Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | TARLETON - PDF
Utah Tech Football Media Central
Live TV: NONE
Live Streaming Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: THE FAN SPORTS RADIO NETWORK (99.5 FM)
Live Stats: vs. TARLETON
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTechFB | #UtahTechBlazers | #WACfb

FOR STARTERS: • Saturday's game vs. Tarleton State will be the fourth meeting between the Trailblazers and Texans on the gridiron, while it will be the third-straight time in the series that the two teams will meet at Greater Zion Stadium.
• Utah Tech is 1-2 all-time against Tarleton, with all three games in the series having been won by the road team. 
• The Trailblazers drew first blood in the series in their NCAA FCS debut game during the 2021 Spring season with a 26-14 road victory in Stephenville (2/27/21), when the Texans were ranked No. 22 in the FCS Stat Perform Top-25 poll.
• Tarleton evened the series later that season with a 37-15 win at Greater Zion Stadium (3/13/21), then collected a 41-20 road win seven months later (10/16/21) during the 2021 fall campaign. 
• Both teams come into Saturday's game with a 1-2 WAC record, meaning that the winner will move into solo third place in the conference standings, while the loser will finish tied with Southern Utah (1-3) for fourth overall. 
• Saturday's game will also be Senior Day for the Trailblazers as 10 seniors will be suiting up for the final time at Greater Zion Stadium. 

QUICK HITS: • Utah Tech's "Spread-N-Shred" offense has gotten back on track as the Trailblazers racked up an FCS-era high 603 yards of total offense in their Homecoming win over in-state rival Southern Utah last Saturday night.
• The 603 yards marked the seventh time in the program's NCAA era that UT gained more than 600 yards in a game and were the most since a 591-yard effort vs. Colorado Mesa (W, 42-32; 11/1/19) nearly three years to the day during the 2019 season. 
• Utah Tech has gained more than 1,100 yards during its modest two-game win streak. UT tallied 47 points and 517 total yards two weeks ago in the Blazers' upset win at WAC favorite and then-No. 19 Stephen F. Austin (10/29). 
• RS-Freshman quarterback Victor Gabalis has thrown for 840 yards and 10 touchdowns over his last two starts.
• Gabalis became the first QB in the program's NCAA era to throw for a school-record tying five TDs in consecutive games as part of a career-high 463 yard night in the SUU win.
• Gabalis' 463 yards are the third-most in a single game in the program's NCAA era and were the most in UT's D-I FCS transition. 

LIVE STATS/AUDIO/STREAM INFO: LIVE STATS/AUDIO/STREAM INFO: Live stats and audio/video streaming information for this Saturday's home finale vs. Tarleton State can be found online at www.utahtechtrailblazers.com.
 
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 Devin Dixon 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 last Saturday's Homecoming win vs. SUU, and this 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.
 
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 linemanNathen 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 road game. 
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech won back-to-back games for the first time in its D-I FCS transition as the Trailblazers took back the "Battle Ax" with a 48-36 non-conference Homecoming victory over in-state rival Southern Utah last Saturday night.
            The Blazers led for all but about nine total minutes and never trailed after halftime to even the overall season series with the Thunderbirds at a game apiece. 
            UT racked up an D-I FCS transition-best 603 yards of total offense (#7 all-time in the NCAA era), which included 463 yards in the air (#7 all-time in the NCAA era). The Blazers also did not turn the ball over for the first time this season, and were flagged for a season-low two penalties for 20 yards.  
 
TRAILBLAZERS SWEEP WAC WEEKLY AWARDS: A week after picking up WAC Offensive and Defensive player of the week honors, Utah Tech one-upped the feat by sweeping all three conference awards this past Monday. 
            Junior wide receiver Rickie Johnson was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week after he broke one school record and tied another in the SUU victory. Johnson caught a career high nine passes for a school record 277 yards and a school record tying three touchdowns. He racked up 213 yards-after-the-catch thanks in part to a 79-yard first quarter TD reception, which was UT's longest scoring play of the year, and a 75-yard third quarter catch-and-run for his third touchdown of the night.
            In addition, Johnson's 277 yards receiving were the second-highest single game total in NCAA Division-I ranks this season in both FCS and FBS subdivisions.
            Sophomore defensive lineman Syrus Webster garnered WAC Defensive Player of the Week honors after he racked up a career-high 3.0 sacks and had four total tackles, one forced fumble and one QB hurry on Saturday night. Webster recorded two sacks in the second quarter, then salted away the Trailblazers' win with his third sack of the night on SUU's final offensive play from scrimmage.
            Sophomore placekicker Connor Brooksby collected WAC Special Teams Player of the Week accolades after hit all six PAT attempts and went 2-for-2 in field goal tries, including a school record 55-yarder late in the second quarter. Brooksby also became UT's career leader in made field goals (20-for-30; .667) and moved into third place on UT's career PAT list (49-of-50) in the victory.
 
