Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State-Kansas Postgame Notes
Toss: Win, defer
Captains: Camryn Bracha, Al’zillion Hamilton, Jadon Pearson, Jacob Spomer
Team Notes
Offense Notes
Defense Notes
Special Teams Notes
Captains: Camryn Bracha, Al’zillion Hamilton, Jadon Pearson, Jacob Spomer
Team Notes
- Fresno State lost its season opener for the second year in a row
- Fresno State falls to 61-40-4 in season openers all-time
- Fresno State still has not defeated an active Big 12 team since 2007
- Fresno State snapped its streak of scoring 45 or more points against Big 12 opponents
- Fresno State scored a touchdown on its opening drive for the first time since facing Colorado State on Nov. 23, 2024
- Fresno State trailed 24-7 at halftime, its biggest halftime deficit since a 21-point differential at UNLV on Sept. 28, 2024.
- Fresno State had three turnovers in its season opener for the first time since 2020 - vs Hawai’i (Oct. 24, 2020). That game, the Bulldogs had three interceptions and a fumble.
- Fresno State did not score in the second half in back-to-back games (vs NIU, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl).
- Fresno State has not scored a touchdown in the second half since Nov. 9, 2024 at Air Force.
- Fresno State’s defense held Kansas to converting on just 2-of-10 tries on third down, including 0-of-5 in the second half.
- Fresno State’s offense had 11 different pass catchers, its most Sept. 21, 2024 vs New Mexico.
Offense Notes
- Fresno State had five first-time starters on offense in QB EJ Warner, LT Brayden Walton, RT Rolan Fullwood, TE Brock Lium and WR Ezekiel Avit.
- Elijah Gilliam scored the first touchdown of 2025 on a 3-yard punch-in in the first quarter
- Gilliam scored his 15th career rushing touchdown
- In his Bulldog debut, E.J. Warner finished with 179 yards (18-of-29).
- Warner opened the game completing his first five pass attempts.
- Bryson Donelson had a career-long 39-yard reception in the first quarter.
- Donelson finished the game with 34 rushing yards and 39 receptions.
- Brock Lium recorded his first career reception
- Brandon Ramirez recorded the first statistics of his career, finishing the game with three rushes for 11 yards and two catches for 11 yards.
Defense Notes
- Fresno State had five first-time starters on defense in DT Martin Owusu, DT Deijon Laffitte, LB Jadon Pearson, LB K’vion Thunderbird and NKL Simeon Harris.
- Finn Claypool got the first sack of his Bulldog career. It was the only sack of the night for the Bulldogs
- Pearson led the team with 12 tackles (10 solo) in his Bulldog debut
Special Teams Notes
- Nick Verdugo saw his first action as the Bulldogs’ punter in Week 0, recording four punts for 161 yards
- Dylan Lynch was 0-for-1 on his field goal attempts, missing from 55 yards out.
- Lynch is 0-for-4 in his last four attempts