Game Notes: UTAH TECH - PDF | TARLETON
Utah Tech Football Media Central
Lance Anderson Coaches Show: TRAILBLAZER SPORTSVISION
Pre-Game/Post-Game Show: TRAILBLAZER SPORTSVISION
Live TV: ESPN+
Live Streaming Video: ESPN+
Live Audio: THE FAN SPORTS NETWORK
Live Stats: vs. TARLETON STATE
Twitter: @UtahTech_Sports | @UtahTech_Fball | #UtahTechBlazers | #UACFootball

TRAILBLAZER TALES 
• After playing four of its first six games on the road, Utah Tech opens the second half of the 2025 season with a three-game homestand that starts with a Saturday night UAC tilt with No. 3/3 Tarleton State inside Greater Zion Stadium.
• Saturday's game vs. Tarleton State will mark the fourth time overall that the two sides have squared off inside Greater Zion Stadium.
• The Trailblazers are 2-3 all-time against the Texans, which includes a 34-28 home victory late in the 2022 season (11/12/22).
• Utah Tech also claimed victory in the first-ever game played between the two sides, a 26-14 road triumph over the then-No. 22 ranked Texans in the Trailblazers' NCAA D-I FCS debut game during the 2021 spring season (2/27/21). 
• However Tarleton State has won three of the last four meetings in the series since that Spring 2021 Blazer victory, including a 42-0 home triumph in Stephenville, Texas (10/12/24). 
• Utah Tech and Tarleton State both began their NCAA Division I transitions at the same time (2020-21), and both schools were granted full NCAA D-I status in July of 2024.
• Both Utah Tech and Tarleton State are also members of the Western Athletic Conference, for one more season.  
• Utah Tech is 0-4 this season, and 5-37 (4-36 overall vs. AFCA) all-time vs. ranked opponents (FCS and D-II) during its NCAA era. 
• The Trailblazers' overall record vs. ranked opponents includes a 1-4 record last season, and a 3-20 mark in its brief time as a D-I FCS program.
• The Trailblazers' last victory over a ranked team came last season at home against then-No. 9/11 Central Arkansas.
• Utah Tech is coming off a tough 23-17 UAC loss at Central Arkansas last Saturday afternoon in Conway. The setback was the Blazers' third one-score loss of the season, and the sixth such loss out of their last nine defeats overall. 
• To date, seven of Utah Tech's 12 2025 opponents are ranked in both of this week's AFCA and Stats Perform top-25 polls. 
• Utah Tech's 2025 schedule is currently predicted as the 14th-hardest (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 fourth season calling the play-by-play action on ESPN+, and he will be joined this Saturday night by former Utah Tech defensive lineman Max Christensen III. In addition, Devin Dixon (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 Trailblazer SportsVision (www.youtube.com/TrailblazerAthletics).
        Along with complete Game Day coverage, Zundel hosts "The Lance Anderson Coaches Show" every Tuesday night on The Fan Sports Network and streamed on Trailblazer SportsVision at 6 p.m. (MT).
 
A TRAILBLAZER WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD...: Even Utah Tech's overall series vs. Tarleton State. A win would also be the Trailblazers' first against a top-three ranked program in its NCAA era, and their sixth victory overall against a ranked team. 
 
"UNITED" FOR ONE MORE SEASON: The 2025 campaign will mark an end of an (brief) era as Utah Tech will compete as a member of the United Athletic Conference for the third, and final, season. The Trailblazers were one of the original charter members of the UAC, which was established in 2023, after they competed in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in football in 2022.
 
GOING "BIG" IN 2026: This past June 25, Utah Tech announced that it had accepted an invitation to join the Big Sky Conference beginning on July 1, 2026. 
            Starting in the 2026-27 season, 13 of the Trailblazers' 16 sports, including football, will compete in the premiere FCS conference in Division I.
 
