Game Notes: DIXIE STATE - PDF | SFA - PDF
Dixie State Football Media Central
Live TV: ESPN+
Live Streaming Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: ESPN RADIO 97.7 FM
Live Stats: vs. STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Twitter: @DixieAthletics | @DixieState_FB | #DixieBlazers | #WeAreONE | #TheRISE | #WACfb

OPENING KICK: Dixie State (0-6/0-1 WAC) wraps up its brief two-game homestand this Saturday night as the Trailblazers celebrate Homecoming by welcoming WAC newcomer Stephen F. Austin (3-3/1-1 WAC) to Greater Zion Stadium. Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m. (MT). =
 
DIXIE STATE ON THE AIR: All Dixie State home and away games this season are broadcast live on ESPN Radio 97.7 FM, with Devin Dixon calling the play-by-play action and Andy Thompson providing color commentary. A live stream of the radio broadcast will be available at sportsradio977.com.
    Along with the radio coverage, all Dixie State home games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
     In August, the Western Athletic Conference announced a new multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement with the "The Worldwide Leader" that will see over 500 annual events on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. This will include all Dixie State football, men's basketball, and women's basketball home games and WAC road games.

DIXIE STATE/SFA SERIES HISTORY: Saturday's game vs. SFA will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Lumberjacks on the football field.

LAST TIME OUT: Dixie State played its first WAC football game in program history last Saturday night, and despite taking its first lead of the season, the Trailblazers dropped a 41-20 home decision to Tarleton State.
    After a high-scoring first 15 minutes, the Blazers saw the Texans put up 17 second-quarter points as TSU turned a 14-10 first quarter lead into a 31-13 advantage at the intermission.
    After a scoreless third stanza, DSU made it a two-score game with a Drew Kannely-Robles TD midway through the fourth, but Tarleton turned a late turnover into a dagger touchdown in the final minutes to salt away the win.

NEW YEAR-NEW HOME: After making its D-I debut as one of three FCS independents last spring, Dixie State is in its first season as a football playing member of the WAC, joining the other 14 Trailblazer Athletic programs under the conference umbrella.
    Due to previous game contract agreements for 2021, the Trailblazers were not eligible to be listed in the preseason WAC Coaches' Poll, and will face only three of the five football playing conference members.
    Following Saturday's game vs. SFA, DSU will close out its 2021 road slate at WAC newcomer and current No. 1-ranked Sam Houston, which is the defending 2020-21 NCAA FCS champion, on Nov. 6.  
    Starting in 2022, Dixie State, Tarleton, SFA, Sam Houston, Lamar and Abilene Christian, and current Big Sky member and in-state foe Southern Utah, will make up the seven-team WAC FCS conference.

SO ABOUT THAT SCHEDULE: To paraphrase the legendary Ric Flair - "To be the best, you gotta beat the best!!!" And judging by who is on the Trailblazers' 2021 schedule, they will have plenty of opportunities to do just that.
    Dixie State's 2021 fall slate is arguably the toughest schedule in the country at the FCS subdivision, a schedule that features seven FCS Spring playoff teams, and an 11-team list that posted a combined .714 overall winning percentage (record based on last completed season).   
    To date, nine of the 11 teams on DSU's slate are listed in the current 2021 AFCA FCS Coaches' top-25 poll, including six ranked opponents.
    Defending NCAA FCS champion and WAC newcomer Sam Houston tops the poll and will host DSU on Nov. 6, while the Blazers have already faced current No. 7 South Dakota State (L, 7-55; 10/2), No. 10 UC Davis (L, 27-60; 9/18), and No. 12 Montana (L, 14-31; 10/9).
    In addition to playing at Sam Houston, DSU will travel to CAA power No. 25 Delaware next weekend (10/30), and will host No. 18 Missouri State in the season finale on Saturday, Nov. 20.
    Three other DSU opponents received votes in this week's poll, including SFA, along with Big Sky foes Sacramento State (L, 7-19; 9/4) and Weber State (L, 3-41; 9/11).

