Colorado State at Fresno State 10/29/20 - NCAA Football Picks & Predictions

The Colorado State Rams are set to visit Bulldog Stadium in Fresno, California for a Mountain West Conference clash against the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Colorado State Rams are looking to have a much better season after finishing the 2019 season with a 4-8 record, and they will do it under new direction as they hired the former Boston College coach in Steve Addazio. The Rams will return their starting QB from a season ago in Patrick O’Brien who was solid as he threw for 2803 yards, 13 TDs, and 7 interceptions. O’Brien lost his favorite target from a season ago as Warren Jackson (1119 yards, 8 TDs) opted out on the season, but he will return WR Dante Wright who pitched in 805 receiving yards and 4 TDs last year.

The Colorado State Rams will need to be much better on the defensive side of the ball this season as they allowed their opponents to score an average of 31.2 PPG, but they have to replace some key pieces. The Rams will need to replace their leading tackler from a season ago as Jamal Hicks had 117 tackles before declaring for the NFL draft, but expect LB Dequan Jackson to have a big season after pitching in 87 tackles last year. Colorado State should be solid in the secondary with their interception leader in Logan Stewart returning at safety. 

The Fresno State Bulldogs come into this matchup with a 0-1 record, and they will be looking to rebound after dropping their recent home game against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, 34-19. QB Jake Haener struggled to get anything going through the air for the Bulldogs as he connected on 17 of his 31 pass attempts for 289 yards, 1 TD, and 3 interceptions. RB Ronnie Rivers had a productive game on the ground for Fresno State as he racked up 79 yards and a TD on 18 carries.

The Fresno State Bulldogs struggled on the defensive side of the ball against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors as they allowed them to score 34 points and rack up a total of 552 yards of offense. LB Sherwin King Jr. led the way for the Fresno State defense with 9 tackles while DB Bralyn Lux pitched in 8 tackles and 1 TFL. The Bulldogs were able to get into the Hawaii backfield a handful of times as DE Kwami Jones had 3 TFLs and 3 sacks.