Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | SUU - PDF
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FOR STARTERS: • Utah Tech will close out its 2022 home slate with a two-game homestand, beginning with a Homecoming non-conference showdown vs. Southern Utah this Saturday night, Nov. 5. Kick off inside Greater Zion Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
• Saturday's game vs. Southern Utah will be the fourth NCAA meeting on the gridiron between these two long time JUCO rivals.
• Saturday's game will also mark the first time SUU has played a football game in St. George in exactly 60 years, when coincidentally, both teams played a home-and-home set in 1962 (SUU's last JUCO season), and both teams came away with a season split. 
• Utah Tech is 0-3 all-time vs. the T-Birds in its NCAA era, with all three previous meetings having taken place in Cedar City. The first two games came when the Trailblazers' were a Division II program.        
• The two sides also met as WAC conference foes for the first time this past September 24, with SUU coming out on top with a 31-17 Homecoming victory in the renewal of the "Battle For the Ax" rivalry.
• Utah Tech will look to avenge that loss as Saturday's game will also serve as the Trailblazers' Homecoming game. 
• Saturday's game will be a non-conference contest as both teams agreed to the home-and-home series earlier this past summer after the sudden departure of Lamar from the WAC, which came following Incarnate Word backing out of joining the conference just before it was slated to join the league on July 1, 2022

QUICK HITS: • After not scoring more than 17 points over its last five games, and being held under 300 total yards in three-straight outings, Utah Tech's "Spread-N-Shred" offense racked up 47 points and 517 total yards in the Blazers' upset win at WAC favorite and then-No. 19 Stephen F. Austin last Saturday.
• RS-Freshman quarterback Victor Gabalis put on a breakout performance, throwing for a career-high 377 on 23-of-35 passing and tying a UT single-game record with five touchdown passes en route to WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. 
• Sophomore WR Joey Hobert also enjoyed a record day as he hauled in nine catches for 109 yards and a school record-tying three TDs. Gabalis and Hobert hooked up for a pair of first quarter scores, then connected on the eventual game-winning TD with 47 seconds left. 
• Not to be outdone, sophomore RB Quali Conley rushed for a game-high 131 yards and a score on Saturday at SFA. Conley gained 61 of his 131 yards in the second half, highlighted by a 20-yard scamper to kick-start a third quarter touchdown drive.
• Senior LB Malaki Malaki helped UT pull off the rare "Daily Double" as he was named WAC Defensive Player of the Week after he racked up 10 tackles and forced a first quarter fumble to set up the Blazers' first score.
 
HI MY NAME IS...: The Trailblazers began the 2022 season with a new institutional name - Utah Tech University. This past July 1, the university re-branded to the new moniker, replacing "Dixie State University," while the "Trailblazers" nickname remained in place. 
 
NEW RADIO HOME OF UT ATHLETICS: Along with the new name, Utah Tech University Athletics announced in July a new five-year multimedia agreement with Canyon Media Corporation. 
            Beginning this fall through the 2026-27 season, all Trailblazer football and men's basketball games, including comprehensive pregame and post game coverage, will be broadcast live on The Fan Sports Network (99.5/95.3 FM in St. George; 93.1 FM/1400 AM in Cedar City).
            The agreement will also feature select coverage of several other Trailblazer Athletic events throughout the year.
 
AND A NEW VOICE: In conjunction of the new radio home announcement, longtime Utah sportscaster Rod Zundel was introduced as director of broadcasting and multimedia content for Trailblazer Athletics, and will serve as the new radio voice for football and men's basketball.
            Along with complete radio coverage, Zundel will host "The Paul Peterson Coaches Show" every Tuesday night on The Fan Sports Network at 6 p.m. He will also oversee the production of several weekly Trailblazer student-athlete, coach and team online video feature stories, along with other digital content throughout the year. 
            Joining Zundel in the broadcast booth this season is former NFL and Super Bowl winning quarterback Jay Schroeder, who will provide color analysis for eight of UT's 11 2022 games, while former then-Dixie (Junior) College assistant coach Kelly Smith will serve as sideline reporter for Saturday's game. 
 
WELCOME TO THE WAC: Utah Tech kicked off the 2022 season as a full football member of the Western Athletic Conference.
            Utah Tech will play all five other members of the WAC, though it last home game vs. Sam Houston (10/22) did not officially count as a conference game due to SHSU's impending transition to the D-I FBS level next season.
            Due to previous game contract agreements last season, the Blazers were only able to play a limited three-game WAC schedule. 
 