TAKING ON ALL COMERS: Since transitioning to NCAA Division I FCS status, Utah Tech has faced 27 top-25 teams (3-24) and 18 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 ranked teams and seven 2021 FCS Fall playoff teams, including the 2021 spring national champion (Sam Houston) and runner-up (South Dakota State).
            Utah Tech has also squared off against four FBS programs over that span - New Mexico State (2021 spring in El Paso, Texas), BYU (2022), Colorado State (2023) and UNLV (2024).
 
ABOUT THE TARLETON STATE "TEXANS": Tarleton State travels to St. George with one of the best offenses, and defenses, in the FCS Subdivision in tow. The Texans enter the game ranked in the FCS top-12 in 12 different statistical categories, including leading the country in turnover margin (+2.83), fourth in scoring (48.5 ppg), ninth in rushing offense (226.3 ypg), and 12th in total offense (472.0 ypg).  
            Tarleton has outscored its opponents by a whopping 291-106 in its six wins this season, and has scored at least 50 points in each of its last four games overall, including a wild 52-42 home win over Southern Utah last Saturday night in Stephenville.
            The Texans have a familiar face to Utah Tech fans under center in UAC Preseason Player of the Year Victor Gabalis (6-3, 220). The senior quarterback, who played 11 games for the Trailblazers in 2022, has thrown for 966 yards on 69-for-111 passing and a UAC-best 12 touchdowns with no interceptions in five starts this season.
            Gabalis' favorite target is senior WR Peyton Kramer (5-11, 185), who leads the team in both receptions (23) and yards (475) and is second in TDs (4). Meanwhile, senior TE Dawson Hearne (6-4, 240) leads the UAC in touchdown receptions (5) and has caught nine passes for 99 yards overall, while former Trailblazer wideout Bryce Parker (So., 5-9, 180) has seven receptions for 118 yards and two scores in six games for the Texans. 
            Tarleton State's run game is equally as potent, as the duo of Tre Page III (R-Fr., 5-9, 180; 673 yds/112.1 ypg/6 TDs) and Caleb Lewis (R-Sr., 5-9, 195; 383 yds/63.8 ypg/9 TDs) has combined for 1,056 rush yards and 15 touchdowns to this point of the season. 
            Defensively, senior LB AJ Owens (6-0, 190) leads the Texans with 42 total tackles along with 3.0 TFLs, while fellow senior LB Yasir Holmes (6-4, 240) has racked up a team-high 7.5 TFLs with three sacks. 
 
YOU GOT TO HAVE AN ASA IN THE HOLE: Redshirt freshman RB Asa Chatman was named UAC Freshman of the Week back on Sept. 22, for his efforts in the Trailblazers' 20-9 home victory over Northern Iowa (9/20).  
            Chatman posted career highs of 97 yards on 12 carries (8.1 ypc), highlighted by a 66-yard touchdown run on Utah Tech's first possession of the second half.
            The freshman's touchdown was his second rushing score of the young season, and was his longest collegiate run from scrimmage. The freshman enters this week second on the team with 217 rush yards on 45 carries (4.8 ypc).  
            Chatman has received the starting nod in each of Utah Tech's first six games this season. The freshman tallied a then-career high 63 yards on 11 carries and his first collegiate TD at Northern Arizona (9/6). 
 
