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Show !THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1999 UNIVERSITY JOURNAL SPORTS . PAGE 13 Gridders prepare fol'.' Homecoming game Southern Utah's football squad returns to Eccles Coliseum for Homecoming 1999 this week after spending the last two weeks on the road. The Thunderbirds, now with two wins and one loss, host Montana Tech a week after handing then-15th-ranked McNeese State a 31-24 loss. Southern Utah didn't crack the top-25 after its win at McNeese St., but it is getting close. The Thunderbirds are 28th in the USA TodaylESPN Coaches Poll and 29th in The Sports Network's Media Poll. Ironically, even though the Thunderbirds beat McNeese St. on the road, the Cowboys remain in the rankings, at 23rd in the Sports network poll and 25th in the ESPNIUSA Today poll, dropping from 15th in both polls. Montana Tech is coming off a 48-0 ,ill road win at Western Montana. Montana Tech is 3-1 for the season. Saturday's game will be the seventh meeting between the two schools. Southern Utah leads the series 6-0, includjng a 34-21 win the last time the two met, in Cedar City in 1997. SUU is 5-0 against the Orediggers at home. MTC took a 29-14 win on the field in 1971 . the only meeting in the series at Butte, Mont., but later forfeited that victory. Montana Tech has shut out two of its four opponents, taking a 44-0 victory over Montana-Northern in the season opener and a 48-0 win over Western Montana last week. The 'Diggers also have a 36-6 win over Colorado Mines to their credit, with the only loss coming at Humboldt State, 28-14. With the two shutouts, MTC outscores its opponents by an average of 35.5-8.5 and the yardage statistics are nearly as Brook Madsen hasn't reached the end zone in impres~ive, with the Orediggers for him to help the mnning game on Saturday. averaging 427 .8 yards per game (171 .2 . rushing and 256.5 passing) while giving up just 263.5 ypg (1.07.8 rushing, 155.8 passing). The Diggers have tallied 15 sacks and 42 tackles for loss with four interceptions in their four games. "Montana Tech always comes in here and plays us very tight. They've always got a good scheme for us and they're aly.,ays a well coached bunch. they also play very hard and never, ever go away," said SUU Head Coach C. Ray Gregory. Quarterback Kane Claunch has completed 56.9 percent of his passes (58-102) for 993 yards and 13 touchdowns with just two interceptions this year. His favorite targets have been WR Steve Halko and RB Jay LeProwse, with 12 and 11 receptions, respectively. Halko is the big-play guy, with 352 yards and a 29.3 yards per reception average, but fully 13 players have caught passes for the Diggers this season. LeProwse is also the team's top rusher, with 77 carries for 358 yards (89.5 ypg) and three TDs. "Their quarterback throws a nice ball and has some mobility and .they seem to have some speed in their receiving corps. [LeProwseJ looks like a good running back too," said Gregory. Defensively, MTC is led by linebacker Shane Berrett and tackle Travis Hettici<. Berrett has a team-leading 26 tackles with seven tackles for loss while Hettick has-recorded team highs of 5.5 sacks and 13 tackles-for-loss among his 24 total stops. Safety Tyler Cotton has all four of the Diggers' interceptions and is third on the team in tackles with 22. "Defensively they have some guys who'll hit you. [Berrett] is a good looking linebacker and [Cotton] is all over the field," said Gregory. The 'Birds have been playing great defense as well. Utah's. offense has been it's calling card the past several seasons, but this year the defense is :t distinguishing itself as well, ranking in ~ the top-50 in all major I-AA statistical ~ categories, including seventh against ~ the run at 56.0 yards per game, 1_ 4th in total defense (242 ypg) and 29th in ir defensive pass efficiency, with 100.4 ~ points. The T-Birds are also 49th in the last two games. The 'Birds will be looking scoring defense at_22 -0 ppg. Although the win at MSU was sweet, avenging a 66-17 Homecoming loss last year in Cedar City, it did not come without a price. Senior defensive linemen Iona Uiagalelei and