HITTING THE TRAIL: After logging more than 6,100 round-trip air miles and just over 6,900 total miles during its first five road trips this season, Utah Tech will play its final three games inside the 'Beehive State." Including this Saturday's Homecoming Game vs. SUU, and next Saturday's home finale against Tarleton State, the Blazers will close the campaign up the road in Provo (516 total miles) at D-I FBS member BYU on Nov. 19.
            In fact, three of UT's six road games have been played in the State of Utah, including road dates at Weber State in Ogden (676 total miles), and the WAC opener at SUU in Cedar City (102 total miles). 
            The Blazers traveled 912 miles round trip to Sacramento (9/3) to open the season, and flew 2,544 miles to and from Cedar Falls for their road date at Northern Iowa (10/15). UT also racked up 2,674 miles on its longest road trip of the year last weekend to SFA in Nacogdoches, Texas.
            Last season, Utah Tech traveled 13,300 miles for its five road dates, including a 4,697 round trip to play at Delaware (10/30/21), which was the longest trip to play a football game in the program's NCAA era.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech snapped a five-game losing streak and collected the first WAC victory in program history with a thrilling 47-44 triumph at preseason WAC favorite and then-No. 19 Stephen F. Austin last Saturday in Nacogdoches. 
            UT led 23-20 at the half and enjoyed a 33-23 advantage after three quarters. However SFA rallied with three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including a 47-yard Miles Reed run with 2:19 to play to take a 44-40 lead.
            However the Blazers marched 75 yards in 1:32 to jump back on top, then denied the Lumberjacks at the UT 1-yard line with :01 left when freshman DL Justin Kirkland batted down a pass in the end zone as the Blazers escaped with the big road win.
 
GABALIS AND MALAKI EARN WAC WEEKLY HONORS: Redshirt freshman quarterback Victor Gabalis and senior linebacker Malaki Malaki both earned WAC football weekly honors on Monday for their collective performances in the Trailblazers' road win at SFA last Saturday. 
            Gabalis was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week after he tied a UT single game record with five touchdown passes and threw for a career-high 377 yards. Gabalis completed 23-of-35 passes and had TD tosses of 4, 24, 30, 72 and a 14-yarder with 47 seconds to play for the eventual game-winning score.
            Malaki garnered WAC Defensive Player of the Week honors after racked up 10 total tackles (8 solo) and forced one fumble on Saturday afternoon. Malaki set the tone for the UT defense on the Lumberjacks' first offensive play as he forced a fumble at the SFA 16 yard line, which set up the Blazers' first touchdown. 
 
UTAH TECH VS. RANKED OPPONENTS: Utah Tech picked up its fourth victory against a ranked team in the program's four-year era, and second as a D-I FCS member, when the Trailblazers knocked off then-No. 19 SFA last Saturday.
            With the win, the Blazers improved to 4-26 all-time (3-26 AFCA) against ranked opponents in its NCAA era, which includes 14 years as a Division-II program, and two-plus years at the D-I FCS subdivision. 
            The win also snapped UT's nine-game skid against ranked opponents, which included road losses at current No. 2/3 Sacramento State (L, 33-56; 9/3) and at current No. 5/6 Weber State (L, 14-41; 9/17) earlier this season. Utah Tech also went 0-6 last season against six top-25 teams in the 2021 Fall campaign that featured a schedule rated as the second-toughest at the FCS level (.640) behind only Northern Iowa (.651) by the folks at WarrenNolan.com. 
            Utah Tech did split a pair of games against ranked opponents during the Spring 2021 season, highlighted by its third-ever triumph over a ranked foe in the opener at then-No. 22 Tarleton State (Stat Perform ranking, 26-14; 2/27/21). UT 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 UT 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 (D-II/RMAC). The Trailblazers claimed their first win over a ranked opponent in a 38-31 victory at then-No. 23 Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction (D-II) in 2016.
 
O CAPTAINS! MY CAPTAINS!: Utah Tech will take the field in 2022 with five team captains leading the charge. As selected by their teammates, senior offensive lineman Nathen Aceves, redshirt freshman quarterback Victor Gabalis, senior linebacker Malaki Malaki, and senior safety Darrius Nash were all announced before the season opener. In addition, sophomore WR Joey Hobert was named a captain prior to the SUU game. 

