Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | UCA - PDF
Utah Tech Football Media Central
Coach Anderson's Tuesday PC: TRAILBLAZER SPORTSVISION
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Pre-Game/Post-Game Show: TRAILBLAZER SPORTSVISION
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Live Stats: vs. CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTechFB | #UtahTechBlazers | #UACFootball

FOR STARTERS: • Utah Tech will spend the final four weeks of the 2024 season in the Beehive State and opens a two-game homestand this Saturday afternoon against No. 9/11 Central Arkansas.
• Saturday's game vs. Central Arkansas will be the first-ever meeting between the Trailblazers and Bears on the gridiron.
• Utah Tech enters this Saturday's home game vs. UCA still in search of its first victory of the 2024 season, and the Lance Anderson-era, this after the Trailblazers were handed a 28-17 road loss at Eastern Kentucky last Saturday afternoon.
• Saturday's game vs. UCA will mark the fifth time this season that the Trailblazers will have faced a ranked opponent.
• In fact, six of Utah Tech's first nine 2024 opponents overall were either ranked at the time the Trailblazers played them, or at one time ranked, in either or both the FCS, and FBS (UNLV), top-25 polls.
• Utah Tech is currently 4-33 (3-32 overall vs. AFCA) all-time record vs. ranked opponents (FCS and D-II), which includes an 0-4 record this season, and a 1-15 mark over the previous two seasons.
• Utah Tech's 2024 schedule is currently ranked No. 6 (out of 129 FCS teams) in the latest WarrenNolan.com ELO strength of schedule ratings.
 

UTAH TECH ON THE AIR: All Utah Tech 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), while all home games will be streamed live online on ESPN+.
        The "Voice of the Trailblazers" Rod Zundel is in his third season calling the play-by-play action on ESPN+, and he will be joined this Saturday afternoon by former Utah Tech running back Ronnie Walker Jr.. In addition, Kaden Foremaster (PBP) and Paul Ratliff (color) will have the call on The Fan Sports Network.  
        As part of this season's game day broadcast coverage, Utah Tech airs a 60-minute comprehensive pregame show, and 30-minute post-game show, both of which air live on The Fan Sports Network and streamed live on YouTube on the newly created Trailblazer SportsVision (youtube.com/TrailblazerAthletics).
        Along with complete Game Day coverage, Zundel hosts the weekly "The Lance Anderson Coaches Show" every Tuesday night on The Fan Sports Network and streamed on Trailblazer SportsVision at 6 p.m. (MT).

FINALLY ELIGIBLE FOR POSTSEASON PLAY: Not only is the 2024 season Utah Tech's fifth Division I FCS season overall, it is also the FIRST season that the Trailblazers are eligible for NCAA postseason play.
        The NCAA Division I Board of Directors officially approved Utah Tech's move to active Division I status on June 28. With that confirmation, Trailblazer Athletics is now officially eligible to participate in all NCAA postseason championships in its 15 intercollegiate programs.

LET'S PLAY 12: Utah Tech's 2024 football schedule features a program NCAA-era high 12 games, six home games and six road dates, and a full eight-game United Athletic Conference (UAC) slate. Add in the bye week (11/9), and the 13-week regular season will be the longest in program history.   

TOOK ON ALL COMERS: As Utah Tech wrapped up its four-year NCAA Division-I FCS transitional period last November, it was safe to say that the Trailblazers did not shy away from playing anyone, anytime, anywhere. 
        Over their 38 games during those four years, the Trailblazers faced 15 top-25 teams (2-13) and 12 total FCS playoff teams.   
        In fact, Utah Tech's 2021 fall schedule was rated as the second-toughest schedule in the entire country and featured seven 2021 FCS Fall playoff teams, including the 2021 spring national champion (Sam Houston) and runner-up (South Dakota State).

2024 JUST AS TOUGH: Utah Tech's 2024 schedule is currently ranked No. 6 (out of 129 FCS teams) in the latest WarrenNolan.com ELO strength of schedule ratings.
        To this point of the season, the Trailblazers have faced four teams currently ranked in both of latest AFCA and Stats Perform FCS top-25 polls, three of which are in the top-eight in both polls. 
        In fact, including Saturday's game vs. current No. 9/11 Central Arkansas, seven of Utah Tech's first 10 2024 opponents overall are either currently ranked, or have been ranked, in either or both the FCS, and FBS (UNLV), top-25 polls this year.

