Quickly: Southern Utah takes a break from Great West Conference play this week to travel up I-15 and take on in-state rival Weber State.

Southern Utah (3-4/0-3 Great West) will be playing the last game in a three-game road stretch and will also be looking to stop a three-game losing streak this weekend. Since a 41-16 win at UNLV the Thunderbirds have lost three games by a total of 15 points, including a 31-27 setback at Cal Poly last Saturday when SUU didn't trail until the final 45 seconds when the Mustangs came from behind for the win. 

Weber State (3-3/3-1 Big Sky) has won three of four since opening with a pair of losses at FBS-lever Wyoming and Utah State. The Wildcats handled Idaho State at home last week, 39-12, to bounce back from a 27-21 loss at defending FCS national champion Eastern Washington the previous week.

The Game: Southern Utah (3-4/0-3 GWC) at Weber State (3-3, 3-1 Big Sky), 4:00 p.m. (Mountain) at Stewart Stadium (17,500/Synthetic).

The Series: Saturday's game will be the 18th meeting between Southern Utah and Weber State on the football field. The Wildcats hold a 14-3 edge in the series, including a 24-13 win in 2006. WSU won the first 11 meetings before SUU broke through in Ogden with a 39-7 triumph during the 1999 season. the teams split the next four games, but WSU has won the last two, the win in 2006 and a 27-10 win in Cedar City in 2005. SUU's last victory in the series was a 34-31 triumph in Ogden in the 2004 season-opener. The Thunderbirds are 2-12 vs. the Wildcats in Ogden.

Thunderbird Practice Schedule: The players are off on Mondays. Daily practices Tuesday through Thursday are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. and end at 6:15 p.m.

Media Availability: Players and coaches are available for interviews on Tuesdays following practice, at approximately 6:15 p.m. To contact a player or coach on another day or time contact Neil Gardner at gardner@suu.edu or 435-586-7753.

Television: SUU's home games are televised live on My Utah TV (KMYU), with Mychal Clanton calling the play-by-play and Jordan Buscarini providing analysis. My Utah TV is available over the air and via cable and satellite throughout Utah. In southern Utah it is available over the air on Digital channel 2.2 and 12.1 and in Utah it is available on the following cable outlets: Comcast (channel 22), Baja (20) and Bresnan (18). It is also available in Utah on Dish Network, channel 12.

Radio: All of Southern Utah's 2011 football games are available over the Thunderbird Sports Network. SUU flagship station Power 91 (KSUU, 91.1 FM) carries every game live as well as on the worldwide web at www.suu.edu/ksuu. Art Challis is in his 35th season as the Thunderbirds' football voice. Dave McMullin, a former all-conference defensive lineman for the Thunderbirds, provides color commentary.

Video Highlights: Video highlights of the Thunderbirds' road games will be available to accredited media outlets via SUU's FTP site. For information on obtaining those highlights contact SUU Director of Athletic Media Relations Neil Gardner.

GWC Teleconference: The Great West Conference holds a weekly teleconference, beginning at 12:45 p.m. (Mountain). The conference's head coaches all address their previous and upcoming games. For information on accessing the teleconferences, contact SUU Director of Athletic Media Relations Neil Gardner. The schedule follows:

            12:45 p.m. - Introduction by Commissioner Ed Grom

            12:47 p.m. - Cal Poly coach Tim Walsh

            12:55 p.m. - South Dakota coach Ed Meierkort

            1:03 p.m. - North Dakota coach Chris Mussman

            1:11 p.m. - Southern Utah coach Ed Lamb

            1:19 p.m. - UC Davis coach Bob Biggs

Thunderbird Club Luncheons: The Thunderbird Club's weekly no-host luncheon is held Mondays at noon in the Tradition Room in the home of President Michael Benson. The public is invited to attend the luncheons where Southern Utah's in-season coaches talk about their upcoming contests and review the past week's action.

Sonny Boy's Coaches Show: Coach Ed Lamb is Eric Ripley's guest on a weekly radio coaches show each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. on Power 91. The coaches show is broadcast live from Sonny Boy's Barbecue, 126 No. Main in Cedar City. Fans in attendance will be eligible for gift certificates and prizes throughout the show.

Next Up/Remaining Schedule:

The 'Birds wrap up their GWC and home slates the following weekend when they host UC Davis on Oct. 29, before a bye week, Nov 5. The final two regular-season games have the Thunderbirds at Northern Iowa (Nov. 12) and Northern Arizona (Nov. 19).

