Fresno State returned home for its first home game in five weeks. Riding a four game losing streak, the Bulldogs were hosting then-West Division leader San Jose State in the battle for the Valley Trophy. Things were clicking for the Bulldogs on both sides of the ball, staying composed and marching to a 17-10 win over the Spartans. Little did the 'Dogs know that would be the start of it all, sparking a winning streak and momentum for weeks to come.
"Great win, really good football team, really the hottest team in the conference coming in here," said Tedford after the win over San Jose State. "You've got to give them a lot of credit for how hard they played. I am just really happy for our kids and our coaching staff. You know it's been a long, hard few weeks here. It was really nice to come home. It seems like forever… I couldn't be prouder of these kids. It's been a long, hard road. A lot of people gave up on these kids. We hear all this negative talk about things, but these guys keep working hard every single day. Come to practice, work, and believe in each other and that was a great defensive performance tonight. We played team football."
Fife won his second game as the Bulldogs' starter with a 41-9 win at New Mexico the following week, moving Fresno State to 2-1 in Mountain West play and securing its first road win of the season.
Fresno State was still in control of its own destiny. With another big West Division matchup against San Diego State in Fresno, the Bulldogs were feeling good with the highly anticipated return of Haener and Williams to the game. Things didn't go as planned as the game kicked off, but that has never stopped the 'Dogs from competing.
Down 28-17 entering the fourth quarter, Fresno State completed an epic fourth quarter comeback against San Diego State, scoring 15 points in the final quarter with two touchdowns in a 13-second span within the final 70 seconds. Fresno State kept possession of the Old Oil Can with a 32-28 win over the Aztecs on Saturday night at Valley Children's Stadium.
"This game tests you in every way possible, that's why I love it. This is why you play, right?" said Haener following the comeback win against the Aztecs.
Things felt right again around the Bulldog program with the return of key players and being back in the win column. Fresno State's offense powered through Hawai'i 55-13 for its fourth win in a row and third-straight at home before defeating UNLV and Nevada in back-to-back weeks on the road. The Bulldogs clinched the West Division and secured its spot in the MW Championship Game with a dominating 41-14 win at Nevada on Nov. 19.
"It's great to get the win and become the West Division Champions," said Haener after defeating Nevada. "I got here in 2019 and my goal every year has been to win a Mountain West Championship. I finally have the opportunity to do that. I'm proud of these guys and the way we fought in that locker room. After the Boise game when we were 1-4 and things weren't looking great, those guys in that room stayed poised and stayed confident. Here we are after winning six straight and we have the opportunity to go play there again. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
The Bulldogs closed out the regular season with a 30-0 Senior Day win over Wyoming, entering the MW Championship on a hot streak.
Fresno State saw itself making another trip to The Blue to face Boise State, going in with one goal in mind of winning the title game and avenging the loss suffered in early October. It was a defensive battle to start the game, but a punt return for a touchdown by senior Nikko Remigio sparked the Bulldogs' scoring efforts and led to a 28-16 win for the championship title, the program's second under Tedford.
"Really proud of our kids and our coaching staff, who have done a great job all year long," said Tedford following the championship win. "We've come a long way since the first part of the year where a lot of people probably didn't believe in us, but the kids in the locker room did and the staff did. Nothing more fitting than to end it like we did tonight…the work they put in, the commitment they make on a daily basis, the belief they have, the perseverance they have shown over the year. It is so rewarding to see them happy."
The Bulldogs' season ended in Los Angeles, representing the Mountain West and defeating Washington State 29-6 in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl inside SoFi Stadium.
"We were resilient and I think we persevered," said senior running back Jordan Mims after the bowl win. "1-4, not starting off too hot, knowing the talent that we have in our room. It was kind of tough. And you go through those moments and we kind of just stuck with it because we knew our goals were still at hand, we still had a chance to win a championship, we still had a chance to go to a bowl game. And we accomplished that. I think we all wanted to leave a mark, and I think that's really it. We wanted to leave a mark."
A mark was left.
Throughout the season of ups and downs, Fresno State proved that it could overcome even the toughest adversity. The 2022 season of Bulldog football will be remembered as one of the bests in program history, not just because of the wins, but because of what it took to get to those wins.