New Mexico Game Notes | Fresno State Game Notes | Mountain West Notes
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — When the Lobos of New Mexico head to Fresno, California to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs at 8:08 p.m. Mountain Time on Saturday night in a game that will be broadcast on AT&T Sports as well as the Lobo Radio Network, one team will be at 3-2 overall having won it’s opener, then losing two straight before winning two straight. Actually, that’s both teams.
The New Mexico Lobos and the Fresno State Bulldogs enter the game with identical 3-2 records, both having won their openers and both sitting on two-game winning streaks. Fresno State, which went just 1-11 last year, is lead by Jeff Tedford, formerly the head man at Cal who led the Bears to eight bowl games. For UNM, its a team that has won 10 of its last 13 games, and it has a coach in Bob Davie that is 0-3 against Fresno State. UNM’s last trip to Fresno was senior day for Derek Carr, and the Bulldogs racked up 822 yards and a 69-28 win.
“That was as tough as it gets,” said Bob Davie today at his weekly press luncheon, remembering that game. “They were on fire.”
However, both programs have gone on vastly different trajectories since that matchup. The Lobos would win four games in 2014 and then head to back-to-back Gildan New Mexico Bowls, including a 23-20 victory last year. Fresno State went from the win over UNM (its 10th in a row) to San Jose State and lost 62-52, losing a chance at a New Year’s Day bowl game. The Bulldogs went 6-8 in 2014, getting to the Mountain West title game, winning a tiebreaker at 5-3. However Fresno State went just 3-9 in 2015 and 1-11 in 2016. They have looked rejuvenated under Jeff Tedford, bolting to a 2-0 mark in the Mountain West.
“It’s a well coached team that has always been as talented as any since we’ve been here,” said Davie, talking about the Bulldogs. However, he is just as bullish on his own charges too. “They are excited (to play). You can sense that right now. You are into that stretch we it’s football seven straight weeks.”