Now comes Fresno State's biggest challenge yet as they open the season against the reigning national champions.
But interim head coach Tim Skipper believes his team is up to the task as the Bulldogs prepare for one of the toughest environments in college football.
Flashback: Skipper took over as acting head coach for Jeff Tedford late last season in the New Mexico Bowl and led the Dogs to a 37-10 victory over New Mexico State.
- Fresno State had indicated that Tedford would return for the 2024 season despite health concerns, but he withdrew from the program in July, just two weeks before fall camp was scheduled to begin.
The big picture: Fresno State has undergone change with Thedford's departure, but Skipper has served as assistant head coach since returning to the team in 2022, providing continuity for a team with aspirations of a Mountain West championship.
- Michigan also has a new head coach in Sherone Moore, who took over as head coach with the Wolverines after Jim Harbaugh left for the San Diego Chargers. Like Fresno State, this doesn't seem like a big change for Michigan, as Moore was the acting head coach when Harbaugh was suspended for four games last year.
- But Michigan enters Saturday's game without the on-field continuity that Fresno State boasts. Michigan returns just one offensive player and four defensive players who started more than half of last year's games.
- Meanwhile, Fresno State returns eight offensive starters, including quarterback Mikey Keene, and five defensive starters.
- Fresno State won't even know who Michigan's center will be until just before the game, with Alex Orji and Davis Warren vying for the quarterback spot after JJ McCarthy left for the NFL.
What we're looking at: Fresno State was a 21.5-point underdog as of Monday afternoon, according to sports betting news site The Action Network.
- Michigan will start the season ranked No. 9 by the Associated Press despite winning the national championship last year. This will mark the Bulldogs' 13th time facing a team ranked in the top 10.
- Saturday's game will also mark the first time Fresno State will play in a game broadcast on NBC.
What he is saying: Skipper, who played for the Bulldogs from 1997-2000 and has coached around the country for more than two decades, isn't shy about taking his team to the 107,601-seat Big House.
- “Honestly, I love the hostile environment,” Skipper said at his weekly press conference on Monday. “I think that’s the magic of college football. [thousand] In the stadium, you can't hear it because it's so loud and shaking. I want to make it as intense as possible. That's my mindset.”
- Skipper said the toughest environment he ever played in was at Ohio State in 2000, when the Dogs played the season opener against the Buckeyes in front of 96,583 fans.
- “What I remember most is coming out to warm up and the stadium was already full,” the skipper said. “It was the first time I'd ever been to a match where everyone was sitting in their seats during the warm-up. As a player, it was the toughest environment.”
- As a coach, Skipper thanked the fans who came out to watch Fresno State host Oregon in 2006.
- Fresno State faces a tough matchup against Michigan, but Skipper said the Bulldogs breathe the same air as Michigan and as long as they play Bulldogs football, they have a chance to win.
- “From my perspective, why not us? That's just kind of how our program is built,” Skipper said. “We're prepared for these moments, so we're going to go out there and compete.”