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CEDAR CITY — The Weber State Wildcats didn’t open their Big Sky football opener versus Southern Utah well.
Southern Utah took a quick 10-0 lead, and the Thunderbirds appeared to be in control. Then, the Wildcats came back, trading blows with their in-state rival late into the fourth quarter.
Turnovers caused Weber’s wounds, and the Wildcats had four of them in the night. One critical turnover ended a red-zone scoring opportunity.
Quick observations from the game demonstrate Weber still has miles to go, and the Wildcats have to get things figured out in a hurry during their upcoming bye week.
Weber State quarterback Billy Green completed 23 passes for 341 yards and threw three touchdown passes in the process. Also, Green repeatedly led the Wildcats down the field after Southern Utah scoring drives. He continues to showcase his growing understanding of the offense and his ability to spread the ball to multiple targets. Seven different Wildcats caught passes in the game, and freshman receiver Drew Batchelor caught his first collegiate touchdown pass.
Two interceptions and two lost fumbles are tough marks to overcome, especially when they come deep inside an opponent’s territory (more on this later). Weber State started the season with few turnovers, but the mark has continued to grow as the season has moved on. This is a trend that needs to end quickly for Weber State.
No team can expect to consistently win a game by fumbling the football in the red zone, and especially can’t afford a Zach Smith fumble on the 2-yard line. Again, red-zone inefficiencies have hurt Weber throughout the year, but a turnover when it was about to score the go-ahead touchdown hurts much worse.
