Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | MONTANA - PDF
Utah Tech Football Media Central
Pre-Game/Post-Game Show: TRAILBLAZER SPORTSVISION
Live TV: ESPN+
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Live Audio: THE FAN SPORTS NETWORK
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FOR STARTERS: • Utah Tech begins its 2023 four-game home slate this Saturday night when the Trailblazers welcome Big Sky power in No. 13 Montana to Greater Zion Stadium. Kick off is set for 7 p.m.
• Utah Tech is 0-1 all-time vs. the Grizzlies, with the first meeting taking place two seasons ago in Missoula, where the Trailblazers saw a slim 3-0 halftime deficit turn into a 31-14 road loss (10/9/21). Montana scored 21-unanswered points thanks to a pair of third quarter touchdowns, and another score just 31 seconds into the fourth. UT did manage to find the end zone twice in the final frame, including a fumble return for a TD, but could not climb out of its second-half hole. 
• Saturday night's tilt will mark the third time that the Trailblazers have welcomed a Big Sky Conference opponent at Greater Zion Stadium. Utah Tech also played host to both Sacramento State and Weber State to open the 2021 season, though the Blazers came up short in both of those contests. 
• Utah Tech fell to 3-15 all-time in season openers (1-4 in the Paul Peterson era; 1-10 on the road overall) in its NCAA era after dropping a 63-20 road decision at No. 3 Montana State last Saturday night in Bozeman. UT has lost six of its last eight season openers overall, with the last season-opening win coming on the road at Tarleton (2/27/21). 
• UT is 7-10 all-time in home openers, which includes a 4-3 mark over its last seven overall. Last season the Trailblazers halted a three-game slide in home debuts thanks to a 56-10 triumph over former RMAC foe Chadron State (9/10/22). 

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 began 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. 
 
THREE BLAZERS EARN PRESEASON ALL-UAC HONORS: Utah Tech had three players voted onto the UAC's debut preseason all-conference team. 
            Junior DL Syrus Webster was tabbed as the preseason UAC Defensive Player of the Year, while he and junior LB Will Leota were voted to the All-UAC Defensive Team.
            Meanwhile, senior WR Rickie Johnson was the lone Blazer listed on the All-UAC Offensive Team. 
 
WEBSTER ON WATCH LIST: In addition to his UAC preseason honor, Webster has been named to the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award preseason watch list. The junior defensive standout was also named to both the 2023 Phil Steele and Blue Bloods All-United Athletic Conference preseason first teams.
 
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 last 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). 
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech opened the 2023 campaign on the wrong end of a 63-20 decision at current No. 3/3 Montana State last Saturday night in Bozeman.
        The Trailblazers found themselves in a 28-3 hole before finally finding the end zone with 3:31 to play in the first half when sophomore quarterback Boone Abbott tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to freshman Beau Sparks. 
        However the nationally-ranked Bobcats answered with their fifth TD of the opening half with just 58 seconds on the clock, and struck for four more TDs in the second half, to cruise to the home win.
 
UTAH TECH VS. RANKED OPPONENTS: Utah Tech is a combined 3-27 (4-27 overall) all-time vs. opponents (FCS and D-II) ranked in the AFCA top-25 Coaches' Poll, which includes an 1-9 mark the last two seasons. 
            Two of the Trailblazers' four wins over ranked foes have come during the first three years of their NCAA FCS transition - both of which were road victories.
            Last season Utah Tech posted a 47-44 win at then No. 19 Stephen F. Austin (10/29/22), and began its FCS transition with a 26-14 at then (Stat Perform) No. 22 Tarleton (2/27/21). 
 
LOOKING TO BREAK THROUGH: Utah Tech enters Saturday's game vs. No. 13 Montana 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 0-13 lifetime against league. Utah Tech was 0-6 as a D-II member, and is now 0-7 in their short time as a D-I FCS program after its loss at Montana State last Saturday night. 
            This Saturday night's game vs. Montana is also the second of three-straight Big Sky foes Utah Tech will face to open the 2023 season. Next weekend the Trailblazers travel south to Flagstaff to play at Northern Arizona on Saturday, Sept. 16.
 
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 WR Rickie Johnson, junior linebacker Will Leota, and junior defensive lineman Syrus Webster. 
 
PROVIDING AN INSTANT SPARK: Freshman WR Beau Sparks had himself quite the debut last Saturday at Montana State. 
            The speedy wideout announced his presence with authority late in the first quarter when he got behind the Bobcat secondary and hauled in his first collegiate pass, a 66-yard catch-and-run that helped set up the Trailblazers' first points of the night.
            Sparks would later record a 33-yard reception in the second quarter, which ultimately led to his first collegiate touchdown catch from 4-yards out with 3:21 to play in the first half.
            Sparks wound up with a Utah Tech freshman school record 144 receiving yards on seven catches along with his TD.
            Sparks' 144 receiving yards are also tied for the 21st-most on Utah Tech's single game list. The freshman joined former UT All-American Joey Hobert (144 yds vs. Southern Utah, 2022) and Nash Fowler in that three-way tie.
            In fact, Fowler was the first to post that number, which he did on eight receptions with a touchdown in a road game at, coincidentally, Montana State during the 2009 season (9/12/09).
 