AS FOR ANYWHERE: Utah Tech were road warriors during that four-year transitional period, a stretch that saw the Trailblazers travel more than 43,300 round trip miles on 21 trips.
        Utah Tech played road games in 13 different states, seven of which the program had never played in before, including three last season with trips to Missouri, Alabama and Tennessee. The Trailblazers also made their first-ever visits to Georgia (Spring 2021), Delaware (Fall 2021) and Iowa (2022) over the four-year span.
        Utah Tech traveled just over 15,000 round trip miles last season, which eclipsed the previous high of just under 13,300 miles set during the 2021 Fall campaign. 
        In their first FCS season in Spring 2021, the Trailblazers covered 7,630 miles for three road dates. Then after the 2021 Fall season, Utah Tech traveled "only" 7,424 miles in 2022, thanks in large part to playing three in-state road games at Weber State, Southern Utah and BYU.
        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).

YOUR LOSS IS OUR GAIN: Utah Tech's defense racked up season highs of 8.0 TFLs and 4.0 sacks in its non-conference finale at UC Davis (9/21). Those efforts marked the ninth time the Trailblazers had recorded at least 8.0 TFLs, and eighth time with at least 4.0 sacks, in a game during their NCAA Division I FCS era.
        Last season, the Blazers collected 10.0 TFLs and five sacks at Austin Peay (11/11/23). Meanwhile, the current FCS-era program high for TFLs is 12.0 (t-#5 all-time at Utah Tech), posted in a home win over Fort Lewis (3/27/21) and on the road at Montana (10/9/21). In addition, the Blazers tallied an FCS-era high 7.0 sacks in a home triumph over Southern Utah (11/5/22) during the 2022 season. 

MORE ON THE TRAILBLAZER DEFENSE: Utah Tech's defense held Austin Peay to 2024 opponent season lows in points (13) and total offense (311), and to only 93 passing yards back on Oct. 19.
        The 93 passing yards at the time were a season low, which was eclipsed last Saturday at EKU, where the Trailblazers limited the Colonels to just 75 yards through the air.
        In fact, EKU's 75 passing yards marked the 12th-time in the program's NCAA era, and the third time in its FCS era, that the Trailblazers had held a team under 100 passing yards. During the 2020 spring season, Utah Tech limited Fort Lewis (3/27/21) to 38 yards passing, which was the second-lowest opponent single game total in program history.
        Meanwhile, the 75 passing yards allowed at EKU last Saturday were the eighth-lowest single game total in Utah Tech's four-year era. 
        Utah Tech currently leads the UAC in passing defense (1,750 yds; 194.4 ypg). 

LIGHT UP THE SCOREBOARD: Utah Tech has scored only five touchdowns over its last 16 quarters, two of which came last Saturday at EKU. 
        The Trailblazers suffered their first FCS era shutout loss nearly three weeks ago in a 42-0 road loss at current No. 7/7 Tarleton State (10/12), which broke the program's 109-game scoring streak. The shutout loss was also just the fourth in the program's NCAA era overall, and was the first since the 2013 season finale at home vs. Central Washington (44-0; 11/16/13).
        The Blazers finally broke their brief scoring drought with a second quarter Bretton Stone touchdown run at the 10:37 mark of the second quarter vs. APSU back on Oct. 19.  

ONE TRAILBLAZER LANDS ON PRESEASON ALL-UAC LIST: Utah Tech had only player voted onto the 2024 United Athletic Conference preseason all-conference team. 
        Redshirt sophomore long snapper Ryan Kean was the lone Trailblazer representative to crack the list, doing so on special teams.  
        Last season, Kean earned first team all-UAC and Stats Perform Freshman All-America honors after he was near perfect on every special teams snap as the Trailblazers' primary long snapper.