Dustin PeaF<:e were both knocked out of the game with second half foot injuries, wl:tile slotback Rod Madsen suffered an ankle sprain on SUU's second series. Madsen is out for the rest of the season , and Uiagalelei and Pearce will" not play Saturday night. Game time is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. at Eccles Coliseum. The game can be heard live on 590 AM. a Cannon and Roberts honored Golfers hit Two 'Birds chosen as players of.the week for their great efforts against McNeese St. Southern Utah quarterback Matt Cannon has been named their performances in Saturday night's game. ·The Sports Network's I-AA National Offensive Player of the Roberts earned his second award in as many weeks after Week for his performance in Saturday's intercepting two Blake Prejean passes in 31-24 win at McNeese State, it was the final three minutes to preserve the announced this afternoon. SUU win. His first pick came with 2:25 to Cannon, .a 6-foot, 195-pound junior play when he pulled down a pass at the from Salt Lake City's Highland High SUU 45 and returned it to the McNeese School, rushed for 204 yards and three 5-yard line. Southern Utah failed to score touchdowns and also passed for 80 on the possession after a penalty put the yards in the victory, with scoring runs of ball back on the MSU 20, but on the 42, 39 and 1 yards. He averaged 8.9 subsequent Cowboy drive Roberts yards per carry and 11.4 yards per intercepted yet another Prejean offering, completion. this time at the SUU 3 with just one Cannon's first score came when he cut second remaining. He also recorded five the mid-line option back inside and solo tackles, had two tackles for lost streaked 42 yards down the middle of yards, recorded a sack and broke up the field for the score. On his second another pass. scoring run, of three yards, he followed :t Roberts tied an SUU single-game fullback Brook Madsen up the middle ~ record with two interceptions at McNeese three yards. The final score came when & State, giving him picks in back-to-back he ran 39 yards around the right end on ~ games and a career total of six picks. the option, breaking several tackles and ~ "Those guys both had great games, the finally carrying three players the final five ~ whole team did," SUU Coach C. Ray yards into the end zone. 0 Gregory said. "I think Matt is one of the "I've said all along that Matt is a truly . , premier offensive players in the country Matt Cannon ,s now second on SUV s all- and Josh is one of the best defensive special player and he proved it again time rushing list with 3,071 yards. players right now. They just go out and Saturday night." SUU Head Coach C. Ray Gregory said. "He was just get the job done every week." outstanding." Roberts has won the award in back-to-back weeks and SUU has had at least one Independent Player of the Week every That was not Cannons only honor of the week. Cannon and free safety Josh Roberts have been named this week's I-AA week this season, as Clint Brown took home the special teams .......... .. . -.~ . lf~-~~~~~e~ J!~n~vE:_ -~~fen~ive Playe!s p( t.h~ ~XV~~ !OJ, , hQQQr,~fteJY\_~k,one.; ., . . ~i9 th.e rough BY JASEN ASAY JOURNAL SPORTS EDITOR SUU golfers competed in their first tournament of the season over the weekend and placed 23rd out of 24 teams at the Falcon-Cross Creek Invitational Tournament at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. As a team, the 'Birds shot a 923, which was 59 over par. Junior John Busby placed highest for the 'Birds shooting a 224 . He tied for 36th place overall. Senior Tyler Barlow tied for tied for 59th place after he.shot a 228. Other 'Birds scores were; senior Dave Laughton shot a 237 and placed 103rd, Junior Aaron Hansen shot a 238 and.tied for 104. and freshman Jake Turloy shot a 239 and tied . for 107th. University of Notre Dame won the tournament with a score of 868 aAd University of Wyoming took second with 876. SUU was one of four Utah teams to play in the tournament. Utah State shot a 900 and took 12th, University of Utah scored 901 took 13th, and Weber State finished 15th with 905 . ........ . . . . . . •. • • • • • • • • • • •. • •. • • . . . . •• . . . I ,. |