CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah football team will host Northern Arizona University this Saturday April 10 at 6:00 p.m. inside Eccles Coliseum for their final game of the 2021 spring season.
Last Time Out
Southern Utah hosted Weber State last weekend and could not hang on to an early lead as the Wildcats escaped Cedar City with a win.
The Thunderbirds held a 16-9 lead heading into the final quarter of play, but two quick scores from the Wildcats gave them a 19-16 lead while their defense kept the T-Birds off the board in the fourth.
La'akea Kaho'ohanohano-Davis had a monster game for the Thunderbirds on the defensive side of the ball with 11 tackles (seven solo), including an eight-yard sack. He also had a scoop and score on a blocked punt for the T-Birds' first touchdown of the day.
Quarterback Justin Miller threw for 172 yards and scored a one-yard rushing touchdown, the first of his career. Landen Measom caught four passes for 52 yards and Dayne Christiansen rushed six times for 33 yards.
Manny Berz kicked a 39-yard field goal to remain perfect on the season (5-for-5).
Talkin' Numbers
The Thunderbirds come into the week leading the Big Sky in sacks by a large margin. The defense currently averages 3.60 sacks per game, almost a full sack above the next team. They are also tied with Eastern Washington at the top of the league in sacks allowed, having given up just four on the season.
Southern Utah has the third-best passing offense in the conference, averaging 272.4 yards per game and the fourth-best passing defense, giving up 260.8 yards per game.
Quarterback Justin Miller is at the top of the Big Sky in pass efficiency (150.7) and third in total offense (268.6 yards/game) and passing yards per game (272.4 yards/game). Despite not scoring last weekend, Brandon Schenks continues to lead the conference in touchdowns with six.
La'akea Kaho'ohanohano-Davis leads the Big Sky in sacks (6.0), is second in tackles for loss (7.0), and fifth in total tackles (9.6/game). Francis Bemiy is right behind him in sacks with three.
Judd Cockett leads the Big Sky in kickoff return average, averaging 25.4 yards per game.
Big Sky At a Glance
With two weeks left in the Big Sky football spring season, the Thunderbirds sit at 1-4 and seventh place in the standings.
Undefeated (4-0) Weber State is at the top of the conference and will clinch the regular season championship with a win this weekend.
Eastern Washington has a 4-1 record in second place and UC Davis is in third with a 3-2 record.
Idaho (2-2), Idaho State (2-3), and Northern Arizona (1-2) make up the middle of the standings.
Scouting Report: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (1-2)
The Lumberjacks have played just two games since beating the Thunderbirds 34-33 on the last play of the game on February 27. They lost to both Eastern Washington and Weber State and have had games canceled/postponed against Cal Poly and Idaho.
The Lumberjacks lead the Big Sky in turnover margin with a +1.33, having gained seven turnovers and lost just three. They are third in the conference in punting, averaging 38.8 net yards per punt.
Quarterback Keondre Wudtee averages 180.3 passing yards per game, but has thrown just two touchdowns in three games. Terrell Hayward leads the Big Sky in all purpose yards, averaging 125.3 yards per game and 21.7 yards per kickoff return.
Head coach Chris Ball is in his second season at the helm of the program.
Game Day Information
Saturday's game is set to kick off at 6:00 p.m. inside Eccles Coliseum.
The game will be streamed live on PlutoTV channel 1055 and over the airwaves on 107.7 FM / 590 AM in Cedar City and KDXU News Radio 94.9 FM / 890 AM in St. George. Live stats for the game can be found at tbirdstats.com.
Fans can purchase tickets at tbirdtickets.com. Fans in attendance will be required to wear a mask, but there will not be a limit on stadium capacity for Saturday's game.
There will be a special senior day ceremony prior to kickoff honoring the seniors who will not be returning to the team in the fall.
Follow Us
Keep tabs on the Thunderbirds all year by following @SUUFB on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Football page on Facebook.
