Individuals: SUU has eight players ranked among the FCS top-50 in 14 major statistical categories this week.
Defense: DE Tyler Osborne is in fourth in tackles for loss with 2.06 per game, while Akeem Anifowoshe is 26th with 1.38 per game. Osborne is also 24th in sacks per game with 0.75 per contest while LB Blake Fenn is 48th in tackles per game with 9.12.
Offense: On the offensive side of the ball, Tysson Poots is second in total receiving yards with 831, is fifth in receiving yards per game with 103.9 and sixth in receptions per game at 7.38. Fesi Sitake ranks seventh in receptions per game (7.25), 18th in total receiving yards (605), 29th in receiving yards per game (75.62) and 32nd in all-purpose yards per game (129.62). QB Brad Sorensen is fifth in total passing yards (2,087), seventh in completions per game (22.25), ninth in passing yards per game (260.88), 16th in total offense (263.62 ypg), and 18th in passing efficiency, at 137.27.
Special Teams: SUU two players ranked in special teams categories this week, Sitake, who is 47th in punt returns (7.19 ypr) and kicker Brock Miller, who is 20th in field goals per game (1.33).
Team: The Thunderbirds rank among the nation's top-50 in 10 statistical categories this week. The passing offense ranks 11th with an average of 265.0 yards per game while SUU also ranks 11th in tackles-for-loss with 7.63 per game. SUU ranks 17th in total offense (410.0 ypg), 18th in rushing defense (107.6 ypg), 20th in total defense (298.75 ypg), 22nd in scoring defense (19.5 ppg), 27th in sacks (2.38 spg), 28th in turnover margin (plus-0.63), 29th in passing efficiency (132.88), and 46th in pass defense (191.13 ypg).

For the second straight week SUU had two players named player of the week by the GWC, RB Austin Minefee and DE Tyler Osborne were honored after the win over South Dakota. Minefee carried 17 times for 137 yards and a touchdown against the Coyotes. He had a career-long and team season-long run of 54 yards, as well as a touchdown run of his own that came on a one-yard carry in the third quarter. Osborne  dominated the defensive  big-play categories Saturday with 1.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles-for-losss, two quarterback hurries and one pass broken up. He finished with six total tackles on the day, with five of them occurring in the Coyote backfield. Adding impact to his performance, three of his sacks and his pass break-up came on third downs. Osborne also earned honorable mention from College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) for the fourth time this season.

LB Akeem Anifowoshe and QB Brad Sorensen earned Great West Conference defensive and offensive Player of the Week honors for their play vs. Cal Poly. Anifowoshe tallied a team-season-high 14 tackles, including 10 solo stops, another a team-best this year. He also had one tackle in the Cal Poly backfield among his 10 solos as the Thunderbird defense disrupted the Cal Poly option game all day long. Sorensen averaged 14 yards per completion, completing 18-of-22 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. He finished the game with a career-best efficiency rating of 193.42. Sorensen also earned honorable mention as quarterback of the week from CFPA for his performance this week.

Tysson Poots earned the GWC offensive honor following his performance at North Dakota. Poots caught 13 passes for 210 yards and a touchdown in the game. Ten of his receptions resulted in first downs for the Thunderbirds, including his first five catches of the game. Poots, who already holds the top two marks at SUU for receptions in a game, with 15 and 14, equaled the third-best mark in school history with his 13, while the 210 receiving yards is the fifth-highest total at SUU. He averaged 16.2 yards per catch, with a season-long reception of 51 yards as well as a 32-yarder.

Poots has earned honorable mention as receiver of the week on the national level from CFPA four times, including the Cal Poly game, when he had nine receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown. He was also tabbed following the San Diego game, when he caught six passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns; the San Jose State game, where he had 10 receptions for 147 yards; and following the North Dakota game.

Sorensen and Osborne also received CFPA honorable mention honors following the North Dakota game, where Sorensen completed 35-of-46 passes for 413 yards and two TDs and Osborne had two solo sacks among his four solo tackles.

Minefee earned honorable mention as running back of the week and Osborne earned his second honorable mention defensive line award from CFPA after the NAU game. Minefee carried 19 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns while Osborne had nine tackles, including 3.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack in the game.

Anifowoshe and Osborne both received honors following their performances in the Thunderbirds' 28-20 loss at Wyoming on Sept. 4. Anifowoshe was named the Great West Conference's defensive player of the week, while both players earned honorable mention honors from CFPA. Anifowoshe tallied 10 tackles, including five solo stops, 3.5 tackles for losses and a sack in the Wyoming game. Osborne also had 3.5 tackles for losses and a sack in the game, with all but one of his five total tackles coming in the Cowboy backfield.