THIS RICKIE IS THE GREATEST: Johnson became just the fifth different Trailblazer receiver to go for 200 yards or more in the program's NCAA era. The junior wideout passed former UT standout receiver Dejuan Dantzler, who racked up 241 yards on 11 catches and three touchdowns nearly four years to the day in a Trailblazer Homecoming win vs. Colorado School of Mines back in the 2018 season (11/3/2018).
            Johnson is also the eighth different Trailblazer receiver to record three TD receptions in one game in the program's NCAA era, and is the second to do it in as many weeks. Two weeks ago at Stephen F. Austin (10/29), sophomore WR Joey Hobert caught three TD passes in the big upset road win.  
 
HAT TRICKS: Johnson became the 17th different player in UT's NCAA era to score three touchdowns in one game. In fact, three Trailblazers have added their names to that list this season. Along with Johnson's career night last week, and Hobert's day at SFA, sophomore RB Quali Conley rushed for a career-high three TDs in the home-opening win vs. Chadron State (9/10)
 
MR. 1000: Speaking of Hobert, the sophomore wideout caught his WAC-leading 11th and 12th touchdown passes of the year in last Saturday's win vs. Southern Utah. Hobert finished with eight receptions for 144 yards, which was his team-leading sixth 100-yard receiving game this season.
            Hobert also made history on Saturday night as he became just the second receiver in the program's NCAA era to surpass 1,000 receiving yards (1,018). Meanwhile, his 12 touchdowns on the season are good for second on UT's single season touchdowns list, and sixth on the program's career TD receptions list.
            In fact, Hobert enters the final two games of the season needing only 28 more yards and two touchdowns to pass former UT All-American tight end Joe Don Duncan (1,045 and 13 TDs; 2013) for first place on both of those single season lists.
 
YO JOE: Prior to Johnson's career night vs. SUU, Hobert became the seventh different Trailblazer receiver to record three TD receptions in one game in the program's NCAA era with his trifecta two weeks ago at Stephen F. Austin (10/29). 
            Hobert was also the first one to do it during UT's D-I FCS transition, with the last Trailblazer to achieve that feat being former tight end Chase Hess against Adams State (11/16/19) during the 2019 campaign.
            In addition, Hobert was the fourth player in the program's NCAA era to score at least 10 touchdowns in one season, joining Duncan, former UT receiver Mitch Frei(10 TDs, 2013), and former RB DeJon Coleman, who rushed for 10 TDs in 2015. 
            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 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. Tarleton as the WAC leader and second-overall in the FCS in both receiving yards per game (113.1) and TDs (12), and is t-third nationally in receiving yards (1,018).
            Meanwhile he is t-fourth nationally in receptions/game (7.6 rpg) and in receptions (69), and 22nd in all-purpose yards/game (129.44 ypg), all of which (except all-purpose yards/game - 3rd in the WAC) are good for the WAC lead in each stat category.
 
DIALING LONG DISTANCE: After a rough start to his Blazer debut season, redshirt freshman QB Victor Gabalis has been on fire over his last two starts, throwing for 840 yards and 10 touchdowns in both Blazer victories.
            Gabalis became just the sixth different quarterback in UT's NCAA era to throw for at least 400 yards in one game with his 463-yard night vs. SUU. That performance came on the heels of his 377 yards and five TD afternoon two weeks ago at SFA (10/29), for which he was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week. 
            Meanwhile, his 463 yards were the third-highest single game total in program history overall and are fifth most by an FCS quarterback this season (13th in Division I overall, including FBS).
            In addition, Gabalis 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.
            Gabalis has also recorded four of UT's five longest completions of the season, all of which have gone for more than 70 yards, and three have resulted in touchdowns.
            Along with Gabalis' two TDs to Johnson last Saturday (79 and 75 yards), the freshman QB connected with fellow freshman Daniel Thomason for a 72-yard score at SFA. Gabalis also had a 72-yard completion to sophomore David Fisher in the first quarter at Sacramento State (9/3).  
            
QUALI-TY OUT OF THE BACKFIELD: Sophomore RB Quali Conley posted his team-high fifth 100-yard game of the year when he rushed for a career-high 155 yards on 22 carries last Saturday vs. SUU.
            Conley put the T-Birds on notice when he busted loose for a 44-yard scamper on UT's first touchdown drive in the opening quarter, which was his career-long run and UT's longest rush from scrimmage this season. 
            Conley's previous career-best run came in the 2021 spring season when he rambled for 43 yards at New Mexico State (3/7/21). 
            He then collected his team-leading seventh rushing touchdown of the year to salt away the victory in the fourth quarter, which was highlighted by a monster Heisman-worthy stiff-arm of a would-be T-Bird tackler. 
            The sophomore back also made a little history last Saturday night as he became just the third rusher in UT's NCAA era to surpass 1,400 career rushing yards (1,482). Meanwhile, his fourth-quarter TD was the 12th of his career, which moved him into a tie for fourth place on both the UT single season and career touchdown lists.
 
