Kansas Jayhawks vs. Fresno State: Five things to know about KU’s season opener
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas opens 2025 season as 12.5-point favorite vs. Fresno State on Aug. 23.
- Fresno State debuts veteran QB EJ Warner and new head coach Matt Entz in opener.
- Jayhawks face pressure to rebound from 5-7 record and reach third bowl in 4 years.
The Kansas football team finally has a game this week.
The Jayhawks play their season opener on Saturday vs. Fresno State in the newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
KU seeks redemption this season after an underwhelming showing last year, when KU finished 5-7 despite high preseason expectations.
If the Jayhawks can return to a bowl game this season, it’ll be the third time in the last four years they’ve played in college football’s postseason. This is KU coach Lance Leipold’s fifth season in Lawrence.
Here’s everything you need to know about this week’s season-opening game:
KU football vs. Fresno State game details
Kickoff: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23
Where: David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Lawrence
TV: Fox
Radio: Jayhawk Radio Network; WHB (810) in Kansas City
Early betting line: Kansas is a 12.5-point favorite.
Five things to know
1. Fresno State comes off a mediocre season. The Bulldogs finished 6-7 last season and fourth overall in the Mountain West. This is the first matchup between the two sides.
2. Fresno State quarterback EJ Warner will be a good test for KU’s defense. Warner was recently named the starting QB for the Bulldogs and he’s a veteran QB who has appeared in 31 games over the last three seasons at Rice and Temple. He passed for 2710 yards and 17 touchdowns with 13 interceptions at Rice last season.
3. Fresno State is expected to be a middle-of-the-road Mountain West team. League media projected the Bulldogs to finish fifth in the conference. Fresno State went 4-3 in league play last season and will look to improve upon that record this year
4. The Bulldogs have a new head coach in Matt Entz. Entz joins Fresno State after winning multiple titles with North Dakota State. The Bulldogs had their fair share of notable coaches over the years, including current Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer. Perhaps Entz will be the next great one from Fresno State
5. Kansas must watch out for defensive lineman Finn Claypool. He transferred from Drake this offseason after earning 30.5 sacks and 51.5 tackles over four years. Last season he had 9 1/2 sacks and 39 tackles, plus one forced fumble.
This story was originally published August 18, 2025 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Kansas Jayhawks vs. Fresno State: Five things to know about KU’s season opener."