The Great West Conference awards are determined by the conference office. The CFPA bases its awards on a statistical formula which determines “the extent to which individual players increase the overall effectiveness of their teams,” according to a CFPA press release.

• Tyler Osborne had a personal- and team-season-high 4.5 tackles for loss against South Dakota. The team finished with a season-high three sacks vs. the Coyotes and Osborne was in on two of those. He shared one with Trent Barney, while the third was a solo stop by Nick Garcia.

• RB Austin Minefee had a career-long 54-yard run against South Dakota. His 137 rushing yards in the game are his third-most, behind the 147 he had vs. Dixie State last year and the 140 he ran for against Northern Arizona earlier this season. He had a 50-yard TD run against NAU.

• The Thunderbirds rushed for a season-high 241 yards vs. South Dakota, and Minefee wasn't the only Thunderbird back to have a big day. Deckar Alexander gained 75 yards on just seven carries, including a 39 yard romp. It was Alexander's best game of the season, bettering his 64-yard effort in the season-opener at Wyoming.

• SUU had a season-high three touchdowns come via the run vs. South Dakota, including the first career rushing TDs for QB Brad Sorensen and RB Brian Wilson.

• SUU averaged season-highs 6.9 yards per rush and 7.1 yards per play vs. South Dakota. The previous highs had been 6.5 yards per rush and 6.9 yards per play at Texas State.

• Sorensen completed 14-of-17 passes in the first half against South Dakota, including 12-of-13 in the second quarter, and finished 22-of-31 for 230 yards. He now has 2,087 passing yards, the sixth-highest single-season total in SUU history. His 178 completions rank fifth, his 278 attempts rank seventh and his 11 TD passes are tied for 10th on the SUU single-season lists.

• Both teams went without a turnover last week, marking the first time this season the Thunderbirds hadn't been the beneficiary of at least one. SUU also didn't turn the ball over against Cal Poly. The Thunderbirds have gone without a TO three times. The first was the season-opener at Wyoming.

• South Dakota rushed for 81 yards this year after averaging over 400 yards on the ground in the previous two meetings with SUU. The Thunderbirds have held five of their eight opponents to fewer than 100 rushing yards.

• Akeem Anifowoshe had a team-season-high 14 tackles, one off his personal best, against Cal Poly, including 10 solo stops, also the team's season-high.

•  The Thunderbirds are 3-0 in GWC play for the first time since the conference was formed in 2004.

• SUU broke through against two teams the past two weeks, South Dakota and Cal Poly. The win over the Coyotes was the first for the Thunderbirds, after coming up short in the first two meetings. The Thunderbirds also broke a nine-game losing streak against Cal Poly, including a three-game home losing streak against the Mustangs. The Thunderbirds' last win vs. Cal Poly had been a 42-13 home victory back in 2000.

• SUU is 10-1 under Coach Ed Lamb when the team gives up nine such games. The only loss under Lamb when the T-Birds gave up fewer than 21 was a 19-14 setback against Northern Arizona in Cedar City in 2008.

• The Thunderbirds were penalized a season-low four times against Cal Poly. The infractions cost SUU 50 yards, tying the T-Birds' second-lowest total of the season. Three of those penalties came in the fourth quarter and all four came in the second half.

• Cal Poly's 175 rushing yards were the Mustang's second-fewest of the season and their 202 passing yards were their second-most.

• SUU has forced a fumble in six of eight games this season and its 10 fumbles recovered are tied as the ninth-highest total in the nation (FCS). The team was third last week but dropped after the turnover-free game vs. USD.

• SUU broke more than one jinx with the win vs. South Dakota. The Thunderbirds were coming off back-to-back conference victories (home wins over North Dakota, 35-10, and UC Davis, 56-35) last season heading into the South Dakota game but the Coyotes ruined the momentum with a 45-21 win at Vermillion, S.D. SUU has been coming off at least one win all three times the teams have met, in 2008 it was a 15-14 road victory at North Dakota.

• SUU's 413 passing yards at North Dakota are the third-most in a game in SUU history, which more than offsets the fact North Dakota held the Thunderbirds to 96 rushing yards, their second-fewest on the ground this season (behind the 79 at San Jose State). UND's 173 total yards were the second-fewest allowed by SUU this season; the Thunderbirds gave up just 153 to San Diego.

• SUU punted just twice at North Dakota. Ryan McNamara, who took over for Trent Barney in the second half against Northern Arizona, averaged just 38 yards per kick vs. UND, but he pinned the Sioux inside the 20 yard line with both kicks. McNamara, who pinned Cal Poly inside its 20 once and put two more punts into the end zone, has averaged 40.4 yards per punt since taking over for the injured Barney.

