Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | MONTANA STATE - PDF
Utah Tech Football Media Central
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FOR STARTERS: • Utah Tech opens up its fourth NCAA Division I FCS season against defending Big Sky Conference champion No. 3/3 Montana State.
• Saturday's game will be the third meeting between the Trailblazers and Bobcats on the gridiron, though this is the first time the two team will be squaring off as fellow FCS opponents. 
• Utah Tech is 0-2 all-time vs. MSU in its NCAA era, with both meetings coming in Bozeman when the Blazers were a Division II program. However the two sides have not met since the 2009 season when UT held a 14-13 third quarter lead, only to see the Bobcats score 10-unaswered points. The Blazers scored a late TD with 11 seconds left, but could not recover the ensuing onside kick and fell 23-20 (9/12/09). 
• Utah Tech and Montana State met for the first time ever on the football field nearly 16 years ago when the Bobcats rolled to a 61-7 home victory (9/15/07). 
• Saturday's opener will mark the third time in Utah Tech's NCAA Division I FCS era that the Trailblazers will have faced a ranked opponent. In the 2021 Spring opener (and UT's FCS debut game), the Trailblazers claimed a 26-14 road victory at then-No. 22 Tarleton State (Stat Perform) on Feb. 27, 2021. 
• Utah Tech is 3-14 all-time in season openers (1-3 in the Paul Peterson era; 1-9 on the road overall) in its NCAA era, and has dropped five of its last seven openers overall. However, the last season-opening win did come on that road at Tarleton (2/27/21). 
• UT is combined 4-26 (3-26 overall) all-time vs. opponents (FCS and D-II) ranked in the AFCA top-25 Coaches' Poll, which included an 1-8 mark the last two seasons. 

UTAH TECH ON THE AIR: All Utah Tech home and away games this season are broadcast live on The Fan Sports Network (99.5/95.3 FM in St. George; 93.1 FM/1400 AM in Cedar City; www.thefansportsnetwork.com).
            The "Voice of the Trailblazers" Rod Zundel begins his second season calling the play-by-play action. 
            Utah Tech will also debut a new 60-minute comprehensive pregame show, and 30-minute post-game show, both of which will air live on the The Fan Sports Network and streamed live on YouTube on the newly created Trailblazer SportsVision (youtube.com/TrailblazerAthletics).
            Along with complete Game Day radio coverage, Zundel will host "The Paul Peterson Coaches Show" every Tuesday night on The Fan Sports Network and streamed on Trailblazer SportsVision 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 Trailblazer wide receiver Deven Osborne, who will provide color analysis for all home game and select road games. 
 
NEW CONFERENCE FOR 2023: Utah Tech will begin the 2023 season in a new football only league as the established football-only partnership between both the Western Athletic and ASUN conference was rebranded into the new United Athletic Conference. 
            The newly christened UAC currently has nine participating institutions: Abilene Christian, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, North Alabama, Southern Utah, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton and Utah Tech. In addition, the conference will officially add UTRGV in the fall of 2025 when it begins sponsorship of football.
            The 2023 UAC schedule will be limited to six conference games among its nine members, while the 2024 schedule will feature a full eight-game single round robin. 
 
ROAD WARRIORS: Through its first three seasons of FCS play, Utah Tech has traveled more than 28,300 round-trip miles on 14 different road trips. 
            In their first FCS season in Spring 2021, the Trailblazers covered 7,630 miles for three road dates, then followed that up by traversing nearly 13,300 for five road games during the 2021 Fall campaign.
            Last season Utah Tech traveled just 7,424 miles, thanks in large part to playing three in-state road games at Weber State, Southern Utah and BYU.
            This season, the Blazers are slated to eclipse the 2021 Fall mark as they are scheduled to travel just over 15,000 round-trip miles for seven road games, including the program's first-ever trips to the states of Missouri (at Missouri State - Sept. 23), Alabama (at North Alabama - Oct. 21) and Tennessee (at Austin Peay - Nov. 11). Utah Tech will also play games in neighboring Arizona and Colorado, and will make one trip to Texas, to go with this Saturday's game at Montana State.
            Of note, Utah Tech's longest trip to play a football game came during the 2021 Fall season, when the Trailblazers traveled 4,697 miles round trip to play at Delaware (10/30/21). 
 
