SUU at Weber State Preview

SUU (1-1; 3-2) will look to get back into the Big Sky title race as they travel to Ogden to take on No. 16 Weber State (2-0; 4-1) at Stewart Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 14. Revenge is on the minds of the Thunderbirds after squandering a 22-point fourth quarter lead in last year’s heartbreaking 37-36 defeat in Cedar City. The series, coined as the Beehive Bowl, dates back to 1984 with Weber State holding a 17-6 all-time record.

Senior quarterback Patrick Tyler returned to action against Cal Poly, throwing for 223 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the Thunderbirds’ 20-14 homecoming victory. During halftime, Tyler was x-rayed and cleared to continue playing. He ended up missing one drive but finished the Cal Poly game seemingly without any issues.

Following the win against Cal Poly, SUU’s junior punter Rashaan Miller was named Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week. Miller booted seven punts for an average of 43.5 yards per attempt. Four of his punts landed inside the Cal Poly 20-yard line, helping SUU control the field position battle.

SUU is averaging 28.6 points per game, which ranks as the ninth best in the Big Sky. The team is also averaging 419.8 offensive yards per game this season. The Thunderbird defense has been inconsistent, having allowed more than 50 points on three occasions and 21 or fewer points in the other three games.

No. 16 Weber State boasts the second best offense in the conference, averaging 38.6 points per game this season. Senior quarterback Stefan Cantwell leads the Wildcats with 1,114 passing yards and seven TDs. Cantwell has limited mistakes this year with only one interception. In addition to being a threat in the pocket, Cantwell has run for 4 TDs this season.

The Wildcats have the best defense in the Big Sky, allowing only 15.4 points and 306.8 yards per game. Junior cornerback Keilan Benjamin leads the group with 19 tackles and two interceptions.

The game kicks off at 6 p.m. MST. If you can’t make the trip, watch the game on Eleven Sports (channel 623 for DirecTV or channel 9794 for Dish Network). The game will also be streamed on Pluto TV. Audio will be available on KSUB 590.

To stay up to date on all SUU Football news follow @SUUFB on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Football page on Facebook.

Story By
Aaron Peterson for SUU News
aapete3232@gmail.com

Featured Photo By
Easton Bowring for SUU News