GRAFF JOINS ELITE LIST: RS-freshman QB Reggie Graff etched his named on a pretty elite list back in the Abilene Christian game back on Sept. 28, when he became just the seventh different signal caller in the program's NCAA era to pass for, and run for, a touchdown in the same game twice in one season.
        Graff, who also achieved that feat a week earlier at UC Davis (9/21), also became only the fourth different Trailblazer quarterback to do it in consecutive games, and the second during Utah Tech's current NCAA FCS era.
        Former Blazer QB Kody Wilstead did three times during Utah Tech's five-game 2021 spring season, including in each of the program's first two FCS games. In addition, former QBs Blake Barney (2 in 2017), Josh Thompson (2 in 2016), Griff Robles (4 in 2012 and 2013), Stefan Cantwell (3 in 2011) and Dexter Hill (4 in 2008) all achieved the feat multiple times during the program's D-II era, with Robles (three times in two years), Cantwell (once) and Hill (back-to-back-to-back) doing so in consecutive games.
        In all, 17 different players, including 16 quarterbacks and one running back, have both passed and run for a touchdown in the same game in the program's NCAA era overall. 

BARBEN STELLAR IN DEBUT SEASON: True freshman QB Bronson Barben recorded his second two-touchdown game of the season and finished with a career-high 231 passing yards at EKU last Saturday afternoon. Barben also rushed for a career-best 37 yards on 13 carries vs. the Colonels. 
        Barben made a little history in his own right in his collegiate debut at North Alabama (10/5) when he came off the bench and threw for 137 yards on 5-of-8 passing and two second half touchdowns.
        Barben, who came on late in the third quarter at UNA, became the first true freshman in Utah Tech's brief FCS era, and the ninth true freshman in the program's NCAA era overall, to throw a touchdown pass in a game. He was the also the first to it since the 2016 season, when former Blazers signal caller Josh Thompson achieved that feat.
        In addition, Barben became just the fifth true freshman to throw multiple TD passes in the same game, and is only the second Trailblazer QB to throw a touchdown pass in his collegiate debut, joining former Blazer QB Cody Stevenson (2010) on that exclusive list. 

TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS
• Utah Tech racked up a season-best 508 yards of total offense vs. ACU (9/28), including season highs in both rushing (180) and passing (328) yards ... the last time the Trailblazers gained at least 500 yards in a game was last season at North Alabama (507; 10/21/23).
• Utah Tech had 10 different players record at least one reception vs. ACU (9/28), which marked the fourth time in the program's brief FCS era, and the 15th-time overall in the four-year era, that the Trailblazer offense reached double-digits in pass catchers in a single game.
• Graff enjoyed a career night vs. ACU, throwing for a career-best 231 yards on 13-of-22 passing with one touchdown, and he led the Blazers with 79 yards and a fourth-quarter rushing TD - all off the bench ... Graff led three touchdown drives of 70-plus yards, including a 75-yard drive just before halftime that took only 18 seconds, and ended with a 32-yard pass to sophomore TE Eric Olsen with nine seconds to play until halftime. 
• That effort came a week after Graff made his first collegiate start at UC Davis (9/21), against which he ran for a team and career-high 85 yards on 17 carries with one touchdown ... he also threw for 95 yards on 7-of-21 passing and another score.
• Graff rattled off 49 of those yards on consecutive plays in the third quarter, including a career-long 37-yard scamper down the right sideline, which ultimately set up his 12-yard TD run up the middle one play later.
• Graff also completed a 48-yard TD pass to fellow RS-freshman WR Bryce Parker with less than three minutes to play in the game. 
• One week earlier vs. NAU (9/14), Graff led the offense on its longest touchdown drive of the season, a 14-play, 80-yard trek in the fourth quarter which he ended with his first collegiate TD pass, a 23-yard toss over the middle to a sliding Tru Tanner in the back of the end zone. 
• Junior RB Chris Street, who is expected to return to action on Saturday vs. UCA, recorded his first rushing touchdown of the year in the first quarter vs. ACU (9/28), which staked Utah Tech to its first lead of the season ... Street wound up with 44 yards on 15 carries, along with 37 more yards on two receptions en route to a season-best 81 all-purpose yards.  
• Street also hauled in his first collegiate TD pass at UNLV (9/7), a 31-yard catch and run on 4th-and-4 late in the third quarter. 
• Speaking of all-purpose yards, redshirt senior RB/WR/KR Shamar Garrett tallied a season-high 121 all-purpose yards vs. ACU (9/28) ... Garrett hauled in a team-high four passes for 57 yards and ran for 25 more yards on two carries.
• Garrett recorded career highs in both targets (16) and receptions (7) at Tarleton State (10/12), where he finished with 39 receiving yards. 
• Stone has made the most of his opportunities of late, including at Tarleton State (10/12), where he racked up a career-best 72 all-purpose yards, including career highs of five receptions for 51 yards, and he finished with 21 yards on the ground. 
• Stone, who missed the EKU game last Saturday due to injury, has rushed for 124 total yards over his last four outings ... Stone carried the ball nine times for a career-high 44 yards and his second collegiate TD vs. Austin Peay (10/19). 
• Sophomore RB Nygel Osborne ran for a season-best 39 yards on seven carries and his first TD of the season vs. NAU (9/14) ... Osborne's fourth quarter TD was his third rushing score of his brief career - all of which have come at home ... the sophomore also ran for two scores in last year's season finale vs. Southern Utah (11/18).
• Freshman RB Asa Chatman made his collegiate debut vs. Austin Peay (10/19), against which he rushed two times for eight yards and caught both of his targets out of the backfield for 15 yards.
• Chapman saw an increased role last week at EKU, where he carried the ball four times for 28 yards and caught a pair of passes for three yards. 
• Sophomore RB Kona Crowell also saw an increased work load at EKU ... Crowell got the start in the backfield and responded with career highs in all-purpose (74), rushing yards (9 carries, 34 yds) and receiving yards (4 rec., 40 yds). 
• True freshman WR Josh Rillos made the most of time on the field at EKU, against which he led the Trailblazer receiving corps with seven receptions for 72 yards - all were career highs. 
• Parker hauled in his team-leading third TD pass of the season on his lone reception of the day in the third quarter at EKU last Saturday ... Parker caught a screen pass from Barben at the EKU 7 and won the race to the pylon to cap the Blazers' first drive of the second half. 
• Parker just missed recording his first career (and Utah Tech's first of the year) 100-yard game as he finished with a career-best 98 yards on three receptions at North Alabama (10/5) ... Parker's day was highlighted by a 75-yard touchdown pass from Barben with just over nine minutes to play in the fourth quarter. 
• After going two full years without one pass completion to a tight end, the new look Trailblazer offense has recorded 37 of its 148 total season completions (on 67 combined targets), and four of Utah Tech's nine total TD passes, to tight ends through its first nine games.
• Redshirt junior TE Eni Falayi enjoyed his best game as a Trailblazer at EKU last Saturday, where he caught three passes for 52 yards and a fourth quarter TD ... two of Falayi's three receptions came on the team's final drive of the day, including a season-best 32-yard connection with Barben that later set up his first TD of the year from 11 yards out. 
• Falayi returned to action two weeks ago vs. Austin Peay (10/19) and caught all four of his targets for 16 yards ... Falayi had not played since being injured in the season opener vs. Montana State (8/31), against which he caught four passes for 48 yards. 
• Olsen's TD grab just before halftime vs. ACU (9/28) was his first collegiate touchdown ... Olsen finished with a career-high 60 yards on three receptions vs. ACU. 
• Senior TE Alec Burton was finally able to do the one thing he had waited his whole college career for - catch a touchdown pass ... Burton scored his first collegiate TD on the third play from scrimmage at UNLV (9/7) when QB Deacon Hill found him all alone over the middle for a 61-yard scoring strike.
