Two seasons ago, Southern Utah used a physical defensive style and a ball control offensive style to win eight games and qualify for the FCS playoffs for the first time in program history.
Last season, Southern Utah’s defense struggled mightily. The Thunderbirds gave up more yards than any team in the country. The 3-9 record made 2013 seem like an outlier rather than a step toward becoming one of the Big Sky Conference’s most elite programs.
But SUU eighth-year head coach Ed Lamb and his staff had a distinct feeling about 2015. And thus far this fall, the Thunderbirds are proving it.
by Brooks Nuanez
The ever-revolving door of players created by Southern Utah’s flexibility with student-athletes going on LDS missions has caused for a roster in flux. Last season, Southern Utah had just two seniors on its defensive two-deep. In the off-season, the defense welcomed back outside linebacker Mike Needham from a mission and Matt Holley from a knee injury. Holley, an All-Big Sky outside linebacker in 2013, moved to inside linebacker. The T-Bird coaching staff also switched the brute strength of Fesi Vaa’ivaka from the offensive line to the defensive line.
Lamb said the off-season was the “best I’ve seen from a work ethic standpoint”. As November begins, SUU has already affirmed itself as one of the top teams in the league. Southern Utah enters Saturday’s game at unranked Montana State with a No. 20 national ranking, a six-game winning streak and a 5-0 mark in Big Sky play. SUU and No. 4 Eastern Washington are the only two teams in the Big Sky that enter November without a league loss.
“Because of our mission situation and when I was hired, this will be the first senior class that is entirely recruited by me,” Lamb said in an interview in May. “Last year, we only had two seniors. I think everything has always been pointing to this 2015 season.”
Last season, SUU began the season 0-4 because of a brutal early-season schedule that included losses at FBS Nevada (28-19), at FCS No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana (41-14), to FCS No. 11 South Dakota State at home (26-6) and at FBS Fresno State (56-16). SUU rallied for three league wins, including a season-ending 22-14 win over Northern Arizona to keep the Lumberjacks out of the FCS playoffs.
SUU head coach Ed Lamb/by Brooks Nuanez
“While we were in the thick of the struggles last year, it was really difficult,” Lamb said last spring. “I really think we had very close to the same caliber team that we have had around here for a long time which is very confident, a bunch of fighters who can compete. We had that last year but our first four games, we were outmatched and injuries started to pile up and we lost a lot of confidence because of it. We lost our identity.”
This season, SUU began 0-2 with a 12-9 loss at FBS Utah State and a 55-10 loss at South Dakota State, a loss Lamb called “humiliating.” But the poor start has sparked the hot streak.
“We still want to have that 0-2 mentality,” Lamb said.
This season, despite the abrupt mid-season departure of veteran offensive coordinator Gary Crowton, the Thunderbirds have been able to establish and maintain an identity on both sides of the ball.
In 2014, SUU had a quarterback controversy that negatively affected the season. Aaron Cantu was the starter during SUU’s run to the playoffs in 2013 but he was underwhelming in Crowton’s wide-open offense. Midway through the season, Lamb decided to go with Ammon Olsen full time. Olsen threw for more than 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns down the stretch but it wasn’t enough to off-set a defense that surrendered 36 points and 526 yards per game.
This season, Olsen has been steady as SUU’s balanced yet fast-paced offense has produced 35 points per game.
Defensively, the return of players like Needham and Holley have reinvigorated the play of NFL hopefuls like All-America defensive end James Cowser, highly-touted All-Big Sky safety Miles Killebrew and lightning-fast All-Big Sky cornerback LeShaun Sims.
The result has been a unit that is giving up 15 points per game. Cal Poly scored five touchdowns last week, the first five TDs SUU has given up during Big Sky play. Southern Utah leads the FCS with 14 interceptions and the T-Birds have scored six times on defense, including three touchdowns by Needham.
QUICK HITS
Location: Cedar City, Utah
Nickname: Thunderbirds
Founded: 1897. The public university was founded by the citizens of Cedar City and is an extension of the Agriculture College of Utah.
Enrollment: The University has 8,066 students and an endowment of $14.7 million.
Stadium: Eccles Coliseum. The 8,500-seat venue opened in 1967. Last fall, SUU averaged 3,261 fans during five home games. In four home games this fall, Southern Utah is averaging 4,718 fans per game.
THE TEAM (5-0 in the Big Sky, 6-2 overall)
The Coach: Ed Lamb, eighth season at Southern Utah. Two years ago season, Lamb led SUU to the playoffs for the first time in school history. The BYU alum is 17-12 in four seasons in the Big Sky and 43-45 overall at SUU.
THE OFFENSE
Ammon Olsen, quarterback, 6-4, 225, senior — Lamb waffled back and forth between Cantu and Olsen, a BYU dropdown with a laser for an arm, for the first half of last season.
Once Olsen became the guy, Southern Utah’s offense took off. The Thunderbirds averaged 28 points and 464 yards per game during Big Sky play as Olsen threw for 3,049 yards and 21 touchdowns overall.
