Fresno State Athletics
2021 Football Roster
Roster
Matt Smith
- Position:
- OL
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 288
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Long Beach, Calif.
- High School:
- St. John Bosco HS
Last updated on Jan. 21, 2022
2021 (SENIOR*): Played in seven games and had three starts at center … started in games versus UConn (Aug. 28), then-No. 11 Oregon (Sept. 4), and New Mexico (Nov. 13) … blocked the top offense in the Mountain West and the No. 14 offense in the FBS … Fresno State averaged 464.85 offensive yards per game … Fresno State scored an average of 33.4 points per game … the Bulldogs averaged 137.2 rushing yards per game and 326.7 passing yards per game … part of an offensive line unit that allowed 25 sacks on the quarterback, its least in a season since 2019 … helped Fresno State to two wins over ranked opponents, both on the road. It was the first time Fresno State defeated two Top 25 opponents in a season for the first time since 2004, and the first time both wins came on the road in the 100 year history of the program ... William V Campbell semifinalist.
*Utilized the additional year of eligibility approved by the NCAA in the fall of 2020. The NCAA approved a blanket waiver for all 2020 fall sports student-athletes to retain a year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020 (SENIOR): Started all six games as the Bulldogs’ center … helped protect the top offense in the Mountain West … helped protect the No. 5 passing offense and No. 17 total offense in the NCAA ... was voted a team captain by his teammates … was the Bulldogs’ representative at the pregame coin toss in all six games … Rimington Award watch list … William V Campbell semifinalist ... named to the Fall Academic All-Mountain West team.
2019 (JUNIOR): Started in the first eight games of 2019 before suffering a season-ending injury at Hawai’i (Nov. 2) … selected as team captain for games played from Sept. 28 through Nov. 2 … part of an offensive line unit that helped produce 2,162 rushing yards and 2,720 yards in the air in 2019… helped the offense to average 159.3 rushing yards per game and 226.7 passing yards per game … part of an offensive line that kept two opponents from a sack this season … Burlsworth Trophy nominee … 2019 Academic All-District football team selection … Fall 2019 Academic All-Mountain West.
2018 (SOPHOMORE): Saw action in 13 of 14 games as a key special team contributor … returned one kick off for eight yards in the Bulldogs’ Dec. 1 Mountain West Championship bout with Boise State ... named to the Fall Academic All-Mountain West team… named a MW scholar-athlete.
2017 (R-FRESHMAN): Did not see any game action.
2016 (FRESHMAN): Redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: First-team All-Trinity League selection ... first-team Long Beach Press Telegram Dream Team.
PERSONAL: Son of Linda and Brian Smith ... has one sister, Madison ... father played football at Long Beach State ... majoring in business - sports marketing.
