Purdue vs. Fresno State Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
College Football is all day long on Saturday! Fresno State is in Indiana, taking on Purdue this Saturday. Matt McCuen provides his Purdue vs. Fresno State prediction, his pick against the spread, and the latest odds ahead of the game.
Matt McCuen - September 2, 2023, 9:30 AM EDT
7 minPurdue vs. Fresno State Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds
The Fresno State Bulldogs and the Purdue Boilermakers will clash on Saturday afternoon for a much-anticipated matchup.
Purdue vs. Fresno State Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 2, 2023
- Game Time: 12:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: BTN
Purdue vs. Fresno State Prediction
The Bulldogs enter the 2023 campaign feeling great about their recent program success. Fresno State has put together four ten-win seasons in the last six years.
Former Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Haener will be a tough act to follow. Haener was regarded as one of the best quarterbacks ever to wear Fresno State across their chest. Haener, now a New Orleans Saints roster member, authored a heck of a career at Fresno State. Haener threw for 6,992 yards in his last two years at Fresno State. Additionally, Haener threw for 53 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.
In addition to the loss of Haener, the Bulldogs will lose their starting running back from a season ago (Jordan Mims), along with their top three wide receivers and starting tight end. There will be a lot of production to replace on the offensive side of the football. Wide Receiver Erik Brooks may be the number one option. Brooks had 37 catches a season ago. Senior wide receiver Mac Dalena is also regarded as the top receiving option for the Bulldogs. Dalena had ten catches for 92 yards in 2022.
Logan Fife and Mikey Keene have been in a QB battle all summer. Mikey Keene was given the nod and will be tasked with leading this Bulldogs offense. Keene, a transfer from UCF, posted some encouraging numbers when he had an opportunity to play at UCF. Keene threw for 1,730 yards, seventeen touchdowns, and six interceptions in 2021.
Fresno State was solid on the defensive side of the football in 2022, and the Bulldogs are optimistic that they will be even better this season. Levelle Bailey returns to this Bulldogs defense. Bailey is the anchor of the defense at the linebacker position, as he led the team in tackles (88) in 2022. On the back end, the Bulldogs return their best cornerback, Cam Lockridge, who led the team in interceptions in 2022 (5).
Purdue enters 2023 after winning the Big Ten West a season ago. This was the first time that Purdue played in a Big Ten Championship game in over twenty years. Typically, after you reach a Conference Champion, you do not see much turnover on the coaching staff and the roster. That is different with the Boilermakers, as we will see a new-look team on and off the field in 2023.
Former Head Coach Jeff Brohm resigned from his head coaching position at Purdue as he signed a contract to return to his alma mater, Louisville University. Ryan Waters will be the man tasked with running this program. Waters, who is just thirty-seven years of age, has coaching experience dating back to 2009 when he was the 2009 season as a graduate assistant. Before coaching, Walters played for four years at the University of Colorado. Most recently, Walters was the defensive coordinator at Illinois from 2021-2022.
Hudson Card will have some big shoes to fill at the quarterback position. Quarterback Aidan O'Connell led the Boilermaker's offense as they ranked second in the Big Ten a season ago in passing offense. O'Connell threw for 7,202 yards and 50 touchdowns over the last two seasons. O'Connell ranks 6th all-time in Purdue passing yards and 5th all-time in passing touchdowns. Card, who is a transfer from the University of Texas, started four games at Texas last season while playing in six. Card ended the year throwing for 928 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception.
Graham Harrell will be tasked with leading the Boilermakers offense. Harrell, who is a former standout quarterback at Texas Tech, has offensive coordinator experience dating back to 2016 at North Texas. Harrell was the offensive coordinator for USC and, most recently, West Virginia. Harrell led West Virginia to an average of 30.6 points per game in 2022.
Devin Mockobbe led the Boilermakers in rushing a season ago. Mockobbe will return to the Purdue offense as the lead back. The wide receiver position will be a concern entering the year as the Boiler Makers lose the production of standout Charlie Jones. Tj Sheffield is slated to be the team's number-one receiver. Sheffield pieced together 480 yards in 2022, paired with four receiving touchdowns.
The Purdue defense will need to improve from 2022, and they have the right man in Walters to do so. Walters led the Illinois defense a season ago, which was the best scoring defense in college football, allowing just 12.8 points per game and 273.5 yards per game, the nation's third-best defense in yards allowed per game. The linebacker position and secondary will return experience for the Boilermakers. The most significant question mark for Purdue will be upfront, as they need their pass rush to produce at a high level.
Purdue vs. Fresno State Pick
Purdue should be in the range of -230, so getting this line at -170 is a steal in my eyes despite the juice.
Hudson Card proved that he could perform at a high level a season ago during his time at Texas, and now, with the opportunity to be the team's starter, Card should shine.
Pick: Purdue ML -170 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
College Football Odds
