Aggies hit the road for stern test at upset-minded Southern Utah
Coach Tim Plough looking for a fast start and a strong finish against Thunderbirds
When he looked over the 2024 schedule during fall camp, first-year UC Davis head football coach Tim Plough pointed to Southern Utah as a potentially difficult road test for the Aggies.
Southern Utah, out of Cedar City, gave extra meaning to Plough's concern when the Thunderbirds used a 33-yard field goal by Danny King in overtime to sting FBS Texas-El Paso, 27-24, last weekend before 41,609 stunned Miners fans in UTEP's legendary Sun Bowl.
This, after SUU opened the season with a predictable, if still unpleasant, 49-0 loss to Big 12 favorite Utah.
UCD will travel to Cedar City Saturday for a 5 p.m. (PDT) battle with Southern Utah, a former Big Sky member that now belongs to the recently formed United Athletic Conference.
"That might be one of the most enjoyable games I've ever been a part of," said third-year SUU head coach DeLane Fitzgerald of the win over UTEP.
"They're extra fun when you win, but we worked really hard in the spring and summer and it showed."
Cedar City sits at 5,846 feet in one of the most beautiful parts of Utah, a state with no shortage of stunning sights. The elevation can sometimes be a bit of a problem for visiting teams, but field goal kickers tend to love the thin air.