LOOKING TO BREAK THROUGH: Utah Tech enters Saturday's game at No. 3 Montana State looking for its first-ever win against a Big Sky Conference opponent.
            The Trailblazers have faced eight current football playing members of the Big Sky and are a combined 0-12 lifetime against league, 0-6 as a D-II and 0-6 in their short time as a D-I FCS program.
            Montana State is also the first of three-straight Big Sky foes Utah Tech will face to open the 2023 season. The Blazers will play host to No. 14 Montana next Saturday night in St. George, before heading south to Flagstaff to play at Northern Arizona on Sept. 16.
 
QUICK 2022 RECAP: After opening the season 1-6, Utah Tech won three of its final four games of the 2022 season to close with a 4-7 overall record in its third D-I FCS campaign, which included a 2-2 mark and a third place WAC finish.
            The Trailblazers started their stretch run with a thrilling 47-44 road win at then (AFCA) No. 19-ranked Stephen F. Austin. Utah Tech followed that up with consecutive home wins over both Southern Utah (48-36) and Tarleton (34-28), before closing the season with a 56-28 loss at FBS member BYU in a game Utah Tech led for most of the first half. 
 
O CAPTAINS! MY CAPTAINS!: Utah Tech will take the field in 2023 with four team captains leading the charge. As selected by their teammates, this season's captains are senior offensive lineman Kana'i Eldredge, senior wide receiver Rickie Johnson, junior linebacker Will Leota, and junior defensive lineman Syrus Webster 
 
2023 POSITION BY POSITION 
SEASON PREVIEW: 
•  Paul Peterson (Boston College, 2005) returns for his fifth season as Trailblazer head coach. Peterson is 15-23 through his first four campaigns at Utah Tech, including an 8-3 mark in the program's final D-II season in 2019, and a 2-3 record in UT's FCS debut in Spring 2021. 
• Peterson also brought back six coaches from last season. Prior to the start of his 2023 Spring Camp, Peterson announced several staff promotions, headlined by elevating two long-time assistants to co-offensive coordinator roles,  and welcomed six new coaches to his staff. 
• Coach Peterson promoted John Hughes and Peter Tuitupou to co-offensive coordinator positions, with Hughes continuing in his role as offensive line coach. Tuitupou, who had served as running backs and tight end coach, and recruiting coordinator, will also move over to wide receivers coach.
• Peterson elevated Billy Ray Stutzmann from wide receivers coach to passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach, and Jamison Clark from assistant defensive line coach to running backs coach and recruiting coordinator. 
• The Trailblazer defense will be led once again this season by second-year co-defensive coordinator Shane Hunter, who will also coach the safeties, along with co-defensive coordinator and fifth year linebackers coach Misi Tupe.
• Peterson also announced the additions of James Cowser as the new defensive line coach, J.B. Hall Jr. as the new defensive pass game coordinator and corner backs coach, and Kolney Cassel as the new inside receivers coach, along with defensive assistants Ben Bergeson and Brady Daigh, and offensive assistant Caden Coulson.
 
QUARTERBACK
• Utah Tech returns two signal callers with starting experience during the 2022 campaign. Redshirt junior Kobe Tracy battled through injuries to start in four of the five games he played in last season. 
• Tracy threw for 1,244 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns in those five games, while completing nearly 52 percent (88-171-3) of his attempts. 
• Tracy tossed at least two touchdown passes in four of his five outings, highlighted by a career-high 388 yards and three TDs in the home opener vs. Chadron State (9/10). That effort came on the heels of a 339-yard night with a pair of touchdown tosses off the bench a week earlier in the season opener at Sacramento State (9/3). 
• RS-sophomore Boone Abbott also saw time in five games with one start, and threw for 222 yards on 18-35-2 passing and two touchdowns in his debut season. Abbott collected 162 of those yards and both TDs off the bench at Northern Iowa (10/15). 
• Utah Tech also welcomed back redshirt freshman Reggie Graff (St. George, Utah/Dixie HS), and signed two talented freshmen QBs in Konner Barrett (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) and Skyler Cassel (Yakima, Wash./West Valley HS), who will also compete for playing time under center.
 
RUNNING BACK
• Utah Tech broke fall camp with eight running backs on the roster, three of whom saw limited playing time behind Conley in the backfield last season - junior Malakai Fakahua (11 G/6 car./30 yds), redshirt junior Thomas Kinslow (4G/4 car./5 yds), and RS-sophomore Bretton Stone (9G/9 car./17 yds).
• Of the five newcomers to the Trailblazer backfield, two of them are transfers from FBS Power 5 schools in junior Chris Street (Eastvale, Calif.) from Cal, and fifth-year back Ronnie Walker Jr. (Hopewell, Va.) from Virginia.
• Street, who is listed at the top of UT's depth chart, was part of the Cal program for three seasons, appearing in 12 career games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Street, who redshirted last season, ran for 109 yards on 22 attempts with one touchdown in those two seasons as a Bear.
• Meanwhile Walker Jr. played three seasons at Virginia, where he ran for 138 yards on 38 carries and three touchdowns in 18 games for the Cavaliers. Walker Jr. began his collegiate career at Indiana, where he rushed for 221 yards on 59 carries and two TDs in 22 career games as a Hoosier. 
• Three talented freshman will also vie for playing time this season, including Nygel Osborne(Inglewood, Calif./Millikin HS), Justin Buhler (Frisco, Texas/Frisco Independence HS), and Kona Crowell(St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS). 
 