• Dion Turner got his first interception of the season at North Dakota when he stepped in front of a Jake Landry toss in the fourth quarter to end the Fighting Sioux's final drive and seal the Thunderbird win. It was the second pick of his SUU career. SUU has three interceptions this season, one by Turner, one by Colin Pretlow vs. Northern Arizona and one by Matt Holley, at Wyoming. Pretlow returned his pick44 yards for a score vs. NAU. It was SUU's first interception return for a TD since he returned one 46 yards against UC Davis last season.

• SUU had the ball for 39:02 to 19:58 for UND. It was the T-Birds' largest time of possession margin of the season.

• North Dakota drove into SUU territory just three times and past the SUU 46 yard line just twice. The Thunderbirds had just one drive that didn't get into UND territory.

• The Thunderbird run defense has been stingy this year. Just three of the Thunderbirds six opponents have broken the 100-yard mark as a team, San Diego with 119, Cal Poly with 175 and Texas State with 224. After allowing Wyoming just 36 rushing yards the Thunderbirds held San Jose State to just 57 yards on the ground. SUU then limited Northern Arizona to 96 yards on the ground. Even though NAU's Zach Bauman was only first individual 100-yard gainer against the T-Birds this season the team had enough yards in sacks to take the total below 100. The defense was stingy against North Dakota as well, the Fighting Sioux wound up with just 73 yards on the ground.

• Minefee ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns vs. Northern Arizona. It was his second straight 100-yard game, following his 102-yard performance at Texas State on Sept. 25. The last time SUU had a player rush for 100-yards in back-to-back games was last year, when Minefee ran for 111 yards at San Diego State following his 147 yard performance vs. DSC. It was also the fist time since Major Gray ran for four TDs last season against UC Davis that the Thunderbirds had a player  rush for multiple scores in a game.

• SUU's 164 rushing yards were the most given up by NAU this season. The Lumberjacks came into the game with the second-best run defense in the FCS, allowing just 54 yards per game. Minefee was also the first back to break the 100-yard mark this season against the 'Jacks.

• Northern Arizona's Matt Estrada had a 66-yard punt return for a score against the T-Birds. It was the first time the Thunderbirds had given up a punt return for a score since 1997, when Idaho State's Trevor Bell returned one 53 yards for a score.

• NAU had 340 total yards to SUU's 318, marking the first time this season an opponent has out-gained the Thunderbirds. The Lumberjacks' Zach Bauman also became the first (and only) back to pass the 100-yard mark against the T-Birds this season. Bauman finished with 109 yards on the ground. NAU and Cal Poly are the only teams to out-gain the Thunderbirds this year.

• The Lumberjacks also held SUU to a season-low 154 passing yards. The Thunderbirds had more rushing than passing yards against NAU (164/154) for the first time since the season-opener last year vs. Dixie State.

• Brad Sorensen's 70-yard touchdown pass to Jared Ursua at Texas State was the team's longest play this season, as well as each player's career-long play.

• SUU rolled up a then-season-high 507 yards of offense at Texas State, but also gave up a season-high, as the Bobcats finished with 445 yards. The previous high for SUU was 411 yards vs. San Diego, while Wyoming's 355 yards was the previous high-water mark for an opponent. The total yards were the team's most since putting up 540 last season at Northern Arizona. The 507 yards were 10 more than Texas State gave up in a 68-28 season-opening loss at Houston, and SUU's 352 passing yards were six more than Houston's total.

• Linebackers Blake Fenn, Akeem Anifowoshe and Troy Bunting are 1-2-3 on the SUU tackles list. Fenn has 73 tackles, Anifowoshe has 70 stops on the season and Bunting has 59. The next person on the list, cornerback Colin Pretlow, has 52.

• Redshirt freshman J.J. Mayer got his first game-action at San Jose State when he was inserted into the game late in the fourth quarter in an effort to rally the team from its 16-11 deficit. Mayer completed two of his first four passes for 25 yards but threw an interception on a tipped pass on his final attempt.

• SUU scored on three field goals and a safety at San Jose State. It was the first time since 2007 that the Thunderbirds had gone without a touchdown (and the first time in the Ed Lamb era). The last time was at Montana State, in a 7-3 loss. It was also the first time SUU had scored on a safety during the Ed Lamb era; the safety for a score was SUU's first since the 2007 season-opener, at Montana.

• The Thunderbirds were penalized a season-high 14 times for 143 yards at SJSU, the most penalties and yards lost to penalties in the Ed Lamb era.

• SUU held San Diego to 34 passing yards, the sixth-fewest passing yards by an opponent in SUU's 4-year history (since 1963). SUU gave up just 145 total yards and only 36 in the second half when the Toreros had just two first downs and didn't make it past the SUU 49 yard line.

