TRAILBLAZER TALES

• Utah Tech starts the second half of the 2026 season by playing three of its next four games away from home, starting with a road date at Portland State on Saturday afternoon.
• Saturday’s game will mark the first-ever meeting between in the Trailblazers and Vikings on the gridiron.
• Saturday’s game will also serve as Utah Tech’s first visit to “The Beaver State” since making the move to NCAA Division I status on July 1, 2020.
• In fact, you have to go back all the way to the 2014 season to find the last time the Trailblazers played a game in the state of Oregon.
• Utah Tech was an annual visitor to Oregon from 2008 to 2014 as a football playing member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), in which then-Dixie State played Western Oregon twice a year in a home-and-home conference format.
• Saturday’s game at Portland State is the second of four conference games Utah Tech will play against first-time Big Sky opponents.
• The Trailblazers have already crossed Northern Colorado (9/26) off the list, and they will face both Cal Poly (10/24) and Eastern Washington (11/14) later this season.
• In all, Utah Tech will have played 11 of a possible 12 Big Sky opponents this season, though only nine of those 11 games will count in the conference standings as the Trailblazers’ games against both Montana (9/12) and Northern Arizona (9/19) were non-conference affairs.
• The only Big Sky team Utah Tech will not play this season is Idaho, which the Blazers faced last season in Moscow.

LIVE STATS/AUDIO/STREAM INFO: Live stats and audio/video streaming information and links for this Saturday afternoon’s game at Portland State can be found online at utahtechtrailblazers.com.

UTAH TECH ON THE AIR: All Utah Tech football games this season are broadcast live on The Fan Sports Network (99.5/95.3 FM in St. George; 93.1 FM/1400 AM in Cedar City; www.thefansportsnetwork.com), while all home games will be streamed live online on ESPN+.

        The “Voice of the Trailblazers” Rod Zundel is in his fifth season calling the play-by-play action, and will be on the call this Saturday afternoon from Hillsboro Stadium on The Fan Sports Network.

        As part of this season’s game day broadcast coverage, Utah Tech airs a 60-minute comprehensive pregame show, and 30-minute post-game show, both of which air live on The Fan Sports Network and streamed live on YouTube on Trailblazer SportsVision (youtube.com/TrailblazerAthletics).

        Along with complete Game Day coverage, Zundel hosts “The Lance Anderson Coaches Show” every Tuesday night on The Fan Sports Network and streamed on Trailblazer SportsVision at 6 p.m. (MT).

A TRAILBLAZER WIN ON SATURDAY WOULD…: Stop Utah Tech’s current nine-game losing skid, which dates back to the final three games of the 2025 season. A win would also be Utah Tech’s second against a Big Sky foe, and would be Lance Anderson’s first road victory at Trailblazer head coach.

LAST TIME OUT: Despite a season-high 572 yards of offense, coupled with a school record-tying four total touchdowns from junior running back Ace Chatman, Utah Tech football could not overcome a potent Southern Utah run game as the Trailblazers dropped a 46-33 decision in the annual “Battle For the Ax” rivalry game last Saturday night inside Greater Zion Stadium.

SO ABOUT THE 2026 SCHEDULE: Utah Tech’s 2026 schedule is ranked as the second-hardest in the current Massey Ratings, and is currently rated as the fifth-hardest in the WarrenNolan.com ELO FCS strength of schedule ratings (out of 128 FCS teams).

Coincidentally, according to the Massey Ratings, the Blazers’ 2026 slate is second only behind – Portland State, which has played road games at both Oregon and San Diego State over its first five weeks of the season.

The Trailblazers’ schedule currently features five of their Big Sky opponents ranked in this week’s FCS top-25 polls. Meanwhile week No. 2 opponent, BYU, is ranked eighth in both the current USA Today/AFCA Coaches’ and Associated Press Top-25 polls.