• That touchdown catch was Burton's first reception as a Trailblazer, and just his 17th collegiate reception overall ... Burton spent six seasons at Ohio University, where he recorded 16 catches for 118 yards in 33 games as a Bobcat.
• Burton's TD catch at UNLV was also the first by a Blazer tight end in 24 games ... prior to the Burton grab, the last TD catch by a tight end came in the 2021 fall finale vs. Missouri State (Cade Veach - 11/20/21). 
• Two of Burton's three total receptions of the season have gone for touchdowns, including a 39-yard pass from Barben on 4th-and-1 early in the fourth quarter at UNA (10/5) ... Burton also had one catch for 16 yards at EKU last Saturday.  
• Sophomore safety Brevin Hamblin has been a one-man tackling machine for the Trailblazer defense of late ... Hamblin posted his fourth-straight, double-digit tackle start, with a co-game high 11 tackles (9 solo) at EKU last Saturday.
• That effort came on the heels of a career-high 12 tackle day a week earlier vs. Austin Peay (10/19) ... Hamblin, who has recorded double figures in tackles five times this season and six times in his brief career overall, also registered 10 stops at Tarleton State (10/12), and 11 more at North Alabama (10/5), to go with 10 tackles and a forced fumble at UNLV (9/7).  
• Hamblin's currently stretch vaulted him into the UAC conference lead with 73 total tackles (40/33).  
• Not to be outdone, redshirt freshman DB Quincy Lejay tied Hamblin with 11 tackles at EKU last Saturday, including 10 solo stops, both of which were career highs. 
• Lejay was pressed into duty last month vs. NAU (9/14), and he responded with seven tackles, including a 0.5 TFL ... Lejay bettered that one week later with a then-career best nine tackles, and career highs in PBUs (2-team high) and TFLs (1.0) at UC Davis (9/21). 
• Junior LB Jared Fotu racked up a career-high 1.5 TFLs vs. Austin Peay (10/19) and finished with eight total tackles on the day ... Fotu, who tallied five solo tackles at EKU last Saturday, has registered at least 0.5 TFLs in four of his last five games overall, including a season-high 11 tackles with 1.0 TFL vs. ACU (9/28). 
• Utah Tech collected 6.0 total TFLs vs. Austin Peay (10/19), with sophomore LB Jarron Polu notching his first collegiate sack in the fourth quarter ... RS-senior OLB Fisher Jackson tallied his second sack of the year in the first quarter, which was one of five total tackles he picked up on the day.
• Senior DL John Sniffen accounted for Utah Tech's lone sack and two of the three total TFLs at EKU last Saturday ... Sniffen's sack was his third (first solo) of the season, while his 2.0 TFLs were a career high and vaulted him into the overall team lead (5.5 TFL). 
• Last Saturday's game at EKU also marked a few more firsts for a pair of defensive players as freshmen DBs Jeremiah Jimoh (career-high 5 tackles) and Kyle Parker (3 tackles) made their first collegiate starts.
• RS-junior DB Gabriel Valenzuela notched a career high with nine tackles, and picked off his second career interception, at Tarleton State (10/12) ... Valenzuela's nine stops eclipsed his previous high of eight set in the season opener vs. Montana State (8/31), while his interception was the Trailblazer defense's first of the year.
• Valenzuela also recovered his first fumble of the year a tremendous touchdown-saving stop made by Hamblin and RS-junior DB Jayden Sheridan, who stripped the football away from APSU RB Corey Richardson near the goal line early in the fourth quarter.
• Sheridan tied a season high with six solo tackles in the APSU loss ... Sheridan also tallied six solo stops vs. ACU (9/28), against which both he (career-high 2 PBU) and sophomore DB Scooter Jackson (6 tackles; 1 PBU) combined for three PBUs.  
• Freshman OLB Rick Mua'e currently stands in t-third on the UAC's sack list (4.5), which includes a half-sack at Tarleton State (10/12), and a third quarter strip sack vs. ACU (9/28) ... Mua'e has recorded all of his sacks over his last seven games overall, including 1.5 sacks (for 18 yards) at UC Davis (9/21), which was part of a six-tackle night.
• Mua'e enjoyed a breakout performance at UNLV (9/7), against which he collected eight total tackles and 1.5 TFLs, including his first collegiate sack late in the first half.
• RS-junior safety Jagger Williams led the Trailblazer defensive effort with 10 total tackles (four solo), along with a 0.5 TFL and one PBU vs. Montana State (8/31) ... Williams' 10 tackles were one off of his career high of 11 he set last year vs. Eastern Kentucky (10/28/23).
• RS-junior DL Laytan Tanuvasa notched the game's lone sack in the season opener vs. MSU (8/31), which came in the second quarter as he bolted into the Bobcat backfield virtually untouched and dropped MSU QB Tommy Mellott for a nine-yard loss on 1st and 10 on the Blazer 11 yard line.
• Tanuvasa's sack served as a precursor for arguably the play of the night for the Trailblazers as the Utah Tech defense forced MSU to settle for a 26-yard field goal attempt, which was blocked by Scooter Jackson.
• Jackson got a great jump on the snap and flew around the left side to make the diving rejection, which was recovered by junior DL Cody Carlson at the Blazer 26 yard line.
• Jackson's field goal block was Utah Tech's first since former DL Max Christensen III blocked a field goal try nearly one year-to-the-day on the road at another "MSU" opponent in Missouri State (9/23/23). 
• Senior punter Andy Day was named UAC Football Specialist of the Week (9/2) after he tied his own school record with 10 punts in the opener vs. Montana State (8/31) ... Day punted for 468 yards (46.8 ypp), including two kicks downed inside the 20 yard line, while his 468 yards were the second-most in the program's NCAA era.
• Day, who is Utah Tech's career leader in total punts (233) and punt yardage (9,750), punted nine times for 372 yards (41.3 ypp) vs. Austin Peay (10/19) ... that effort came after he punted nine times for 383 yards (42.6 ypp) three weeks ago at Tarleton (10/12), with a career-best five punts of those downed inside the Texan 20-yard line ... Day is also third on Utah Tech's career yards/punt list (41.84 ypp).
 • Day enters the week at the NCAA Division I leader at both FBS and FCS subdivisions in punt yardage (3,005), and is the UAC leader in 50-plus yard punts (11) and punts I20 (19).  