WIDE RECEIVER
• Utah Tech goes into the 2023 season with the unenviable task of having to replace five wide receivers, including an All-American, from an aerial attack that led the WAC in passing yards and touchdowns.
• Preseason all-UAC selection, senior WR Rickie Johnson, headlines the list as he looks to eclipse a solid junior campaign that saw his post career highs in receptions (40), yards (697) and touchdowns (6). Johnson enjoyed a career night in UT's Homecoming win over Southern Utah (11/5), against which he caught nine balls for 277 yards and three touchdowns - all career highs, on his way to WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors. 
• In addition, fellow senior Michael Moten (11 rec./98 yds/1 TD) and sophomore Daniel Thomason (6 rec./137 yds/1 TD) are the only other two returning receivers who caught a touchdown pass last year, while junior Damani Wilks is back after he tallied 144 yards on 13 receptions a season ago. 
• Utah Tech also returns redshirt junior Keith Davis, who is back to full strength after he suffered a season-ending injury during last year's fall camp. In his debut season in 2021, Davis racked up a team-high 479 receiving yards on 35 catches with a pair of touchdowns.
• UT also welcomed back redshirt freshman Aaron Holloway (2G/1 rec./11 yds), along with junior AJ Simpson-Battle and RS-freshman Nalu Kitashima, who will add depth to the corps. 
• In all, Utah Tech will enter the 2023 fall camp with 15 wide receivers, including seven newcomers, two of whom are transfers in senior Jaivian Lofton (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) from Liberty, and junior Taliq Brown (Indio, Calif.) from Mt. San Jacinto CC.  
• Lofton played three seasons at Liberty, for which he played in 17 career games and caught 15 passes for 204 yards and three TDs. Lofton's best season came in 2022 when he caught 10 balls for 102 yards and two touchdowns.
• Meanwhile Brown enjoyed two stellar seasons at Mt. San Jacinto, where he racked up 1,414 career receiving yards on 103 receptions and 14 touchdowns in 19 games. Brown recorded 902 of those yards last season, during which he caught 65 passes with seven TDs. 
• Utah Tech also boasts five talented freshmen who will look to make an immediate impact - Julian Lofton-Lundy (Rancho Cucamonga [CA] HS), Bryce Parker (Corona, Calif./Inglewood HS), Benjamin Pupplo (Yakima, Wash./West Valley HS), Beau Sparks (El Paso, Texas/Franklin HS), and Kale Wakley(Sandy, Utah/Jordan HS). 
• The Trailblazers return two tight ends who saw playing time last fall in junior Jay McEuen (no receptions) and RS-freshman Eric Olsen (no receptions).
 
OFFENSIVE LINE
•           For the third-straight year, Utah Tech's offensive line returns nearly intact this fall with nine players who saw time in at least one game last season, including four linemen who recorded starts. In all, 14 linemen return for 2022, four of whom redshirted last fall.  
• Juniors Bayo Kannike (8 RT/3 LG) and Ty Hyde (7 LT/4 RT), who both started in all 11 games last season, return to anchor the line, while RS-sophomore Alex Foster started six of his 10 games played at left tackle. In addition, senior Kana'i Eldredge saw time in all 11 games, including three starts at center. 
 • RS-sophomores Nolan Reynolds (10 games) and Bryce Crowley (8 games) logged significant reserve time last season, while RS-freshmen Stryker Rashid (3 games), Mason Clark (2 games) and Porter LaChance (1 game) also got a taste of the college game in their debut seasons. 
• In addition, redshirt freshmen Carter Bessire, Logan Hicks, and Mark Andrew Springer, along with eight newcomers, will look to add depth on the Blazer offensive line. 
 