DIXIE STATE AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS: Dixie State's 2021 schedule has given the Blazers a chance to improve on their record against ranked opponents, which currently stands at 3-22 all-time, which includes an 0-4 mark so far this season.
    DSU did split a pair of games against ranked opponents last spring, highlighted by its third-ever triumph over a ranked foe in last spring's season opener at then No. 22 Tarleton (Stat Perform ranking, 26-14; 2/27/21). Dixie State also dropped a hard-fought 37-27 decision at then-No. 9 Kennesaw State (AFCA and Stat Perform; 3/20/21).
    Prior to the Tarleton road result, the last DSU win vs. a ranked opponent came on Nov. 3, 2018, in a 52-45 thriller at home against then-No. 6 Colorado School of Mines. DSU claimed its first win over a ranked opponent in a 38-31 victory at then-No. 23 Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction in 2016.

HITTING THE TRAIL: Last spring, Dixie State traveled over 7,500 miles for its three road games at Tarleton State (Stephenville, Texas - 2,220 miles), at New Mexico State (played in El Paso, Texas - 1,458 miles), and at Kennesaw State (Kennesaw, Ga.)
    In fact, the KSU jaunt was a near 3,844-mile round trip, which was the longest road trip in program history, and marked the first time that the Trailblazers played a game EAST of the Mississippi River.
    This season, the Blazers are scheduled to travel over 12,000 miles for their five road dates, including a new program record road trip to Newark, Delaware (4,664 miles) for their game at UD on Oct. 30. DSU will also travel nearly 2,700 to play at South Dakota State (10/2), and just over 2,000 miles to play at Sam Houston (11/6).