RG5: Redshirt junior QB Reggie Graff threw for a season-high 143 yards on 16-for-27 passing, and led Utah Tech with 43 yards rushing two weeks ago at Austin Peay (9/27).
            In fact, Graff has led the Trailblazers in rushing in four of the team's first six games overall, highlighted by a feat that had been done in nearly three full seasons - run for at least 100 yards in a game.
            Graff rushed for a career-high 103 yards on a career-high tying 24 carries in Utah Tech's win vs. Northern Iowa (9/20), and in the process, snapped the program's 28-game drought between individual 100-yard rush games.
            Prior to Graff's career night, former Blazer RB Quali Conley was the last Blazer ball carrier to eclipse the century mark when he went for 155 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown in a 2022 home win over Southern Utah (11/5/22).
            Graff, who also threw for 110 yards and a touchdown vs. UNI, saw his streak of multiple TD passes halted at four games in loss at Northern Arizona (9/6).
            However, Graff DID run for two second-half touchdowns, highlighted a career long 31-yard scoring scamper with just under six minutes to play in the third quarter. The southpaw signal caller then scrambled for an 8-yard touchdown with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
            Graff combined for 149 yards of total offense at NAU, including a team-high 74 rush yards to go with 75 yards on 12-for-24 passing. 
            Graff tossed a pair of touchdown passes and went 4-for-5 for 50 yards in the opener vs. UC Davis (8/30). He also became in the 14th different quarterback in Utah Tech's NCAA era to throw at least one touchdown pass in four-straight games, and was the fourth signal caller to throw for multiple touchdowns in at least four-straight games. 
            Former Trailblazer QB Griff Robles recorded at least one TD pass in a school record 18-straight games spread over two seasons with five-straight, multi-TD games in 2012-13, while Kobe Tracy was the first FCS-era signal caller to achieve the feat, doing so in nine-straight games in 2021-22, and had a six-game streak in 2023 with four-straight multi-TD games. 
            Graff joined Tracy, and current Tarleton State QB Victor Gabalis (at Utah Tech in 2022 - five-straight games with four multi-TD outings), as the only three quarterbacks in the program's FCS era to post streaks of at least four games with at least one TD pass. 
 
RUNNING THE BALL: Utah Tech racked up 239 yards rushing in the Northern Iowa win, its most yards against an FCS opponent and the second most in the program's Division-I era (257 vs. Fort Lewis; 11/13/21).
            While both Chatman and Graff were doing their thing, redshirt senior RB Bretton Stone rattled off a career-best 41 yards on 12 carries against the Panther defense.
 
SPEAKING OF STONE: Stone racked up a career-high 129 yards on six kick-off returns last Saturday at Central Arkansas. Stone became just the third Trailblazer in the program's FCS era to record 100-plus kick-off return yards in a single game, and is the first since his teammate, senior WR/KR Shamar Garrett, tallied 116 yards on four returns last season at home against, coincidentally, Central Arkansas (11/2/24).
            Former Blazer Jalen Powell also achieved the feat twice during the 2021 Fall season. 
 
BARBEN BOUNCES BACK: After missing the last two games due to injury, redshirt freshman QB Bronson Barben returned to action early in the second quarter last Saturday at Central Arkansas. 
            Barben completed 15 of his 28 pass attempts for 199 yards, highlighted by three completions of 35 yards or more. Two of those three completions went to redshirt TE Eric Olsen, including a season-long 49-yard connection and a 39-yard touchdown catch-and-run, both of which came in the second quarter.
            Barben also tossed a 46-yard touchdown pass to sophomore WR Josh Rillos just 91 seconds into the second half.
            Barben's two touchdowns at UCA tied his career high, which was set twice last season, coincidentally also on the road, at both North Alabama (10/5) and Eastern Kentucky (10/26).
 
SECOND HALF STARTERS: Utah Tech has come away with points in five of its six second half opening possessions to this point of the season. After seeing their four-game scoring streak halted at Austin Peay (9/30), the Trailblazers needed only 91 seconds to reach the end zone to begin the second half at Central Arkansas last Saturday.
            The Blazers have scored touchdowns on four of those six drives, two via the run and two more through the air.   
 
PLAYING KEEP AWAY: After recording only six total scoring drives longer than five minutes last season, Utah Tech already has six five-plus minute scoring drives through six games in 2025.
            Two of those instances came in the Northern Iowa (9/20) victory, during which the Trailblazers put together scoring drives of 5:58 and 8:30 in the second half, both of which ended with field goals.
            Utah Tech's 8:30 fourth quarter scoring drive is the Trailblazers' longest in the program D-I era, and was 59 seconds longer than the previous long - a 7:31 second quarter touchdown drive at Colorado State (9/30/23) during the 2023 season. 
 