DEFENSIVE LINE
• Utah Tech welcomes back eight defensive linemen who saw live game action, including four who saw the bulk of the playing time in all 11 games last season. 
• Junior Syrus Webster headlines the list after he followed a strong freshman debut season by collecting first team all-WAC honors last year.
            Webster, who was tabbed the UAC's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year last week, did not show any signs of a sophomore slump as he co-led the WAC in sacks (5.5) and posted at least three total tackles in nine of 11 games played and registered at least 0.5 TFL in seven of those games overall.
            In all, the junior racked up 42 total tackles (20 solo). a team-high 10.0 TFLs, and co-led the team in QB hurries (4) and forced fumbles (2).  
• Senior Sam Kanongata'a also enjoyed a solid debut season as a Trailblazer, tallying 18 tackles (14 solo) while finishing second on the defense with 7.0 TFLs, along with 2.0 sacks in 11 games overall. 
• Senior Max Christensen III is back for his final go-round after he tallied 16 stops (13 solo) and 1.0 TFL in 11 games last year. Sophomore Fasito-Otai Sagapolu also made an immediate impact in his debut season, racking up six total tackles with 1.0 TFL in 11 games. 
• Sophomores Laytan Tanuvasa (3 G/4 tackles/1.0 TFLs) and TJ Talamoni-Marcks (11 G/1 tackle) are back, along with redshirt freshmen William Kulihaapai-Alovao (2 G/2 tackles/0.5 TFL), and Ricky Wolfgramm (1 G/1 tackle). In addition, 2022 redshirts Isaac Lees, Micah Vuki, and Keanu Garner will look to earn playing time after sitting out last season. 
• Utah Tech also has four linemen who have transferred from other four-year schools who will look to make an immediate impact. Two of the transfers joined the UT program from Washington State, including redshirt sophomore Brandy Okeke (Aurora, Colo./Washington State), who joined the program ahead of the 2022 season, is back at full strength and ready to go at one end spot. Meanwhile, former fellow Cougar Moon Ashby (San Jose, Calif.) will vie for time at the other end position. 
• Senior Tuiits Kanosh (St. George, Utah) returns to his hometown school after he left the UT program after the 2021 spring season to play two seasons at Southwestern Oklahoma State, while Fresno State transfer junior John Sniffen (Wainmanalo, Hawai'i) will add depth to an already deep position group. 
• Five incoming freshmen may also figure in the mix - Demetrius Fatongiatau (Queen Creek, Ariz./Casteel HS), Thomas Liava'a (Hawthorne, Calif./Leuzinger HS), Kingston Moa (Compton, Calif./Compton HS), Iosefa Tapeni (Kapolei, Hawai'i/Kapolei HS) and Cooper Wall (Tumwater, Wash./Tumwater HS). 
 
LINEBACKERS
• Utah Tech's linebacker corps returns only two players who saw significant playing time last year. 
• Preseason all-UAC pick, junior Will Leota, earned all-WAC honors for second-straight year, this time it was first team accolades last season after he co-led the conference with 84 total tackles, which included 40 solo stops. Leota registered double digits in tackles three times last year, highlighted by a career-high 16 total tackles (10 solo) with 1.0 TFL in UT's upset win at Stephen F. Austin (10/29). 
• Sophomore Jared Fotu is the lone other returnee at that position. Fotu enjoyed a solid debut season in 2022, during which he registered 27 total tackles (16 solo) along with 2.0 TFLs in 10 games. 
• However the Trailblazers do welcome back three redshirts from last season, including Corey Paterson, Jarron Polu and Preston Puni. 
• Utah Tech brought in three newcomers at the linebacker spot, highlighted by UNLV and Arkansas-Monticello transfer Dondi Fuller (UNLV 2021 - 12 G/8 tackles), along with freshmen Preston Anderson(Roy, Utah/Roy HS) and Kailer Laufiso (West Jordan, Utah/Copper Hills HS). 
 