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS:
• Senior RB Drew Kannely-Robles enjoyed his finest outing in his two-plus seasons as a Trailblazer as he rushed for a career-high 81 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns vs. Tarleton on Saturday night.
• Kannely-Robles' two rushing touchdowns also tied a career-high ... the senior first achieved that feat nearly two years to the day in a road win at Western Colorado (28-20; 10/19/19).
• Kannely-Robles finished the night with a career-best 120 all-purpose yards after he hauled in a co-team high six passes for 39 yards ... the senior's previous career-high in total yards was 93 (58 rush/35 rec) vs. Adams State in the 2019 season finale (11/16/19).
• Kannely-Robles has racked up 326 all-purpose yards over his last four starts overall, including his previous season-high of 70 yards (22 rush/45 rec) at UC Davis (9/18).
• Freshman RB Quali Conley also got into the act as he rushed for a season-high 66 yards on seven carries vs. Tarleton, which included a 39-yard second quarter scamper that got the Blazers into the red zone.
• Conley first (and lone) touchdown of the year came at UC Davis (9/18) on a first quarter 8-yard screen pass that got the Blazers on the board.
• Conley has scored at least one touchdown in five of his first 11 collegiate games overall, including four of five starts last spring ... four of Conley's seven career TDs have come on the ground, while his catch at UCD was his third TD reception.
• Conley was DSU's leading rusher in all five spring games, highlighted by a 97-yard night vs. Tarleton (3/13), and a pair of 81-yard outings at both New Mexico State (3/7) and at Kennesaw State (3/20) ... the freshman also tallied a team-high 26 yards on eight carries in the Sacramento State (9/4) loss.
• Sophomore QB Kenyon Oblad threw for 108 yards on 15-30-1 passing vs. Tarleton on Saturday night ... Oblad has thrown for 878 yards and five touchdowns in five games this season.
• Oblad made his first Trailblazer start at UC Davis (9/18), against which he threw for 342 yards and a collegiate career-high four touchdowns in the loss.
• Oblad's four TD passes eclipsed his previous career-high total of three, which he recorded twice, also on the road, during his freshman year at UNLV in 2019 (at Fresno State 10/18/19; at Nevada 11/30/19).
• RS-Freshman QB Kobe Tracy came off the bench and went 11-15-1 for 111 in the fourth quarter vs. Tarleton, including a big 41-yard hookup with sophomore WR Keith Davis, which set up the second Kannely-Robles TD.
• Tracy threw for a season-high 121 yards on 14-23-2 passing off the bench at South Dakota State (10/2), which included his third career TD pass when he found fellow freshman Cade Veach from 16 yards out with six seconds left.
• Veach finished that night at SDSU with three catches for a career-high 55 yards to go with his first collegiate TD.
• Veach caught his second TD pass in as many games when he connected with Oblad for a 3-yard pitch and catch late in the fourth quarter at Montana (10/9).  
• Davis posted career-highs of five receptions and 77 yards in the Tarleton loss, while his 41-yard catch-and-run was the longest reception of his collegiate career.
• Sophomore WR Rickie Johnson led DSU's receiving corps with career highs of five catches and 92 yards at Montana (10/9), including a highlight reel 47-yard diving grab in the fourth quarter ... Johnson also caught six balls for 44 yards against Tarleton.
• Sophomores Taylor Alvarez and Malcolm Ross-Turner each collected their first collegiate TD receptions at UC Davis (9/18) ... Alvarez, who had played offensive line during his first two seasons as a Trailblazer before moving to tight end this year, found himself wide open for 4-yard TD toss in the first quarter.
• Ross-Turner found the end zone on DSU's second possession of the third quarter when he broke two tackles on his way to a 35-yard catch-and-run score.
• Freshman WR David Fisher posted a career-high 77 receiving yards and his fourth-career TD at UC Davis (9/18), which came on a 26-yard strike from Oblad as time expired in the third quarter.
• Freshman DB Tyrell Grayson earned WAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 11, after he racked up 14 total tackles (eight solo) and forced a fumble at Montana (10/9).
• Grayson's forced fumble came on his first collegiate sack inside the DSU red zone that thwarted a possible Grizzlies scoring drive ... the sack was one of two TFLs the freshman had on the day to go with a pair of PBUs.
• Grayson, who led DSU with eight tackles vs. Tarleton last Saturday, tied a DSU single-game record with 19 total tackles (15 solo) in the UC Davis loss (9/25) ... Grayson joined junior LB Malaki Malaki (at New Mexico State, 3/7/21) and former LB Robert Metz (at Central Washington, 11/14/15) atop the single-game list.
• Grayson had himself a night in the season-opener against Sacramento State (9/4) when he collected a then-career high 13 tackles, including 12 solo stops, and registered one TFL.
• Grayson's team-leading 67 total tackles would rank him t-9th nationally at the FCS level, while his team-high 54 solo stops would LEAD THE NATION, however Dixie State is not eligible to be ranked statistically during its NCAA D-I transition period.
• Junior corner Colby Williams registered career highs of seven tackles (all solo) and two TFLs vs. Tarleton ... junior LB Bradley Brown also recorded two TFLs, including DSU's lone sack on the night vs. the Texans.
• Junior DB/LB Kaejin Smith-Bejgrowicz registered his first career sack in the first quarter at SDSU (10/2) ... it was also the first sack the Jackrabbit o-line gave up this season (one of two on the night), and it came on a big 3rd-and-13 stop midway through the stanza.
• Malaki recorded his fourth-career double digit tackle outing with a game-high 17 tackles (eight solo) at Montana (10/9).
• Malaki opened the season 11 stops (1 TFL) in the opener vs. Sacramento State (9/4) ... the junior also led the DSU defense with nine total tackles (6 solo) and a sack at SDSU (10/2), this after he recorded nine tackles (3 TFLs) a week earlier at UC Davis (9/25).  
• Malaki reached double figures in tackles twice last spring, highlighted by his record day at NMSU (3/7), which came on the heels of a 10-tackle effort in DSU's D-I debut win at Tarleton (2/27).
• Freshman LB Will Leota posted his first collegiate double-digit tackle game with 11 stops at Montana (10/9) ... Leota also registered 1.0 TFL and picked off his first collegiate pass in the second quarter.
• Junior CB Devin Chandler scored DSU's first defensive touchdown of the season at Montana (10/9) when he returned a fumble 38 yards in the fourth quarter to get the Blazers on the scoreboard ... Chandler finished the day with six total tackles and a PBU to go with his TD.
• Chandler's fumble return was the DSU's first in nearly four years, with the last instance coming during the 2017 season when Remington Kelly (46 yards) took one back to the house at home against Adams State (10/28/17).
• Freshman DL Syrus Webster had himself a day at Montana (10/9) as well with a career-high nine tackles and 1.5 TFLs, including his first collegiate sack and forced fumble, which Chandler cashed in with his TD ... Webster also recovered the fumble on the Grayson strip-sack in the first quarter.
• Senior DL Livingston Paogofie enjoyed a solid Trailblazer debut in the Sacramento State (9/4) game ... the Colorado State transfer was credited with four solo tackles, including three TFLs and one of DSU's two sacks ... Paogofie added three more tackles to his season ledger in the Weber State loss (9/11), and registered his team-leading third sack of the year at Montana (10/9).
• In all, DSU's defense tallied a season-high 12.0 TFLs and four sacks at Montana (10/9), with 11 different Trailblazer defenders accounting for those 12 total stops.
• Freshman punter Andrew Day punted six times for 250 (41.7 ypp) vs. Tarleton, highlighted by a 52-yard boot in the first quarter ... Day also recorded five touch backs on all five of his kickoffs on the night.  
• Freshman PK Connor Brooksby connected on both of his FG attempts last Saturday vs. Tarleton, highlighted by a career-long 43-yarder in the first quarter, which is tied for the seventh-longest FG make in the program's NCAA era.

