“Excited to be here. Finally arrived.” That was the opening line from Fresno State head coach Matt Entz, the former North Dakota State leader who captured two FCS national championships before taking over the Bulldogs. After months of preparation, he’ll now make his FBS head coaching debut Saturday at Kansas.
“It feels like just yesterday it was January and we were getting rolling with this group of young men,” Entz said. “We’ve had a really an excellent fall camp. I couldn’t say enough about our players and the way they approached it.”
back in business 👀@BrachaCamryn & @josiahfreeman12 have been added to the Comeback Player of the Year watch list ‼️ pic.twitter.com/LaMHsEcAyH
— Fresno State Football (@FresnoStateFB) August 20, 2025
He admitted every day has been a learning process. “It was new for everybody every single day. I’ve made a comment…every day was new for me. Learning new things about Fresno State, learning new things about some of the traditions and history of the Bulldogs.”
Still, the growth has been evident. “I feel like we’re getting better every single day and so excited to see what that looks like. It’s time for us to play somebody in a different color jersey.”
Entz praised Kansas and its head coach Lance Leipold, but quickly circled back to his own roster. “I think gritty would be one word to describe this team. I think we have a level of toughness and I think they want to prove people wrong. They’re excited to get out there and put a good product on the field.”
One of the biggest storylines of camp has been quarterback EJ Warner taking over as starter. Entz expressed full confidence in his even-keeled leadership. “He’s the exact same guy now as he was before being named the starter…very even keel. He’s a film junkie, always watching, always evaluating. At quarterback, you need someone who can handle the noise and the lights. He’s been great.”
Team chemistry, Entz said, is what excites him most. “We probably have 40 new faces on this football team. And if you walked in our locker room, you wouldn’t know who’s a fourth- or fifth-year player and who’s a first-year player. That shows leadership from the top to the bottom.”
And as for his own first FBS game? “I’m probably a little excited. I don’t know if I’d say nervous. We’ve improved dramatically since January. Now we need to line up, do it when the lights are on, and see where we’re at.”
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