by Daniel Olsen
When the average college football fan thinks o about their favorite sport in Utah, they might think of the Cougars, Utes, and Aggies. However, FCS fans aren’t average. While their numbers may be slim, they make up for it in passion. Without further ado, it’s time to see how these Football Conference Subdivision teams around the state of Utah fared.
Weber State defeats Central Washington for lone Week 1 win
The 35-10 win for Weber State was a terrific way for Coach Mickey Mental to commence his tenure in Ogden. Central Washington is a traditional Division II powerhouse with 32 conference titles and one national title. The FCS slate along with the game vs the Utes at Rice Eccles Stadium will be a tough slate, but this was a great warmup game. They will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa this week to play the Northern Iowa Panthers.
SUU gives Arizona State unexpected scare
Members of the coveted Sickos Committee braved the Thursday night watch party until after 1 a.m. on a Friday morning to watch the end of this game due to weather delay. The game did not disappoint as it seemed to give the huge underdogs (or in this case Thunderbirds) new life. They managed to keep the game close against not only an FBS team, but an Arizona State Sun Devils team joining the Big 12 next year.
With a final score of 24-21, Southern Utah has to feel good. It won’t get any easier next week though when they face the BYU Cougars. BYU struggled offensively against Sam Houston in Week 1, so it will be interesting to see if Southern Utah can pull off the upset for Cedar City. Get ready for the Utah In-State rivalry game of the millenium of the century of the decade of the year 2023!
Utah Tech loses at Montana State
This was not a pretty game for Utah Tech in this Big Sky vs UAC (United Athletic Conference) matchup. While Montana State has been one of the better teams at the FCS level, a final score of 63-20 can’t be what the Trailblazers were hoping for. The Bobcats outscored the visitors from St. George in every quarter and doubled their total yards 638-309.
The Trailblazers will look for answers when they host another team in Montana: the Montana Grizzlies. That game will kick off on Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 7 p.m. at Greater Zion Stadium.
FCS Phenom of the Week
Since the winning team doesn’t have stats available, this will be a rare non-athlete MVP for Week 1. Joe Oliver, a sports enthusiast and photographer, has been kind enough to partner with us for this season to get as many photos as he can of FCS and FBS teams in Utah. Look for his work at USU, Weber and other games when occasion permits. Great job on these photos Joe and we look forward to working with you!
Featured image via Joe Oliver
The Hive Sports 
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