CEDAR CITY, Utah – It is rivalry week, and the Southern Utah University football team will attempt to bring home the HintonBurdick Trophy Saturday when it squares off against Northern Arizona in the Grand Canyon Rivalry.
GAME #7
Southern Utah at Northern Arizona
Date: October 16
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. MT
Live Stream: ESPN+
Radio: KSUB 590 AM
Watch Live | Live Stats | Southern Utah Notes (PDF) | Northern Arizona Notes (PDF)
ABOUT NORTHERN ARIZONA
Northern Arizona owns a 2-3 record to date and is an even 1-1 in Big Sky play entering Saturday's Grand Canyon Rivalry. The Lumberjacks fell to No. 1 Sam Houston State and South Dakota to open the year before pulling a major upset against FBS foe Arizona for their first win of the season. NAU dropped its conference opener to Northern Colorado in overtime before defeating Idaho State. The Lumberjacks enter Saturday's matchup with SUU fresh off a bye week. NAU gets contributions at quarterback from both RJ Martinez and Jeff Widener. Martinez owns 666 passing yards and four touchdowns while Widener has thrown for 505 yards and three scores. Kevin Daniels is the top rusher for the Lumberjacks with 335 yards and a touchdown. The receiving efforts are balanced for NAU, but Coleman Owen leads the charge with 272 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Morgan Vest leads the way with 42 tackles and two interceptions.
SERIES HISTORY
The Lumberjacks lead the all-time series with Southern Utah by a count of 15-10. SUU and NAU met twice during the Spring 2021 season with Northern Arizona claiming victory in both games by scores of 34-33 and 28-20. Southern Utah last defeated the Lumberjacks in 2019 by a score of 31-30 in the friendly confines of Eccles Coliseum. The winner of the Grand Canyon Rivalry takes home the Grand Canyon Trophy, which NAU currently holds possession of. Since the trophy's induction in 2012, the Thunderbirds own a 6-4 advantage in the series, including winning five of the first six competitions.
LAST TIME OUT
The Thunderbirds fell into an early hole at Sacramento State and could not climb out as the Hornets went on to claim a 41-20 victory. Wide receiver Ethan Bolingbroke had a big night for the Thunderbirds with eight catches for 59 yards and a touchdown. Frank Harris III also contributed five receptions for 72 yards.
NOTES AND QUOTES
-With a few injuries in front of him, wide receiver Ethan Bolingbroke stepped up against Portland State and Sacramento State the last two weeks. The receiver has tallied 15 catches and 142 yards for two touchdowns over the past two games with an increased snap count.
-After forcing only two turnovers last season, the Southern Utah defense has forced turnovers in all but one game so far this season. The Thunderbirds have come up with three interceptions and four fumble recoveries through five games. Cornerback Kobe Singleton leads SUU's defense with two interceptions, and four different T-Birds have recorded fumble recoveries on the year.
-Before the start of the 2021 season, Southern Utah and Northern Arizona agreed to a 12-year series beginning in 2028. The Thunderbirds and Lumberjacks will alternate home contests after SUU leaves the Big Sky to join the WAC in 2022.
"We didn't come out ready to go. They had two weeks to prepare and had a good game plan. We had a couple three and outs early, but they ran the ball well and we couldn't tackle them. Our guys battled and fought and tried to put themselves back in the game. I love their fight and I appreciate that they continue to work hard."
-Head Coach Demario Warren on his team's efforts at Sacramento State
"I'm not going to lie, it hurts. We've got more in the tank, but this team is always going to fight to the end. We just didn't execute in those key moments well enough, so we need to get better and it starts with me. Hats off to Portland State, they did a great job."
-Warren after falling to Portland State
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