#AB3FOREVER: Just prior to the start of the 2024 campaign Utah Tech announced that junior running back Chris Street was awarded the No. 3 jersey for the upcoming season.
        The awarding of the No. 3 jersey is the fifth 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. 
        Head coach Lance Anderson noted that he recently took some time to get familiar with the story of Reinhardt, both as a student-athlete and as a young man. He quickly realized the importance and the impact this tradition has on the Trailblazer football program, a tradition he is very eager to continue.
         "Once I heard the story about Abe Reinhardt, the kind of person he was, the kind of football player he was, and his tragic passing, I was very touched and felt like this is something we need to continue," said Coach Anderson. "I felt it was very important that our team understands who he was and what this jersey truly represents.
        "I have been impressed by Chris since I got here," Coach Anderson added. "His outgoing personality, his positive outlook, and I really feel like he also represents all the other traits that we talked about what this jersey represents. Toughness, hard work, accountability, trust, leadership – Chris demonstrates all those qualities, and I think he'll do a great job wearing that jersey and representing Abe."

ABOUT THE CENTRAL ARKANSAS "BEARS": Central Arkansas makes its first trip out to St. George on a bit of a roll, having won two-straight and five of its last six after a tightly contested season-opening 34-31 road loss at FBS member Arkansas State (8/31). 
        Four of the Bears' six wins on the year have come at home, including back-to-back UAC wins over both West Georgia (W, 34-33) back on Oct. 12, and North Alabama (W, 24-19) last Saturday. Both of UCA's losses have been one-possession affairs, with the last coming on the road at Abilene Christian (L, 34-41) this past Oct. 5.
        UCA enters the weekend second in the UAC in both total offense (453.0 ypg) and total defense (373.3 ypg) through eight games. In addition, the Bears lead the conference in both rushing offense (1,773 yds; 221.6 ypg - #7 FCS), and rushing defense (940 yds; 117.5 ypg).
        Senior RB ShunDerrick Powell (5-9; 180) begins the week as the NCAA FCS leader in all-purpose yards (1,452 yds; 181.5 ypg), and is the nation's third-leading rusher overall (1,177 yds; 147.1 ypg). 
        Powell, who is second in the FCS in total touchdowns (16) and t-fourth nationally in rushing TDs (13), had rushed for at least 120 yards in seven of his first eight starts and scored two touchdowns in six-straight games to begin the year. 
        Meanwhile, senior quarterback Will McElvain (5-11; 185) has thrown for an even 1,800 yards on 154-of-2225 passing and 13 touchdowns over his first eight starts. McElvain has completed at least touchdown pass in all eight games, including a season-high three TD tosses last week at UNA, while he threw for a season-high 326 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the loss at ACU (10/5). 
        Outside of Powell (31 rec., 275 yds), McElvain's favorite target is senior Oklahoma transfer wideout Trejan Bridges (6-1; 185), who has caught 30 balls for 395 yards and one TD. 
        On defense, three-time All-American and two-time conference DPOW senior LB David Walker (6-2; 228) co-leads all of FCS with 15.5 TFLs, and is the UAC leader with 7.0 sacks (t-12th FCS). Last week vs. UNA, Walker became UCA's career TFL leader (54.5) and broke the Bears' single game records for TFLs (3.0) and forced fumbles (3) on his way to UAC and Reese's Senior Bowl National Defensive Player of the Week honors. 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: After playing for 10-straight weeks, Utah Tech will finally get to enjoy a weekend off next week. Following their bye, the Trailblazers will close out their 2024 home slate by hosting West Georgia on Senior Day Saturday, Nov. 16. Kickoff inside Greater Zion Stadium is set for 2 p.m. (MT).