This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Cedar City • One year ago, Southern Utah football coach Ed Lamb had a two-headed monster at quarterback.
The result was scary.
Senior Aaron Cantu was the incumbent, and Lamb wanted to be fair to him. After all, he had led SUU to an 8-4 record and its first-ever Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth in 2013.
However, the Thunderbirds had BYU transfer Ammon Olsen on the roster. He had more physical tools than Cantu and made the offense more diverse and explosive.
Initially, Lamb stuck with Cantu. He started the first three games against Nevada, third-ranked Southeast Louisiana and 11th-ranked South Dakota State. Southern Utah lost all three before Olsen took over.
This season, there is no controversy. Olsen, who threw for 3,049 yards and 21 touchdowns as a junior, is Southern Utah's No. 1 quarterback.
According to Lamb, the pecking order has made the preseason more productive. Along with a softer schedule — beyond the opener at Utah State — he hopes the quarterback clarity leads to a faster start and more successful season.
"The focus has been better," Lamb said, "because we have one clear starter."
Two other factors could help Southern Utah, which finished 3-10 overall and 3-5 in the Big Sky Conference last year.
First, the coaching staff is more stable. Coordinators Gary Crowton (offense) and Demario Warren (defense) are starting their second season on the jobs after a major shake-up in 2014.
"That's been a big help," Lamb said. "… We've been able to quickly zero in on how to best fit the players into what we do. That's hard when there are coaching transitions. We're definitely in a better place."
The Thunderbirds also are more experienced. Eleven seniors will start, compared to three last season.
Olsen leads what should be a productive offense while the defense could be noticeably better.
"We wore out a little bit last year, and our confidence waned," Lamb said. "
The anchors are defensive end James Cowser and DBs LeShaun Sims and Miles Killebrew. All three have caught the eye of NFL scouts, according to Lamb.
"We had those guys last year but didn't put the team around them that we needed," he said. "Other teams game-planned away from them."
The return of linebacker Matt Holley will help. Holley missed last season with an injury after being third-team All-Big Sky in 2013.
Twitter: @sluhm —
Southern Utah schedule
All times Mountain
Sept. 3 • at Utah State, 7 p.m.
Sept. 12 • at South Dakota St., 5 p.m.
Sept. 19 • vs. No. Colorado, 6 p.m.
Sept. 26 • vs. Brevard, 6 p.m.
Oct. 2 • at Weber State, 6 p.m.
Oct. 17 • vs. Sacramento St., 6 p.m.
Oct. 24 • at UC Davis, 5 p.m.
Oct. 31 • vs. Cal Poly, 3 p.m.
Nov. 7 • at Montana St., 1 p.m.
Nov. 14 • at Portland St., 3:05 p.m.
Nov. 21 • vs. No. Arizona, 4 p.m.