DIALING LONG DISTANCE: Redshirt junior PK Ilya Uvaydov had a day in the road loss at Idaho (9/13) as he became the first Trailblazer kicker on the program's NCAA era to make not one, but two 50-plus yard field goals in a single game.
            Uvaydov, who leads the UAC and is t-seventh in the FCS rankings in made field goals this season (8-for-11), got the Utah Tech on the scoreboard as time expired in the first half with a school record tying 55-yard boot that just snuck over the crossbar. The junior struck again on the Blazers' first possession of the second half, blasting a 53-yarder, which matched his previous career high he set in last year's finale at Southern Utah (11/23/24).
            Uvaydov (3) joined former kicker Connor Brooksby (5; 2021-23) as the only two Blazer kickers to have multiple 50-plus yard field goals in their careers. In fact, Brooksby nailed a pair of 55-yard field goals in consecutive seasons at home vs. SUU (11/522) and Eastern Kentucky (10/28/23). 
            In all, four Utah Tech kickers have made field goals of at least 50 yards or more, including Jameson Schulz (1 - 50-yd FG vs. Colorado Mesa, 9/10/11) and James Baird (1 - 50-yd FG vs. Fort Lewis, 3/27/21). 
 
SACK GEORGE CITY: Utah Tech's defense enters Saturday's game vs. Tarleton State tied for SEVENTH in the FCS ranks with 17.0 total sacks over the first six games, including six sacks vs. UC Davis (8/30), and three more at Central Arkansas last Saturday.
            Redshirt freshman OLB Dallin Havea has accounted for four of those 17 sacks, including two vs. UCD and another at UCA last Saturday (9/6), which is good for second in the UAC and t-22nd nationally through six full weeks of action. 
            Four different Trailblazers recorded sacks in the Northern Iowa (9/23) win. Three of the sacks were notched by seniors, including DB Devyn Perkins, who picked up his first sack since the 2021 fall season, while OLB Moon Ashby (strip sack) and DL Laytan Tanuvasa also got into the act. Not to be outdone, freshman ILB Daylen Love collected his second collegiate sack and provided the exclamation point for the Blazer defense on the Panthers' final offensive play late in the fourth quarter.
            Love also picked up his third sack last week at UCA, while RS-sophomore DB RJ Jones II notched his first collegiate sack in the first quarter. 
            Meanwhile, the six sacks vs. UCD were the third-highest team total in the FCS in Week #1, the most in a season-opening game in the Trailblazers' NCAA era, and tied for the fifth-most in a single game in the program's four-year history.
 
STAYING UPRIGHT: While the Blazer defense is doing its thing, the Utah Tech offensive line has surrendered only FIVE official sack in 24 quarters this season, which co-leads the UAC (with Tarleton State) and is tied for t-14th in the FCS ranks to this point of the season.
            The Trailblazers' O-Line did not allow a sack in the opener vs. UC Davis (8/30), which marked the eighth time in Utah Tech's NCAA era that the Trailblazers did not allow a defensive sack. Utah Tech's line then repeated the feat at Idaho two weeks later. 
 
DEFENSE (CLAP CLAP) DEFENSE: Utah Tech's defense enjoyed arguably the unit's most dominant performance in the program's brief FCS era in its win over Northern Iowa on Sept. 20. 
            The Trailblazers limited UNI to just 47 yards on the ground, and 207 total yards on the night. The 47 rush yards allowed was lowest single game total by a Blazer opponent in the program's FCS era, and the lowest total in nearly 10 full seasons overall (48 – vs. Simon Fraser; 10/10/15).
            Meanwhile, the 207 total yards of offense surrendered was the lowest total by an FCS opponent against the Blazers since the program transitioned to Division I status in 2020-21.
 