DEFENSIVE BACKS
• Youth will be served in Utah Tech's secondary, as 17 of the 18 position players are underclassmen. 
• RS-Junior DB Jordan Scott headlines the unit after coming off a stellar 2022 campaign, during which he finished four on the team with 54 total tackles (33 solo) in 11 games. Scott also registered 3.0 TFLs along with one sack and one forced fumble for good measure.
• RS-Sophomore DB Jayden Sheridan also put up solid numbers in his full debut season, racking up 34 tackles (24 solo) with one interception and three PBUs in 11 outings. Not to be outdone, fellow RS-sophomore Jagger Williams capitalized on a strong 2022 spring camp with 10 tackles, including 1.0 TFL, and an interception in 11 games. 
• In addition, sophomores Devyn Perkins (4 G/15 tackles/1.0 TFL/3 PBUs), Micah Gardner (11 G/14 tackles) and Bryant Weekly (7 G/1 tackle), and Jaxson Smith (10 G/11 tackles) will look to step up and make an impact in 2023.
• Utah Tech also returns two redshirts off of last season's squad, including sophomore Amari Duncan (2021 - 8 G/20 tackles/2 PBU/1 QBH), and freshman Gabriel Valenzuela. 
• The Trailblazers welcomed nine newcomers, including seven freshmen, into their 2023 fall camp. UNLV transfer Dominic Brown (9 career games/3 tackles) is the lone senior in the secondary, while junior Maxx McWhorter (Orem, Utah/Timpanogos HS/Utah Valley - lacrosse), and freshmen Aiden Aguayo (Mission Viejo, Calif./Jserra Catholic HS), Brevin Hamblin (Syracuse, Utah/Syracuse HS), Scooter Jackson(Compton, Calif./Warren HS), Quincy Lejay (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt HS), Mason Obray(Syracuse, Utah/Northridge HS), Ayden Quintanilla (Beaverton, Ore./Mountainside HS) and TJ Thomas (Las Vegas, Nev./Foothill HS) will figure in the mix as well
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
• Senior Connor Brooksby set two school records last season, highlighted by a 55-yard field goal in the Blazers' Homecoming win over Southern Utah (11/5). The senior also broke the single season record for made field goals with 14 (14-for-17).
• Brooksby was virtually automatic in converting PATs, going 36-for-37 (.973). He is already Utah Tech's career FGM leader (24-for-34), and he stands just two PATs shy of breaking that school record (55-for-56) as well. 
• Junior punter Andy Day punted 63 times for 2,760 yards (42.95 ypp) last season. He booted 13 punts of 50 yards or more, with 19 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
• Day recorded 23 fair catches and had only five touch backs. He tied a UT single game record with 10 punts at Weber State (9/17) for 467 yards. 
• Day also split kick-off duties (28 KOs) with sophomore PK Ilya Uvaydov (34 KOs/4 touch backs). 
 
WEBSTER ON WATCH LIST: In addition to his UAC preseason honor, Webster has been named to the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award preseason watch list, and selected to both the 2023 Phil Steele and Blue Bloods All-United Athletic Conference preseason first teams.
 
#AB3FOREVER: Webster will also start the season with one more honor as he has been chosen to wear the No. 3 jersey for the upcoming season.
            The awarding of the No. 3 jersey is the third instance in what has become an annual tradition honoring the memory of former Trailblazer football player Abraham Reinhardt, who passed away unexpectedly on March 22, 2019. Utah Tech Head Football Coach Paul Peterson noted that the No. 3 jersey would be awarded to a student-athlete who best emulates 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.
            "I am excited to award Syrus Webster the number 3 jersey for the 2023 season," Coach Peterson added. "He exemplifies everything that we are trying to build in our program and especially represents the legacy Abraham Reinhardt left behind. Look for him to lead us and make plays all over the field!"
 
WE'RE GOING STREAKING: Heading into Saturday's season opener, five Trailblazers enter the game with some impressive streaks on the line.
            On offense, Davis (11-straight games) will look to extend his streak of catching at least one pass as he returns from injury. 
            Meanwhile on defense, Webster has recorded at least one tackle in 22-straight games, while Scott (15-straight), Perkins (11-straight) and Leota (10-straight) will seek to continue their impressive double-digit game tackle streaks. 
 
RECORDS WATCH: We are on "Records Watch 2023" as several Blazers look to move up the career charts as we get underway on Saturday.            
            On offense, Tracy (3,063 yards) stands just 161 yards away from moving into second place on Utah Tech's career passing list. Tracy (3,065 yards/19 TDs) is also just 532 yards away from vaulting in to second place on the program's total offense list, and his five touchdown passes away from moving into third place on that list. 
            Meanwhile, Johnson needs only 10 yards to vault into the program's top-10 list for career receiving yards, and is 12 yards away from ninth overall. 
            On defense, Webster (7.5 sacks) needs only two sacks to vault from t-ninth to fifth on Utah Tech's career sacks list. The junior (15.0 TFLs) is also five TFLs away from cracking into the top-10 on that career list. 
            Brooksby, who is already Utah Tech's career leader in made field goals (24-of-34) is also poised to become the program's career PAT leader (55-of-56), needing only two more PATs to top that list. 
 
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech opens its four-game home slate against another Big Sky power in No. 14 Montana on Saturday, Sept. 9. Kickoff inside Greater Zion Stadium is set for 7 p.m.