CEDAR CITY, Utah-Saturday, Southern Utah University football commences their home season by hosting the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks at Eccles Coliseum for a 6:05 pm MDT kickoff.
The Thunderbirds fell to 0-2 on the season by falling 34-14 to Northern Iowa at Cedar Falls, Idaho September 7.
SUU ranks 83rd in the FCS in scoring offense (18.5 points per game), tied with Gardner-Webb, Monmouth and North Carolina A&T.
Defensively, they are tied for 102nd in scoring defense with Western Carolina, Presbyterian, and San Diego, surrendering 45 points per game.
Redshirt sophomore signal-caller Chris Helbig has completed 52.6 percent of his passes (30-57) this season for the Thunderbirds, for 264 yards and has run for three scores. Redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Skidmore has both passing touchdowns on the season for SUU.
Redshirt junior tailback James Felila has run for 67 yards on 84 carries for the Thunderbirds this season and sophomore tailback Lance Lawson averages 7.4 yards per carry (5 car, 38 yards).
Lawson is also the Thunderbirds’ leading receiver thus far on the season with 15 grabs for 120 yards. SUU’s receiving touchdown leader is freshman receiver Zach Nelson, who has both touchdown receptions for the squad this season and four grabs for 85 yards (21.4 yards per catch).
Defensively, redshirt senior safety Kyle Hannemann, redshirt sophomore linebacker Quaid Murray and sophomore defensive end Francis Bemiy have each forced a fumble.
The Lumberjacks come into this game at 0-2 as well, having been routed by FBS Power 5 conference foe Baylor 56-17 and falling to NCAA Division II opponent Tarleton State 37-26.
Stephen F. Austin ranks 75th in the FCS in scoring offense (21.5 points a game) and 104th in scoring defense (46.5 points per contest).
The Lumberjacks are led by sophomore signal-caller Trae Self (29-66, 353 yards, TD/INT) who only completes 43.9 percent of his passes.
Junior tailback Da’Leon Ward (37 car, 159 yards) leads Stephen F. Austin in rushing yards, while the leader in yards per carry is senior tailback Thomas Hutchings (6.8 yards per carry) and the leader in rushing touchdowns is junior tailback Josh McGowen (2 rushing touchdowns, 4.9 yards per carry).
Freshman receiver Xavier Gipson (4 rec, 83 yards, 20.8 yards per reception) is the Lumberjacks’ leading receiver.
Senior linebacker Quin Jones has forced a fumble, to lead the Stephen F. Austin defense.
The series between the Lumberjacks and Thunderbirds dates back to 2002 and is tied 2-2 all-time.
The last meeting in the series occurred September 9, 2017 at Nacogdoches, Texas when the guest Thunderbirds routed Stephen F. Austin 51-14.
