On July 20, Fresno State Athletics hosted its first official Pac-12 Football Media Day at Table Mountain Casino Resort after the Pac-12 once again did not hold a conference-wide media day. The event featured head coach Matt Entz, offensive coordinator Josh Davis, defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto and Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy along with several student-athletes who answered questions from multiple media outlets.<\/p>\n
Defensive coordinator Nick Benedetto was first to open the floor, where he discussed the importance of consistency and avoiding complacency following last season\u2019s success, especially as the Bulldogs prepare for their debut season in the Pac-12.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we did last year is not going to equate to this year,\u201d Benedetto said. \u201cWe have to go earn it again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fresno State\u2019s defensive unit ranked No. 10 in the nation last season under Benedetto, allowing 285.7 yards per game while leading the Bulldogs to their best defensive season since at least 1992.<\/p>\n
Despite winning the Mountain West Defensive Play Caller of the Year award and his second consecutive Graphite Award, Benedetto said he still attributes the defensive success to his guys on the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not necessarily what I know, it\u2019s what they know on the football field. They\u2019re the ones on the grass. They\u2019re the ones making plays. Our job as coaches is to be great teachers and make sure they know why we\u2019re doing something,\u201d Benedetto said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Head coach Matt Entz followed, taking the stage to discuss the identity the Bulldogs are looking to establish this upcoming season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe wanted to be a physical brand of football. We want to be able to run the football, we want to play great defense and complement those two things,\u201d Entz said. \u201cTo live in that world of \u2018toughness wins,\u2019 we needed to change practice habits, strength and conditioning habits and become a bigger, stronger version of ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n
Entz enters his second season with the Red Wave looking to continue building on last season\u2019s nine-win campaign. Fresno State returns 14 starters and all but one position coach in Entz\u2019s second season. Entz believes keeping the majority of his roster is crucial for the type of culture he\u2019s trying to establish.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cConsistency, continuity wins. Chaos, unfortunately, is going to get you beat. Having the ability to retain the majority of our roster and coaching staff says a lot about the type of program we\u2019re trying to build here,\u201d Entz said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Offensive coordinator Josh Davis continued the discussion about Fresno State\u2019s identity for the upcoming season after leading the Bulldogs to one of the most productive offensive seasons in recent history last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The offense totaled 2,216 rushing yards, marking\u00a0 the Bulldogs\u2019 first 2,000-yard rushing season since 2018 and their highest rushing total since 2014. The Bulldogs averaged 170.5 rushing yards per game on 4.5 yards per carry, finishing with 22 rushing touchdowns.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to be stubborn in the run game and make sure defenses can fit what we\u2019re trying to do. We want to find success on the ground and be able to distribute that,\u201d Davis said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And despite the Bulldogs having success on the ground last season, the biggest question mark of the offseason has been who will start under center this season. Both Khristian Martin and Jayden Mandal are the two frontrunners for the starting quarterback spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Davis believes both young men have what it takes to lead the team next season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe felt like after spring ball we had two quarterbacks that we could pursue a championship with. That\u2019s a breath of fresh air. We weren\u2019t worried about whether we had a starter. We knew we had two young men who could continue to compete and grow,\u201d Davis said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The quarterback competition between Mandal and Martin remains open entering fall camp, with the decision expected to be made after fall camp.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a performance-based business,\u201d Davis said. \u201cWe chart every rep, and when that decision is finally made, there\u2019s going to be a lot of thought and documentation that goes into why that young man was named the starter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Director of Athletics Garrett Klassy closed things off by outlining Fresno State\u2019s vision as it begins a new era in the Pac-12.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Klassy believes that while joining the Pac-12 is\u00a0 beneficial to Fresno State, it comes with challenges for not only the athletes but also the , athletics department.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re partnering with a 110-year-old brand, but make no mistake, this is a brand-new league,\u201d Klassy said. \u201cWe\u2019re building a brand-new conference, and it\u2019s taken a lot of work. It\u2019s been rewarding, but there\u2019s been a lot of heavy lifting.\u201d<\/p>\n