CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah will hit the road this weekend to take on its lone FBS opponent of the season at Colorado State. The game is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. MT at Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado. Fans can watch the game on CBS Sports Network, and live stats are available on the schedule page at suutbirds.com.

The Game

The Thunderbirds are off to a 1-1 start, having pushed No. 2 Montana to the wire in the opener before rallying past rival Weber State 47-42 in the Beehive Bowl. Coach DeLane Fitzgerald's group now hits the road for its only FBS matchup of the season, traveling to Fort Collins to take on Colorado State. Southern Utah won its last FBS matchup two years ago at UTEP in a 27-24 overtime triumph. 

Colorado State enters at 1-0 after a 35-13 win over Wyoming in its opener, behind a strong debut from quarterback Hauss Hejny, who threw for 214 yards and five touchdowns without an interception. The Rams' defense was equally sharp, forcing four turnovers and holding Wyoming under 300 total yards.

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Key T-Birds to Watch

Through two games this season, Will Burns has been the engine of the Thunderbirds' offense. The redshirt junior quarterback has accounted for 664 yards of total offense, completing 34 of 52 passes for 397 yards and four touchdowns while adding 267 yards and two scores on 28 carries, including a season-long 75-yard scamper in the win over Weber State. Burns has spread the ball around all season, with Joshua Acord emerging as his top target, the tight end has hauled in 11 passes for 128 yards and three touchdowns, including the 58-yard strike that tied Southern Utah with No. 2 Montana in the opener. Floyd Chalk has also been a weapon out of the backfield, rushing for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries in the Beehive Bowl alone, part of an SUU rushing attack that has found room to run behind a strong two-game start.

Defensively, Parker Vance has set the tone for the Thunderbirds, racking up 13 tackles, two interceptions, and three pass breakups through the first two weeks, including a game-sealing pick to close out the win over Weber State. Christian Sampson has been right there with him, totaling 11 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble that set up a Thunderbirds touchdown. Mason Stromstad and Myles Amey have each added pressure in the front seven, combining for 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and a sack between them, while the defense as a whole has limited both Montana and Weber State to manageable stretches of offense, helping the Thunderbirds head into their showdown at Colorado State sitting at 1-1 on the season.

Rating the Rams

Hauss Hejny led the Rams offensively in the season opener, putting together an impressive performance against Wyoming. The redshirt freshman quarterback accounted for 253 yards of total offense, completing 23 of 33 passes for 214 yards and five touchdowns without an interception while adding 39 yards on the ground on seven carries. Hejny spread the ball around all afternoon, connecting with Reginald Vick Jr. on three touchdown passes and finding nine different receivers as Colorado State piled up 396 yards of total offense in the win.

Defensively, Jaseim Mitchell and Oumar Diomande paced the Rams with 11 tackles apiece, with Diomande also hauling in an interception. TreShawn Moore added nine tackles, including 1.5 for loss and a sack, while CJ Blocker and Jaylen King each chipped in interceptions of their own as part of a three-pick day for the Colorado State secondary. As a unit, the Rams limited Wyoming to just 273 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers, setting up a lopsided edge in points off turnovers in the 35-13 victory.

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