TEAM NOTES:
• Dixie State began the Tarleton game by doing something it had only done one other time this season - score points on its opening possession ... the Trailblazers took the opening kickoff and methodically marched down the field, covering 46 yards over their first six offensive plays, and cashed in the drive the first of Brooksby's two field goals.
• Bolstered by Kannely-Robles and Conley, Dixie State racked up a season-high 167 yards rushing in the Tarleton loss last Saturday.
• The 167 yards gained eclipsed the previous high of 92 yards set at home against Weber State (9/11).
• DSU wound up with 389 yards of total offense against Tarleton, which was season-high at home and the second-best total to this point of the season.
• Dixie State tallied a season-high 442 yards (90 plays) of total offense in the UC Davis loss on Sept. 18, including a season-best 389 yards passing.
• Dixie State racked up 400-plus yards of offense in two of five games this past spring, including a season-high 483 yards at New Mexico State (3/7).  
• DSU eclipsed the 400-yard plateau offensively nine times in Paul Peterson's first year at the helm in 2019, highlighted by a 677-yard day (#2 all-time at DSU) vs. Black Hills State (10/5/19).
• However, for the fifth time in the Peterson-era, and the fourth time this season, the Trailblazers were held under 300 yards of total offense in the Montana loss (261 yards in 66 plays), which included only 35 net rush yards (-37 lost yardage).  
• Dixie State was limited to a season-low six net rush yards at SDSU, thanks in large part to four QB sacks that erased 31 rushing yards.
• The six yards gained rushing (0.25 ypc - #4 all-time low) was fifth-lowest total in DSU's NCAA era, and were the fewest yards since DSU was held to minus-1 yard at home vs. Western Colorado (10/13/18) nearly three years to the day in a game that DSU actually won, 17-10 ... DSU QBs were sacked six times in that game, though the DSU defense racked up seven sacks of its own in the win.  
• DSU was also limited to 253 yards vs. Weber State (79 plays), and 209 yards (in 55 plays) in the season opener against Sacramento State, which broke a string of 15-straight games that the DSU offense had gained 300-plus yards.
• After scoring 10 total points over its first two games, Dixie State put 27 points on the board in the first three quarters at UC Davis (9/18), though the Blazers were held scoreless in that decisive fourth quarter.
• Dixie State (11.6 ppg in 2021) avoided being shutout for the first time in 73 games when the Blazers found the end zone in the waning moments of the SDSU loss (10/2) ... the last time DSU was held scoreless was in a 44-0 home loss to Central Washington (11/16/13) during the 2013 season.
• Last spring Dixie State averaged 31.4 ppg, and scored at a 34.4 ppg clip in Paul Peterson's first year as head coach in 2019.
• Dixie State won the turnover battle by a 4-2 count at Montana (10/9) ... this after a two-game stretch that saw DSU commit 10 of its 16 total turnovers on the year (5 TOs at UC Davis/5 TOs at South Dakota State).
• However the Tarleton game marked the third time this season, the Trailblazer defense failed to force a turnover.  
• Despite the loss at then-No. 3 South Dakota State (10/2), Dixie State's defense hung a pair of "firsts" on SDSU - including being the first team hold the Jackrabbits scoreless in the first quarter.
• DSU also became the first team to register a sack against the SDSU offensive line and finished with two sacks and five total TFLs on the night overall.
• Speaking of sacks, the DSU offensive line surrendered a season-low one sack last Saturday night vs. Tarleton ... DSU had allowed 21 total sacks over its first five games of the 2021 fall season, this after giving up only five total sacks in five 2021 spring games.