TAKING ON ALL COMERS: Since transitioning to NCAA Division I FCS status in 2020-21, Utah Tech has faced 33 top-25 teams (3-30) and 27 total FCS playoff teams.

        In fact, Utah Tech’s 2021 fall schedule was rated as the second-toughest schedule in the entire country and featured seven ranked teams and seven 2021 FCS Fall playoff teams, including the 2021 spring national champion (Sam Houston) and runner-up (South Dakota State).

Utah Tech has also squared off against four FBS programs over that span – New Mexico State (2021 spring in El Paso, Texas), BYU (2022 and 2026), Colorado State (2023) and UNLV (2024).

ABOUT THE PORTLAND STATE “VIKINGS”: Portland State enters this Saturday’s game coming off a well-deserved bye week, this after the Vikings collected their first win of the season, a last second 44-41 walk-off Big Sky road victory at Weber State back on Sept. 26.

Like Utah Tech, Portland State (1-4/1-1 Big Sky) opened its season with a difficult four-game stretch, which began with a close 31-24 home loss to current No 11/14 UC Davis (8/29) in Week #0. The Vikings also suffered lopsided losses road losses to FBS opponents San Diego State and current No. 13 Oregon, both of which bookended a 47-23 home setback to current FCS No. 7/4 North Dakota.

The Vikings’ offense goes as their running game goes, with junior RB Delon Thompson leading the way. Thompson is coming off a career day in the win at Weber State, against which he ran for 213 yards on 23 carries and three touchdowns.

Meanwhile, junior quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele made his first start of the season at Weber State and completed 9-of-24 passing for 161 yards and one touchdown.

Senior Terence Loville is the Vikings’ top receiving threat, having hauled in 22 passes for 401 yards and two touchdowns. Loville has a pair of 100-yard receiving games to his credit so far, including a 130-yard night on five receptions and a score in the win at Weber State two weeks ago.

Defensively, junior safety Isaac Redford leads Portland State with 40 total tackles and two interceptions, while freshman defensive lineman Avery Ducsik leads the Viking defense with 2.0 sacks and 4.0 TFLs overall.

SEASON HIGHS FOR THE OFFENSE: Utah Tech put up a season high 572 yards of total offense against Southern Utah last Saturday night. That 572-yard number also included season highs in both passing yards (391) and rushing yards (181).

Last Saturday night’s feat marked the ninth time in the program’s brief NCAA Division I era that the Trailblazers gained at least 500 yards of offense in a game.

In fact, the Blazers’ 572 total yards gained were the third-most in the D-I era, and were the most since Utah Tech racked up 508 yards vs. Abilene Christian (9/28/24) during the 2024 season.

In the 2022 season, Utah Tech gained 500-plus yards in five games, including a D-I era record 603 yards vs. Southern Utah (11/5/22), and 579 yards at Sacramento State (9/3/22).

EVERYBODY EATS: Utah Tech junior quarterback Bronson Barben tied a school single game record at Montana back on Sept. 12, when he completed at least one pass to 11 different receivers.

That feat marked the SEVENTH time in the program’s brief FCS era, and the 18th-time overall in the four-year era, that the Trailblazer offense reached double-digits in pass catchers in a single game.

The last time Utah Tech reached double figures in pass receivers in a game came in last season’s finale vs. Eastern Kentucky (10; 11/22/25).

Meanwhile, the 11-receiver plateau has been reached 10 different times, with the last instance coming in the 2024 season finale on the road at Southern Utah (11/23/24).

