CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah Football will host its annual Spring Game Saturday, April 15, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. in Eccles Coliseum. The Spring game is an opportunity for everyone from coaches and players to the fans to get excited about the upcoming season of Thunderbird Football.
SCOUT OUT YOUR SEATS
Season tickets will officially be on sale Saturday, April 15. Come out to the spring game and scout out your favorite seats, then scan the QR code located on signage inside the stadium to lock in those seats for the season.
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Miller is Back- Quarterback Justin Miller is entering his redshirt senior season and will return with the experience of playing in both the Western Athletic and Big Sky Conferences. Miller currently sits in the Southern Utah record books as third all-time in passing touchdowns (45), passing yards (7,007), and passing attempts (984). He is also second all-time in completions with 631.
Protecting the Pocket- The T-Bird offense will have four returning starters including Lyle Santos, Kyle Sfarcioc, Loimata Mauga, and Collin Gardner. Throughout the spring Connor Hickson, Steven Eakins, and Dakota Dixon have been battling it out for the right tackle position.
Aerial Attack- The Thunderbirds return three of the top receiving targets Timothy Patrick, Ethan Bolingbroke, and Isaiah Wooden. The trio combined for over 100 receptions and nearly 1,500 yards. Others who are pushing for a starting spot among the wide receiving core are Zack Mitchell, Jaden Ashby, Gabe Nunez, and Jack Fairchild. Coach DeLane Fitzgerald said of the group. "They have all come on this spring and are battling at the wide receiver position, we have got high expectations for them". At the Tight end position, Francisco Calderon has solidified himself as a starter but will continue to compete for playing time with Jacob Moffitt and Joshua Acord.
Ground Game- At the running back position Southern Utah returns a strong starter in Braedon Wissler. Wissler collected over 600 all-purpose yards last season. Also back on the field for the Thunderbirds are Tosh Wright and Jordan Jefferson. The depth in the backfield will create a tight battle for playing time.
Linebacking Legion- Southern Utah returns four of the top five tacklers from a year ago. Sophomore linebacker Kohner Cullimore who led the team with 76 total tackles last season is back alongside Aubrey Nellems, Trent Whalen, and Josh Dunn. Nellems led the team in forced fumbles with four last season. Cullimore was named a Hero Sports Freshman All-American among other accolades he received following a breakout freshman year. Transfer Conner Meyer has come in to give the T-Birds some depth at the linebacker position.
Dominating Defensive Line- Southern Utah returns two big men who started in the defensive tackle positions last season. Rylen Sua-Filo and Payton Payne each contributed to a hard-nosed defensive line crew in 2022. Julian Sanderlin is also back and competing for time at a defensive end position with Walker Harris. Junior Josh Lopez, sophomore Anisi Purcell, and junior transfer Samuelu Siaosi are battling it out for time as the other bookends to a stout defensive line.
Strength in the Secondary- "We are excited about the competition going on in the defensive backfield, there are a lot of guys working hard to earn playing time this spring" said Coach Fitzgerald. Junior George Ramirez has had a great spring so far and is showing that he can be a leader in the defensive backfield. Brendan Hale and Tre Gola-Callard are going toe to toe with Ramirez and Hanslee Peay to try and earn the starting safety spots. Keilen Washington and Grant Salter have proven to be the most consistent corners so far this spring. Washington and Salter will compete with Quadir Lockett-Smith, Cody Coleman, and Torion White who all saw field time last season.
Special Team Specialists- Special teams coordinator Shay McClure will have his job cut out for him replacing All-American Jake Gerardi. The kicking spots for the Thunderbirds are still very much up for grabs. As important as it is to find a kicker, the Thunderbirds have a great holder in Bolingbroke who returns some experience at the position. At long snapper, Gavin Lipkin has solidified a spot for himself with a strong spring.
New Coaches- The Thunderbirds have several new coaches on the staff including new Offensive Coordinator Tye Hiatt. Other additions to the staff include Chima Chindah (Cornerbacks), Matt White (Offensive Line), Garrett Casteel (Defensive Analyst), Nate Lealao (Defensive Analyst), and Tim Arnold (Offensive Assistant-Running Backs).
SCHEDULE
The on-field practice will begin at 1:00 p.m. with warmups and individual work to follow. Kickoff is scheduled to happen at 1:35 p.m. after which there will be four live scrimmage sets separated by different special teams work. The scrimmage should wrap up around 3:00 p.m.
SCORING THE SCRIMMAGE
To help you follow along with how the coaches are viewing the scrimmage here is a breakdown of the scoring:
Defensive Scoring- The defense will score six points and the extra point would also count toward the defensive total. A fumble recovery or interception by the defense results in three points for the defense. The defensive team will also earn three points for forcing the offense to go three and out. A sack will score the defensive team one point and finally, forcing the offense to punt the ball will result in one point for the defense.
Offensive Scoring- The offense can score in the normal ways including touchdowns and extra points which are worth six and one points respectively. As always a field goal is worth three points. The offensive team may also score a point by way of an explosive play. An explosive play includes a running play of 15 or more yards or a passing play of 25 or more yards.
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