OPPOSING OFFENSES, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM: RS-senior safety Justin Houston returned to action at APSU (9/27) and tallied five tackles in his fourth start of the year.
            Houston got off to hot start this season with a career-high tying 11 tackles and his second-career interception at NAU (9/6), which led to a Utah Tech first quarter touchdown.
            Houston's 11 stops at NAU tied a career high he set as a true freshman in 2020 while at Fresno State in a game against New Mexico (12/12/20). He then followed that up with eight tackles and a career-high two PBUs at Idaho two weeks ago. 
            Meanwhile, Houston's interception came nearly one-year-to-the-day of his first pick, which he recorded last season in the Bulldogs' win over New Mexico State (9/14/24).
            Houston's interception at NAU marked the second-straight week the senior had forced a turnover that resulted in Trailblazer points. In the UC Davis opener (8/30), Houston notched a first quarter strip sack, which was recovered by the defense and led to a Blazer field goal to open the scoring.
 
TRAILBLAZER QUICK HITS
• Utah Tech had split quarterback duties between both Graff and Barben through the first six games of the season, though Graff played the entire game vs. UNI, and took all but one offensive snap at APSU (9/27).
• Graff threw for 45 yards on 6-of-9 passing, but was held to only two net yards on four carries at UCA last Saturday. 
• Barben saw bulk of the playing time in the opener vs. UC Davis (8/30) and threw for 222 yards 24-of-39 passing, and rushed for a team-high 28 yards on nine carries ... Barben recorded 61 yards passing at NAU (9/6), including a first quarter 9-yard touchdown connection with RS-senior WR Daniel Thomason.
• Thomason also snagged his second TD pass of the season, and fourth of his career, on a 5-yard toss from Graff just before halftime in the Northern Iowa win (9/23), which was his first TD grab at home.
• Thomason's touchdown grab at NAU was his first since the 2023 season at Austin Peay (11/11/23) ... in fact, Thomason's first three touchdowns catches had come on the road, including his first collegiate TD at Stephen F. Austin (10/29/22) during the 2022 season. 
• Thanks to his career-high 107 yards on five catches last week at UCA, Olsen heads into this Saturday's game vs. Tarleton tied for first among FCS tight ends and t-79th overall in the FCS Subdivision in total receptions with 25 for 278 yards (3rd among TEs) and two touchdowns ... Olsen recorded a team-high 46 yards on three catches at APSU (9/27), highlighted by a 35-yard gainer in the first quarter. 
• Olsen was targeted a team-high 11 times and caught six of those passes for 46 yards in the opener vs. UC Davis (8/30), including a 1-yard TD catch, and a 31-yard reception on Utah Tech's last possession late in the fourth quarter ... Olsen was also targeted a team-high seven times at NAU (9/6) and hauled in three of those throws for 23 yards. 
• Rillos' 46-yard touchdown grab last week at UCA was the first of his collegiate career ... the sophomore finished with a season-high 67 receiving yards on two catches, which were five yards shy of his career high of 72 receiving yards set last year at Eastern Kentucky (10/26).
• RS-junior Tru Tanner collected three passes for 57 yards in the opener vs. UC Davis (8/30), 45 of which came on touchdown strike from Graff just 54 seconds into the second half.
• Sophomore Kaden Eggett also shined in his Trailblazer debut vs. UC Davis (8/30)  ... Eggett tallied a team-high 58 yards on three receptions, highlighted by a 27-yarder from Barben in the first quarter ... Eggett followed that up with three catches for 59 yards, including a 48-yard pass from Barben on the Blazers' opening drive.  
• For just the 10th time in their brief FCS era, the Trailblazers scored points in all four quarters at NAU (9/6) ... that feat broke a 16-game streak that saw Utah Tech not scoring points in all four quarters of a game.
• Utah Tech is 6-4 when it scores in all four quarters, with the last win coming, coincidentally, at NAU two years ago in Flagstaff (50-36; 9/16/23).
