So. Utah 39, Weber State 7OGDEN -- All Southern Utah wanted to do was earn a little respect and, hopefully, win a game. What they got was something different. Something special.
What the Thunderbirds got out of their meeting with Weber State was a win so convincing it makes one wonder how SUU could have lost to UC-Davis and Cal-Poly.
"This was just finally time," said SUU coach C. Ray Gregory after the overwhelming 39-7 thumping. "We owe them 10 more beatings. Then we'll be even."
Weber State, now 3-4 overall, may have had the numbers in scholarships, the numbers in student body, the bigger budget and slick new plans for a revamped stadium. But the Wildcats were lacking one thing -- somebody with the skills and heart of Matt Cannon.
Cannon turned Stewart Stadium into his own personal playground. The junior quarterback from Highland High ran crazy in the first half as he juked, jived and scrambled his way through the Wildcat defenseat will. In all, the crafty signal caller totaled 334 yards rushing and passing on only 30 plays.
"Obviously," said Weber State coach Jerry Graybeal, "we need to spend a lot more time tackling. He made the plays and we didn't."
With Cannon directing things, the T-birds, who improved to 4-3, amassed 542 yards total offense and racked up 23 first downs. SUU had 408 yards rushing alone with Brook Madsen contributing 118 of those yards. Cannon picked his way downfield to the tune of 144 first-half yards, passed for another 62 yards and scored two touchdowns as he led the Thunderbirds to a 20-7 halftime lead.
Southern Utah got on the board first as Cannon pitched to Brook Madsen for a 6-yard TD run with 9:23 remaining in the first quarter after it appeared the T-birds were stopped on a fourth-and-goal play. The Thunderbirds added to their lead early in the second quarter as Cannon took advantage of a fumbled punt return by Weber State. After the fumble, Cannon cut through the heart of the WSU defense with a 36-yard run that made the score 14-0.
The Wildcats moved the ball decently on its first possessions, but fumbles did them in after long gains. That seemed to demoralize the 'Cats and affect the play-calling thereafter. WSU had success rushing the ball, but stuck with the pass in an attempt to catch up once SUU built a lead. It clearly didn't work as the Thunderbird defense made all the critical stops when it needed to.
It could have been much worse for Weber State as the Thunderbirds drove deep into Wildcat territory on one possession but had to settle for a field-goal attempt. But Weber State's Jason Allen busted through the line, blocked the kick, scooped up the ball and rumbled 84 yards for a touchdown. Michael Thompson and Wade Davis had key blocks on the return as Weber State narrowed the Southern Utah lead to 14-7 with 2:28 to play in the half.
That's when Cannon worked a little more magic. The shifty quarterback quickly picked up a first down and then proceeded to leave Wildcat defenders grasping at air on a 45-yard run that went around several WSU players before Cannon was finally dragged down at the 2-yard line. On the next play, Cannon scooted in untouched to make it 20-7 at the half. The PAT was partially blocked.
"That gave us a lot of momentum going into halftime," Cannon said. "Then coming out and scoring again right off in the third was big."
After two more Cannon touchdowns, on runs of 4 and 27 yards, the Weber State was down 39-7. The Wildcats moved the ball into scoring position a few times, but shot themselves in the foot enough times to give Graybeal another head full of gray hairs. A failed fourth down play with 11:55 to play pretty much seal the outcome of the game.
With that in mind, Cannon had earned his spot on the sidelines and left the game.
Through the three quarters, Cannon had 188 yards rushing with four touchdowns, 146 yards passing and one touchdown. Not bad for a kid who's only other scholarship offer came from Air Force.
The win was perhaps more impressive than the final margin would indicate. Weber State compiled just 296 yards of total offense and the only serious scoring opportunities resulted in missed field goals, turnovers or failed fourth-down conversions.
"Give their defense credit," Graybeal said. "They beat us up."
The win was especially sweet for the Thunderbird players, most of whom are products of Wasatch front high schools.
"Everybody was talking about Weber State as soon as the season started," Madsen said. "I don't think they would let us came back home if we'd have lost."
The Wildcats never really seemed to get emotionally into the game -- a fact not lost on Graybeal. "I've got to be careful about what I say right now," he said when asked if the loss would necessitate roster changes. "You've got to look at everything from top to bottom."
If further proof is needed to demonistrate the thoroughness of the victory, consider the total offense figures. Though the the Thunderbirds ran only three more offensive plays than the Wildcats, SUU compiled 542 yards to WSU's 296.
"Most of our guys are from up here," Gregory said. "So this is a huge win for them."
It was also a nice win for the coach and the school, Gregory said. "If you let us into this conference, you may not like what the results could be," he said.
He also was thrilled about having his shortest trip of the season. "I can sleep in my own bed tonight. So this is a much better win than usual."
And so an 11-game series sweep is history, and Southern Utah gets to go for a streak of their own next year when the T-birds host Weber State in Cedar City.
"We didn't lack any confidence," Madsen said. "Even though they beat us more than 10 times in a row. We were due. Yeah, we were due."