2019 NCAA Division I College Football Team Previews: Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Location: Cedar City, Utah
Coach: Demario Warren (16-18, 4th Year)
Stadium: Eccles Stadium (Capacity: 8,500 )
CSJ Projections:
11th : Big Sky
5th: Utah
78th: FCS
208th: Division I
2018 In A Sentence: The word “disappointing” does not adequately cover how poorly 2018 went for the Thunderbirds. Southern Utah went 1-10 with that one win being over Sacramento State. Despite recruiting well, the Thunderbirds could not finish games when it counted.
Biggest Shoes to Fill: Taylor Nelson and Chinedu Ahanonu were a strong run stopping duo Southern Utah will need to replace. 175 tackles and 22.5 tackles for a loss between two players is a hefty workload to cover. With seven of the top eight tacklers graduated, it leaves a giant gap for the young linebackers.
Key Player: RB Jay Green will have to carry this lost team to success. There are few weapons on either side of the ball for Southern Utah, but Jay Green running and Landen Measom receiving will have to become leaders for the 2019 season.
Fearless Prediction: 2019 will not be easyfor Southern Utah. There will be only one “easy” opponent in Portland State. Southern Utah is another Big Sky team with five FCS playoff opponents and an FBS game scheduled. If the Thunderbirds break even it will be a miracle.
My name is Ben Schleiger and I’m your representative for the Big Sky Conference. I have done work for multiple newspapers and sports blogs including The Johnstown Breeze, The University of Northern Colorado Mirror, and Mile High Maniac. I am a proud alumnus of the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Political Science. In my free time, I like watching sports, playing video games, and trying new foods.
