MEDIA INFORMATION Date Sat., Sept. 1 | 6 p.m. MT Location The Thunderbowl (6,500) | Pueblo, CO TV None Radio None Watch/Listen WATCH (CSU-Pueblo Live Video)   Live Stats CSU-Pueblo Live Stats Ticket Info Purchase Tickets Game Notes Dixie State (PDF) , CSU-Pueblo Twitter @DixieAthletics #RMACfb #DixieBlazers DIXIE STATE - CSU-PUEBLO SERIES Series CSU-Pueblo leads, 2-0 At DSU CSU-Pueblo leads, 1-0 At CSU-Pueblo CSU-Pueblo leads, 1-0 First Meeting 11/5/16; CSUP 24, DSU 13 (Pueblo, Colo.) Last Meeting 11/4/17; CSUP 31, DSU 10 (St. George, Utah) DIXIE STATE TRAILBLAZERS Record 0-0, 0-0 RMAC Ranking NR Last Game Nov. 11, 2017 (Won at Fort Lewis, 23-13) Head Coach Shay McClure (Southern Oregon, 1995) Career: 11-11 (3rd Season) DSU Record: Same COLORADO STATE-PUEBLO THUNDERWOLVES Record 0-0, 0-0 RMAC Ranking AFCA No. 14 Last Game Nov. 18, 2017 (Lost at Minn. St-Mankato, 13-16) Head Coach John Wristen (CSU-Pueblo, 1984) Career: 95-23 (11th Season) CSU-Pueblo Record: Same

Dixie State football opens the 2018 season on Saturday with a 6 p.m. matchup at No. 14 Colorado State-Pueblo inside the Neta and Eddie DeRose Thunderbowl in Pueblo, Colorado.

Live video coverage is scheduled on the RMAC Network with the CSU-Pueblo athletics staff providing a live feed at www.portal.stretchinternet.com/csu-pueblo. Live stats will be provided by the CSU-Pueblo sports information staff at www.gothunderwolves.com.

ALL-TIME IN SEASON OPENERS: Dixie State is 2-10 all-time in season openers. The Trailblazers snapped a six-game season-opening losing streak in 2016 with a 21-14 win over New Mexico Highlands on Sept. 1, 2016. DSU's last season-opening win before then was a 37-28 win over Adams State on Aug. 27, 2009. Dixie State has opened the season seven times on the road (2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017), dropping each of its seven road season-openers.

ALL-TIME VS. CSU-PUEBLO: Saturday's game marks the third meeting between Dixie State and CSU-Pueblo. The Thunderwolves held on for a 24-13 victory on Nov. 5, 2016 in the inaugural matchup between the teams in Pueblo. DSU outgained CSUP 313-268, and held the Thunderwolves to a season-low mark in total offense. However, the Trailblazers settled for a field goal twice in CSUP territory and conceded a fumble recovery touchdown just before halftime. The Thunderwolves stymied the Trailblazers in a 31-10 victory last season inside Trailblazer Stadium to take a 2-0 series lead.

KNOW YOUR FOE: CSU-Pueblo finished the 2017 season with a 9-3 overall record and a 9-1 mark in RMAC play. The Thunderwolves dropped a 16-13 decision to then No.1-ranked Minnesota State-Mankato in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs. CSU-Pueblo ran a balanced attack of run and pass in 2017, rushing for 2,171 yards and 29 touchdowns on 429 attempts, while completing 209 passes for 2,454 yards and 20 touchdowns.  The Thunderwolves led the RMAC in total defense, allowing just 14.4 points and 270.3 yards per game.

CSU-Pueblo was picked to finish first in the 2018 RMAC Coaches Preseason poll and received eight of 11 first-place votes. The Thunderwolves received 10 preseason All-RMAC selections with seven of the 10 on defense.

The Thunderwolves will look to senior Brandon Edwards (73-109-3/732 yards/4 TD) at quarterback with the departure of Rex Dausin. CSU-Pueblo returns its top two rushers from the 2017 squad in senior Marche Dennard (164 carries/1,083 yards/17 TD) and junior Austin Micci (142 carries/694 yards/8 TD). CSUP also returns junior Ammon Johnson (41 rec/547 yards/3 TD) as its leading receiver from last season.

Senior linebacker Brandon Payer (110 tackles/4.5 sacks/3 forces fumbles), who was named RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, returns as the leader of the CSUP defense. The Thunderwolves also return preseason All-RMAC selections on the defensive line (Deyon Sizer) and in the secondary (Darius Williams, Tanner Draper, Emery Taylor).

Sophomore kicker Mitchell Carter (12-15 FG/55-56 PAT) returns as the CSUP special teams leader.

