Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State hosts Rice for Bulldog Fiesta
9/21/2026 2:25:00 PM | Football
 VS  
Fresno State (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) vs Rice (1-2, 0-0 AAC)
Saturday, September 26 | 7 p.m. PT | The CW | Valley Children's Stadium | Fresno, Calif.Â
Fresno State Game Notes (PDF)Â | Rice Game Notes (PDF)Â
Fresno State Weekly Press Conference | Ultimate Broadcast Guide
TICKETS
Presenting Sponsor:
MEDIA COVERAGE
TV - The CW
Play-by-Play: Rick Allen
Analyst: Will Blackmon
Sideline: Michael Bumpus
Radio - Bulldog Sports Network
Play-by-Play - Paul Loeffler
Analyst - Pat Hill
Sideline - Kenny Wiggins
Radio - Bulldog Sports Network (Spanish)Â
Play-by-Play - Jose Gonzalez
Social Media: Twitter: @FresnoStateFB | Instagram:@fresno_state_football | Facebook: FresnoStateFootball | YouTube: FresnoStateAthletics
Live Stats: GoBulldogs.com/LiveStats
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A LOOK INSIDE
Series: Fresno State leads, 6-1-0
Head Coaches:
Matt Entz
Fresno State Record (Years):Â 11-5 (2nd season)
Career DI Record (Years): 71-16 (5 seasons)
Scott Abell
Record at Rice (Years): 6-10 (2nd season)
Career Record (Years): 92-63
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QUICK LOOK
- Fresno State and Rice will meet for the first time since 2014 on Saturday.Â
- It is the first regular season meeting between the programs since 2004.
- Saturday is a Bulldog Fiesta at Valley Children's Stadium.Â
- Fresno State had two players named Pac-12 Player of the Week -- Manaki Watanabe (Special Teams) & Ethan Tierney (Defensive).
- Fresno State is one of 13 FBS programs who do not face an FCS opponent this season: Fresno State, Hawai'i, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, Tulane, UCLA, UNLV, USC
- The Bulldogs look to remain unbeaten at home this season. Fresno State is 5-2 at home under head coach Matt Entz.
- Fresno State is 2-1 to start the year, responding to the 39-0 loss at USC with consecutive wins over Sacramento State (49-3) and San José State (26-10).
- Fresno State sits atop the Pac-12 standings with a 2-1 record, alongside Boise State and Colorado State.
- Saturday's game is Fresno State's first of the season on The CW. The Bulldogs are 2-0 in games broadcast on The CW.
- The Bulldogs have outscored their last two opponents 75-13, including 38-3 in the second quarter.
- Fresno State has yet to score in the first quarter this season and has been outscored 10-0 in the opening period.
- Fresno State has not allowed a rushing touchdown in either of its two wins.
- The Bulldogs have forced seven turnovers while committing only two, giving them a plus-five turnover margin. Opponents have scored no points off Fresno State's turnovers.
- Fresno State produced four interceptions and five sacks against San José State. The defense entered that game with only one interception and one sack through its first two contests.
- Manaki Watanabe is 6-of-7 on field goals and a perfect 3-of-3 from 50-plus yards. He made kicks from 52 and 51 yards at San José State and has scored 25 points in only two appearances.Â
- Watanabe became the first Bulldog to score two 50-yard field goals in a game in program history, and also the first to have back-to-back games with a 50-yarder.
ABOUT THE MATCHUP
- Fresno State leads the all-time series 6-1. The Bulldogs won the first six meetings before Rice earned its first victory in the 2014 Hawai'i Bowl. Rice series history
- The 2026 matchup will be the eighth meeting between the programs and the first since Rice defeated Fresno State 30-6 in the 2014 Hawai'i Bowl.
- It will be the first regular-season meeting since Nov. 6, 2004, when Fresno State won 52-21 in Houston—a span of nearly 22 years.
- Fresno State is 3-0 against Rice in Fresno, winning in 1999, 2001 and 2003.
- The Bulldogs are also 3-0 at Rice Stadium. Rice's only series win came at a neutral site in Honolulu.
- The first six meetings occurred in consecutive seasons from 1999-2004, when both programs were members of the Western Athletic Conference.
- Fresno State swept those six conference matchups by an average of 16.2 points per game. Fresno State's 2014 series notes
- Three of Fresno State's six victories were decided by exactly three points: 27-24 in 2000 and consecutive 31-28 wins in 2002 and 2003.
- Fresno State scored the winning points in the closing minutes of each of those three games:
- 2000: Asen Asparuhov made a 43-yard field goal with five seconds remaining after the Bulldogs scored 11 points in the final 1:58.
- 2002: Paul Pinegar connected with Jermaine Jamison for a 77-yard touchdown with 3:12 remaining.
- 2003: Brett Visintainer made a 39-yard field goal as time expired.
- Fresno State's largest series victory was a 52-21 win at Rice in 2004, a 31-point margin.
- The Bulldogs have scored at least 31 points in five of the seven meetings. They scored 47 or more in three of the six regular-season matchups.
- Fresno State has outscored Rice 246-173 across the seven games.
- David Carr produced one of the series' standout performances in 2001, completing 20-of-32 passes for 334 yards and five touchdowns while adding a rushing score in Fresno State's 52-24 victory.