• Junior quarterback Zack Olsen scored his first collegiate touchdown against San Diego when he scrambled around the left end for 17 yards and the final score of the game.

• The Thunderbird defense allowed just two drives of over six plays and just four over five plays against San Diego. Six players had tackles for losses and seven broke up passes.

•In a span of less than 40 seconds DT Cody Heinreich doubled his career sacks total against San Diego. He had solo sacks on back-to-back plays in the third quarter for a total of 16 yards. Coming into the game Heinreich, a junior, had one career sack. Heinreich had another sack at San Jose State but wasn't initially credited due to a statistician's error. That error has been corrected.

• Between serving an LDS church mission and sitting out last season as a redshirt it had been over three years since Brad Sorensen had thrown a pass in a game when he took the field at Wyoming. His first completion covered 23 yards and went to Poots, his first touchdown also went to Poots, a seven-yarder.

• The Thunderbirds' 191 rushing yards at Wyoming were their most since going for 244 vs. Dixie State in the opener last year and their 193 passing yards were the fewest since the T-Birds threw for just 189 in that Dixie State game.

• SUU held Wyoming to 36 rushing yards, the fewest ever by an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision team against the Thunderbirds. The 36 yards were the fewest by an SUU opponent since the second game of the 2006 season when the Thunderbirds held Division II Western State to six rushing yards. The T-Birds had 10 tackles-for-loss in that game, including five sacks, for a total of minus-74 rushing yards. The SUU record for rushing yards allowed in a game is minus-35 against Asuza Pacific way back in 1971. The fewest rushing yards allowed by SUU against an FCS team was minus-29, vs. St. Mary's in 1998.

• SUU is in its 48th season as a four-year football-playing institution and its 25th as a member of the NCAA. The 2010 season also marks the Thunderbirds' 18th as a member of the NCAA's Football Championship Subdivision and is the school's seventh in the Great West Conference.

• The Thunderbirds have an all-American and five all-conference players returning, including senior wide receiver Tysson Poots, who earned second-team all-America, FCS Fabulous-50 and first-team all-conference honors last year. In addition to Poots, senior cornerback Colin Pretlow and senior linebacker Akeem Anifowoshe (who played safety in 2009) earned first-team all GWC honors last year, with Pretlow also taking home Fabulous-50 honors from The College Sports Network. In addition to the first-teamers, senior wide receiver Fesi Sitake earned second-team honors and cornerback Erron Vonner earned honorable mention recognition last year.

• Poots was also an academic all-American last year, as well as an academic All-GWC selection. SUU has nine returning academic all-GWC honorees, including Poots, Pretlow, Sitake, Vonner, LB Blake Fenn, OL Dylan Fox, FB/LS Brigham Nielson, QB Zach Olsen, OL Trevor Schauerhamer, and DB Tyson Turley. Poots and Pretlow were both academic all-GWC honorees in 2008 as well.

UC Davis is 2-2 on the road this season, but just 1-2 at home. The Aggies lost their home-opener to Portland State, 41-33, and last week to South Alabama, 24-21, with the win coming over South Dakota, 17-13. The other wins were a 38-24 triumph at San Diego and a 14-13 win at San Jose State, while the other losses were a 52-3 setback in the opener at Cal and a 20-9 loss at Weber State.

The Aggies have traditionally run a pass-oriented offense with just enough run to keep opponents honest under Coach Bob Biggs, while their defenses have always been tough. This year they average 206.4 passing and 79.4 rushing yards per game while giving up an average of 165.6 rushing and 218.6 passing yards.

Quarterback Randy Wright (6-3, 185, RSFr) has completed 129 of 226 passes for 1,433 yards and eight touchdowns with five interceptions. His favorite target has been WR Sean Creadick (6-1, 200, Sr), who has 46 receptions for 576 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while TE Dean Rogers (6-3, 250, Sr) and RB Josh Reese (6-0, 196, Jr) each have 18 receptions, for 247 and 122 yards, respectively. Rogers also leads the team in receiving TDs with three.

Reese averages a team-high 42.0 yards per game on the ground after carrying 75 times for 294 yards and two scores, while Nick Aprile (6-1, 212, So) has carried 54 times for 232 yards and four TDs, averaging 38.7 ypg. Aprile runs the Aggie version of the “wildcat” offense.

Linebacker Dozie Amajoyi (6-1, 245, Sr) leads the squad with 63 tackles, including a team-high 27 solo stops, has a team-high two interceptions and co-leads the Aggies in tackles for loss with five. SS Danny Hart is second on the team with 52 tackles while MLB Jordan Glass (6-2, 240, Jr) has 45 tackles. LB Byron Gruendl (6-2, 195, So) is the team's sacks leader with 2.5.