CEDAR CITY, Ut - Southern Utah football will host another conference foe this week as Tarleton State comes to town. The Texans will bring a 3-1 record into Saturday's contest and are fresh off a bye week. The Thunderbirds will enter the game with a 3-2 record on the season. Southern Utah battled hard last week on the road at Eastern Kentucky and despite tying the game on four different occasions eventually fell to the Colonels 35-28.

Game Information

Southern Utah vs Tarleton State

Date: October 8th, 2022

Kickoff Time: 6:00 PM MT

Venue: Eccles Coliseum 

Stream: ESPN+

Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3Cw1NpV 

Saturday's game will be the third home game for the T-Birds and second conference matchup on the season. Southern Utah won the home opener this season against St. Thomas University 44-13 and in their first ever WAC matchup handled Utah Tech 31-17.

The Thunderbirds enter this week with the nationwide leader in punting with Jake Gerardi's average of just over forty-eight yards per kick. Zach Strand is second in fumble recoveries in FCS with two and Rodrick Ward's two passes defended per game is the third best in the country. The Thunderbirds also lead the FCS in turnover margin with a +2.20  and fifteen turnovers gained this season. 

The Southern Utah ground game was the best it has been all season racking up one hundred and sixty-three yards spread between seven different rushers last week. The T-Bird air attack was also fairly effective going for two hundred and fifty-six yards between ten different receivers.

Quarterback Justin Miller has thrown for over twelve hundred yards on the season and continues to use a variety of receivers. Miller is only one touchdown shy of his total for last season. Ethan Bolingbroke has the most receptions in the receiving corps with nineteen but Isaiah Wooden has been the most productive with nearly four hundred yards receiving and four touchdowns. 

Kohner Cullimore leads the T-Bird defense with thirty-six tackles adding two sacks and a forced fumble. The defensive line has been anchored by Zach Strand who has thirteen tackles including two and a half sacks. Francis Bemiy has added ten tackles and four tackles for a loss from the opposite defensive end position. Hybrid linebacker and defensive back Josh Dunn has twenty-nine tackles on the season adding a pair of pass breakups and a forced fumble. Rodrick Ward leads the team in interceptions with three while adding twenty-three tackles from the defensive back position. 

Tarleton State has played two road games this season splitting them with a loss at Big XII powerhouse TCU 59-17 and a win at North Alabama 43-28. The Texans faced off with Southern Utah last season in a neutral site game that would prove to be the only Thunderbird victory of the season. 

Tarleton will come into the game having more time to prepare as they did not play last week. In their previous game the Texan offense had an impressive five hundred and eighty-six yards of total offense. It was a balanced attack as well with two hundred and seventy coming on the ground while three hundred and sixteen yards were through the air. 

The Texans rushing attack is led by a pair of running backs with Deangelo Rosemond having two hundred and twenty-five yards and three touchdowns while Derrel Kelley III has two hundred and twenty-six yards. Quarterback Beau Allen has thrown for over a thousand yards on the year with ten touchdowns to various receivers. Tarleton has three receivers with triple digit yards and leading the pack is Jaden Smith who has compiled four hundred and eighty-nine yards and six touchdowns. 

The Texan defense has been led so far by Linebacker D.J. Harris who has twenty-eight tackles this season. Patrick Jones who sits just behind him with twenty-five tackles has also added a team leading two sacks and one interception. Blaine Hoover leads the defensive line with thirteen tackles on the year. 

Tarleton State will come to Cedar City looking to avenge the 40-35 loss from a year ago. This game is just the second time the two teams have met but first time they will face each other in conference play. Saturday's game kicks off at 6:00 PM MT at Eccles Coliseum and will be televised on ESPN+.

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