CEDAR CITY, UT - It's Homecoming and the T-birds are excited to welcome our neighbors from the south, Utah Tech, to Eccles Coliseum. This will be just the third time in recent history that the two teams have met on the gridiron. Southern Utah holds a 2-0 edge in the series. The last time the two teams met in Cedar City the Thunderbirds won 52-0.

Game Information

Southern Utah vs. Utah Tech

Date: September 24th, 2022

Kickoff Time: 6:00 PM MT

Venue: Eccles Coliseum

Stream: ESPN +

Live Stats: https://bit.ly/3Bu51Zq 

Since that last matchup the Trailblazers have made the jump to Division I and joined the Western Athletic Conference. This fall the Thunderbirds moved from the Big Sky Conference to the WAC and gained a close regional matchup with Utah Tech. The team from just down the road comes into this weekend's game after a big loss to fellow in-state team Weber State(44-14). 

So far this season the Trailblazers have picked up their offensive production from a year ago but the defense has still struggled to stop Division I opponents from moving the ball. In their first game of the year Utah Tech traveled to Sacramento California to take on the Hornets of Sacramento State.The Hornets jumped out to an early twenty-one point lead but the Trailblazers would not go quietly battling to a 33-56 final score. 

Week two brought the Chadron State Eagles to St. George for the Trailblazers home opener. Halfway through the game the score was tied 7-7 but a pick-six early in the third quarter earned Utah Tech a lead it would not relinquish. They went on to score six more touchdowns finishing the game with a 56-10 blowout win.

Some of the key players for the Trailblazers on offense are running back Quali Conely, quarterback Kobe Tracy and receiver Joey Hobert. Conley leads the team in rushing with two-hundred and twenty yards and four touchdowns. Tracy has thrown seven touchdown passes this season and has almost a thousand yards passing through the first three games. Receiver Joey Hobart has accounted for four-hundred and yards through the air and has reached the end zone four times. On defense Utah Tech has been led by defensive back Tyrell Grayson (28 tackles) and linebacker Malaki Malaki. 

The Thunderbirds started the season with a home victory over St. Thomas (MN.) 44-13 in a game where Justin Miller and Isaiah Wooden put on a show. Southern Utah struggled however in week two on the road at Power Five Utah falling 73-7. The lone touchdown of the game was scored by backup quarterback Grady Robison who ran the ball in from twenty-eight yards out. 

Looking to put the week two game in the rear view mirror the Thunderbirds traveled to Macomb for a non-conference game with Western Illinois. Southern Utah scored an early field goal to take a lead. The T-Birds were also able to capitalize on a fumble deep in the Leatherneck territory when Elijah Burns ran in for a score in the first period. Western Illinois scored a field goal in the second quarter but were unable to tie the game until there was just over two minutes to the end of the game. When Justin Miller found Isaiah Wooden late in the game for the T-Birds it turned into the biggest play of the day as Southern Utah would hold on to win 17-10. 

On offense the Thunderbirds count on Justin Miller and Isaiah Wooden. Miller has just over six-hundred yards passing with four touchdowns. Wooden leads the team in receiving yards with two-hundred and seventy and touchdowns with three. The Thunderbird defense has been led by linebackers Josh Dunn and Kohner Cullimore with twenty-one and nineteen tackles respectively. Zach Strand and Payton Payne lead the lineman in sacks and tackles for loss. 

This Saturday's Homecoming game is sure to be an exciting matchup and will be the first WAC conference game for both teams. Seats are filling up fast so get your tickets now!

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