This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Southern Utah tries to take a giant step toward winning the Big Sky Conference championship Saturday, when the 15th-ranked Thunderbirds play Portland State.
Southern Utah (7-2, 6-0) can clinch at least a tie for its first Big Sky title by beating the 16th-ranked Vikings. If the Thunderbirds win and Montana defeats second-place Eastern Washington in Missoula, SUU clinches the outright championship.
The Big Sky winner automatically qualifies for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and, usually, earns a first-round bye.
Meanwhile, Portland State (7-2, 4-2) hopes to stay in the race and probably clinch an at-large playoff bid by snapping Southern Utah's school-record seven-game winning streak.
Even though the Vikings have beaten Washington State of the Pac 12 this season, coach Bruce Barnum tried to paint his team as an impossible underdog against the Thunderbirds this week during the Big Sky's weekly media conference call.
"They aren't worried about us," Barnum said. "Come on."
Barnum complimented SUU star defensive end James Cowser: "He's a hell of a football player. He's got the size and the motor. … We'll probably put six guys on him and take our chances with a few others."
Portland State is led by junior quarterback Alex Kuresa, a Mountain Crest High School product who started his career at BYU and transferred to Snow College before ending up with the Vikings.
Twitter: @sluhm —
Southern Utah at Portland State
P At Providence Park, Portland, Ore.
Kickoff • 3:05 p.m. MST
TV • none
Radio • 590-AM
Records • Southern Utah 7-2, 6-0; Portland State 7-2, 4-2
Series • Portland State, 8-3
Last meeting • Southern Utah, 17-7 (2013)
About the Thunderbirds • They have won seven straight games, which is a school record. … They lead the nation in turnover margin (plus-20). … They lead the Big Sky Conference in total defense (345.9) and scoring defense (15.9). … They have scored six defensive touchdowns. … QB Ammon Olsen has thrown for 2,151 yards and 15 touchdowns. He's been intercepted just three times.
About the Vikings • They are 3-1 at home. … They have beaten FBS opponents Washington State (24-17) and North Texas (66-7) this season. … They come off a 35-32 loss at Northern Colorado. … They are eighth nationally in rushing offense (265.7). Senior RB David Jones averages 6.92 yards per carry. … Senior S Patrick Onwuasor leads the country in interceptions (eight).