CEDAR CITY, Utah -- The Thunderbird football program, led by head coach Demario Warren, will open up their 2019 campaign on Saturday, August 31 against the UNLV Rebels at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. MT.
2018 Overview
The 2018 campaign wasn't exactly one to remember for the Thunderbirds, as they finished the season with a 1-10 overall record and a 1-7 mark in Big Sky Conference play.
Southern Utah's lone victory came against the Sacramento State Hornets at home, as the T-Birds emerged victorious 48-27.
Chris Helbig had an impressive start to the season for SUU, starting the first four contests at quarterback. He threw for 1,011 yards on 94 completions and five touchdowns. Two of those starts came against Pac-12 opponents.
Last season the Thunderbirds struggled to keep the opposition off the scoreboard, as they were outscored 456-281 throughout the entire season.
All-American
Thunderbird center Zach Larsen has garnered quite a bit of preseason accolades ahead of the 2019 campaign. Including four different publications listing him as an FCS Preseason All-American. He earned the designation from HERO Sports, Athlon Sports, STATS FCS and Phil Steele. He was also named to the Big Sky Preseason First Team.
Larsen has been a starter since his first season with the program, and was a critical part to Southern Utah's push for a Big Sky Conference Championship in 2017.
Joining Larsen with preseason accolades is wide receiver/kick returner Judd Cockett, who was named a Preseason All-American by Phil Steele after returning two kicks for a touchdown during the 2018 season.
Defensive Shift
The T-Birds will enter the 2019 campaign with a brand new defensive coordinator, as Brandon Fisher was hired to lead that side of the ball before spring practice last March.
Fisher's coaching experience comes from the National Football League, where the last position he held was Secondary Coach for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams from 2015-16. Under his direction, the secondary finished ninth in the league in total defense and 10th in passing yards allowed in 2016.
He was with the Rams from 2012-16, starting as an assistant in the secondary.
In 2011 Fisher served as a Defensive Assistant for the Detroit Lions, and served as an Offensive Assistant for the Tennessee Titans during the 2010 season.
Fisher is no stranger to Big Sky football, as he suited up for the Montana Grizzlies from 2005-09. He was a two-year starter at outside linebacker, and appeared in two FCS National Championship Games. Overall, Fisher's graduating class had a 51-6 record.
Non-Conference Schedule Breakdown
Following the trip to Las Vegas, the Thunderbirds will stay on the road the next week for a matchup against Northern Iowa. UNI came in ranked No. 18 in the STATS FCS Top 25, and No. 20 in the FCS Coaches' Poll.
SUU will host their home opener on September 14 when they play Stephen F. Austin at Eccles Coliseum. The last time the T-Birds faced off against the Lumberjacks, SUU claimed a runaway 51-14 victory.
The T-Birds will head back out of town following their home opener, as they'll take on the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State. SDSU was tabbed No. 3 in the STATS Poll and No. 4 in the Coaches' Poll.
Opponent Preview: UNLV Rebels (0-0, 0-0 MWC)
The Rebels of UNLV finished the 2018 season with a 4-8 overall record, and were 2-6 at the end of Mountain West Conference play when all was said and done. Their four victories came against UTEP, Prairie View A&M, San Diego State and Nevada. Two of those wins came in the final three weeks.
Armani Rogers has been named the starting quarterback for the Rebels for Saturday's contest. He is a dual threat, getting it done both through the air and on the ground. Rogers completed 52 passes for 601 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He also carried the ball for 632 yards and eight touchdowns during the 2018 campaign.
Last year the Rebel defense gave up an average of 37.25 points and 447 yards per game.
UNLV head coach Tony Sanchez was hired in December 2014, making 2015 his first full season at the helm. Sanchez has a 16-32 career record with the Rebels, finding the most success in 2017 when the team finished 5-7.
Last Time vs. UNLV
The last time the Rebels and Thunderbirds squared off in Las Vegas, the team from Cedar City ended up routing their Mountain West Conference foe 41-16 at Sam Boyd Stadium.
Three different T-Birds returned an interception for a touchdown, while running back Austin Minefee ran for two more to push the Thunderbirds to one of the biggest victories in school history.
Prior to being drafted by the San Diego Chargers, Brad Sorensen finished with 16 completions for 178 yards.
Big Sky At A Glance
When the National FCS Preseason Polls were released this August, the Big Sky Conference was well represented across the board.
Coming off a trip to the NCAA FCS National Championship, the Eagles of Eastern Washington were voted No. 3 in the Coaches' Poll and No. 4 in the STATS FCS Poll.
UC Davis was slotted No. 5 in both polls following a 10-3 campaign that landed them No. 8 in the FCS at the end of 2018. The Thunderbirds play the Aggies on October 19 in Cedar City.
Weber State has been ranked No. 8 by STATS FCS and No. 9 in the Coaches' Poll. SUU plays the Wildcats on October 12 in Ogden.
Montana State and Montana also made appearances in the polls, while Northern Arizona, Idaho and Idaho State received votes.
Words From Coach Warren
On taking the team to St. George to prepare for weather conditions…
"It'll just give us something to look back on when we get to UNLV," Warren said. "We made it really hard on them, we conditioned during and after the game, just trying to make it as miserable as possible for them so come next Saturday, it's a little bit easier for them. But UNLV's going to be a great team, so hopefully they're ready to go and understand mentally how they need to be ready for the game."
On the Rebels…
"They're athletic, they've recruited a ton of athletes," he said. "Their linebacking core will be one of the best that we've faced. Offensively, that quarterback has a ton of speed. They're a loaded football team. They feel really good about how they finished last season, and I'm sure they're excited and ready to roll. It's going to be an uphill battle for us, but our guys never turn down a fight so we'll be ready to go.
On the victory back in 2011…
"I'm sure we're going to get their best shot," he said. "They need to win this year, and they feel like they've got a team that can make a bowl game. They know what happened last time, so I'm sure they'll use that for motivation this week."
On where the team has improved the most over the past month of camp….
"They're just coming together," he said. "Early on we were just so angry that we were bad last year that we just wanted to compete and get after each other, which is good, but we were able to calm them down and started to really work on situational things."
Where To Watch / Listen / Follow Along
Saturday's contest will be livestreamed on www.UNLVRebels.com.
The contest can be heard on the local airwaves, both on KSUB 590 AM in Cedar City and ESPN 97.7 FM in St. George. On the call will be legendary Thunderbird broadcaster Art Challis, and ESPN 97.7's Devin Dixon, host of the Devin Dixon Show.
Live stats will be available on both www.unlvrebels.com and www.suutbirds.com prior to kickoff.
Follow Us
Keep tabs on the Thunderbirds throughout the entire Big Sky Kickoff by following @SUUFB on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Football page on Facebook.
Tickets
Tickets for the UNLV game can be purchased at the America First Event Center Ticket Office and online at www.tbirdtickets.com.
Single game tickets and season tickets are also available for the remainder of the 2019 campaign.