“I made a huge error a year ago and let Ammon and Aaron battle things out throughout the spring and throughout fall camp,” Lamb said in the off-season. “The thing that hurt us was neither guy was getting the appropriate number of reps to prepare to win games. I should have made the tough decision whether it was right or wrong to go one way or another.
“The nice part about this season is Ammon has been the guy since partway through last season. He’s gotten all the reps and he’s gotten consistently better.”
This season, despite going through the OC transition from Crowton to Justin Walterscheid, Olsen has been solid. He’s completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,908 yards (239 per game) and has thrown 14 touchdowns compared to two interceptions. He has also scored three rushing touchdowns.
Malik Brown, running back, 6-1, 207, senior — In the off-season, Lamb said he expected juniors Levi Te’o and Jarom Healy, each who have seen significant time since they were true freshmen, to carry the load. But it’s been Brown who has been the work horse in his final season.
Brown showed flashes last season, rushing for 375 yards on 103 carries. This season, he is averaging 5.1 yards per carry and has piled up 557 yards on 109 carries. His five touchdowns leads the team.
Justin Brown, wide receiver, 6-2, 207, senior — Brown showed his big-play ability last season as he averaged 15.8 yards per catch and scored three touchdowns.
This season, he’s become Olsen’s most consistent target. He has a team-high 39 catches for 507 yards (13 per catch) and his four catches are tied with junior Mike Sharp for the team lead.
Sharp, who came to SUU as a quarterback, has also been a consistent player, catching 23 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns. He’s also rushed for a touchdown
THE DEFENSE
James Cowser, defensive end, 6-4, 260, senior — Cowser’s outstanding individual 2014 got overshadowed by Southern Utah’s defensive struggles.
The Thunderbirds battled a slew of injuries and struggled mightily defensively. SUU ranked dead last in the FCS by giving up 526 yards per game. The team gave up 239 yards per game on the ground, the worst mark in the league.
Cowser couldn’t have done much more to buck the struggles. The surefire Buck Buchanan Award candidate set a Big Sky record with 28.5 tackles for loss, including 11.5 sacks. He had 85 tackles all told, including 50 solos. He forced three fumbles and blocked two kicks.
“For him, it’s the guys around him,” Lamb said in the off-season. “He has shown that he is going to consistently be ready on game day. He works incredibly hard in the off-season and in practice and in the classroom. We’ve got to get the guys around him to support him and make sure he doesn’t have to carry all the weight.”
This season, with added help, Cowser remains productive. He has 51 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks this season. Last week, he recovered two fumbles, including one he took 57 yards for a touchdown. He also notched three tackles behind the line of scrimmage, making him the FCS all-time leader in tackles for loss. The NCAA started recognizing tackles for loss as an official stat in 2001, the year after the Big Sky. Cowser needs 0.5 tackles for loss to break former Idaho State standout Jared Allen’s all-time Big Sky record of 73 tackles for loss in a career. Cowser needs two sacks to match Allen’s Big Sky mark of 38.5.
Matt Holley, linebacker, 6-1, 230, senior — Holley was one of the most productive linebackers in the Big Sky in 2013 in earning second-team All-Big Sky honors. But a knee injury cost him all of last season.
Two years ago, the rangy, athletic outside linebacker piled up a team-high 110 tackles, including 13.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. He intercepted two passes, broke up two more, forced two fumbles and recovered two more.
With Zak Browning, the 2012 Big Sky Freshman of the Year, still out on a mission and Chinedu Ahanonu leaving for one before next season, Holley has been a key cog of SUU’s smothering defense. Holley moved to the Mike linebacker spot and has produced. He is second on the team with 70 tackles, including seven tackles for loss. He has two interceptions, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick.
Miles Killebrew, safety, 6-3, 223, senior — The four-year starter is one of the league’s most physical safeties and also one of its most veteran.
The explosive defensive back has started 44 games and counting for the T-Birds. Last season, he racked up 101 tackles, three interceptions and seven pass breakups to earn second-team All-Big Sky honors.
“Miles Killebrew knows what it takes to dominate on game day,” Lamb said. “Now he has to do it every week.”
This season, Killebrew has been even more dominant. NFL Draft Scout currently rates him as the No. 7 safety prospect in college football. He leads Southern Utah with 84 tackles. He also has 2.5 tackles for loss, six pass breakups, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.
Mike Needham, outside linebacker, 6-4, 210, senior — The athletic, rangy linebacker’s return has been a key infusion for SUU’s defensive resurgence.
This season, Needham has been perhaps the Thunderbirds’ top playmaker. Last week, he notched 20 tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble against Cal Poly. He also recovered two fumbles and returned both for defensive touchdowns. This season, he’s scored three touchdowns. He has 61 total tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack, three interceptions, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a two fumble recoveries.
Photos attribution noted or courtesy of Southern Utah Media Relations. All Rights Reserved.