The Coaches:

A 2010 Eddie Robinson Award nominee, SUU's Ed Lamb (BYU, 1996) has a record of 18-22 in his fourth season as the Thunderbird head coach and his fourth season as a head coach overall. Last year Lamb guided the Thunderbirds to their first-ever Great West Conference championship and their most successful season since 2004 when the Thunderbirds went undefeated in GWC play and finished the season with a 6-5 overall mark. Prior to taking over at SUU, Lamb spent three seasons at the University of San Diego where he coordinated the special teams and recruiting and was the Toreros' defensive backs coach. Prior to his time at USD Lamb spent two seasons as defensive coordinator at Idaho. He also served a season at BYU as a linebackers coach and four seasons at the University of Redlands, three as defensive coordinator and one as defensive line coach. Coach Lamb is 0-0 vs. Weber State.

Weber State's Ron McBride (San Jose State, 1963) is 39-32 in his seventh season at Weber State and 127-95 overall in his 20th season as a head coach. Coach McBride is 2-0 vs. the Thunderbirds. Former SUU receiver and graduate assistant Matt Hammer is the Wildcats' offensive coordinator.

Affiliations: Southern Utah is in its eighth and final season in the Great West Conference (NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision). The Thunderbirds will join the Big Sky Conference next season. SUU is affiliated with The Summit League in all its other sports except women's gymnastics, which competes in the Western Athletic Conference. Weber State is a member of the Big Sky Conference in all its sports.

Captains: This year's captains are senior defensive end Tyler Osborne, senior safety Erron Vonner and senior running back Daryl Brown.

Measom Named to Rice Award Watch List: SUU receiver Brady Measom has been named to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List. The award, which is given out by The Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com, will go to the nation's outstanding freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision. Measom has caught a team-high 37 passes for 409 yards and two touchdowns this season. He is also the team's punt return specialist, with 10 returns for 146 yards. He is nationally ranked in punt returns, receptions and receiving yards per game, ranking seventh in the FCS in punt returns with a 14.6 ypr average, 39th in receptions per game at 5.29 and 96th in receiving yards per game, at 58.43. He is the top-ranked freshman punt returner in the nation at this point of the season, is third among freshmen in receptions per game and is sixth in receiving yards per game. Measom joins 17 other freshmen, including seven others who were named Tuesday, in consideration for the inaugural Jerry Rice Award.

GWC Players of the Week:

Austin Minefee was named the Great West Conference's Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in the Thunderbirds' 24-19 loss at South Dakota. Minefee returned four kickoffs a total of 132 yards on Saturday, including a 34-yard return that led to an SUU touchdown and a 63-yarder to set up a field goal. His returns were so effective that South Dakota began pooch-kicking their kickoffs to avoid him touching the ball, but even that didn't work, as on his final return he picked the ball up after a teammate had failed to catch it and returned the ball 12 yards to the SUU 34 yard line. With Saturday's effort Minefee moved from 11th to fourth in the nation in kickoff return average, with an average of 31.27 yards per return.

Southern Utah earned two of the week's three Great West Conference Player of the Week awards following the Thunderbirds' 41-16 upset at UNLV. Linebacker Blake Fenn earned the defensive award, while kicker Colton Cook was named special teams player of the week by the Great West Conference office. Fenn was also named overall GWC player of the week by College Sports Madness.

Fenn had perhaps the biggest play of the game as he intercepted a pass on the first play from scrimmage in the second half and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown. The score broke a 10-10 tie and took away any momentum UNLV may have had after a late first-half field goal. Fenn's return was one of three for touchdowns on the evening for the Thunderbirds, just one shy of the NCAA Division I record of four pick-sixes in a game. Fenn also had nine tackles, including a team-best six solo stops in the game.

Cook was 2-for-2 on field goals against the Rebels, getting the Thunderbirds on the board in the first quarter with a 35-yarder, then booting a career-long 40-yarder in the fourth quarter to stake the team to a 27-10 advantage. He also kicked off eight times for 481 yards, with two going for touchbacks.

