For the first time under Jay Hill, Weber State put together two straight wins. For the first time with Hill at the helm, the Wildcats will have to prove they can bounce back.
For the first time in Hill’s two seasons at the helm, Weber won consecutive games. The Wildcats defeated Sacramento State 32-14 in a non-conference game before beginning Big Sky Conference play with a 38-17 win at Northern Colorado.
Weber State head coach Jay Hill
On Friday night, the win streak ended in lopsided fashion at the hands an in-state rival. Southern Utah returned a punt and an interception for touchdowns in the first half, then snared another pick-six in the second half as the defense swarmed all evening in a 44-0 win in Ogden. Southern Utah forced six Weber turnovers, causing Hill to go back and forth between junior quarterback Jadrian Clark and true freshman Justin Shaw.
Naia Ursua started the onslaught with a 68-yard punt return for a score last in the first quarter. Southern Utah senior cornerback LeShaun Sims intercepted Shaw’s first pass of night (just the sixth of his career) and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter to give SUU a 14-0 lead.
In the second half, senior wide receiver Mike Sharp and junior running back Jarom Healey scored rushing touchdowns, Taylor Nelson picked off Shaw and returned it 19 yards for a score and the rout was on. Shaw finished 0-of-4 with three interceptions. He also fumbled in the fourth quarter, leading to a Keita Calhoun field goal and Clark’s insertion back into the game. Senior linebacker Matt Holley, senior linebacker Mike Needham and sophomore defensive back Kyle Hannemann added interceptions for SUU.
The sum total was a crushing loss as Weber prepares to make yet another tough road trip. WSU has already lost in Corvallis to Oregon State (26-7) and in Fargo to No. 2 North Dakota State (41-14). This week, Weber State heads to Missoula to face an all-of-a-sudden surging Montana team.
The Griz are fresh off two straight wins to begin conference play, each spearheaded by a stout defense that smothers the run and pressures the passer. Montana is allowing 2.1 yards per carry during conference play and have piled up 13 sacks already. Montana allowed 266 total yards and 13 first downs while piling up eight sacks in a 23-14 win over Northern Arizona. Last week, UM gave up 339 yards, allowed 2.7 yards per carry, notched five sacks and forced four turnovers in a 27-13 win at UC Davis.
QUICK HITS
Location: Ogden, Utah
Nickname: Wildcats
Founded: 1889. The university was founded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became an accredited college in 1962.
Enrollment: The university has 25,301 students and an endowment of $62.2 million.
Stadium: Stewart Stadium. Opened in 1966, the 17,312-seat stadium sits at the base of the Wasatch Mountains. The Wildcats averaged 8,504 fans during five home games last fall. Weber is averaging 7,510 this season in two home games.
THE TEAM (1-1 in Big Sky play, 2-3 overall)
The Coach: Jay Hill, second season at Weber State. In his first year as a head coach, the former Utah player and assistant coach kept Weber competitive but the wins were elusive. Hill posted a 2-10 mark in his first campaign, the third straight year Weber has managed just two victories.
THE OFFENSE
Weber State quarterback Jadrian Clark
Jadrian Clark OR Justin Shaw, quarterback — Last season, Clark was the spark plug backup behind starter Billy Green until Hill benched Green in the seventh game of the season in favor of Clark. Clark led Weber to two wins in the final three weeks of the season in 2014, then beat out Green, Shaw and junior college transfer Kelly Hilinski for the starting job during the off-season.
But Clark has been wildly inconsistent, causing Hill go to with Shaw for a stretch in the third quarter of WSU’s win over Northern Colorado and again last week against Southern Utah.
Thus far this season, Clark has an passer efficiency rating of 88.4. He’s completing just 47.2 percent of his passes for 144.4 yards per game. He has thrown three touchdowns and six interceptions. Shawn completed 5-of-6 passes for 82 yards and a touchdown against Northern Colorado. He didn’t complete a pass and threw three picks, including two returned for touchdowns against Southern Utah.
Last season, Green threw for 2,055 yards and 11 touchdowns. Clark threw for 902 yards and seven touchdowns.
Weber State running back Eric Wilkes
Eric Wilkes, running back, 5-7, 200, sophomore — Hill expressed concern about junior Zach Smith’s durability in the off-season. Sure enough, Smith has not earned a carry so far this season due to injury. In his place, the shifty and stout Wilkes has teamed with 5-foot-11, 180-pound true freshman Treshawn Garrett to pick up the slack.
Garrett, a Las Vegas product, rushed for 101 yards against Sac State. He leads the team with 264 yards and one touchdown but he suffered an injury in the first half against Southern Utah. Wilkes rushed for 122 yards against Northern Colorado and 59 against SUU. He has 261 yards and is averaging 4.0 yards per carry this season.
Last season, Smith rushed for 742 yards and three touchdowns. Wilkes chipped in 184 yards and a score.
Cam Livingston, wide receiver, 6-2, 195, junior — Livingston broke into the starting lineup the minute he stepped on campus and hasn’t missed a game.
In his 29 straight starts, he has pulled in 102 receptions for 1,444 yards and six touchdowns. Last fall, he earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors after catching 57 catches for 856 yards and one touchdown. This season, he leads Weber with 19 catches for 244 yards and a score. He also threw a 26-yard touchdown to Clark earlier this fall.
THE DEFENSE
Weber State linebacker Emmitt Tela/by Robert Casey
Emmett Tela, middle linebacker, 6-1, 220, sophomore — Hill threw Tela into the fire right away and he proved to be one of the most mature freshmen in the Big Sky.
The hyperactive linebacker can run sideline to sideline and he has pop that belies his stature. Last season, Tela missed three games and parts of two others but still earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors by piling up 79 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. His performance was so noticeable that Hill said he received a vote for Big Sky Defensive MVP despite missing almost half of the conference season.
“I couldn’t vote for him so people definitely think highly of him,” Hill said in the spring.
This season, Tela has 31 tackles, including four tackles for loss in four games. He notched three tackles for loss on Friday night against SUU.
Weber State linebacker Tre’Von Johnson
Tre’Von Johnson, outside linebacker, 6-1, 230, junior — Next season, Johnson will make a rare move: he’ll go from Weber’s starting strong safety to its starting strong side linebacker.
“He’s put on about 25 pounds of muscle and just looks awesome,” Hill said. “He’s still running well. He has really solidified the linebacker spot for us.”
Last season, Johnson was fourth on the team with 62 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. This season, Johnson has 26 tackles, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Devonte Johnson, cornerback, 6-1, 170, senior — Johnson had not played a snap since he was a freshman in 2012. This season, he hasn’t shown much rust. The senior has 22 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and six pass breakups. As a freshman, Devonte Johnson started six games and played in 10. He notched 36 tackles and three pass breakups.
Weber State safety Josh Burton
Josh Burton, strong safety, 6-1, 190, junior — Sophomore Jawian Harrison leads the team with three interceptions (all against Sac State) but Burton is Weber’s best safety and one of the Big Sky’s most athletic back end talents.
This season, Burton is second on the team with 33 tackles. He has half a tackle for loss (a shared sack) as well as an interception.
Photos courtesy of Weber State Athletics and noted. All Rights Reserved.