ALL-TIME VS. AFCA RANKED OPPONENTS: Saturday's game marks the 15th meeting between Dixie State and an opponent ranked in the AFCA Top-25.  The Trailblazers are 1-13 all-time in matchups against ranked opponents, securing its first win over a ranked opponent in a 38-31 victory over No. 23 Colorado Mesa in 2016. DSU dropped a 31-10 decision to then No. 24-ranked CSU-Pueblo on Nov. 4, 2017, in its most recent matchup against a ranked opponent.

2018 SEASON OUTLOOK: Dixie State looks to bounce back to its winning ways in 2018. The Trailblazers finished the 2017 season with a 5-6 overall record and a 5-5 mark in RMAC play, falling just short of its second consecutive winning season. However, the five wins in 2017 did mark the second consecutive season of five wins or more and the second-most wins in a single season in the program's NCAA Division II era.

For the second consecutive season, Dixie State was selected to finish fourth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches poll, while two players (Tevia Tolutau (Provo, Utah/Timpview HS)/Remington Kelly (Bountiful, Utah/Bountiful HS)) received preseason All-RMAC honors.

THE OFFENSE

Dixie State returns 12 starters from the 2017 squad, including four on offense and eight on defense. Two starters return on the offensive line, led by preseason All-RMAC honoree Tevia Tolutau (Provo, Utah/Timpview HS), who started all 11 games in 2017. The Trailblazers also return the 2017 statistical leaders in rushing, junior running back Sei-J Lauago (Paramount, Calif./La Mirada HS), and receiving, redshirt junior receiver Kasey Allison (Las Vegas, Nev./Canyon Springs HS).

Lauago rushed for 803 yards and five touchdowns in just eight games in 2017, setting a new DSU record with 100.4 rushing yards per game. Lauago also caught 14 passes for 110 yards and another touchdown to lead DSU with 971 all-purpose yards.

Allison started all 11 games at receiver in 2017, making 39 receptions for a team-high 580 yards and four touchdowns, including a highlight-reel grab over a defender in the end zone against Adams State on October 28.

THE DEFENSE

Defensively, the Trailblazers bring back a host of talent, including last year's statistical leaders in tackles, junior safety Mike Jones (San Diego, Calif./Mount Miguel HS), interceptions, senior safety Trayvon Watson (Los Angeles, Calif./West Adams Prep HS), and sacks, senior defensive lineman Remington Kelly (Bountiful, Utah/Bountiful HS).

Jones earned RMAC honorable mention honors in 2017, finishing the year with 84 tackles to go with five pass breakups, four forced fumbles, 2.0 tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.

Watson also garnered RMAC honorable mention honors last season, ending the year with 69 tackles, six pass breakups, four interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.

A 2018 preseason All-RMAC honoree, Kelly earned All-RMAC honorable mention honors in 2017, finishing the year with 58 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, nine quarterback hurries, 3.5 sacks, and a 46-yard fumble recovery touchdown against Adams State on October 28. Kelly was also named to the RMAC All-Academic team in 2017 with a 3.53 GPA in business administration.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Junior kicker A.J. Yergensen (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) (7-8 FG/ 12-14 PAT) and senior kicker Anthony Reyes (Queen Creek, Ariz./Dobson HS) (53 kickoffs, 27 touchbacks) lead the special teams returners.

COACHING STAFF

Head coach Shay McClure is back for his third season on the Trailblazer sideline. McClure is joined by new coordinators on both sides of the ball in 2018, as Blake Rolan takes over as offensive coordinator and Willie Mack Garza will serve as defensive coordinator.

Rolan comes to Dixie State after spending the 2017 season as an offensive analyst at Kentucky, where he helped lead the Wildcats to a 7-6 record and a bid to the Franklin America Mortgage Music City Bowl. Prior to his stint at UK, Nolan served as wide receivers coach at the University of Cincinnati from 2013-16, and helped guide the Bearcats to three bowl appearances in four seasons.

Garza was promoted to defensive coordinator in March after serving as the Trailblazers' defensive backs coach in 2017. Garza's secondary set a new DSU record in 2017, allowing just 168.2 passing yards per game.

Five assistant coaches also return to the staff in 2018, including Keola Loo (Offensive Line), Anthony Weeden (Wide Receivers), Dustin Sobieraj (Defensive Line), Marcus Graves (Defensive Backs), and Benson Laumatia. Three new coaches join the staff for the 2018 campaign, including Famika Anae (Tight Ends), Carl Franke (Running Backs), and Junior Tanuvasa (Linebackers).

UP NEXT: Dixie State will host Fort Lewis on Saturday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. in the 2018 home opener at Trailblazer Stadium.