YO JOE: Speaking of Hobert, the sophomore wideout caught his WAC-leading eighth, ninth, and TENTH touchdown passes in last Saturday's win at SFA. Hobert finished with nine receptions for 109 yards, which was his fifth 100-yard receiving game this season. 
            Hobert became the seventh different Trailblazer receiver to record three TD receptions in one game in the program's NCAA era, and is the first one to do it during UT's D-I FCS transition. The last Trailblazer to achieve that feat was former tight end Chase Hess against Adams State (11/16/19) during the 2019 campaign.
            Additionally, the sophomore became the 16th different player in UT's NCAA era to score at least three touchdowns in one game
            Hobert also moved into a tie for second place on UT's single-season TD receptions list with former WR Mitch Frei, who caught 10 touchdown passes in 2013. Frei teammate that season, former UT All-American tight end Joe Don Duncan, set the program's season record with 13 TD catches.
            In addition, Hobert became the fourth player in the program's NCAA era to score at least 10 touchdowns in one season, joining Duncan, Frei, and former RB DeJon Coleman, who rushed for 10 TDs in 2015. 
            Meanwhile Hobert recorded his fifth 100-yard receiving game of the season (t-3rd on UT's career list) as he caught nine passes for 109 yards and those three touchdowns. 
            Earlier this season, Hobert became the first Trailblazer in the program's NCAA era to record four-straight 100-yard receiving games in his first four career games.
            The sophomore also became just the second player in the program's four-year era to record four-straight, 100-yard receiving games overall. The last to do it was Duncan, who achieved the feat twice in 2011 (five-straight) and 2013 (four-straight) during his All-American career.
            Hobert announced his presence with authority in his Blazer debut at Sacramento State (9/3), against which he caught 11 balls for 183 yards and a touchdown. His 183 yards were the eighth-most in a single game in the program's NCAA era, while his 11 catches were tied for sixth-most. 
            He followed that up with six receptions for 161 yards (#10 on UT's single game list) and two TDs in the Chadron State home win (9/10), both of which came in the second half on receptions of 38 and 50 yards. He then went for 10 receptions for 123 yards and a score at Weber State (9/17), and caught six passes for 105 yards and a TD at SUU (9/24). 
            Hobert heads into Saturday's game vs. SUU as the WAC leader and third-overall in the FCS in both receiving yards per game (109.2) and TDs (10), and is fourth-nationally in receiving yards (874 - #2 in the WAC).
            Meanwhile he is fifth nationally in receptions/game (7.6 rpg) and in receptions (61), and 23rd in all-purpose yards/game (125.00 ypg), all of which (except all-purpose yards/game - 2nd in the WAC) are good for the WAC lead in each stat category.
 
BLAZERS TURN THE HAT TRICK - AGAIN: For the second time this season, and just the fifth time in the program's NCAA era (176 games), Utah Tech turned the offensive "Hat Trick" in Saturday's win at SFA by having a 300-yard passer (Gabalis 377), 100-yard rusher (Quali Conley 131) and 100-yard receiver (Hobert 109). 
            The Trailblazers turned the first trick in the Chadron State win (9/10), when Kobe Tracy threw for 388 yards, while Conley rushed for 139 yards and Hobert racked up 161 receiving yards.
            UT also turned the trick three times during the Division II era, the last coming all the way back in 2013 in a road loss at Central Washington (10/12/13). In that game, QB Griff Robles threw for 362 yards, while RB Myles Burton rushed for 106 yards, and both Frei (159 yards) and Duncan (150 yards) had more than 100 yards receiving. 
 