Southern Utah WR/return specialist Brady Measom was the Great West Conference Special Teams Player of the Week following the UTSA game. Measom returned three punts for a total of 103 yards in the Thunderbirds' 45-22 win over UT-San Antonio. He set SUU up for its go-ahead score with his first return, a 62-yard effort return midway through the first quarter, helping set the tone for the game. After catching the kick on the SUU 20-yard line he returned it to the UTSA 18. Later in the game he had a 40-yard return, from the SUU 37 to the UTSA 23, which led to a field goal. The 103 punt return yards in a game are the eighth-most in SUU history.

Running back Deckar Alexander earned a pair of player of the week awards for his performance against Sacramento State. He earned the offensive player of the week honor from the conference office and the overall GWC player of the week award from College Sports Madness. Alexander carried 18 times for 78 yards and two touchdowns, and also caught five passes for 23 more yards in the win. His first TD was a 12-yard run that gave the Thunderbirds their first lead of the game, 10-7, while his second score iced the game with 1:40 to play, a 3-yard run that gave the 'Birds the 35-14 advantage.

SUU In The FCS National Ranks: 

SUU has seven players ranked among the FCS top-50 in 14 statistical categories following last week's games, while the team figures among the top-50 programs in 12 categories and among the top-30 in six.

Defense: DT Tyler Osborne ranks 34th in sacks with an average of 0.79 per game while LB Chad Hansen ranks 41st in tackles with an average of 9.71 per game.

Offense: On the offensive side of the ball, QB Brad Sorensen ranks seventh in total passing yards with 2,018, eighth in completions per game with 27.43, 10th in passing yards per game with 289.7, 11th in total offense with 283.71 ypg, 29th in points responsible for with 12.86 ppg and 39th in passing efficiency with a rating of 137.28. WRs Brady Measom and Jared Ursua are 39th and 47th in receptions per game with 5.29 and 5.0, respectively, Ursua is also 47th in total receiving yards with 442 and Austin Minefee is 42nd in all-purpose yards with an average of 124.43 per game.

Special Teams: Measom is seventh in punt returns with an average of 14.6 yards per return, while Minefee is 20th in kickoff returns at 26.6 ypr and kicker Colton Cook is 24th in field goal kicking with an average of 1.29 per game.

Team: In the team categories SUU ranks 11th in pass defense at 168.43 yards per game, 14th in net punting at 37.94 ypp, 16th in kickoff returns at 23.58 ypr, and 19th in pass efficiency defense, at 110.53. SUU is 25th in punt return average, at 12.08 ypr, 32nd in turnover margin at plus0.57, 36th in both scoring offense (30.71 ppg) and defense (23.14 ppg), 42nd in sacks (2.29 per game), 47th in passing efficiency (134.46) and 50th in total defense (350.43 ypg).

Brad Sorensen and the Air Attack: 

Seven games into the season junior quarterback Brad Sorensen, who is on this year's Walter Payton Award Watch List, has broken into the school's top-10 in four single-season statistical categories. He has completed 192 passes, the fifth-most in a season at SUU, with 285 attempts, the ninth-highest total. He has also thrown 13 TD passes, which is tied for 10th, and his 2,046 yards in 2011 rank sixth on the SUU single-season list. Career-wise, Sorensen is now second on the SUU lists in three categories and third in another. He is second in touchdown passes list with 35, six shy of Rick Robins SUU record 41; second in passing yards with 5,191, 2,250 behind Robins' 7,441; and second in completions with 453, 65 behind Robins' 518. His 675 pass attempts ranks third, 15 behind Wes Marshall and 348 behind Robins' 1,023.

Sorensen completed 25-of-42 passes for 296 yards and two TDs at Cal Poly. For the second straight game he threw a TDs pass to Brady Measom, and he hit Daryl Brown for a score for the first time since the opener at South Dakota St.

Defensive Stoppers:

