Fresno, California
The Red Wave is back in action on Saturday as Fresno State hits the road to face UNLV at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
After the last week’s dominating 38-21 win over New Mexico they look to keep momentum flowing against an undefeated UNLV Rebels team.
How to Watch Fresno State vs. UNLV on TV
- Kickoff: Saturday at 12:30 PT
- Channel:FS1
UNLV Quarterback Situation
UNLV starting quarterback Matthew Sluka has decided to redshirt the rest of the 2024 season over an NIL dispute and appears to be looking to transfer in December. UNLV has named Hajj-Malik Williams their starting Quarterback. This sudden quarterback change will affect their game against Fresno State. Here are our predictions.
Fresno State will jump out to an Early Lead
In this first quarter look for UNLV to try to establish the run. UNLV has been running the ball 73% of the time, ranking 4th nationally behind only the military academies. We believe Tim Skipper will load the box, helping to create negative plays for this Fresno State defense, leading into 3rd and long situations. The question is: Can Hajj-Malik Williams create dynamic plays to keep this UNLV offense afloat? We believe the answer is no. Williams, who has only started at the FCS level, has not had to perform on a bigger stage like this. We think he might crack under pressure, forcing an errant throw into coverage, leading into an interception. From there, Fresno State will carry the momentum and Mikey Keene will take advantage of the situation and throw two first quarter touchdowns. We predict 14-0 Fresno State at the end of the first quarter.
Tight End Kamron Beachem will dominate the first half
Through the first four games of the season, QB Mikey Keene has thrown four interceptions. We expect the offensive gameplan to rely on the short pass as they don’t want Keene to turn the ball over. Also, through the first season, Fresno State has not been able to get their run game going. However, stud running back, Malik Sherrod might have a decent chance to play this Saturday. We believe that if he does end up playing, it will add a whole new dynamic to this Fresno State offense. However, if we assume he is not playing Saturday, We think we will rely heavily on the tight ends to get the job done. Kamron Beachem will have 70 yards and a touchdown as Fresno State will be up 17-3 at the end of the first half.
UNLV will abandon the run in the second half
After a disappointing first half, UNLV will be in unmarked territory as they have not yet had to rely heavily on the passing game this season. Being down two scores in this game will force them into a dark corner where Hajj-Malik Williams is going to have to make some major plays. Defensively, Fresno State will play a softer coverage, not trying to give up the big play. But yet again, UNLV won’t be able to get their offense going. Our Fresno State offense will play the game a bit more conservative at this stage, leading to a third quarter of all punts. At the home stretch of the game, Fresno State’s defense will continue to dominate and run the show as the Bulldogs go on to win this one. Final score: 23-6.
There you have it folks! Those are our official predictions for this heavyweight clash. Go Bulldogs!
Written by: Arjun Nath