2026 TRAILBLAZER FOOTBALL POSITION-BY-POSITION NOTES

QUARTERBACK

• Fifth-year Deacon Hill made his first start in over two seasons last Saturday night vs. Southern Utah and threw for a career high 226 yards on 9-for-17 passing and one touchdown before leaving the game late in the second quarter due to injury.
• Four of Hill’s nine completions went for at least 37 yards, including his first completion, a 47-yarder to Darnell O’Quinn, which set up a Trailblazer field goal on Utah Tech’s opening possession.
• Hill also carried the ball four times for 25 yards vs. SUU.
• Barben came on following the Hill injury and completed 11 of his 21 pass attempts for 165 yards and one touchdown.
• Barben connected on 20 of his 35 pass attempts for 227 yards and rushed for 26 yards on five carries (5.2 ypc) at Northern Colorado (9/26).
• Barben posted his first collegiate 300-yard game in the loss at Montana (9/12) … he went 21-for-35 for 301 yards, highlighted by completions of 51 and 60 yards, with the latter going for a late fourth quarter touchdown scored by senior WR Mike Williams.
• Barben also recorded his second career rushing touchdown on a 1-yard keeper earlier in that fourth quarter at Montana.
• Barben came on in the second quarter at BYU (9/5) and threw for 115 yards on 12-22-1 passing … he also led the Trailblazers on their lone scoring drive of the game, a 7:45 drive that went 75 yards in 15 plays in the third quarter.
• Barben got the opening night start against Montana State (8/29) and went 9-for-21 passing for 78 yards and two interceptions … Barben also led Utah Tech in rushing with 21 yards on six carries.
• Junior CJ Tiller started at BYU and went 3-for-9 for 20 yards and two first quarter interceptions.
• Tiller played in the final two series vs. Montana State (8/29) and completed 10 of his 12 pass attempts for 91 yards.

RUNNING BACK

• Junior Ace Chatman tied Utah Tech’s NCAA era school record with four total touchdowns, and posted his third career 100-yard game, in last Saturday’s loss to Southern Utah.
• Chatman carried the ball 19 times for 101 yards, which included touchdown runs of 2 yards and 4 yards in the first and fourth quarters, respectively.
• Chatman also caught four passes for 28 yards, including a 9-yard TD pass from Hill in the second quarter, and an 8-yard touchdown pass from Barben late in the fourth quarter.
• Chatman’s two rushing touchdowns vs. SUU tied his career high, while his two receiving touchdowns set a new career high.
• Chatman’s four total TDs tied the school record first set by former Blazer running back Drew Kannely-Robles in a home win over Fort Lewis (11/13/21) during the 2021 fall season.
• Chatman has now scored at least one touchdown in four of his first six starts this season … his five rushing touchdowns through six games this season tied his previous career high set last year, while his now three receiving touchdowns are now a career high.
• Thanks to his record night vs. SUU, Chatman (10) also became just the SEVENTH Trailblazer running back in the program’s NCAA era with at least 10 career rushing touchdowns … meanwhile his 13 total touchdowns leave the junior two scores shy of cracking into Utah Tech’s career touchdowns list.
• Chatman led Utah Tech with 45 rush yards on 12 carries and one touchdown at UNCO (9/26) … Chatman scored on a 2-yard dive early in the second quarter.
• Chatman ran for a career high 110 yards on 19 carries and one touchdown vs. NAU (9/19) … Chatman wound up with a career best 149 all-purpose yards on the night, catching four passes for team-high 39 yards, 22 of which came on a fourth quarter catch-and-run touchdown that made it a one-possession game with 7:06 remaining.
• Chatman’s career night came on the heels of a then-season high 95 yards on a career-high 21 carries (4.5 ypc) at Montana (9/12).
• Chatman also became the third different Trailblazer to record multiple 100-yard rush games during the program’s brief time at the D-I FCS level … former Blazer tailback Quali Conley ran for 100 or more yards six times during the 2022 season, while Kannely-Robles reached the century mark in rush yards twice during the 2021 campaign.
• Chatman tallied a team-high 38 yards on 12 carries and scored Utah Tech’s lone touchdown at BYU (9/5).
• Chatman started in 10 of the 11 games he appeared in last season and rushed for 536 yards on 121 carries (4.4 ypc) with a team-high five touchdowns … he also led the offense with 713 all-purpose yards (64.8 ypg).
• Senior Kona Crowell tied a career high with four receptions out of the backfield for 27 yards at UNCO (9/26) … he also recorded a career-long 27-yard reception vs. NAU (9/19).
• Sophomore Daron Tyson rushed for a career-high 17 yards on four caries vs. NAU (9/19) … Tyson recorded his first two collegiate rush attempts for nine total yards in the fourth quarter two weeks earlier at Montana (9/12).
• Freshman Cavalli Nealy made is 2026 debut at Northern Colorado (9/26) … Nealy gained five yards on two carries, and caught three passes for 23 yards.

