2023 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football team

The 2023 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football team represented Southern Utah University in the United Athletic Conference (UAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach DeLane Fitzgerald, the Thunderbirds played their games at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City, Utah.

2023 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football
ConferenceUnited Athletic Conference
Record6–5 (4–2 UAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorTye Hiatt (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorJohn Kelling (2nd season)
Home stadiumEccles Coliseum
2023 United Athletic Conference standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 18 Austin Peay $^  6 –0   9 –3  
Central Arkansas  4 –2   7 –4  
Southern Utah  4 –2   6 –5  
Eastern Kentucky  4 –2   5 –6  
Tarleton State*  4 –2   8 –3  
Abilene Christian  3 –3   5 –6  
North Alabama  1 –5   3 –8  
Utah Tech*  1 –5   2 –9  
Stephen F. Austin  0 –6   3 –8  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • Note: Tarleton State and Utah Tech are ineligible for the UAC title and FCS postseason play due to transitions from NCAA Division II.
Rankings from STATS Poll

After the 2022 season, the WAC and the ASUN Conference, which had partnered in a football-only alliance in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, fully merged their football leagues, creating what eventually became the United Athletic Conference.[1]

Schedule
DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
August 318:00 p.m.at Arizona State*
P12NL 21–2447,773
September 91:00 p.m.at BYU*
ESPN+L 16–4160,834
September 168:00 p.m.at No. 16 UC Davis*
ESPN+L 21–237,942
September 236:00 p.m.Western Illinois*
ESPN+W 37–176,504
September 306:00 p.m. No. 25 Central Arkansas
  • Eccles Coliseum
  • Cedar City, UT
ESPN+L 27–294,013
October 75:00 p.m.Tarleton State
ESPN+W 27–2610,835
October 216:00 p.m.No. 24 Austin Peay
  • Eccles Coliseum
  • Cedar City, UT
ESPN+L 45–48 2OT3,547
October 281:00 p.m.Abilene Christian
  • Eccles Coliseum
  • Cedar City, UT
ESPN+W 52–142,969
November 41:00 p.m.Lincoln (CA)*
  • Eccles Coliseum
  • Cedar City, UT
ESPN+W 35–63,023
November 113:00 p.m.at Stephen F. Austin
ESPN+W 45–176,835
November 187:00 p.m.at Utah Tech
ESPN+W 24–166,077

[2][3]

Game summaries

at Arizona State
See also: 2023 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
Southern Utah Thunderbirds (0–0) vs Arizona State Sun Devils (0–0) – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Thunderbirds 0 7 7721
Sun Devils 7 14 0324

at Mountain America Stadium • Tempe, AZ

  • Date: August 31, 2023
  • Game time: 7:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 102 °F (39 °C)
  • Game attendance: 47,773
  • Referee: Cravonne Barrett
  • TV announcers (Pac-12 Network): Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Lincoln Kennedy (analyst)
Game information
First quarter
  • (9:00) ASU – Cameron Skattebo 6-yard run, Dario Longhetto kick (Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 1:59; Arizona State 7–0)
Second quarter
  • (11:05) SUU – Targhee Lambson 1-yard run, Tyler Graham kick (Drive: 11 plays, 62 yards, 6:43; Tied 7–7)
  • (5:32) ASU – Xavier Guillory 47-yard pass from Jaden Rashada, Dario Longhetto kick (Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 2:37; Arizona State 14–7)
  • (0:02) ASU – Troy Omeire 3-yard pass from Jaden Rashada, Dario Longhetto kick (Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 2:54; Arizona State 21–7)
Third quarter
  • (0:49) SUU – Zack Mitchell 17-yard pass from Justin Miller, Tyler Graham kick (Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 3:39; Arizona State 21–14)
Fourth quarter
  • (13:41) ASU – Dario Longhetto 38-yard field goal (Drive: 4 plays, -14 yards, 1:49; Arizona State 24–14)
  • (7:50) SUU – George Ramirez 47-yard blocked punt return, Tyler Graham kick (Drive: 9 plays, 27 yards, 4:40; Arizona State 24–21)
StatisticsSUUASU
First downs1119
Total yards226371
Rushes/yards87135
Passing yards139236
Passing: Comp–Att–Int9–18–018–31–0
Time of possession30:4829:12
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Southern UtahPassingJustin Miller8/17, 123 yards, TD
RushingBraedon Wissler15 carries, 45 yards
ReceivingZach Mitchell4 receptions, 52 yards, TD
Arizona StatePassingJaden Rashada18/31, 236 yards, 2 TD
RushingCameron Skattebo17 carries, 75 yards, TD
ReceivingXavier Guillory5 receptions, 73 yards, TD

at BYU
See also: 2023 BYU Cougars football team
Southern Utah at BYU
1 234Total
Thunderbirds 3 076 16
• Cougars 6 2177 41
Sources:
Statistics SUU BYU
First downs1618
Plays–yards60–34655–394
Rushes–yards27–84, 1 TD23–46, 2 TD's
Passing yards262348
Passing: comp–att–int17–33–1, 1 TD22–32–1, 4 TD's
Time of possession31:1928:41
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
SUU PassingJustin Miller16–30–1, 235 yards, 1 TD
RushingTarghee Lambson7 carries, 32 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingZach Mitchell7 receptions, 135 yards
BYU PassingKedon Slovis22–32–1, 348 yards, 4 TD's
RushingLJ Martin6 carries, 27 yards
ReceivingIsaac Rex4 receptions, 112 yards, 1 TD

References
  1. "ASUN-WAC Football Partnership Formally Rebrands as the United Athletic Conference" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  2. "2023 Southern Utah Football Schedule". FBSchedules. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  3. "2023 Football Schedule". Southern Utah University Athletics. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
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