The Thunderbirds of Southern Utah University and the Utes of University of Utah both kickoff their season on Thursday, Aug. 29th at 7 p.m. at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. This matchup can be streamed on ESPN +.
University of Utah
The No. 12 Utes will be led by Kyle Whittingham, who is entering his 20th season as the team’s head coach. The Utes finished last season with a 8-5 record, finishing 5th in the Pac-12 Conference.
The Utes were rattled with the injuries of 12 starters this year, including the quarterback Cam Rising. Their offense struggled in most games, however, Utah’s elite defense helped them hold a winning record for the season and compete in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl.
Quarterback Cam Rising missed all last season due to a knee injury, but has high expectations for this upcoming season after winning back-to-back PAC-12 Championships. In the 2022 season, he threw for 3034 yards, 26 touchdowns, rushed for 409 yards and six touchdowns.
Other key offensive players for Utah are tight end Brant Kuithe and running back Micah Bernard, who missed all of last year. Dorian Singer, a transfer from USC, will also be an explosive wide receiver for the Utes offense.
With most of Utah’s key defensive players getting drafted to the NFL, their defense will look very different. However, some notable players are Logan Fano, Junior Tafuna and Lander Barton.
Southern Utah
The Thunderbirds are led by third-year head coach DeLane Fitzgerald. Last season Fitzgerald led the team to a 6-5 record, the first winning record for Southern Utah since 2017. This landed them tied for second in the United Athletic Conference with a 4-2 record.
Similar to the Utes, the Thunderbirds have had many roster changes during the off-season. The biggest storyline for the team through training camp has been figuring out who the new quarterback will be. While there has not been an official announcement, there is a trio of players to choose from..
First is Jackson Berry, a redshirt junior who proved his talent as a passing and rushing threat in high school, throwing 59 touchdowns and rushing for 22. Berry saw limited playing time in five games last year.
Second, is Bronson Barron, also a redshirt junior who led Weber State University to a 10-win season in 2022 throwing for 2,529 yards and 21 touchdowns. Barron was previously at Western Kentucky University where he appeared in two games.
Lastly, is Jordan Pachot, a junior who previously played at Missouri State. In the 2023 season, Pachot threw for 2,285 yards and 19 touchdowns, and threw over 200 yards in seven consecutive games.
Another key player for the offense is Braedon Wissler, who rushed for 686 yards and five touchdowns while also receiving for 126 yards and one touchdown. A rushing-receiving dual threat is something that the Thunderbirds could really utilize with the young receiving core.
The leader of the defense Kohner Cullimore will be returning this season after 73 tackles last season. He also tallied three sacks and ten tackles for losses. He is expected to perform this season, as he was listed as a potential All-UAC player during the preseason. Other notable players who received All-UAC Preseason first team is defensive lineman Rylen Sua-Filo and offensive linemen Lyle Santos.
Everyone will be watching tomorrow seeing who takes the field for the Thunderbirds.
Author: Jacob McQueary
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Jack Paul
