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It all revolves around running the football.
For Southern Utah to have a more successful 2009 season than its 4-7 2008, the Thunderbirds need to be more productive with their rushing attack. A productive ground game provides more than just yards, it is a key to many other areas for a team.
"We need to be better at running the football," said coach Ed Lamb. "Last year when we ran for over 100 yards, we were 3-0. That tells me two things: one, we didn't run for over 100 yards enough, and two, that we can be successful when we run the football effectively."
A good running game perpetuates the whole team's success. It allows the team to move the ball. It keeps the other defense guessing as to what is coming. It moves the clock, keeps the opposing offense off the field and gives valuable rest time to one's own defense.
Last season, the T-Birds struggled running the football. They gained under 700 yards in 11 games, averaging only 61.2 yards per game. There were several reasons for the deficiency. The offensive line was undersized, the team played some of the better FCS football teams in the country and a true commitment to getting it done on the ground were just a few of the contributors to the shortcomings.
"It's on the offensive coordinator not to get impatient and want to throw it a million times," said offensive coordinator Steve Clark after a camp scrimmage that had the T-Birds put up some impressive numbers on the ground. "We've just got to stick with it when it's not happening early and it will pay off down the line. It helps the team as a whole, it keeps the defense off the field, it shortens games we need to shorten, and it's a physical presence."
Besides having an offensive line that is better suited to controlling the line of scrimmage — the men up front average nearly 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds this season — the team has a deeper backfield stocked with guys ready to carry the football.
Deckar Alexander led the team in yardage last season, but Lamb felt he may have been overused and worn out by the end of the year. Brandon Godfrey, Daryl Brown, Major Gray, Kennie Apilli and Austin Minefee are all in the backfield this season and itching to take over some of that load.
Southern Utah expects a better season in 2009, and the success starts from the ground up.
"We know that if we can get better at the ground game, we will be able to compete in our conference," Lamb said. "Our goal is to win our conference, and to do that, we have to be able to run the ball."
Thunderbird on the rise
Cade Cooper
Senior, quarterback
6-foot-3, 210 pounds
If the name Cade Cooper sounds familiar to Beehive State football fans, it should. Cooper played both at Lehi High School and graduated from Timpview. He played two seasons for Snow College, where he earned National Junior College Player of the Year honors as a sophomore. He transferred to BYU before the 2007 season, but was injured in the spring, lost out on a starting spot and transferred to Oregon where he redshirted. He transferred to SUU in 2008, where he sat out per NCAA rules. He won the starting quarterback position for the T-Birds and is looking forward to a big season.
"Cade is as gifted a quarterback as we have ever had," said coach Ed Lamb. "He has all the tools and he is already stepping up as a leader on the team."
e-mail: mblack@desnews.com