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Show ~ SPORT~ Thunderbird gridders excited about '94 fortunes s UU's 1994 football outlook can be best illustrated by drawing a parallel betr1een Thunderbird quarterback Rick Robins and the team. Robins is just a junior, but going into this season he has already started 22 college games. Like Robins, the 1994 Thunderbirds are young, but experienced. The spring roster was dominated by sophomores and redshirt freshmen, but the 13 seniors-to-be on the spring team are almost all penciled in to start next fall. "This is probably the youngest team we've had since I've been here," SUV coach Jack Bishop notes. "That's not necessarily bad though, because we have some real talent in our returning players and our younger kids are also talented. Now what we need, to be a successful football team, is to have enough of our key [younger] guys mature to give our team leadership and continuity." Robins (6-3, 215, Millard HS) is one player who has already shown the maturity Bishop is looking for. "I don't know if I've ever had a quarterback with two full years of starting experience before," Bishop said. "And Rick is just a junior. He has started every game the past two years and has already been a great quarterback for us. He has constantly improved and learned to the point I think he will be a great passer for us next year. His decision making has improved every time out and this year he is bigger and stronger than he has ever been. He is an ideal option quarterback, with the arm strength, the running ability and the intelligence it takes to direct our offense." OFFENSE: Bishop says the fact he has an experienced quarterback returning is one of the strengths of the offense, along with an excellent group of receivers and depth at running back. Gone are tailback Daniel Harris and his 100+ yards per game, as well as utility back Joe Dodgson and fullback Rob Warden, but the T-Birds have backs ready to step into their places. The major question on offense is the line, where Bishop is faced with replacing four starters, all of whom were at least two year starters. Quarterback: Robins is already second on the TBirds' all-time passing list with 3,507 career yards, needs just 622 yards to eclipse Chad Richard (4,128 yards, 1984-87) for the all-time mark and is in position to hold all of SUU's career passing marks by the end of this season. He is also second on the team's all-time total yards list, again behind Richard, with 3,709 yards, and needs 1,5,14 yards to move atop the list there. Robins isn't the T-Birds' only hope at quarterback, however. Junior Craig VanWoerkom (6-1, 190, Granger HS), has experience and ran the offense well in last year's season finale at Sacramento State after Robins went out with a concussion. SUV also has Branden Draper (6-0, 190, So, Beaver HS) and redshirt freshman Chris Peake (6-0, 180, Irvine, CA, University HS) waiting in the wings for an opportunity. Ruuni~g Back: Two part-time starters from last year's squad, junior Benji Hoskins (FB, 6-0, 215, Las Vegas Western HS) and senior Curtis Lindsay (TB, 61, 21 5, Las Vegas Clark HS/Dixie JC) are projected as the starters. Hoskins was .t he starter at funback going into last season, but was hampered by injuries and finished the season with just 54 yards after missing five games and seeing limited time in six others. Lindsay also lost some time to injury last season, but finished the year as the T-Birds' fourth-leading ground-gainer, picking up 175 yards on 44 carries. Both Hoskins and Lindsay are also good blockers who can catch the ball. Backups include JC transfers Todd Shaw (FB, 5-11, 230, Jr, Cottonwood HS/Dixie JC), and tailbacks Phil Atkerson (5-9, 185, Jr, Mesa CC) and Gary Perkins (5-10, 185, Jr, Salt Lake City West HS/Snow JC). Receivers: Southern Utah's deepest position may be at wide receiver, where Bishop says his team is "as deep and strong as it has ever been. It's probably the deepest unit on the whole squad." Three players who all started at one time or another last season return, and all have gamebreaking ability. Sean Jones (6-0, 195, Sr, Cerritos CC) led the team in receiving touchdowns, yards and yards per game with three TDs and 523 yards for a 58.1 ypg average last year, despite missing a pair of games with injury. Melvin Lowe (5-5, 157, Sr, Mt. San Jacinto) caught a team-high 27 passes for 463 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and Kevin Cuthbertson (5-9, 160, Jr, Green River ((WY)) HS) caught 20 passes for 175 yards and one TD. In addition to those three, the T-Birds also have Tony Evans (6-1, 185, So, Las Vegas Western HS), returned missionary Tosh Brinkerhoff (6-2, 185, So, Cedar City HS), and redshirt freshman Rob Cisco (511, 155, Tooele HS) returning. At tight end, Southern Utah has to replace last year's starter, Aundra Johnson, but Austin Day (6-4, 235, Jr, Tooele HS) saw considerable action as a backup last year, and Curtis Cook (6-5, 225, RS Fr, Carbon HS) returns from an LOS mission. Another redshirt, Rob Gunter (6-1 , 205, Jr; McCammon, ID/Idaho State) has been in the T -Bird system for a year, and Lorin Cummings, an all-conference performer at Snow College last season, will battle for playing time as well. Offensive Line: Guard Mark Taylor (5-11 , 255, Sr; Glendale, AZ) is the only member of last year's starting unit returning, but center Nat Adams (6-2, 270, Sr; Tempe, AZ), an all-conference honorablemention two seasons ago before redshirting last year, returns as well. In addition, Jeff Martin (6-4, 250, Sr; Thatcher, AZ) has been in the program two full seasons. A number of returning players and newcomers will compete for the remaining positions. Jason Tabor (66, 275, Jr; Las Vegas Eldorado HS), Adam Black (6-4, 290, RS Fr; Lehi HS) and David Fossat (6-4, 305, Fr; Carbon HS) have all been in the program, while Chris Hinton (6-2, 250, Jr; Antelope Valley CC) originally signed with the T-Birds out of Western HS in Las Vegas; all four have a good shot at moving into the starting lineup. SUU also has signed an excellent group of JC linemen who are expected to bolster the unit in the fall. DEFENSE: The T-Birds have some rebuilding to do on the defensive side of the ball, as all-conference performers MLB Jared Hunsaker, FS Joe Straw, DT Chris Kruger, CB Randy Roskelly, and CB John Banks have all moved on, along with their 312 tackles. In addition, the T-Birds will have to replace DE Bruce Arnold and SS Caylor Dalley. The good news is first-team all-AWC end Jeff Galyean as well as all-conference NT Shawn Blackham and LB Clint Baird return to anchor the defensive unit which has ranked among the AWC's top two defenses in each of the last three years. (CONTINUED ON PAGE 7) Quarterback Rick Robins The Utah Shakespearean Festival presents Patrick Page in TUESDAY, THURSDA!i SATURDAY &SUNDA:1 11:30 a.m. In Thorley Recital Hall fl KC Df1LMAT1f1N PUPPIES 586-3906 ( 100 yards south of the Adams Memorial Theatre) TICKETS ON SALE AT THE FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE AND AT THE DOOR $12 GENERAL ADMISSION |