WIDE RECEIVER

• Williams enjoyed a career night last Saturday vs. SUU, against which he hauled in three passes for a game and career-high 160 yards … Williams caught passes for 47 and 58 yards from Hill, both of which set up Trailblazer scores, and a 55-yarder from Barben in the fourth quarter, which helped lead to Utah Tech’s final touchdown of the night.
• Williams became just the second Trailblazer receiver to record at least 160 yards on four or less receptions in the NCAA era, and is the first in the program’s current D-I era.
• Former Trailblazer receiver Travis Brown was the first to achieve the feat more than 20 years ago in then-Dixie State’s FIRST-EVER NCAA Division II game at Colorado Mesa (8/24/06), against which he caught four passes for 230 yards.
• Williams’ previous collegiate career high in receiving yards came at Montana (9/12) last month, where he snared three balls for 80 yards, including his first collegiate touchdown (60 yarder).
• Williams caught four of his five targets for 42 yards in his Trailblazer debut vs. Montana State (8/29) … his four catches vs. MSU matched his career total over three seasons at Southeastern Louisiana.
• Junior Darnell O’Quinn posted collegiate career highs of five catches for 84 yards at Northern Colorado (9/26) … O’Quinn also finished with career best 101 all-purpose yards as he rushed for 17 yards on two carries.
• O’Quinn caught one of his four targets in the SUU loss, which went for 47 yards on Utah Tech’s first possession … O’Quinn tied a then-season high with 41 receiving yards at Montana (9/12) … he also led all Utah Tech receivers with 41 yards on three catches at BYU (9/5).
• Junior Prince Zombo Jr. hauled in a season-high four passes for 37 yards at UNCO (9/26) … Zombo Jr. caught three passes for 33 yards at Montana (9/12) … Zombo Jr. made three receptions for 29 yards in his Utah Tech debut vs. Montana State (8/29).
• Senior Ja’Kheo Mitchell brought in three of his four targets at Montana (9/12) for a season high 38 yards … Mitchell recorded 21 yards on three catches, and had an 18-yard kick-off return at UNCO last Saturday night.
• Sophomore Will Greene caught his lone target at Montana (9/12), which went for 51 yards in the second quarter.
• Greene was targeted a team-high eight times at BYU (9/5), and he hauled in three of those targets for 35 yards, including a 23-yard catch-and-run in the fourth quarter.
• Sophomore Isaac McMullin caught both of his targets for 30 yards in his Trailblazer debut vs. Montana State (8/29), including a 26-yard hook-up with Tiller for a first down on 3rd and 13 in the fourth quarter.
• Freshman Zay Morris posted season highs of three catches for 60 yards, and two carries for 22 yards, vs. Southern Utah last Saturday night.

TIGHT END

• Senior Justin Buhler recorded career highs in both receptions (4) and yards (25) in the SUU loss last Saturday night.
• Sophomore Brayden Hampsten hauled in three passes for 29 yards in his season debut vs. Montana State (8/29).

OFFENSIVE LINE

• As a unit, the Trailblazer offensive line is tied for second in the Big Sky, and t-28th in the FCS national rankings in sacks allowed per game (1.33 spg).

