2017 Alabama Football opponents from worst to best: Fresno State
By Ronald Evans
Each Monday leading up to the 2017 Alabama football season we will focus on a Tide opponent from the projected worst team to the best.
This rundown of the 2017 Alabama football season started last week with this report on the Mercer Bears.
2017 Alabama Football Opponents from Worst to Best
No. 12 – Mercer Bears
No. 11 – Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno State Bulldogs – September 9 – Tuscaloosa
There is a classic ‘good news – bad news’ situation for Fresno State in 2017. The good news is the Bulldogs return 16 starters. The bad news is the Bulldogs return 16 starters. Those 16 starters and their teammates endured a 1-11 record last season.
After a 1-7 start, Head Coach Tim DeRuyter was fired. How bad was the team, here is what Fresno Bee reporter Marek Warszawski said,
"The Fresno State football team will be an improved football team next season … How can I be so confident the Bulldogs will be better than they were a year ago? Mostly because it’s nearly impossible, just from a pure probability standpoint, to be any worse. I expect Fresno State to win more than one game this fall. How many more? Not enough to be bowl eligible, but enough to no longer be a national punchline."
In fairness to the Bulldogs, they lost the last two games of the 2016 season by a total of three points to Hawaii and San Jose State. They also had a respectable 10 point loss to Air Force.
In 2017, the Bulldogs will be led by Jeff Tedford, who played quarterback at Fresno State in the early 1980’s. Tedford had a good run at Cal and bringing him back to the “Valley” is very good news for Fresno State.
The other good news for the Bulldogs is quarterback Chason Virgil returns. Virgil was the starter last year but only played three games due to a season-ending injury.
The Bulldogs defense was not very good last season. The offense was worse. Tedford is talking confidently about improvement in 2017, specifically predicting a much better offensive line. Fresno has some talent at the skill positions, particularly running back Dontel James and wide receiver Keesean Johnson.
Quarterback Virgil Chason has looked good in the spring, reportedly tossing five touchdown passes in an open scrimmage. Then again, the weakest unit for the Bulldogs is likely to be the secondary.
Next: 30 Great Crimson Tiders who were 3-Star recruits
The Bulldogs will surely roll into Tuscaloosa undefeated. The opening game for Fresno State is against Incarnate Word. The school, not the theological term. No offense is intended toward the Catholic school in San Antonio, TX.