Fresno State's starting QB in Saturday's New Mexico Bowl remains a mystery

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno State (9-3) travels to play UTEP (7-5) in the PUBG New Mexico Bowl and we won't know who the Bulldogs starting quarterback is until the team takes the field Saturday morning.

"I would say that's correct," said interim head coach Lee Marks when asked about the situation in a Monday morning press conference.

It's been a wild couple of weeks for the program following the departure of Kalen DeBoer and Ryan Grubb for Washington, the naming of Jeff Tedford as head coach and the entering and withdrawal from the transfer portal from senior quarterback Jake Haener. Haener is eligible to play Saturday but that possibility remains a mystery.

A Fresno State official didn't allow Marks to answer any Haener-related questions, leaving the interim coach to dance his way through vague inquiries about a pair of backup freshman quarterbacks in Jaylen Henderson and Logan Fife.

"In the quarterback room, all those guys are doing a really, really good job with the plan right now," Marks said. As for that plan? They're going to "keep everything in house."

How about who's been getting the most reps in practice? "We're not going to share that information."

What we do know is that Marks will try to coach the Dogs to its tenth 10-win season in the program's 100-year history. It would be the third 10-win season in the past five years (2017 & 2018). Kirby Moore, the team's wide receiver coach since 2017, is the interim offensive coordinator and per Marks is a "natural" in that position.

"What he's done so far for the game-planning and how he's put his final touches on the plan...it's fun," Marks said. "I've never seen Kirby in this role before obviously and seeing him (in this role), it's almost like he's rejuvenated. Like you see him having all this energy with him bouncing around and I'm like, 'Where did this side of Kirby come from?'

As for the bowl game, the team departs for Albuquerque Tuesday and is "energized" for the chance to finish the season the right way.

"We want to continue to put trophies in our trophy case," Marks said. "This is about these kids, to be honest with you, because they're writing their legacy, because they're the ones who will for sure be back here coming back 30, 40 years from now. I don't know if I'll be here 30, 40 years from now. Maybe I will be but I can bet on one thing: those guys will be and for them to have that trophy and remember this experience, it is going to be big for them."

Kickoff is set for 11:15 AM (Pacific Time) Saturday, December 18th, at Dreamstyle Stadium with the game broadcast on ESPN. ABC30 will have coverage from Albuquerque starting Friday night.