• Senior linebacker Herman Sword tallied a career-high 14 tackles at Cal Poly, a team-high, including 10 solo stops, with a sack and a half-tackle for loss.
• Sophomore safety Tommy Collett finished with a career-high nine tackles at Cal Poly.
• SUU had seven tackles for loss at Cal Poly, one off its season-high eight at UNLV. Seven different Thunderbirds were in on TFLs, including Sword, Chad Hansen, Blake Fenn, Dion Turner, Tyler Osborne, Eddie Mailoto and Chad Larsen. Osborne had 1.5, Sword and 0.5, and everyone else had a solo TFL. SUU also had three sacks at CP, with Sword, Hansen and Osborne each notching a solo.
• Sophomore linebacker Chad Hansen has been in double-figures in tackles in five of the first seven games and has led or co-led the team in tackles in five of seven as well. The Cal Poly game was Hansen's first when he didn't either lead the team or break into double figures in tackles, as he finished with nine stops against the Mustangs, second to Sword's 14. Prior to the Cal Poly game Hansen had a team-high 10 tackles in three straight games, at South Dakota (where he shared the team lead with Brennan Fjord), vs. North Dakota and at UNLV. He also had a sack at South Dakota. Although he didn't hit double-figures against UTSA, he did lead the team with seven stops. In his first start, at South Dakota State, he led the Thunderbirds with 12 tackles, seven solo, and broke up a pass but his biggest play came with under three minutes to go and the Jackrabbits running out the clock when he hit SDSU running back Tyrel Kool in the backfield, forcing a fumble that Blake Fenn recovered, leading to SUU's final score of the game. He tallied 10 tackles (including a TFL), with six solo stops and a quarterback hurry against Sacramento State.

Thunderbird Quick Hits:

• Freshman WR Brady Measom has led the team in receiving yards the past two games, and had a touchdown reception in each as well. He caught the first TD pass of his career at South Dakota, where finished the game with a 11 receptions for 93 yards, both team-highs. At Cal Poly he caught four passes for 70 yards, including a 3-yard TD grab.
• Cal Poly's halfbacks had a better night throwing the football than its quarterback did. With SUU stifling their passing game, the Mustangs resorted to a handful of trick plays, including a pair of halfback passes. Both HB passes were completed, with one going 51 yards and the other for eight, and both were big parts of scoring drives.
•  Colton Cook hit both field goal attempts at Cal Poly, making him 9-of-10 for the season. He has hit seven straight since missing his third attempt of the year, and the game, vs. Sacramento State.
• Brock Miller took over the punting duties midway through the South Dakota game and handled all eight punts at Cal Poly, where he booted it eight times for an average of 38.5 yards, including once when he pinned the Mustangs inside their 10 yard line. Just two of the punts were returned, for a total of eight yards.
• SUU lost the coin toss for just the second time this season at Cal Poly. The Thunderbirds also took the opening kickoff and scored on their first possession for just the second time in 2011 as well. SUU scored on its opening possession at South Dakota State, and lost the coin toss and took the opening kickoff at UNLV.

Wildcat Notes: 

Weber State is undefeated at home this season but the Wildcats will be playing just their third home contest of the season this Saturday. After opening with losses at Wyoming and Utah State, WSU rolled past Sacramento State in the home-opener, 49-17, then split a pair of road contests, beating Northern Colorado 45-21 and losing at Eastern Washington 27-21, before finally returning home last week for a 39-12 win over Idaho State.

WSU has been balanced, and powerful, on the offensive side of the ball, rushing for an average of 213.3 yards per game and throwing for another 232.3. Defensively the wildcats have given up an average of 162.5 rushing and 250.7 passing yards per game.

Quarterback Mike Hoke (6-2, 220, Jr) has completed 104-of-163 passes for 1,365 yards and 16 touchdowns and he has thrown just one interception so far. His favorite targets have been WRs Xavian Johnson (6-0, 180, Fr), Shaydon Kehano (5-11, 180, So) and Austin Raught (6-2, 205, Sr). Johnson has 22 receptions for 236 yards and two TDs, while Kehano has caught 17 balls for 513 yards and seven scores and Raught has 15 catches for 180 yards and another two touchdowns.

RB Josh Booker (6-0, 215, Jr) has carried the bulk of the rushing load, with 72 carries for 425 yards and two touchdowns, while Tanner Hinds (5-9, 200, Fr) has 46 carries for 289 yards and three TDs and Barrinton Colins (5-9, 185, Fr) has carried 46 times for 257 yards and a score.

Defensively, the Wildcats have been led by MLB Anthony Morales (6-0, 230, So) with 55 tackles while OLB Nick Webb (6-4, 245, Sr) has 50 tackles. Morales and DT Pete Rolf (6-4, 265, Sr) co-lead the team in tackles for loss, with seven apiece, while DE Trevor Pletcher (6-2, 245, Jr) has a team-leading 6.5 sacks. CB Devin Pugh (5-10, 175, Fr) has a team-high two interceptions but six Wildcats have picked off balls this season.