Fresno State QB Mikey Keene Focused On Consistency, Turnovers With 2024 Prep

While 2023 was largely successful for transfer quarterback Mikey Keene and the Fresno State Bulldogs, the former UCF Knight wants things to keep getting better. 

Keene appeared this week on ABC30's Bulldog Breakdown segment in Fresno County. Keene answered a question from sports director Stephen Hicks about what he was most looking forward to improving in the upcoming season.

"Obviously, limiting my turnovers," Keene stated. "Can't put the ball in jeopardy and give ourselves a shot at ending very drive with a kick, whether it's a field goal, PAT, or a punt. Working on that, trying to get that completion rate up, and just letting my playmakers make plays."

In Keene's first season as a Bulldog in 2023, he completed 67 percent of his passes with 24 touchdowns and ten interceptions. While turnovers are a typical concern for a quarterback, things certainly could have been worse for the Bulldogs. They finished the year with a turnover margin of plus nine and only lost two fumbles. Keene's offense also had one of the best third down conversion rates in the country at about 48%.

The Bulldogs scored on 43 of 47 trips to the red zone, with 28 of those trips ending in touchdowns. 

Keene also added that another priority of his for the 2024 season is continuing to trust in head coach Jeff Tedford and staff, who Keene described as a "tremendous mentor, tremendous person."

"The biggest thing I learned last season is just trusting my preparation and my process and things of that sort," Keene noted. "Our coaches put us in a tremendous position to succeed. So just trusting that throughout the course of the season. "

The Bulldogs finished the 2023 season with a 9-4 record and a victory over New Mexico State in the New Mexico Bowl. Tedford briefly stepped away from the team prior to the bowl game to tend to his health, but is back with the team with spring practices beginning this week.

Fresno State's 2024 spring game is scheduled for April 27. They open the regular season at Michigan on August 31.