BLAZING TRAILS
• Gabalis' career day eclipsed his previous career-high of 193 yards and a TD a week later at home vs. Sam Houston (10/22) ... his effort vs. SHSU surpassed his previous career-high total of 180 yards (with two TDs), which he racked up in a reserve role after he started the second half of the 2021 Sun Bowl vs. Central Michigan last season while at Washington State.
• Gabalis also became the fifth different quarterback in UT's NCAA era to throw five touchdown passes in one game and is the second quarterback to achieve the feat during the program's Division I FCS transition. 
• Former UT QB Kody Wilstead was the last signal caller to record five TDs in a game, doing so in the Blazers' 2021 spring season finale home victory vs. Fort Lewis (3/27/21).
• Tracy became the third signal caller in the program's NCAA era to surpass 3,000 passing yards after he threw for 277 yards on 19-of-36 passing at SUU (9/24) ... Tracy, who has not played since being injured at Northern Iowa (10/15), has thrown for 3,063 career yards in the air, and also stands third in career total offense (3,065). 
• Tracy's 388-yard night vs. Chadron State (9/10) was his fourth-career 300-plus passing game, which moved him into a tie for second place (Griff Robles 2012-13) on UT's career list. 
• Utah Tech's 506 yards passing at Sacramento State (9/3) was the highest total since the program began its NCAA FCS transition in 2020-21, and is the third-highest single-game total in the program's four-year era.
• Meanwhile, the 579 total yards gained at Sac State were the program's most during its FCS transition.
• Meanwhile, UT's 579 total yards at Sac State were the most yards gained in a season opener since the Blazers went for 640 yards on the road at Colorado Mesa (9/6/14). 
• In addition, the 579 yards gained at Sac State are the third most in Paul Peterson's tenure as head coach (677 vs. Black Hills State - 10/5/19; 591 vs. Colorado Mesa - 11/2/19).
• UT also tallied 561 yards vs. Chadron (9/10), while the 517 yards gained last Saturday at SFA marked the third 500-plus yard game this season. 
• The two 500-plus yard games at both Sac State and vs. Chadron marked the first time in the program's NCAA era that the Trailblazers gained more than 500 yards in back-to-back games to start a season.
• In all, it was the sixth time overall that UT/DSU posted consecutive 500-plus yard games, and the second instance in the Paul Peterson era (2019) ... Utah Tech also did it twice in both 2013 and 2018.
• Sophomore RB Quali Conley carried the ball 23 times for 131 yards and a TD in last Saturday's win at SFA, which was his fourth 100-yard game of the season.
• Conley's second quarter TD at SFA marked his eighth career game with at least one TD run.
• In the process, Conley became the fifth running back in the program's NCAA era to surpass 1,300 career rushing yards (1,327 – #5 all-time), while his rushing touchdown was the 11th of his career (#6 all-time at UT) and his 12th-career TD overall, which moved him into a tie for 10th-place on UT's career TD list.
• Conley rushed for a career-high 151 yards and a touchdown in UT's loss to ACU (10/1), and in the process, became just the seventh different running back in the program's NCAA era to post back-to-back 100-yard games (112 at SUU; 9/24).
• Conley earned WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors this past Sept. 12, after he rushed for a career high three touchdowns and a then-career high 139 yards in the win over Chadron State (9/10). 
•  The sophomore carried the ball 21 times en route to his first collegiate 100-yard rushing game.
• Conley rebounded from a then-season low 10 yards rushing at Weber State (9/17) with a game-high 112 yards on 14 carries at SUU (9/24).
• Conley's back-to-back 100-yard rushing games came just over four years since the last Blazer RB achieved the feat, that being former back Sei-J Lauago, who went for 168 yards (9/15) and 144 yards (9/22) in consecutive home wins over NM Highlands and South Dakota Mines, respectively, during the 2018 season. 
• Conley, who is averaging 6.1 ypc over his last four games, enters the weekend second in the WAC in rushing (76.1 ypg), while he is second in the conference in total rushing yards (422) and rushing TDs (5).
• Conley enters Saturday's game vs. SUU needing 59 more yards to move into third place on UT's career rushing list, and is 73 yards shy of becoming the third RB to surpass 1,400 career rushing yards. 
• Conley became the eighth different running back, and the 15th different player, in UT's NCAA era to score at least three touchdowns in one game in the Chadron win ... former Trailblazer RB Drew Kannely-Robles broke both single game TD records with four rushing touchdowns in last year's home win vs. Fort Lewis (11/13/21).
• Conley also has three career TD receptions to go with his 11 scoring runs, and his 14 combined TDs moved him into solo 10th place on that career list. 
• Saturday's win at SFA also marked the third time this season that UT had a 100-yard rusher (Conley - 131) and a 100-yard receiver (Hobert - 109) in the same game ... the duo also did it earlier this season in the win vs. Chadron State (9/10; Conley - 139/Hobert - 161) and at SUU (9/24; Conley - 112/Hobert - 105).
• Prior to this season, the last occurrence came in the 2019 campaign, when RB Sei-J Lauago (185 yd) and WR Jalen Powell (127) did it vs. Colorado Mesa (11/2/19).
• Also for the second time this season, Utah Tech had a 300-yard passer (Gabalis) and a 100-yard rusher (Conley) in the same game. 
• UT first did it in the Chadron win (9/10), which snapped a 28-game stretch between having a 300-yard passer (Tracy) and a 100-yard rusher (Conley) ... prior to that game, the last time that happened came all the way back to the 2018 season when Michael Sanders also threw for 388 yards, and Lauago rushed for 103 yards at Adams State (11/10/18). 
• While Hobert was doing his thing at Sac State (9/3), fifth-year WR Deven Osborne caught six balls for 113 yards and a TD, which was his third career 100-yard receiving game.
• Osborne notched a pair of 100-plus yard games during the 2021 Spring season, highlighted a 147-yard effort with a pair of TDs vs. Fort Lewis (3/27/21) ... he also hauled in a career-best nine balls for 127 yards and a score at Kennesaw State (3/20/21). 
