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Southern Utah hopes its second trip to Texas for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs goes better than the first.

Two years ago, the Thunderbirds received an at-large bid to the 24-team tournament. After jumping out to a 10-0 lead at Sam Houston State, they watched the Bearkats rally for a 51-20 win.

On Saturday, Southern Utah enters the playoffs as the Big Sky Conference regular-season champion. The selection committee threw the Thunderbirds several curveballs, however. Not only did they become the first Big Sky champion which failed to receive a first-round bye since 1998, they were sent on the road for a rematch with Sam Houston State.

If Southern Utah wins, it will play No. 4 national seed McNeese State in the second round — also on the road.

The good news for the Thunderbirds?

They are a more well-rounded team than they were in 2013. They have also won eight of their last nine games.

Senior quarterback Ammon Olsen leads SUU's productive offense that was unstoppable in last week's 49-41 win over Northern Arizona, which nailed down the conference title.

"As an offense," Olsen said, "we were treating it as our first playoff game. So the intensity was high."

Looking ahead, Olsen called Sam Houston "a very athletic team — a very coordinated team. They have a lot of talent. They're fast and they're big, so they have their strengths. But I think we're going to bring something they maybe haven't seen in their conference. Our offense is a little bit different. We'll be OK."

The Thunderbirds' defense, led by senior end James Cowser, held FBS member Utah State without an offensive touchdown in a 12-9 loss in the season opener.

"Two years ago, we were [just] happy to get that far," Southern Utah defensive back Miles Killebrew said. "… Now we're right back where we were. [But] the teams are different and our mentality is different. We're looking forward to playing our best."

Cowser agrees: "Hopefully, we perform a little better. I think we're a little more prepared mentally this year."

Coach Ed Lamb said, "I don't think any of our guys are thinking of this an a reward. It's another chance to play together and that's what I've tried to stress. It's another chance for me to coach these guys and that is the only thing I'm trying to accomplish right now."

Twitter: @sluhm —

Southern Utah at Sam Houston State

At Elliott T. Bowers Stadium, Huntsville, Texas

Kickoff • 1 p.m. MST

Live stream • ESPN3

Radio • 590-AM

Records • Southern Utah 8-3, Sam Houston State 8-3

Series • Sam Houston State, 1-0

Last meeting: Sam Houston State, 51-20 (2013)

About the Thunderbirds: They have won eight of their last nine, losing only at Portland State (24-23) in that stretch. … They come off a 49-41 win over Northern Arizona, which clinched the Big Sky Conference championship. … Senior QB Ammon Olsen threw for 433 yards and five touchdowns. … Senior DE James Cowser, the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Sky, has 11 sacks.

About the Bearkats: They have made seven playoff appearances since 2001, including five in a row. … They have reached the national championship game twice (2011, 2012). … They are 8-0 at home in the playoffs. … This season, they rank second nationally in total offense (544.5) and fourth in scoring (43.8). … They have lost to Texas Tech (59-45), Lamar (49-46) and McNeese State (27-10).