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We are on the right path, and this will be a big season for us to try and earn that respect around the league and the country. Our guys are used to being the underdogs and will be thrilled about the challenges that brings. – SUU head coach Demario Warren
CEDAR CITY — Over the last couple of years, with very little fanfare, Southern Utah University's football team has quietly put together two of the best seasons in school history.
With their 8-4 record in 2015 and a 6-5 showing last year, it marked the first time the Thunderbirds' program put together back-to-back winning seasons with at least six wins over Division I opponents.
But even though the T-Birds boast a total of 14 returning starters from last year's team, they were picked seventh in this year's Big Sky Conference preseason polls.
That shouldn't surprise anyone, though. Prior to the 2015 campaign, when SUU went on to capture the Big Sky championship, it finished a distant eighth in those preseason predictions that proved to be so far from being anywhere close to accurate.
And last year, when the Thunderbirds wound up tied for fourth place in the final league standings, those so-called "experts" picked them to finish seventh.
Preseason polls don't matter much to second-year Southern Utah head coach Demario Warren.
“You don't demand respect, you earn it,” he said at the Big Sky's preseason media kickoff event. “We are working to build our reputation as one of the top Big Sky teams year in and year out.
"Since joining the league in 2012, we are tied with the fourth-most Big Sky wins and third-most in the last two years, one behind Eastern Washington and North Dakota.
"We are on the right path, and this will be a big season for us to try and earn that respect around the league and the country," Warren said. "Our guys are used to being the underdogs and will be thrilled about the challenges that brings."
So with eight returning starters on defense, six on offense and one on special teams, the Thunderbirds will have their sights set on proving people wrong once again in 2017.
It won't be easy, because SUU will face the five teams — North Dakota, Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona, Cal Poly and Weber State — that are picked to finish one through five in this year's Big Sky championship chase. (Of course, we've already seen how wrong those polls can be).
And they'll face three challenging non-conference foes to start the season — Oregon, of the Pac-12, on Sept. 2 at Eugene, Oregon; Stephen F. Austin, on Sept. 9 at Nacogdoches, Texas; and Northern Iowa, on Sept. 16 at home — before jumping into Big Sky play on Sept. 23 at Sacramento State.
Two SUU senior defensive standouts, linebacker Mike Needham and tackle Robert Torgerson, were selected to the Big Sky preseason all-conference team.
“Their preseason all-conference selections show what type of careers they have had thus far,” Warren said. “We have a ton of senior leadership on our defense this year and are excited about what these two bring to that group.
"Our defense has led the entire country in combined interceptions and takeaways the last two season, so I cannot wait to see how these guys finish off their career and build on their legacy.”
Needham led the T-Birds in solo tackles last season with 47 and tied for the team lead in total tackles with Junior Tufuga. He also had a team-leading five interceptions, nine tackles for loss and three sacks last year. Torgerson led the team in tackles for loss last season with 12, and he also totaled five sacks, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and blocked a kick.
Jarmaine Doubs, Kyle Hannemann, Tyler Collet and and Mitch Dalley are the top returnees in the secondary.
On the other side of the ball, however, the Thunderbirds must replace the running back tandem of Malik Brown and Raysean Pringle. Brown piled up 1,027 yards rushing on 182 carries — an average of 5.6 yards a pop — and scored seven touchdowns last year, while Pringle added 63 carries for 450 yards — an average of 6.6 yards per carry — and six TDs.
Sophomore James Felila and junior Janiero Green Jr. will try to pick up the slack in the SUU backfield this year, while senior Cameron Chambers, junior Ty Rutledge and sophomore Isaiah Diego-Williams will lead the receiving corps, and junior Logan Parker is a proven performer at tight end.
The Thunderbirds' offensive line is young, with just one senior, four juniors, four sophomores and seven freshmen, although two of those sophomores — Josh Anderson and Zach Larsen — are returning starters on the O-line, as is Austin Mikkelson.
EMAIL: rhollis@desnews.com