2022 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football team

The 2022 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football team represented Southern Utah University in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach DeLane Fitzgerald, the Thunderbirds played home games at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City, Utah. Previously a member of the Big Sky Conference for a decade, this was Southern Utah's first season in the WAC.

2022 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football
Conference	Western Athletic Conference
Record	5–6 (1–3 WAC)
Head coach	DeLane Fitzgerald (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Blair Peterson (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	John Kelling (1st season)
Home stadium	Eccles Coliseum

2022 WAC–ASUN Challenge football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Eastern Kentucky $^		4	–	1					7	–	5
Central Arkansas		4	–	1					5	–	6
Austin Peay		3	–	1					7	–	4
Stephen F. Austin		2	–	1					6	–	5
Abilene Christian		1	–	1					7	–	4
Kennesaw State		1	–	3					5	–	6
Southern Utah		0	–	3					5	–	6
North Alabama		0	–	4					1	–	10
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

2022 Western Athletic Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Stephen F. Austin +		3	–	1					6	–	5
Abilene Christian +		3	–	1					7	–	4
Sam Houston *		3	–	2					5	–	4
Utah Tech *		2	–	2					4	–	7
Tarleton *		1	–	3					6	–	5
Southern Utah		1	–	3					5	–	6
+ – Conference co-champions * Note: Sam Houston ineligible for WAC championship and FCS postseason play due to start of transition to FBS; Tarleton and Utah Tech ineligible for FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II. Rankings from STATS Poll

Schedule

Southern Utah and the WAC announced the 2022 football schedule on January 12, 2022.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	6:00 p.m.	St. Thomas (MN)*	Eccles Coliseum Cedar City, UT	ESPN+	W 44–13	5,000
September 10	11:30 a.m.	at No. 13 (FBS) Utah*	Rice–Eccles Stadium Salt Lake City, UT	P12N	L 7–73	51,531
September 17	3:00 p.m.	at Western Illinois*	Hanson Field Macomb, IL	ESPN+	W 17–10	5,024
September 24	6:00 p.m.	Utah Tech	Eccles Coliseum Cedar City, UT	ESPN+	W 31–17	8,069
October 1	4:00 p.m.	at No. 25 Eastern Kentucky*	Roy Kidd Stadium Richmond, KY	ESPN+	L 28–35	14,099
October 8	6:00 p.m.	Tarleton State	Eccles Coliseum Cedar City, UT	ESPN+	L 40–42	4,132
October 15	2:30 p.m.	at Abilene Christian	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	L 18–21	10,229
October 22	1:00 p.m.	Stephen F. Austin	Eccles Coliseum Cedar City, UT	ESPN+	L 38–41	3,268
November 5	11:00 a.m.	at Utah Tech*	Greater Zion Stadium St. George, UT	ESPN+	L 36–48	6,903
November 12	11:00 a.m.	Lincoln (CA)*	Eccles Coliseum Cedar City, UT	ESPN+	W 55–0	3,556
November 19	11:00 a.m.	at Sam Houston	Bowers Stadium Huntsville, TX	ESPN+	W 17–7	7,059
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Mountain time

Game summaries

St. Thomas (MN)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Tommies	7	0	6	0	13
Thunderbirds	10	10	11	13	44

See also: 2022 St. Thomas Tommies football team

At No. 13 (FBS) Utah

See also: 2022 Utah Utes football team

Overall record	Previous meeting	Previous winner
2–0	September 1, 2016	Utah Utes

Southern Utah Thunderbirds (1–0) vs No. 13 Utah Utes (0–1) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Thunderbirds	7	0	0	0	7
No. 13 Utes	7	38	14	14	73

at Rice-Eccles Stadium • Salt Lake City, UT

• Date: September 10, 2022
• Game time: 11:30 a.m.
• Game weather: Sunny, 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 51,531
• Referee: Mark Duddy
• TV announcers (Pac-12 Network): Roxy Bernstein (play-by-play), Lincoln Kennedy (analyst)

Game information

First Quarter (10:33) UTAH – Tavion Thomas 13-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 4:24; Utah 7–0) (2:22) USU – Grady Robison 28-yard run, Micah Petit kick (Drive: 1 plays, 28 yards, 0:08; Tied 7–7) Second Quarter (14:38) UTAH – Tavion Thomas 7-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 2:35; Utah 14–7) (13:27) UTAH – Chris Curry 12-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 2 plays, 18 yards, 1:05; Utah 21–7) (8:34) UTAH – Jordan Noyes 26-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 37 yards, 2:12; Utah 24–7) (4:13) UTAH – Brant Kuithe 2-yard pass from Cameron Rising, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 5 plays, 65 yards, 2:49; Utah 31–7) (1:08) UTAH – Dalton Kincaid 37-yard pass from Cameron Rising, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 5 plays, 85 yards, 1:30; Utah 38–7) (0:12) UTAH – Dalton Kincaid 6-yard pass from Cameron Rising, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 4 plays, 57 yards, 0:28; Utah 45–7) Third Quarter (13:53) UTAH – R. J. Hubert 39-yard interception return, Jordan Noyes kick (Utah 52-7) (7:49) UTAH – Jaylon Glover 4-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 3:06; Utah 59–7) Fourth Quarter (14:18) UTAH – Thomas Tassmin 29-yard pass from Bryson Barnes, Jordon Noyes kick (Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:31; Utah 66–7) (10:54) UTAH – Jaylon Glover 29-yard run, Jordan Noyes kick (Drive: 2 plays, 72 yards, 0:52; Utah 73–7)

Statistics	SUU	UTAH
First downs	4	31
Total yards	85	598
Rushes/yards	21–43	42–246
Passing yards	42	352
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	11–23–2	23–29–0
Time of possession	23:34	36:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southern Utah	Passing	Justin Miller	11/21, 42 yards, 2 INT
	Rushing	Grady Robison	2 carries, 27 yards, TD
	Receiving	Timothy Patrick	4 receptions, 17 yards
Utah	Passing	Cameron Rising	17/23, 254 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Chris Curry	6 carries, 66 yards, TD
	Receiving	Dalton Kincaid	7 receptions, 107 yards, 2 TD

At Western Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
Thunderbirds	10	0	0	7	17
Leathernecks	0	3	0	7	10

See also: 2022 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

At No. 25 Eastern Kentucky

	1	2	3	4	Total
Thunderbirds	0	14	7	7	28
No. 25 Colonels	7	14	7	7	35

See also: 2022 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team

Tarleton State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	14	21	7	42
Thunderbirds	0	10	3	27	40

See also: 2022 Tarleton State Texans football team