2018 Offseason Notebook: 1.0

Photo by: Keith Kountz/Fresno St

2018 Offseason Notebook: 1.0

1/17/2018 10:00:00 AM | Football

Season tickets are on sale now starting as low as $99

By: Matt Burkholder / Director of Communications

FRESNO, Calif. – Now almost a month removed from the Fresno State football team capping the 2017 season with a Hawai'i Bowl victory and posting the second double-digit win season following a double-digit loss season in NCAA history, it's time to turn the page to 2018.

The Bulldogs began to build on the future during bowl season as the first early signing period (for football) saw Fresno State land 15 national letters of intent, eight on the offensive side of the ball and seven on the defensive side of the ball, on Dec. 20.

While the beginning of January did not allow football coaches to recruit ("dead period") from Jan. 1-11, coaches are on the road recruiting ("contact period") from Jan. 12-Feb. 3 in anticipation of national signing day on Wednesday, Feb. 7 and future Bulldog signing day classes.

Of the 15 NLIs received in December, two will be on the team (Isaiah Johnson and Clive Truschel) for the first day of spring football practice on March 12. The 'Dogs will practice seven times over two weeks, observe Spring Break March 26-30, and return for their final eight practices over the following two weeks, the final practice is slated for April 14. The NCAA allows 15 spring practices for all teams.

More on the 2018 team:
• Fresno State will return 46 lettermen; 12 lettermen will be lost.

• Fresno State will return 17 starters; eight starters will be lost.

-- Offense: 8 ret./3 lost --
Returning: LT Christian Cronk, LG Netane Muti, RG Micah St. Andrew, TE Kyle Riddering, WR KeeSean Johnson, WR Jamire Jordan, RB Ronnie Rivers and QB Marcus McMaryion.
Lost: C Aaron Mitchell, RT David Patterson and WR Da'Mari Scott.
-- Defense: 7 ret./4 lost --
Returning: LB George Helmuth, LB Jeffrey Allison, LB James Bailey, CB Anthoula Kelly, CB Jaron Bryant, FS Mike Bell and SS Juju Hughes.
Lost: DE Robert Stanley, DT Nathan Madsen, DT Malik Forrester and DE Tobenna Okeke.
-- Special teams: 2 ret./1 lost --
Returning: P Blake Cusick and LS Jacob Westberry.
Lost: K Jimmy Camacho.

• A total of 16 student-athletes will be lost from the 2017 team to graduation: K Jimmy Camacho, DB Jackson Finch, DT Malik Forrester, LB Justin Green, RB Austin Harper, DB Johnny Johnson, Jr., K Kody Kroening, DE Nathan Madsen, OL Aaron Mitchell, DE Tobenna Okeke, OL David Patterson, OL Ryan Popolizio, WR Da'Mari Scott, DE Robert Stanley, DE Stephen Van Hook and QB Chason Virgil (transfer).

This N' That
• Season tickets are on sale now starting at the same low rate of $99 (or $16.50 per game) when purchasing in pairs. For those existing ticket holders, look for renewals in the mail during the final week of January.

For more information on tickets, visit: http://bit.ly/2uUml6n

• Fresno State was one of 26 schools to finish 2017 with double-digit wins. Of those 26, four were in the pacific time zone: Fresno State, San Diego State, USC and Washington.

• Not only did the Bulldogs win double-digit games (10) in 2017, they were one six teams in the FBS to have played five or more opponents that owned double-digit wins. Of those six teams to have played at least five double-digit win opponents, Fresno State, Ohio State and Auburn were the only three to own double-digit wins at the same time.

Most 10 Win Opponents
6-Ohio State (12-2): Oklahoma, Army, Penn State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, USC
5-Fresno State (10-4): Alabama, Washington, San Diego State, Boise State, Boise State
5-Navy (7-6): Florida Atlantic, Memphis, UCF, Notre Dame, Army
5-Auburn (10-4): Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Georgia, UCF
5-Maryland (4-8): UCF, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State
5-Iowa (8-5): Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, Northwestern, Wisconsin

• Fresno State became the second team in FBS history to go from a double-digit loss season (2016) to a double-digit win season (2017) with its bowl victory against Houston. Miami (Ohio) was the first team in FBS history to go from double-digits losses (1-11 in 2009) to double-digit wins (10-4 in 2010). Miami finished with an eight-game turnaround that season, as did Fresno State, for the second-best effort in FBS history.

NCAA All-Time Most Improved Teams
Games    Team (Year)
8.5          Hawaii (1999)
8             Fresno State (2017)
8             Stanford (1940)
8             Purdue (1943)
8             Miami, Ohio (2010)
8             Auburn (2013)
7.5          South Carolina (2000)
7.5          Air Force (2014)
7.5          TCU (2014)
7             9 teams tied

How Fresno State wrote history
From 1-11 to 10-4 = 8-game improvement

- According to the NCAA: to determine games improved, add the difference in victories between the two seasons to the difference in losses, then divide by two. Includes bowl games.

• Following Alabama's national championship win (one of Fresno State's 2017 opponents) on Jan. 8, the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Poll both had Fresno State receiving votes in its respective end-of-year polls. The Bulldogs had the 32nd most votes in the nation in the AP Top 25 and the 30th most votes in the nation in the Coaches poll.

• The 2017 NFL regular season closed with nine former Fresno State football players on active rosters. The NFL postseason saw three former Bulldogs on active rosters: Tyeler Davison (New Orleans Saints), Bryce Harris (New Orleans Saints) and Curtis Riley (Tennessee Titans). Davante Adams (Green Bay Packers) was selected to his first career Pro Bowl on Jan. 16.

"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160

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