2022 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football team

The 2022 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football team represented Southern Utah University in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach DeLane Fitzgerald, the Thunderbirds played home games at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City, Utah. Previously a member of the Big Sky Conference for a decade, this was Southern Utah's first season in the WAC.

2022 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football
ConferenceWestern Athletic Conference
Record5–6 (1–3 WAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBlair Peterson (1st season)
Defensive coordinatorJohn Kelling (1st season)
Home stadiumEccles Coliseum
Seasons
← 2021
2023 →
2022 WAC–ASUN Challenge football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Eastern Kentucky $^   4 1     7 5  
Central Arkansas   4 1     5 6  
Austin Peay   3 1     7 4  
Stephen F. Austin   2 1     6 5  
Abilene Christian   1 1     7 4  
Kennesaw State   1 3     5 6  
Southern Utah   0 3     5 6  
North Alabama   0 4     1 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll
2022 Western Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Stephen F. Austin +   3 1     6 5  
Abilene Christian +   3 1     7 4  
Sam Houston *   3 2     5 4  
Utah Tech *   2 2     4 7  
Tarleton *   1 3     6 5  
Southern Utah   1 3     5 6  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • * Note: Sam Houston ineligible for WAC championship and FCS postseason play due to start of transition to FBS; Tarleton and Utah Tech ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II.
Rankings from STATS Poll

Schedule

edit

Southern Utah and the WAC announced the 2022 football schedule on January 12, 2022.[1][2]

DateTimeOpponentSiteTVResultAttendance
September 16:00 p.m.St. Thomas (MN)*ESPN+W 44–135,000
September 1011:30 a.m.at No. 13 (FBS) Utah*P12NL 7–7351,531
September 173:00 p.m.at Western Illinois*ESPN+W 17–105,024
September 246:00 p.m.Utah Tech 
  • Eccles Coliseum
  • Cedar City, UT
ESPN+W 31–178,069
October 14:00 p.m.at No. 25 Eastern Kentucky*ESPN+L 28–3514,099
October 86:00 p.m.Tarleton State
  • Eccles Coliseum
  • Cedar City, UT
ESPN+L 40–424,132
October 152:30 p.m.at Abilene ChristianESPN+L 18–2110,229
October 221:00 p.m.Stephen F. Austin
  • Eccles Coliseum
  • Cedar City, UT
ESPN+L 38–413,268
November 511:00 a.m.at Utah Tech*ESPN+L 36–486,903
November 1211:00 a.m.Lincoln (CA)*
  • Eccles Coliseum
  • Cedar City, UT
ESPN+W 55–03,556
November 1911:00 a.m.at Sam HoustonESPN+W 17–77,059

Game summaries

edit

St. Thomas (MN)

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Tommies 7 0 6 0 13
Thunderbirds 10 10 11 13 44

At No. 13 (FBS) Utah

edit
Overall record Previous meeting Previous winner
2–0 September 1, 2016 Utah Utes
Southern Utah Thunderbirds (1–0) vs No. 13 Utah Utes (0–1) – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Thunderbirds 7 0 007
No. 13 Utes 7 38 141473

at Rice-Eccles StadiumSalt Lake City, UT

  • Date: September 10, 2022
  • Game time: 11:30 a.m.
  • Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
  • Game attendance: 51,531
  • Referee: Mark Duddy
  • TV announcers (Pac-12 Network): Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Lincoln Kennedy (analyst)
Game information
First Quarter
  • (10:33) UTAH – Tavion Thomas 13-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 4:24; Utah 7–0)
  • (2:22) USU – Grady Robison 28-yard run, Micah Petit kick (Drive: 1 plays, 28 yards, 0:08; Tied 7–7)
Second Quarter
  • (14:38) UTAH – Tavion Thomas 7-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:35; Utah 14–7)
  • (13:27) UTAH – Chris Curry 12-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 1:05; Utah 21–7)
  • (8:34) UTAH – Jordan Noyes 26-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 2:12; Utah 24–7)
  • (4:13) UTAH – Brant Kuithe 2-yard pass from Cameron Rising, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:49; Utah 31–7)
  • (1:08) UTAH – Dalton Kincaid 37-yard pass from Cameron Rising, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 1:30; Utah 38–7)
  • (0:12) UTAH – Dalton Kincaid 6-yard pass from Cameron Rising, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 0:28; Utah 45–7)
Third Quarter
  • (13:53) UTAH – R. J. Hubert 39-yard interception return, Jordan Noyes kick (Utah 52-7)
  • (7:49) UTAH – Jaylon Glover 4-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:06; Utah 59–7)
Fourth Quarter
  • (14:18) UTAH – Thomas Tassmin 29-yard pass from Bryson Barnes, Jordon Noyes kick (Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:31; Utah 66–7)
  • (10:54) UTAH – Jaylon Glover 29-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 2 plays, 72 yards, 0:52; Utah 73–7)
Statistics SUU UTAH
First downs 4 31
Total yards 85 598
Rushes/yards 21–43 42–246
Passing yards 42 352
Passing: Comp–Att–Int 11–23–2 23–29–0
Time of possession 23:34 36:26
Team Category Player Statistics
Southern Utah Passing Justin Miller 11/21, 42 yards, 2 INT
Rushing Grady Robison 2 carries, 27 yards, TD
Receiving Timothy Patrick 4 receptions, 17 yards
Utah Passing Cameron Rising 17/23, 254 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Chris Curry 6 carries, 66 yards, TD
Receiving Dalton Kincaid 7 receptions, 107 yards, 2 TD

At Western Illinois

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Thunderbirds 10 0 0 7 17
Leathernecks 0 3 0 7 10

Utah Tech

edit

At No. 25 Eastern Kentucky

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Thunderbirds 0 14 7 7 28
No. 25 Colonels 7 14 7 7 35

Tarleton State

edit
1 2 3 4 Total
Texans 0 14 21 7 42
Thunderbirds 0 10 3 27 40

At Abilene Christian

edit

Stephen F. Austin

edit

At Utah Tech

edit

Lincoln (CA)

edit

Sam Houston

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ Sean Ellertson (January 12, 2022). "Southern Utah University ... announce 2022 football schedules ..." St. George Spectrum & Daily News. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  2. ^ Brad James (January 12, 2022). "2022 SUU Football Schedule Released Wednesday ..." Mid-Utah Radio. Retrieved June 7, 2022.