DEFENSE LINE

• Fifth year Fasitootai Sagapolu was credited with his first career solo sack, and his third career sack overall, at Montana (9/12) … Sagapolu tied a season high with four total tackles and was credited with a PBU vs. NAU (9/19).
• Senior Brandon Jackson recorded his first collegiate sack and tallied four total tackles against Montana State (8/29).
• Jackson also blocked a kick for the second time in as many season openers, swatting away a Bobcat PAT attempt late in the second quarter … Jackson blocked a field goal in last year’s season opener vs. UC Davis (8/30/25).
• Jackson returned to action at UNCO (9/26) and collected three total tackles, and was credited with a TFL vs. SUU last Saturday night.
• Junior Zayden Cook racked up a career high six tackles in his first collegiate start vs. Montana State (8/29) … Cook collected three tackles and one TFL vs. SUU last Saturday night.

LINEBACKERS

• After opening the year with one sack and four total tackles vs. Montana State (8/29), senior Will Alovao duplicated that feat one week later at BYU (9/5).
• Alovao tallied a career high seven total tackles, including his team-high third TFL, vs. NAU (9/19), and made three stops with one TFL vs. SUU last Saturday night.
• Alovao has registered one sack in three of his last seven starts dating back to last season, and he has racked up at least one TFL in 11 of his last 15 games overall with four total sacks over that stretch.
• Junior Moe Passi tied a career high eight total tackles (5 solo) with one TFL vs. SUU last Saturday night.
• Passi tallied seven tackles (2 solo) along with his second collegiate PBU at BYU (9/5) … Passi’s seven tackles were one off of his career high of eight he first set in last season’s home win over North Alabama (11/1/25).
• Sophomore Daylen Love made his second home start of the year vs. SUU last Saturday night and responded with a season-high 10 tackles.
• Love has now reached double figures in tackles three times in just 13 career games, while his 10 total tackles last Saturday were two off his career high of 12 he set in his collegiate debut last season vs. UC Davis (8/30).
• Love registered five total tackles and one TFL in his season debut vs. Montana State (8/29).
• Senior RJ Jones II was credited with six tackles in his first start of the year at BYU (9/5) … Jones II opened the year with five tackles off the bench vs. Montana State (8/29), and was credited with four stops vs. SUU last Saturday night.
• Fifth year Helaman Ofahengaue racked up a career high 1.5 TFLs and was credited with four total tackles (3 solo) vs. NAU (9/19).
• Ofahengaue tallied a career-best six tackles with a TFL at Montana (9/12) … he was also credited with four total tackles vs. Montana State (8/29).
• Junior Hawai’i transfer Aiden McComber made his Trailblazer debut at Montana (9/12) and picked up two total tackles and one TFL, and registered a season high three tackles vs. SUU.
• Freshman Luke Hansen enjoyed a breakout game with five tackles at Montana (9/12), and followed that up with four more stops vs. NAU (9/19).