• Utah Tech is 32-for-86 (.372) in third down conversions through six games this season ... however the Trailblazers are just 8-for-28 (.286) over their last two games on third down, this after they went 7-for-15 on third down last in the Northern Iowa win (9/20), and 7-for-16 vs. UC Davis (8/30), including a perfect 6-for-6 with four yards or fewer to go.
• In fact, Utah Tech is 18-for-30 (.600) on third downs of four yards or fewer, including a 15-for-19 (.789) clip from 1-to-3 yards, through six games this season.   
• Utah Tech is 12-for-13 in red zone conversions with seven touchdowns (4 R/3 P) through six games this season.
• However, for just the third time in since transitioning to FCS status, Utah Tech did not record a red zone chance at Idaho (9/13) ... that instance also happened twice last season (vs. Montana State 8/31/24; at North Alabama (10/5/24).  
• Perkins tallied five tackles and recorded his fourth-career interception late in the fourth quarter at UCA last Saturday ... it was the senior CB's first pick in nearly two full seasons (at Austin Peay - 11/11/23). 
• Perkins enjoyed his return to Trailblazer Nation as he tied a career high with seven total tackles in his first start of the year vs. UCD (8/30) ... Perkins, who played four games at Southern Utah last year after spending his first four collegiate seasons at Utah Tech, extended his personal streak of recording at least one tackle to 30-straight games overall after notching five more tackles along with his sack vs. UNI (9/23).
• Ashby announced his return to "The Palouse" with authority by racking up a game and career-high 10 tackles at Idaho (9/13) ... Ashby started his collegiate career across the border at nearby Washington State before transferring to Utah Tech.
• Love continued his solid start to his collegiate career with a team-high eight total tackles (6 solo) and his third solo TFL at Austin Peay (9/27), and three tackles more at UCA last Saturday.
• Love has led Utah Tech in total tackles in two of his first six starts, including 10 stops with a sack in his collegiate debut vs. UC Davis (8/30).
• Jones II tied Love with eight total tackles in his Trailblazer debut at Austin Peay (9/27), and followed that up with six more stops to go with his first collegiate sack at UCA last Saturday. 
• Redshirt junior DL Fasitootai Sagapolu made his long-awaited return to action vs. UC Davis (8/30) and wound up tying a career high with five tackles, along with his second-career sack, and a pass break-up ... "Marley," who racked up four total tackles at UCA last Saturday, missed the entire 2024 season due to injury, this after he recorded 30 total tackles and 2.0 TFLs in 2023.
• RS-senior DL Cody Carlson collected his third-career fumble recovery as a Trailblazer and tallied five tackles vs. UC Davis (8/30) ... Carlson came up with the loose ball following the Houston strip sack, which set up Utah Tech's first points of the night. 
• In fact, Utah Tech scored 10 points on two Aggie turnovers on the night ... junior safety Brevin Czosnykapicked off an Aggie pass at the UCD 45-yard line, which set up the Graff-to-Tanner TD one play later. 
• Czosnyka collected a Utah Tech career high seven tackles at Idaho (9/13), and posted his second-straight, six-tackle effort at Central Arkansas last Saturday. 
• Junior punter Ryan Marks is second in the UAC and is 18th in the FCS ranks in punt average at 43.8 yards per kick ... Marks punted a season-high six times for 247 yards (41.1 ypc) at APSU (9/27), highlighted by a season-long 55-yard boot in the first quarter.
 
#AB3FOREVER: Redshirt senior running back Chris Street was once again been awarded the No. 3 jersey for the 2025 season. The senior is the fourth 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 coach Lance Anderson noted last season that he 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."

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Following its bye week next week, Utah Tech returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 24, when it hosts in-state rival Southern Utah in a Homecoming "Battle for the Ax" showdown. 
            Kickoff inside Greater Zion Stadium is set for 6 p.m. (MT).