SPARKS JOINS AN ELITE LIST: Sparks also became the first freshman to record a 100-yard receiving game in his collegiate debut, and is just the fourth freshman in Utah Tech's NCAA era to post a 100-yard receiving game.
            Former Blazer wideout Isaiah Wooden (116 yds vs. Colorado School of Mines) was the last freshman to do it in 2018. Skyler Ence (101 vs. Colorado Mesa) was the first UT freshman receiver in the program's first NCAA D-II season in 2006, while Dejuan Dantzler (106 vs. New Mexico Highlands) joined the elite list in 2016.  
            Sparks' 144 receiving yards were also the fourth-most in a season opener in program history, and he became the ninth receiver to go for 100-plus receiving yards in a season opener overall.
            Former UT receiver Travis Brown set the standard with 230 yards in the program's first NCAA game, which was played at Colorado Mesa in 2006. Former Blazer Kyser Christensen (215 at Adams State, 2009) is the lone other receiver to eclipse the 200-yard plateau, while Hobert went for 183 yards on 11 catches in last season's season opener at Sacramento State (9/10/22). 
 
KICKIN' IT AT THE TOP: Junior PK Connor Brooksby added one more school record to his impressive list last Saturday night when he became Utah Tech's career PAT leader with his second of his two PATs midway through the fourth quarter. 
            Brooksby, who is already Utah Tech's career leader in made field goals (26-of-36), booted his 57th career PAT (57-of-58) to move past former kicker James Baird (56-of-61; 2019-20). 
            The junior kicker (135 points) enters Saturday's game vs. Montana needing only two points to become program's career points record. 
            In all, Brooksby is UT's current record holder in season field goals made (14-of-17, 2022), and owns the school record for the longest FG made, a 55-yarder he nailed last season in a home win vs. Southern Utah (11/5/22). Brooksby also hit a 48-yard FG in the fourth quarter at MSU last Saturday night, which tied for the fifth-longest made field goal in the program's NCAA era. 
 
BLAZING TRAILS
• Utah Tech split quarterback duties last Saturday night ... RS-sophomore Boone Abbott received the starting nod and completed 11-of-19 pass attempts for 143 yards and the second quarter touchdown toss to Sparks.
• RS-junior Kobe Tracy got the call in the second half and threw for 117 yards on 10-of-22 passing, including a 17-yard fourth quarter touchdown strike to senior WR Rickie Johnson.
• Johnson tallied 79 yards on a team-high nine receptions to go with his ninth-career TD grab ... Johnson's 79 yards also vaulted him into ninth place on UT's career receiving yards list (1,326 yds). 
• In all, six different players recorded at least one reception in the MSU game. 
• Fifth-year RB Ronnie Walker Jr. got the start in the backfield and carried the ball 10 times for 52 yards, including a 16-yard scamper in the fourth quarter that helped set up the Johnson touchdown catch. 
• Utah Tech was limited to just 49 net yards rushing at Montana State, which is the lowest total since the Trailblazers were held to minus-4 yards rushing at Delaware (10/30/21) during the 2021 season.
• Senior LB Dondi Fuller enjoyed a strong Trailblazer debut as he led the UT defense with nine total tackles, including seven solo stops, and a team-high 2.0 TFLs.
• Sophomore LB Jared Fotu also had a solid start to the season with eight total tackles (5 solo).
• Sophomore DB Jagger Williams and freshman CB Scooter Jackson also got into the act with six tackles apiece, while each were credited with 0.5 TFLs.  
• As a unit, the Trailblazer defense was held without a sack and recorded only 4.0 total TFLs.
• Utah Tech registered at least one sack in seven of 11 games last season, and in 20 of 28 games during the program's FCS transition. 
• Utah Tech surrendered 407 yards rushing to Montana State ... the last time the UT defense gave up 400 or more rush yards came at Sam Houston (11/6/21) during the 2021 season.  
 
#AB3FOREVER: Webster was presented with one more honor prior to the start of the 2023 season as he was chosen to wear the No. 3 jersey.
            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 match-up vs. Montana, four Trailblazer defenders enter the game with some impressive streaks on the line.
            Webster has recorded at least one tackle in 23-straight games, while junior safety Jordan Scott (16-straight), sophomore CB Devyn Perkins (12-straight) and junior LB Will Leota (11-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 on Saturday. 
            On offense, Tracy (3,180 yards) stands just 44 yards away from moving into second place on Utah Tech's career passing list. Tracy (3,174 yards/20 TDs) is also just 422 yards away from vaulting in to second place on the program's total offense list, and he is just four touchdown passes away from moving into third place on that career list. 
            Meanwhile, Johnson (9 TD receptions) needs only 101 yards to vault into eighth overall in receiving yards, and is one TD reception shy of joining four others tied for eighth on the career receiving touchdowns list.
            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. 
 
ABOUT THE MONTANA "GRIZZLIES": No. 13 Montana head out on its first-ever trip to St. George on the heels of a 35-20 season-opening home victory over Butler last Saturday afternoon in Missoula. 
    The Grizzlies racked up 441 yards in the win, with freshman RB Eli Gillman accounting for 119 of those yards on the ground on 19 carries with one touchdown. 
            Meanwhile, sophomore QB Sam Vidlak threw for 180 yards on 15-of-25 passing with a touchdown. Vidlak completed passes to seven different receivers, three of whom each had four receptions apiece, with junior WR Junior Bergen leading the way with 72 yards on four catches and a TD. 
            Montana's defense surrendered just 263 total yards to Butler, and held the Bulldogs to just 41 yards rushing on 26 attempts. Junior safety Ryder Meyer paced the Grizzly defense with 12 total tackles with 1.0 TFL.   
            Bobby Hauck (Montana, 1988) is in the sixth season of his second stint as head coach at his alma mater, where he is 117-34 overall in 13-plus seasons. Hauck has led the Grizzlies to seven Big Sky titles, including three outright conference crowns during his tenure, which was broken up by a five-year stint as head coach at UNLV (2010-2014).
            
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech opens a three-game road swing against its third Big Sky opponent in as many weeks next Saturday as the Trailblazers travel south to Flagstaff for matinee at Northern Arizona. Kick off inside the Walkup Skydome is set for 2 p.m. (MDT).