CEDAR CITY — Southern Utah's football team opens the 2004 season Saturday in Ogden against Weber State.
The Thunderbirds will usher in two eras: Wes Meier will coach his first game as Southern Utah's head coach, and the team will embark upon its first season in the fledgling Great West Football Conference.
SUU is coming off a 4-7 season, but the final record was an improvement over the previous year's 1-10 and included five losses by less than two touchdowns, including one- and four-point setbacks. The 2003 Thunderbird schedule included five teams that finished the season ranked among I-AA's top-25, as well as I-A Nevada.
Weber State also opens the season this weekend. The Wildcats are coming off an 8-4 campaign, including a 4-3 mark and a fourth-place finish in Big Sky Conference play.
Saturday's game will be the 15th meeting between SUU and WSU on the football field. WSU won the first 11 meetings, then SUU broke through and won two straight before the Wildcats won 13-3 last year.
Of the 90 players on the Thunderbird roster, 57 call Utah home. California is second most with seven.