MORE HAT TRICKS: For the third time this season, and just the sixth time in the program's NCAA era (177 games), Utah Tech turned the offensive "Hat Trick" in Saturday's win at SUU by having a by having a 300-yard passer (Gabalis 463), 100-yard rusher (Quali Conley 155) and 100-yard receiver (Johnson 277/Hobert 144). 
            However it marked the first time the feat was accomplished with a 400-yd passer (Gabalis) and 200-yd receiver (Johnson).
            The trio of Gabalis (377), Conley (131) and Hobert (109) also did it two weeks ago at SFA (10/29). 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 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
• Prior to Gabalis, 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, 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). 
• The 603 yards gained last Saturday vs. SUU are the second most in Paul Peterson's tenure as head coach, behind only a 677-yard day vs. Black Hills State (10/5/19).
• UT has posted four 500-plus yard games this season overall, including 561 yards vs. Chadron (9/10), and 517 yards at SFA (10/29).
• 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.
• Conley rushed for a then-career 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 repeated the feat with 131 yards at SFA (10/29) and 155 yards last week vs. SUU.
• Conley's first 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 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 (first career 100-yard game) on 21 carries in the win over Chadron State (9/10). 
• Conley, who is averaging 6.22 ypc over his last five games, enters the weekend as the WAC's leading rusher (819 yds; 91.0 ypg), and he is tied for first in rushing TDs (7).
• Saturday's win vs. SUU also marked the fourth time this season that UT had a 100-yard rusher (Conley - 155) and a 100-yard receiver (Johnson - 277; Hobert - 144) in the same game ... Conley and Hobert also did it earlier this season in the win vs. Chadron State (9/10; Conley - 139/Hobert - 161), at SUU (9/24; Conley - 112/Hobert - 105), and at SFA (10/29; Conley 131/Hobert 109).
• 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).
• 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.
• Utah Tech has only had two 100-yard receivers in one game just 12 times in 177 NCAA-era games, and two of those instances have come this season ... Hobert and Osborne first did it at Sacramento State, while Johnson and Hobert added to that list last week vs. SUU. 
• 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's 463 yards passing vs. SUU last Saturday broke a string of 23 games between 400-yard pass games (430 vs. Adams State; 11/16/19), while Gabalis became the first Blazer QB to throw for 400-plus yards in a game since former QB Michael Sanders passed for a school-record 553 yards vs. Colorado School of Mines (11/3/18) during the 2018 season - a span of 36 games. 
• While UT's offense was racking up the numbers last Saturday vs. SUU, the Blazers defense posted season highs with seven sacks and 13 TFLs against the Thunderbirds.
• Utah Tech, which only had five sacks heading into the SUU game, got a career-high three sacks from sophomore DL Syrus Webster ... in fact, Webster's career night vaulted him into 10th place on UT's career sacks list (7.0), while he now has 14.5 TFLs, which leaves him four shy of cracking the career top-10 on that list.
• Sophomore safety Tyrell Grayson also got into the act as he notched his second career sack and recorded a career-high 3.0 TFLs vs. SUU ... Grayson collected his first career sack last season at Montana (10/9/21). 
• Grayson continues to lead the Trailblazer defense with a WAC-high 49 solo tackles and is t-second in the conference with 73 total stops ... 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. 
• Two other Blazers tallied multiple TFLs vs. SUU, including sophomore DB Jordan Scott with 2.0 TFLs and one sack, while freshman DL Justin Kirkland racked up his first career sack to go with 2.5 TFLs. 
• Utah Tech scored seven touchdowns in the second half vs. Chadron State, two of which came on the defensive side thanks to a pair of pick-6s by senior linebacker Kaejin Smith-Bejgrowicz and 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).
• 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 292 total tackles to his credit heading into his final two 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 senior DB Darrius Nash 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 currently sixth on UT's career list with 206 stops. 
• Sophomore LB Will Leota posted his second double-digit tackle outing in his last three starts with a career-high 16 total tackles at SFA (10/29) ... Leota also had 14 tackles three weeks ago at Northern Iowa (10/15), and led UT with nine tackles vs. SUU last Saturday.
• 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). 
• 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 (10/29) ... 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).  
• Sophomore PK Connor Brooksby rounded out UT's record-breaking night vs. SUU as he became the program's career FGM lead (20-for-30; .667) with two made field goals in the win, highlighted by a school-record 55-yard boot late in the second quarter ... Brooksby also moved into third place on UT's career PAT list (49-for-50; .980). 
 
#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 TARLETON STATE "TEXANS": Tarleton comes to St. George with a 5-4 overall record, though the Texans have lost three of their last four after opening the year 4-1.       
            RS-Freshman quarterback Beau Allen is currently second in the WAC with 2,234 yards on 152-270-10 passing with a conference-leading 19 touchdowns. Junior WR Jaden Smith, is Tarleton's top receiver with 788 yards (#4 WAC) on 45 catches and nine TDs (#2 WAC), while RB Derrel Kelley III has rushed from 716 yards on 113 carries with four TDs.  
        On defense, junior LB D.J. Harris leads the Texans with 66 total tackles, while senior LB Qua'Shawn Washington has recorded a team-high 9.0 TFLs. 
            Tarleton is averaging 29.3 ppg and 425.0 ypg of total offense, while allowing 29.4 ppg and 405.9 ypg on defense through nine games this season.  
            
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will close the 2022 season with a road date at FBS member and in-state foe BYU. Kick off inside LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo is set for 1:30 p.m.