Fresno State (1-1, 0-0 MW) vs New Mexico State (1-1, 0-0 CUSA)
Saturday, September 14, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. PT | truTV/MAX | Valley Children's Stadium (40,727) | Fresno, Calif.
GAME THEME
Heroes Night
PRESENTING SPONSOR
Best Drayage
MEDIA COVERAGE
TV - truTV/MAX
Play-by-Play - JB Long
Analyst - Mike Golic Jr
Sideline - Bridget Howard
Radio - Bulldog Sports Network (BSN)
Play-by-Play - Paul Loeffler
Analyst - Pat Hill
Sideline - Cam Worrell
Social Media: Twitter: @FresnoStateFB | Instagram:@fresno_state_football | Facebook: FresnoStateFootball | YouTube: FresnoStateAthletics
Live Stats: BulldogsLive.com
A LOOK INSIDE
Series: Fresno State leads, 19-1
Head Coaches:
Tim Skipper
Fresno State Record (Years): 2-1 (1st season*)
Career DI Record (Years): Same
Tony Sanchez
New Mexico State Record (Years): 1-1 (1st Season)
Career DI Record: 21-41 (6th Season)
QUICK LOOK
Fresno State won its home opener last Saturday against Sacramento State (46-30).
Fresno State won its home opener for the fourth consecutive season.
Fresno State announced a sellout crowd (41,031) in the home opener against Sacramento State. It was the second season in a row that Fresno State announced a sellout in its home opener.
Fresno State and New Mexico State face each other for the second time since December 2023. The teams were paired up in the 2023 Isleta New Mexico Bowl that saw Fresno State earning a 37-10 victory in Albuquerque, N.M.
Fresno State will host New Mexico State in Fresno for the first time since 2010.
Saturday's game is Heroes Night, celebrating all active duty military and veterans, first responders, and various heroes throughout the Central Valley.
Saturday's game will be Fresno State's first on truTV/MAX this season.
Sophomore wide receiver Jalen Moss was named the Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Week this week. Moss earned his first weekly honor from the MW of his career.
Moss had four punt returns for 89 yards in the win over Sacramento State last weekend, returning one 85 yards for a touchdown.
The sophomore wide receiver had the Bulldogs' first punt return for a touchdown since 2022 and the 43rd in program history. It was the first since 2013 in the Bulldogs' home stadium.
Moss became just the eighth Bulldog to earn MW Special Teams Player of the Week since joining the conference in 2012.
WR Mac Dalena is coming off of a career-high game as he finished with 235 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions. He was the first Bulldog to have over 200 yards receiving since 2020, and he had the most receiving yards in a game since Davante Adams on Nov. 23, 2013 against New Mexico.
LB Tuasivi Nomura led the Bulldogs with a stellar performance last weekend, finishing with a career-high 13 tackles and 2.5 TFL.
Nomura's 2.5 TFLs are the most in a game by a Bulldog linebacker since Levelle Bailey had 3.0 in a game in 2021.
DB Camryn Bracha had his first interception against Sacramento State, and DB Cam Lockridge had his first fumble recovery. Nomura also added a fumble recovery for three total takeaways on the day.
K Dylan Lynch was 1-of-3 on his field goal attempts last weekend. It was just the second time in his Bulldog career that he has missed multiple field goals in a game.
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
Fresno State and New Mexico State will meet for the 21st time in program history this weekend
This is the ninth time meeting in Fresno in the series, and Fresno State is a perfect 8-0 against New Mexico State at home
This weekend's meeting is the first time since 2010 that New Mexico State is coming to Fresno
Fresno State has won 19 out of the previous 20 meetings against New Mexico State
The Bulldogs' only loss of the series came in 2011 in a 48-45 victory for the Aggies
The series history dates back to 1972 as the programs were once WAC opponents from 2005-11
Fresno State has scored 30 or more points in 16 of the 20 games against the Aggies
In there last meeting in 2023, Fresno State defeated New Mexico State by the final score of 37-10 in the New Mexico Bowl
Abraham Montano, who is a kicker for New Mexico State, spent two seasons at Fresno State before transferring to New Mexico State his senior year.
Matt Lawson also spent five seasons (2018-22) at Fresno State. He transferred and spent one season at Northwestern (Injury redshirt) before transferring again to NMST.
Elijah Harvey, who is listed as an Offensive Linemen for New Mexico State, is from the Central Valley, having graduated from Washington Union High School and spent time at Reedley College before playing at New Mexico State
New Mexico State is coming into this game with a 1-1 record, having beaten Southeast Missouri State University 23-16 on August 31, 2024, and falling to Liberty University 30-24 last Saturday
Last season New Mexico State finished with a 10-5 record, including a 5-3 record on the road
New Mexico State is the only team that Fresno State will be playing this year from Conference USA