Fresno State (6-5, 4-3 MW) vat UCLA (4-7, 3-6 Big Ten)
Saturday, November 30, 2024 | 12:30 p.m. PT | Big Ten Network | Rose Bowl Stadium (56,939) | Pasadena, Calif.
MEDIA COVERAGE
TV - Big Ten Network
Play-by-Play - Guy Haberman
Analyst - Yogi Roth
Sideline - Rhett Lewis
Radio - Bulldog Sports Network
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: UCLA leads 6-4-0
Head Coaches:
Tim Skipper
Fresno State Record (Years): 7-5 (1st season*)
Career DI Record (Years): Same
Deshaun Foster
UCLA Record (Years): 4-7 (1st season)
Career DI Record: Same
QUICK LOOK
Fresno State closes out its regular season at UCLA on Saturday.
The Bulldogs wrapped up conference play with a 28-22 home victory over Colorado State last weekend, securing bowl eligibility for the fourth year in a row.
Fresno State ended the year with a 4-3 record in Mountain West play. Since joining the Mountain West in 2012, the Bulldogs have had eight seasons with a winning record in conference play.
Fresno State has won its last four meetings with UCLA.
Fresno State has won three in-a-row at the Rose Bowl.
Fresno State makes its third trip to UCLA since 2018.
Seniors Mac Dalena (WR) and Malachi Langley (LB) have appeared in 57 consecutive games as Bulldogs. That is the fifth-longest streak of games played by players at one school in the FBS. For Dalena, that is every game of his collegiate career.
Every position group outside of linebacker and quarterback have had at least one game with a starter out with injury this season. At the linebacker spot, Malachi Langley and Tuasivi Nomura have started each game. Mikey Keene has started every game at QB this season. Season starts breakdown can be found on page 33.
Running back Bryson Donelson was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week for his performance in the win over Colorado State. He is the first Bulldog since 2021 to earn the honor.
Donelson ran for 140 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries last weekend. It was the most rushing yards by a Bulldog true freshman since Ryan Mathews in 2007.
Quarterback Mikey Keene leads the Mountain West in passing yards (2,668), pass completions (246) and completion percentage (70.49).
His current completion percentage of 70.49 is second-best all-time in Fresno State history behind Jake Haener's 72.0 percent in 2022.
Keene is just six completions away from breaking into the program's Top 10 for a single season.
With a 88.5 percent completion percentage against Air Force (23-of-26), Keene broke the single game program record. He surpassed Derek Carr's 87.5 (28-of-32) mark against Air Force in 2012.
WR Mac Dalena caught his eighth touchdown of the season against Colorado State. With one more, he will break into the program's top 15 for single season touchdown receptions.
Dalena is also exactly 100 yards away from a 1,000 yard receiving season. If he hits the 1,000 yard mark, he would become the 13th Bulldog in program history to have 1,000 yards receiving in a single season. Dalena would be the first since Jalen Cropper in 2021 to be added to the list of Bulldogs with the accomplishment.
Senior linebacker Malachi Langley is the most experienced player on the Bulldogs' roster, playing in 61 career games.
Langley is currently sixth all-time with 314 career tackles.
Langley's 314 career tackles are the 15th most among all active FBS players.
Fresno State ranks 25th in the FBS and third in the Mountain West in turnovers gained, totaling 19 on the year (14 interceptions, five fumbles).
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
Fresno State travels to UCLA for the first time since 2021
Fresno State has won its last four in the series with UCLA, and three-straight at the Rose Bowl
Fresno State's last trip to the Rose Bowl was a dramatic victory behind quarterback Jake Haener driving the offense to a last minute game-winning drive that saw a touchdown catch by Jalen Cropper with just 14 seconds to go.
Of the members on that 2021 team that defeated then-No. 13 UCLA, 10 are currently in the NFL with an additional three in the CFL.
The first of the four wins in the series with UCLA, that snapped a six-game losing streak for the Bulldogs, came in a 17-9 victory in teh Silicon Valley Football Classic on Dec. 20, 2003.
The series between the Bulldogs and Bruins dates back to 1927 with UCLA winning the first six games of the series, all at home.
UCLA is set to travel to Fresno for the first time in the series' history on Sept. 4, 2032.
UCLA is coached by first-year head coach DeShaun Foster.
UCLA's last win in the series was a 24-21 win in 2001. Both current head coaches were members of their respective teams in that game with Skipper a linebacker and Foster a running back.
Fresno State defensive line coach Jethro Franklin had a brief stint as the interim defensive line coach at UCLA in 1999.
UCLA defensive assistant Librado Barocio was on staff at Fresno State in 202 as the Director of On Campus Recruiting.