• Hobert and Osborne's combined effort at Sac State marked the first time since the 2019 season that Utah Tech had two 100-yard receivers in one game (Kasey Allison – 126/Chase Hess – 107, vs. Black Hills State; 10/5/19).
• In fact, Utah Tech's receiving corps just missed making history at Sac State as sophomore WR David Fisher tallied 96 yards on three catches, including the 72-yard first quarter connection with Gabalis.
• Utah Tech has never had three receivers go for 100 or more yards in a single game in the program's NCAA era, with the Sac State game marking the closest UT has come to achieving that feat.  
• Utah Tech has only had two 100-yard receivers in one game just 11 times in 176 NCAA-era games. 
•  Seven different receivers have caught TD passes through eight games this season ... along with Hobert and Osborne, junior wideout Rickie Johnson added his name to the list with his first of the year at SUU (9/24), and his fifth career TD catch last Saturday at SFA UNI ... junior Michael Moten also notched his third career TD in the Sac State opener, while fellow junior Malcolm Ross-Turner made his second-career TD reception in the third quarter vs. Chadron (9/10) ... Fisher then added his name to the list with his first of the year which got UT on the board at Weber State (9/17), as did freshman Daniel Thomason when he hooked up with Gabalis for a 72-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter at SFA last Saturday.
• Utah Tech scored seven touchdowns in the second half vs. Chadron, two of which came on the defensive side thanks to a pair of pick-6s by senior linebacker Kaejin Smith-Bejgrowicz and sophomore safety Tyrell Grayson.
• Smith-Bejgrowicz kick-started Utah Tech's dominant second half with his third career interception, which he returned 32 yards to pay dirt for his first career touchdown just 1:22 in the third quarter.
• Grayson followed suit in the fourth with his third career pick, which he returned 51 yards for his first collegiate TD.  
• The two defensive scores marked the second time the program's NCAA era that Utah Tech's defense achieved that feat. In 2019, the Trailblazers housed two interceptions in a big 55-0 home win over New Mexico Highlands (Aaron Simpson/Augustus Fraser; 9/21/19).
• Grayson's TD was one of three scores Utah Tech recorded in a span of 1:42 to begin the fourth quarter ... Tracy and Hobert hooked up for a 38-yard TD on the first play of the period (14:52) ... Grayson followed with his TD just 33 seconds later (14:19), before another Chadron INT set up a Tracy-to-Hobert 50-yard catch and run on 3rd-and-10 at the 13:18 mark.  
• Grayson led the Blazer defense with 11 total tackles (7 solo) at Weber State (9/17) ... he opened the year with 10 solo tackles at Sac State (9/3), which was his third double-digit solo stop game in his two-plus standout seasons in the Blazer defensive backfield.
• Grayson also had 12 solo tackles (13 total) in last year's home match-up against the Hornets (9/4/21), and posted a career-high 15 solo stops at UC Davis (9/18/21) in a game where he tied the program's NCAA-era record for total tackles with 19.
• Grayson enters the weekend as the WAC leader in solo tackles (42) and t-third in the WAC in total tackles (65). 
• Grayson led all of FCS, albeit unofficially, in solo tackles with 79 and led the WAC with 103 total tackles last season on his way to freshman All-America honors. 
• Sophomore DL Syrus Webster collected a career-high 2.5 TFLs, including his fourth career sack, vs. ACU back on Oct. 1 ... Webster had UT's lone sack through the Blazers' first four games, which came on a third quarter strip-sack in the season opener at Sacramento State (9/3).
• Webster finished with five tackles (3 solo) at Weber State ... he also racked up six tackles (5 solo) and two TFLs at Sac State (9/3) ... the sophomore now has 4.0 sacks and 10.5 TFLs in 15 career games.
• Senior DL Dylan Hendrickson accounted for UT's second sack vs. ACU (10/1), which came on the Wildcats' first possession of the second half.
• Hendrickson's sack, the 12th of his career, moved him into a tie for second place on UT's career sack list and leaves him two full sacks shy of becoming the program's all-time sack leader (Chad Frank - 13.5 sack; 2007-08) ... in addition, his sack moved him into t-10th on UT's career TFL list (17.5).  
• Senior LB Malaki Malaki collected a season-high 12 tackles vs. Sam Houston (10/22), and in the process, became Utah Tech's career tackles leader (277) ... Malaki now has 287 total tackles to his credit heading into his final three games in a Trailblazer uniform. 
• Malaki passed former UT defensive standout Chad Frank (2007-08) tallied 275 total tackles over his two seasons at UT. 
• Meanwhile Nash (204) became the eighth player in the program's NCAA era to surpass the 200-tackle plateau after he tallied four total tackles vs SHSU (10/22) ... Nash needs only two more tackles to move into sixth on UT's career list. 
• Sophomore LB Will Leota posted his second double-digit tackle outing in his last three starts with a career-high 16 total tackles last Saturday at SFA ... Leota also had 14 tackles two weeks ago at Northern Iowa (10/15).
• Junior DL Sam Kanongata'a made a little history as he recorded the first blocked field goal in UT's FCS era just before halftime vs. ACU (10/1) ... prior to Kanongata'a's block, the Trailblazers had gone 22 games since they blocked a field goal, which was done by former UT lineman Tyler Heaton at home vs. Colorado Mesa (11/2/2019).
• Kanongata'a also racked up a career-high 2.5 TFLs in Saturday's win at SFA.  
• Freshman DB Jaxson Smith also made a little history on special teams as he notched first blocked punt in UT's FCS transition late in the first quarter at SFA last Saturday ... Smith's punt block came 26 games since the last, which happened nearly three years ago at Colorado School of Mines (Jalen Powell - 11/9/19).  
• It was good news/bad news day for sophomore PK Connor Brooksby in Saturday's win at SFA ... the good news is that Brooksby (18-for-26) hit both of his field goal attempts to move into a tie atop UT's career FG made list with former PK James Baird (18-for-24; 2019-20) ... the bad news, after making 38-straight PATs, Brooksby missed his first PAT try, though he did nail his next five, which moved him into fourth place on UT's career PAT list (43-of-44).  
 