YOU'RE IN GOOD HANDS: Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) announced on Sept. 24, that Dixie State post-graduate student wide receiver Deven Osborne has been named to the 30th-Anniversary 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.
    Osborne is among 22 football student-athletes and one honorary coach selected to the 30th-Anniversary team. In all, 109 student-athletes from all divisions across the nation were with stories of exemplary community service, alongside academic dedication and impact on and off the field.
    The final 22-member team and honorary coach, were selected by a committee made up of former Allstate AFCA Good Works Team members and journalists.
    Osborne is the fifth college football student-athlete from the state of Utah to be selected to the Good Works Team, joining former Utah defensive backs Morgan Scalley (2004) and Eric Weddle (2006), former BYU quarterback Riley Nelson (2010) and former Utah State quarterback Chuckie Keaton (2014). In addition, Osborne is one of two Trailblazer football players to have earned the honor as former DSU transfer running back Jeffrey Coprich (2017) was named to the 2014 Good Works Team while at California.
    Fans will have the opportunity to help Osborne become the 2021 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain through online voting by visiting ESPN.com/Allstate. Voting is open now through Nov. 22, 2021.

#AB3FOREVER: Junior linebacker Malaki Malaki has been awarded the No. 3 jersey for the 2021 season. The awarding of the No. 3 jersey is the second instance in what has become an annual tradition honoring the memory of former Dixie State football player Abraham Reinhardt, who passed away unexpectedly on March 22, 2019. DSU Head Football Coach Paul Peterson noted that the No. 3 jersey would be awarded to a student-athlete who best exemplified Reinhardt's leadership, both on and off the field.
    "When we lost a great young man in Abraham [in 2019], we wanted to honor him and his legacy the best we possibly could," Coach Peterson said. "Abe was a perfect representative of our team culture which focuses on toughness, hard work, trust and accountability.
    "Malaki exemplifies everything that we are trying to build here at Dixie State. He is tough, works tremendously hard, is a great student and leader. Malaki will wear AB3's jersey this season in honor of his legacy."

ABOUT THE STEPHEN F. AUSTIN "LUMBERJACKS": Stephen F. Austin makes its first-ever trip to St. George following its bye week with a 3-3 overall record, which includes a 1-1 mark in WAC play.
    The Lumberjacks are coming a pair of heartbreaking losses against ranked opponents, highlighted by a 21-20 decision against current No. 1 Sam Houston back on Oct. 2, in a game that saw the defending FCS champs score two fourth-quarter touchdowns to spoil the SFA upset bid.
    Then in their last outing on Oct. 9, the 'Jacks also had a late lead disappear in a hard-fought 28-24 loss at current No. 21 Jacksonville State. SFA did open the year 3-1, including a 20-10 WAC debut win over Tarleton in the season opener (9/4).
    Junior QB Trae Self has thrown for 1,440 yards and nine touchdowns over his first six starts. In addition, the junior signal caller has rushed for 183 yards and is averaging just over 21 yards a game on the ground.
    Self's favorite target is sophomore receiver Xavier Gipson, who leads the 'Jacks with 36 catches for 521 yards and four touchdowns. In fact, 10 of SFA's 18 offensive TDs have come through the air overall.  
    On defense, SFA is tied for 12th-nationally in sacks (3.17 spg) and 14th at the FCS level in tackles-for-loss (7.5 tfl/g). Junior DE BJ Thompson leads the 'Jacks with 5.5 sacks and 8.0 TFLs through six games.
    SFA is averaging 34.2 ppg and 388.7 yards of total offense, while allowing 18.9 ppg and 280.0 yards in six games.  
    
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Dixie State begins its final road swing of the 2021 campaign next weekend with a date at No. 25 Delaware on Saturday, Oct. 30.