CEDAR CITY, Utah - It's rivalry week, and the Thunderbirds are headed to St. George on Saturday to take on Utah Tech in the Battle for the Ax. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. MT at Greater Zion Stadium, with the game streaming on ESPN+ and live stats available on the schedule link at suutbirds.com.
The Game
Southern Utah leads the NCAA era series 6-1 and has won the last three meetings, including a 28-7 win in St. George last season that kept the Ax in Cedar City. The Thunderbirds enter the week at 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Big Sky play after taking No. 14 Idaho State down to the wire in a 28-24 Homecoming loss. Three of Southern Utah's four losses have come by one score, for a combined 13 points. The offense has moved the ball well all season, averaging 455.4 yards and 28.4 points per game. The ground game leads the way at 245 rushing yards per game and 5.7 yards per carry.
Utah Tech is 0-5 overall and 0-2 in its first season as a Big Sky member, coming off a 37-13 loss at Northern Colorado. The Trailblazers opened with a demanding stretch that included Montana State, BYU, and Montana. Utah Tech is averaging 11.4 points and 293.2 yards per game while allowing 44.8 points per contest, but the Trailblazers outgained Northern Colorado 384-355 last Saturday.
Check out this Week's Coaches Show
Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald is joined by defensive lineman Parker Andrus and host Jon Smith at Cafe Sabor to talk about the homecoming matchup with Idaho State and to preview this weekend's Battle for the Ax down in St. George.
Key T-Birds to Watch
Floyd Chalk has powered the Thunderbirds' offense, carrying 112 times for 708 yards and seven touchdowns at 6.3 yards per attempt, with a 100-yard game in every contest this season. His season high came against Weber State, when he ran for 183 yards and three scores. He has also caught nine passes for 93 yards. Quarterback Will Burns has been a dual threat, completing 86 of 135 passes (63.7 percent) for 1,049 yards and six touchdowns while adding 371 rushing yards and five scores on the ground, including a 75-yard run against Weber State. Mark Bails Jr. has been a big-play target, with 16 catches for 349 yards and an average of 21.8 yards per reception, highlighted by a 138-yard day at Colorado State that included a 75-yard grab. David Spjut leads the team with 19 receptions for 200 yards, and tight end Joshua Acord has a team-best three touchdown catches among his 14 receptions for 151 yards.
Defensively, safety Parker Vance leads the Thunderbirds with 36 tackles and four interceptions, picking off a pass in four of five games, while adding four pass breakups. Linebacker Mason Stromstad is second with 25 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss. Up front, Myles Amey leads the team with 3.0 sacks and 4.0 tackles for loss, and Aiden Hall has 1.5 sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and three quarterback hurries. Cornerback Christian Sampson has 17 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. In the secondary, Amarion York has 19 tackles and four pass breakups, and Sean Mays leads the team with six breakups.
On special teams, Jayden Rogers is 5-of-7 on field goals, including 2-of-3 from 50 yards and beyond. His career-long 54-yarder against Idaho State ranks second in program history. Punter Daniel Valencia is averaging 44.7 yards on 21 punts with seven downed inside the 20, and Spjut is averaging 15.0 yards per punt return.
Tracking the Trailblazers
Quarterback Bronson Barben leads the Utah Tech offense, completing 78 of 145 passes for 864 yards, two touchdowns, and five interceptions. His best outing came at Montana, where he threw for 301 yards. Running back Ace Chatman leads the ground game with 308 yards and three rushing touchdowns on 77 carries, plus a receiving score. Chapman ran for a season-high 110 yards in Utah Tech's last home game against Northern Arizona. Darnell O'Quinn leads the receivers with 15 catches for 204 yards, including a career-high 84 yards last week. Mike Williams has 10 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown, and Kona Crowell has 14 receptions out of the backfield. Punter Ryan Marks is a weapon in the field position battle, averaging 46.5 yards per punt with nine kicks of 50-plus yards and a long of 70.
Linebacker Brevin Czosnyka leads the Trailblazers' defense with 29 tackles, followed by Moe Passi with 26 and Ryan Tillman with 24. Jeremiah Jimoh has 22 tackles and a team-high five pass breakups, and Quincy Lejay has 22 stops in just three games, including 11 against Montana State. Will Alovao leads the front with 2.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss, and Brady Sorenson has the team's lone interception.
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