#AB3FOREVER: Senior linebacker Malaki Malaki has once again been awarded the No. 3 jersey for the 2022 season. The senior captain is the second Trailblazer player to wear the coveted number since the 2021 spring season. 
            The awarding of the No. 3 jersey has become an annual tradition honoring the memory of former Trailblazer football player Abraham Reinhardt, who passed away unexpectedly on March 22, 2019. 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 Utah Tech. He is tough, works tremendously hard, is a great student and leader. Malaki will continue to wear AB3's jersey this season in honor of his legacy."
 
ABOUT THE SOUTHERN UTAH "THUNDERBIRDS": SUU enters Saturday night's game with a 3-5 record, though the Thunderbirds have lost four-straight one-possession games since they defeated Utah Tech back on Sept. 24.       
            RS-Junior quarterback Justin Miller has thrown for 2,186 yards and 15 touchdowns through eight games. Miller's favorite target, junior WR Isaiah Wooden, who played at then-Dixie State as a freshman in 2018, is SUU's top receiver with 784 yards on 34 catches and six TDs. 
        On defense, freshman LB Kohner Cullimore leads the T-Birds with 67 total tackles, while junior LB Aubrey Nellems has recorded a team-high 9.0 TFLs. 
            SUU is averaging 27.9 ppg and 396.3 ypg of total offense, while allowing 31.5 ppg and 457.8 ypg on defense through eight games this season.  
            
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will wrap up its 2022 home schedule with a Senior Day Saturday matinee vs. WAC foe Tarleton State. Kick off inside Greater Zion Stadium is set for 1 p.m.