MEDIA INFORMATION Date Thurs., Sept. 1 | 6 p.m. MT Location Legend Solar Stadium (5,500) | St. George, UT TV None Radio ESPN SportsRadio 97.7 FM Online Audio/Video Dixie State Athletics (Video) Southern Utah Live (Audio Only)   Live Stats Dixie State Live Stats Ticket Info Purchase Tickets Game Notes Dixie State Notes (PDF) Twitter @DixieAthletics #RMACFB #DixieBlazers DIXIE STATE - NMHU SERIES Series FIRST MEETING At DSU N/A At CWU N/A First Meeting N/A Last Meeting N/A DIXIE STATE TRAILBLAZERS Record 0-0, 0-0 RMAC Ranking NR Last Game Nov. 14, 2015 (lost at Central Wash., 28-34) Head Coach Shay McClure (Southern Oregon, 1995) Career: 0-0 (1st Season) DSU Record: Same NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS COWBOYS Record 0-0, 0-0 RMAC Ranking NR Last Game Nov. 14, 2015 (lost vs. CSU-Pueblo, 7-33) Head Coach Jeff Mills (Western Washington, 1988) Career: 2-9 (2nd Season) NMHU Record: Same

GAME NOTES (PDF)
2016 DSU FOOTBALL MEDIA GUIDE (PDF)

The Dixie State football team opens the 2016 season on Thursday with a 6 p.m. matchup with New Mexico Highlands at Legend Solar Stadium. The Trailblazers will also kick off a new era in DSU football, as they play their first game under head coach Shay McClure, play their first game as a football affiliate in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), and play their first football game under the new Trailblazers nickname.

Live coverage is scheduled on radio (ESPN Sports Radio 97.7) and internet at the new Dixie State Stretch Internet Portal (portal.stretchinternet.com/dixiestate ), with Keric Seegmiller providing play-by-play. Andy Thompson, ESPN Sports Radio 97.7 host/producer, joins the broadcast team for the 2016 season, and will provide analysis and color commentary.

NEW MASCOT: Brooks the Bison, Dixie State University's new mascot, is en route to St. George as he prepares to make his debut Thursday night at the game. After a year of developing the Trailblazer identity and coordinating a massive rebranding effort across the campus and entire community, Dixie State is eager to introduce Brooks the Bison to the community.

RED OUT T-SHIRTS: Thursday's season-opening game is a Red Out with free red t-shirts given to the first 2,000 fans courtesy of America First Credit Union. 

ALL-TIME IN SEASON OPENERS: Dixie State is 1-9 all-time in season openers. The Trailblazers claimed their lone season-opening victory in a 37-28 win over Adams State on Aug. 27, 2009. DSU has opened the season at home four times (2008, 2009, 2011, 2015), logging a 1-3 record in those games.

ALL-TIME VS. NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS: Thursday's game marks the first meeting on the gridiron between Dixie State and New Mexico Highlands.

ALL-TIME VS. THE RMAC: In its 10-year NCAA Division II history, Dixie State has matched up with just four current RMAC schools (Adams State, Colorado Mesa, Fort Lewis, and South Dakota Mines) for a total of 16 games against those opponents. The Trailblazers hold a 4-12 record in those games, recording victories over Adams State (2), Colorado Mesa, and South Dakota Mines.

KNOW YOUR FOE: New Mexico Highlands recorded a 2-9 record (2-7 RMAC) in 2015, with wins over Chadron State and Black Hills State. The Cowboys ran a balanced attack in 2015, averaging 176.6 yards passing (29 pass attempts per game) and 140 yards rushing per game (39 rush attempts per game). NHMU will replace its two starting quarterbacks from last season, as senior Cody Keith will take the reins of the offense. Senior running back Davonte Lynch returns after leading the team in rushing (777 yards, 3 TD) last season. Like Dixie State, NMHU will have a new offensive coordinator in 2016, as Derron Montgomery joins the staff after spending time at Michigan.

Defensively, the Cowboys allowed 203.6 yards passing and 181.5 yards rushing in 2015. Senior linebacker Erick Zarate represents the leading returner in tackles from last year's team, finishing the season with 54 tackles (4.5 TFL). Senior James Foster, who will play wide receiver this season, recorded 32 tackles for NMHU last season.

Junior kicker/punter Luke Jones returns as the leading specialist for the Cowboys. Jones made 6-of-12 field goals, with a long of 45 yards. Jones also averaged 37.8 yards per punt last year, landing 18 punts inside the 20-yard line.  

2015 RECAP AND SEASON OUTLOOK: After setting program records in single-game total offense (682 yards at SD Mines), single-game rushing yards (589 at SD Mines), and single-season rushing yards (2,383) last season, the Dixie State football team looks to build on their 3-7 finish (2-4 GNAC) in 2015 with it first season as a football affiliate of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

The Trailblazers opened the 2015 season with a 43-3 loss to Colorado Mesa, but bounced back less than a week later in a record-setting win over Central Washington. DSU ran for a school-record 404 yards and six touchdowns in the 49-20 win over the Wildcats.  

Dixie State dropped its next three games before snapping the three-game skid with 38-35 win over Simon Fraser in Burnaby, B.C., Canada. The Trailblazers then split their next two games with a loss at Azusa Pacific, followed by another record-setting performance, this time in Rapid City, South Dakota. Dixie State set or tied seven different school records and set a GNAC record with 589 yards rushing vs. South Dakota Mines, crushing the previous mark of 404 yards set just weeks earlier.

The Trailblazers would drop their final two games of the season, falling 34-28 in a heartbreaking loss at Central Washington to close the 2015 season with a 3-7 overall record and 2-4 mark in GNAC play.

Dixie State, picked to finish ninth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll, returns 19 starters from the 2015 squad, including eight on offense and 11 on defense. Four starters from the offensive line return in 2016, along with the 2015 statistical leaders in passing (sophomore quarterback Tyson Blackner (Draper, Utah/Alta HS)), rushing (senior running back DeJon Coleman (Los Angeles, Calif./Arleta HS)), and total offense (sophomore QB/WR/RB Blake Barney (St. George, Utah/Dixie HS)).

COACHING STAFF: Head coach Shay McClure begins his first season as DSU head coach after serving as Director of Defense last season. McClure is joined by offensive coordinator Reilly Murphy and defensive coordinator Shawn Howe on a staff that features four returning coaches from last season and eight newcomers to the staff for the 2016 season.

McClure, Howe, defensive line coach Dustin Sobieraj, and assistant defensive backs coach Marcus Graves represent the four returning coaches, while Murphy, offensive line coach Keola Loo, wide receivers coach Justin Mesa, offensive assistant Jose Flores, offensive assistant Mitch Glasmann, offensive assistant Jake Hardcastle (Midway, Utah/Wasatch HS), defensive backs coach Izaiah Williams, and defensive assistant Ryan Williams represent the eight newcomers to the staff. The coaching staff was finalized prior to spring practices, giving the current staff a full spring camp leading to into fall camp and the beginning of the season.

COACH MCCLURE ON THE UPCOMING SEASON: "It's going to be an exciting time here at Dixie State. We can't say we're going to go out and win every game. Nobody can say that. But, we're going to work hard, we're going to play hard, we're going to play fast, and we're going to do things the right way."