ST. GEORGE, Utah-Saturday, Dixie State football commences its season at Colorado State-Pueblo, seeking their first-ever win against the Thunderwolves in program history.
CSU-Pueblo comes in as the #14 ranked team in the Division II polls and this is the third game in history between the Thunderwolves and Trailblazers.
A Dixie State win would be a tremendous feather in their cap as the Thunderwolves are projected as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference favorite per a poll from coaches in the conference.
Since going to Division II in 2007, Dixie State is 1-13 in match-ups against foes in the Top 25.
A Trailblazers win here would be their first against a ranked opponent since a 38-31 victory over #23 Colorado Mesa in 2016.
Dixie State has stumbled out of the blocks traditionally, going 2-10 all-time in season openers as a Division II school. Their last season-opening win came in 2016, when they downed New Mexico Highlands 21-14.
The Trailblazers will be led by junior tailback Sei-J Lauago (803 rushing yards, 5 TD’s in 2017 in just eight games) and redshirt junior receiver Kasey Allison (39 rec, 580 yards, 4 TD’s in 2017) on offense.
Defensively, they are paced by junior safety Mike Jones (84 tackles, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles, two tackles for a loss and 1.5 sacks).
Other defensive stalwarts include senior safety Trayvon Watson (69 tackles, six pass breakups, four interceptions, two fumble recoveries) and senior defensive lineman Remington Kelly (58 tackles, nine tackles for a loss, nine quarterback hurries, 3.5 sacks and a 46-yard fumble return for a touchdown in 2017).
The Thunderwolves are paced by quarterback Brandon Edwards, who has tossed for 732 yards, 4 touchdowns and three interceptions in his career.
The CSU-Pueblo running game is their strong point as senior Marche Dennard (1,083 career rushing yards, 17 touchdowns) and junior Austin Micci (694 career rushing yards, eight touchdowns).
Ammon Johnson is the Thunderwolves’ returning leading receiver, having posted 547 receiving yards and three touchdowns last season in his sophomore campaign.
