The long days without football are behind us, and Week 0 has officially arrived. While it is a smaller slate than what is to come, there are still plenty of options to get involved in the action. One of the headline matchups will be between the Fresno State Bulldogs and the Kansas Jayhawks.
Kansas enters as 14-point favorites and holds -550 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. Fresno State holds +410 odds of getting the outright victory, with the game total set at 50.5
Fresno State vs. Kansas Preview
Fresno State Preview
Matt Entz is entering his first year at the helm for Fresno State. This season will mark the program’s final season in the Mountain West before it makes the leap to the PAC-12 next year. Entz taking over as head coach also marks the Bulldogs’ fourth head coach in the past five seasons. He is most known for his success at North Dakota State. This includes posting a 60-11 overall record, a 15-3 playoff record and two National Championships across his five seasons in charge. Fresno State is returning 41% of its roster, but it lost its top two passers, top three wide receivers, top three offensive linemen and 11 of the 16 defenders with over 300 snaps logged.
E.J. Warner transferred in after spending time at Temple and Rice and will be the team’s starting quarterback. He has battled some interception issues, with 37 tallied across 32 career starts, but has nearly 9,000 passing yards and 58 passing touchdowns at the collegiate level. Former four-star recruit Rayshon Luke transferred in from Arizona, and the wide receiver room and defensive line were beefed up through the portal.
Looking to improve on their 6-7 record last year, which included going 4-3 in Mountain West play, the Bulldogs will need some better quarterback play. Warner will need to limit his turnovers this season. The baseline of the defense is far more encouraging and should be solid again this year. But this is a tough matchup to kick off the season anyway you cut it.
Kansas Preview
Kansas opened last season ranked 22nd in the AP Poll, which marked its first time cracking the preseason AP Top 25 in 15 years. Unfortunately, it stumbled out of the gate and got off to a 2-6 start, which included its 16th consecutive loss to rival Kansas State. The Jayhawks finished the year strong to post a final record of 5-7, but this was still a significant disappointment based on the expectations for the season. Lance Leipold remains is still the head coach, with this year being his fifth season with the program. Kansas has gone 22-28 under his tenure, with 2023 marking the only season with a winning record.
Quarterback Jalon Daniels returns after throwing for 2,454 yards and 14 touchdowns last year. He has 6,751 career passing yards and 1,401 career rushing yards across five seasons at Kansas. This season will mark his third different offensive coordinator, and there have been plenty of changes in the roster around him as well. Ten of the 15 defenders to play at least 200 snaps last season are gone, and only two offensive starters are returning alongside Daniels. WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr. was brought in from Alabama, and RBs Leshon Williams and Cam Pickett transferred in from Iowa and Ball State. The defensive line and linebacker group project to be pretty strong, but there is some concern in the Jayhawks’ secondary following the roster turnover.
Fresno State vs. Kansas Pick
In the long run, it feels like Fresno State made the right hire and has its best chance of achieving some coaching stability under Entz. But there are going to be some growing pains, and this has the makings of a wake-up call.
Kansas was not as bad as its raw record indicates last year, as it was a few plays away from a more respectable season. It went 1-5 in one-score games and battled turnover issues throughout the season. Daniels threw eight interceptions in his first five games, with three of these being one-score losses. The Jayhawks also went 0-6 against the spread before finishing the year covering in five straight games. The Jayhawks will only go as far as Daniels takes them, and there should be more optimism that he can build off his strong second-half stretch.
Expect a more spirited effort from Kansas right from the opening kickoff. Whatever concerns you have about Daniels’ turnovers should be even more significant for Warner. Kansas should take control of the game by forcing turnovers. The Jayhawks are the more talented team and should get off on the right foot this season. This game has the makings of a blowout, so look for Kansas to covered the 14-point spread just as it did in three of its five victories last year.
