Big Sky Media Day: WSU and SUU look to build upon stellar 2015 seasons


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PARK CITY — The dog days of summer are slowly coming to a close as the 2016-17 Big Sky football season draws ever closer. The Big Sky Conference held its annual football media weekend in Park City to herald in the coming of a new season as well as a new commissioner.

For local programs Weber State and Southern Utah, the season can’t start soon enough.

Weber State University

Weber State football head coach Jay Hill at the Big Sky Media Day (Photo: Mackenzie Kasper, Big Sky Conference).
Weber State football head coach Jay Hill at the Big Sky Media Day (Photo: Mackenzie Kasper, Big Sky Conference).

The positivity and excitement for the Weber State Wildcats is at an all-time high coming off their first winning season since 2010. Under the direction of head coach Jay Hill and on the back of a conference-leading defense, the Wildcats surpassed all projections and expectations. It was certainly a giant step forward for the program, but Hill was adamant that he is not content with simply having a winning record.

“The biggest goal is to continue to get better,” said Hill. “We made huge strides and big improvements last year. This year I want to see consistency and I want to see us continue to be tough defensively like we were last year. If we take a couple strides forward on offense, we have got a chance to be really good. Last year’s successes don’t mean anything for this year. We have got to go out and do it again.”

Weber looks to build upon the success of last season, and the coaches and media seem to agree, as both have slotted the Wildcats at No. 6 in the preseason polls released Tuesday. This is a significant jump from last year’s preseason poll that had Weber at No. 11.

A big reason for the jump in the polls is the fact that Weber is returning 17 starters in addition to eight all-conference players at key positions. One all-conference player returning for his senior year is linebacker Tre’von Johnson, who is confident that the Wildcats will contend for the Big Sky championship this season.

“We are not satisfied with the 6-5 record,” said Johnson. “We are happy we had a winning season, but we want a Big Sky title. No one comes to just have a winning season, they come to win championships.”

Johnson had a fantastic 2015 campaign, averaging more than six tackles per game and four and a half sacks on the season. Johnson has set big goals for himself and the defensive unit that had great success.

“I think we are one of the best defenses in the conference,” said Johnson. “We are returning the majority of our defense so I think we stack up pretty well. We have some great players coming back, and it should be exciting.”

The Wildcats certainly still have several areas that they need to improve to contend in the Big Sky. Weber finished last in the conference in pass efficiency and third to last in total offense. Weber State struggled to move the ball through the air and Hill has made this a point of emphasis going into next season.

“We have got to throw the ball better than we did last year,” said Hill. “That doesn’t mean we have to throw for a lot more yards, but when we do throw it we have got to throw it more efficiently.”

Hill is also not allowing his defense to become complacent and looks to tune up the stifling defense even further.

“We need to create more turnovers on defense,” said Hill. “As good as we were on defense last year, we have got to be more dynamic in creating more turnovers and more short fields for the offense.”

Southern Utah University

Southern Utah football head coach Demario Warren at Big Sky Media Day (Photo: Mackenzie Kasper, Big Sky Conference).
Southern Utah football head coach Demario Warren at Big Sky Media Day (Photo: Mackenzie Kasper, Big Sky Conference).

Coming off of a Big Sky championship year, Southern Utah finds itself standing on new ground after the departure of longtime head coach Ed Lamb, who accepted an assistant coaching position at BYU for this upcoming season.

Newly appointed head coach Demario Warren, who served as defensive coordinator under Lamb for eight years, acknowledged the difficulties the team will face as they adjust to the changes in the coaching staff and personnel, but was confident that these changes will help the team grow together.

“I think it is a challenge,” said Warren. “All 80 guys really had to look at each other and say no matter what happens we need to stick together and we need to make sure this thing continues to be successful. But I felt like no matter who was the head coach, they would come out of it stronger.”

Tate Lewis, senior punter for the Thunderbirds, spoke about the uncertainty that went along with the coaching change.

“We have had a very big offseason with a lot of changes,” said Lewis. “There was a whole period of time where we didn’t have a head coach and were really in limbo for a while. I felt like we really came together as a team. I think in a lot of ways things will be different, but I honestly feel like in every aspect it has been for the best.”

Despite the coaching shakeup, Southern Utah was selected at No. 7 in the preseason polls. The team is returning 15 starters from last year’s championship team, and Warren looks to build upon the successful model left by Lamb.

“Things will look very similar to last year,” said Warren. “There are obviously some tweaks and differences from year to year, but as a whole, there won’t be much change.”

Warren spoke of the differences he has experienced in his short term as a head coach in the level of responsibility and challenges.

“It is much different,” said Warren. “Usually, you get the schedule and you know what is going on and now you have to make the schedule. So it is a little bit different thought process.

New Big Sky commissioner

Big Sky Commissioner Andrea Williams at the Big Sky Media Day event held in Park City, Utah (Photo: Mackenzie Kasper, Big Sky Conference).
Big Sky Commissioner Andrea Williams at the Big Sky Media Day event held in Park City, Utah (Photo: Mackenzie Kasper, Big Sky Conference).

Andrea Williams, who took over commissioner duties on July 1 after serving as the associate commissioner for the Big Ten Conference for the past 10 years, spoke openly about her vision for the future of Big Sky football and for each of the institutions within.

“The Big Sky has a rich history that spans over 50 years and a lot of great success,” said Williams. “It is our goal to not only build on that but to also enhance what we have been able to accomplish across all of our sports. We want to really elevate and showcase what a great conference the Big Sky is.”

The Big Sky is shaping up to be one of the toughest FCS conferences in the country, with six teams ranked in national preseason polls. The Big Sky also swept the individual STATS national awards last season, which speaks to the level of competition in the Big Sky that the Wildcats and Thunderbirds are facing.

“We're excited for a great competitive season,” said Williams. “I think we are learning that we have great balance and parity in the Big Sky. Right now in the preseason polls, we have six teams in the top 25. Even with the teams not identified in the top 25, we have great contenders top to bottom, and I think it is going to be a great year.”

The 2016 football season kicks off for both teams on Sept 1, with the Wildcats facing off against Utah State and the Thunderbirds opening the season against the University of Utah.


Mark Douglas covers Weber State football and basketball for KSL.com. Contact him at markdouglasmail@gmail.com or on Twitter @marktweetsports.

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