Oregon State’s trip to Fresno State on Saturday night brings a familiar pregame exercise: find out what the other sideline sees. Before the 8 p.m. kickoff at Valley Children’s Stadium on USA Network, The Oregonian/OregonLive checked in with Fresno Bee beat writer Anthony Galaviz for a read on the Bulldogs and a score prediction.
The biggest offensive question centers on Jayden Mandal, who has been efficient without lighting up the stat sheet. Galaviz pointed to injuries up front as a major reason Fresno State has not opened up the passing game more often.
With the line giving Mandal less time, the Bulldogs have had to lean on shorter throws and his legs to keep drives alive. That doesn’t mean the explosive plays have vanished entirely - Mandal hit Ezekiel Avit for a 73-yard touchdown against Sacramento State - but Galaviz said the challenge is making that kind of shot happen with more regularity.
Another area Fresno State has to clean up is the red zone connection between Mandal and Josiah Freeman. Freeman has shown he can separate, but those gains go to waste if the ball isn’t where it needs to be.
Galaviz pointed to Boise State as the clearest example, noting Freeman had two end-zone chances that Mandal overthrew. If that timing sharpens up, Fresno State has a better chance of finishing drives with touchdowns instead of settling for less.
On defense, K’vion Thunderbird has become one of the defining pieces of the unit. Galaviz described his impact as a mix of consistency and nonstop effort, saying he has kept rolling from last season while setting the tone for the group around him. His production isn’t just about numbers; it shows up in run defense, quarterback disruption and finishing tackles in space.
Fresno State’s knack for takeaways has also come from pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Galaviz said that early success in forcing turnovers has been tied to disrupting the pocket and speeding up decisions.
That stretch held from the USC game all the way through Boise State, when Fresno State’s 11-game streak of forcing a turnover ended. Now the question is whether the Bulldogs have lost some of that disruptive edge or simply failed to finish plays when chances were there.
When asked how he expects Saturday to unfold, Galaviz leaned Oregon State. He said the matchup does not favor Fresno State, especially after the Bulldogs’ defensive problems in their last two games.
If the Beavers can attack the same soft spots Boise State found, Fresno State could be in trouble. The Bulldogs’ best path, he said, is to run the ball, control the clock and keep their defense fresh.
Rayshon Luke’s health could matter if Fresno State needs balance on offense to hang around. Otherwise, Galaviz sees the game turning into a shootout the Beavers can win late.
His prediction: Oregon State 43, Fresno State 34.
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