DEFENSIVE BACKS

• Freshman safety Shaun Niu Jr. enjoyed a banner night vs. NAU (9/19), against which he racked up a career high nine total tackles (7 solo) with one PBU and his first collegiate forced fumble, which directly to a fourth quarter Blazer touchdown.
• Niu Jr. registered his first collegiate sack and tallied seven total tackles (4 solo) vs. SUU last Saturday night.
• Fifth year safety Brevin Czosnyka picked up right where he left off from a season ago with a Utah Tech career high nine total tackles (5 solo) vs. Montana State (8/29).
• Czosnyka followed that up with seven stops at BYU (9/5), and picked off his second career interception as a Trailblazer to go with six total tackles vs. Southern Utah last Saturday night.
• Freshman CB Ryan Tillman tied a career high with six total tackles, and made the recovery on the Niu Jr. forced fumble vs. NAU (9/19) … Tillman kept the vibe going with four solo tackles and registered one PBU vs. SUU.
• Tillman made the most of his collegiate debut with four tackles and one TFL vs. Montana State (8/29).
• Tillman followed that up with a career high six tackles and his first collegiate PBU at Montana (9/12).
• Junior reserve safety Brady Sorenson recorded Utah Tech’s first defensive TD of the season on a 35-yard interception return early in the third quarter vs. NAU (9/19).
• Sorenson’s first collegiate pick-six was Utah Tech’s first interception return for a touchdown in three years … the Trailblazers’ last interception return for a TD came, coincidentally, in a road win at NAU in 2023 (Sam Kanongata’a – 53 yards; 9/16/23).
• Sorenson now has three career interceptions in his three seasons at Utah Tech, two of which came in a home win over Central Arkansas during the 2024 campaign (11/2/24).
• Junior CB Jeremiah Jimoh led the Blazer defense with seven total tackles, along with one TFL and a career-high two PBUs (seventh and eighth career overall) at Montana (9/12).
• Jimoh was credited with six tackles and one PBU in his season debut vs. Montana State (8/29), and collected six more tackles at BYU (9/5).
• Senior safety Quincy Lejay forced a first quarter fumble on his second career TFL at Montana (9/12) … Lejay wound up with four total tackles and one PBU on the afternoon.
• Lejay co-led the Trailblazer defense with seven total tackles at BYU (9/5), and racked up a game-high 11 tackles (6 solo) and one QB hurry in the opener vs. Montana State (8/29).
• Lejay’s 11 stops were two off of his career high of 13 set in Utah Tech’s 2024 home win over Central Arkansas (11/2/24), and was his third double-digit tackle game overall.
• Junior safety Braden Cervello tied a career high with seven total tackles and was credited with one pass break-up at Northern Colorado (9/26) … Cervello also tallied seven tackles last season at Abilene Christian (11/8/25).

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Senior punter Ryan Marks punted eight times for 375 yards (46.9 ypp) vs. NAU (9/19), highlighted by a career long 70-yard punt in the first quarter.
• Three of Marks’ eight punts went for at least 53 yards, while two of his punts were downed inside the 20 yard line.
• Marks punted a season-high seven times for 345 yards (49.3 ypp) at Montana (9/12), five which sailed at least 50 yards, including three 55-yarders.
• In all, Marks has recorded nine punts of 50 or more yards through his first six games of the season … he now has 29 punts of 50-plus yards in 16 games as a Trailblazer
• Marks currently leads the Big Sky Conference in punt yardage (1,254) and is rated FOURTH in the current FCS rankings in yards/punt (46.4 ypp) and 23rd in punt yardage (1,254).
• Marks was Utah Tech’s lone representative on the preseason all-Big Sky team.
• Marks also started the year on the 2026 FCS Punter of the Year Preseason Watch List, and was named a Stats Perform FCS Preseason Third Team All-American.
• Freshman PK Max Shepherd connected on his first two collegiate field goal attempts (29 yds/20 yds) and went 3-for-3 in PAT tries vs. SUU last Saturday night.

#AB3FOREVER: Fifth year defensive lineman Fasitootai Sagapolu was voted by his teammates to receive the honorary No. 3 jersey for the 2026 season. The senior defensive stalwart is the fifth Trailblazer player to earn the coveted privilege since the 2021 spring season.

The awarding of the No. 3 jersey has become an annual tradition honoring the memory of former Trailblazer football player Abraham Reinhardt, who passed away unexpectedly on March 22, 2019.

Head coach Lance Anderson noted when he arrived on the Utah Tech campus that he took some time to get familiar with the story of Reinhardt, both as a student-athlete and as a young man. He quickly realized the importance and the impact this tradition has on the Trailblazer football program, a tradition he is very eager to continue.

“Once I heard the story about Abe Reinhardt, the kind of person he was, the kind of football player he was, and his tragic passing, I was very touched and felt like this is something we need to continue,” said Coach Anderson. “I felt it was very important that our team understands who he was and what this jersey truly represents.”

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Following the bye week next week, Utah Tech returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 24, when the Trailblazers head to the Central Coast for a Big Sky road date at Cal Poly.