Cooper wins Starting Job for SUU QB
Posted: Sun Apr 26, 2009 3:04 pm
As i thought, the better man won. And what i am most excited about cooper is that unlike Stone he doesnt throw an interception ever other pass and he can run!! And it looks like we will have a great running game from what i hear about how major gray preformed, look out FCS the Thunderbirds are for real!
http://www.suutbirds.com/ViewArticle.db ... ID=3728263
CEDAR CITY, Utah, April 25 – Senior Cade Cooper rallied SUU’s Red team to a come-from-behind 13-12 win in Southern Utah University’s 2009 Annual Red-White Scrimmage, and true to his word Thunderbird Head Coach Ed Lamb named Cooper the team’s starting quarterback heading into the fall.
The game-winning score came on a 41-yard Ryan Griffith field goal with 32 seconds to play. The kick, which went into a brisk wind, may have answered another question facing the Thunderbirds heading into the 2009 season, as the team is trying to find a replacement for all-Great West Conference kicker Steve Pulver, who graduates next week. Griffith was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, with both coming in the fourth quarter and into the wind.
Earlier in the week Lamb said he would use performances in the spring game to name a starting quarterback heading into the fall. Cooper and junior Kyle Bowen had waged a spirited battle for the position all spring and Lamb said he decided to let the players decide the issue on the field.
When it was all said and done, Bowen had accumulated more total yards, but Cooper came through when it mattered most and won the game.
“Kyle played really well and exceeded all our expectations during the spring,” Lamb pointed out. “He has worked very hard and he had a good spring game but Cade rallied his team to the win today ... he has a slight edge at the position.
“It’s been good to have this competition in spring ball and it will be good in the fall to have Kyle pushing Cade,” Lamb went on to say. “It’s good to have this kind of depth at the quarterback position.”
After a scoreless first half, Cooper got his Red team on the scoreboard first, finding Kaden Carli in the end zone on a four-yard TD pass midway through the third period. Early in the fourth period Bowen got the White on the board on a 12-yard pass to Abbel Aiono, but the two point conversion failed, leaving the Red with a 7-6 advantage.
Red extended its lead on Griffith’s first field goal, a 28-yarder, but Bowen gave White a 12-10 lead when he hit Robert Ah Sue in the corner of the end zone on a 16-yard hookup. White opted to go for two on the conversion, but Bowen’s pass to Jared Ursua was broken up by Dion Turner, leaving the door open for the winning field goal by the Red squad.
After each team had one subsequent drive fail, Cooper took over near mid-field with 2:48 to go, moved the team into position for Griffith’s game-winner.
Cooper completed 17-of-31 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown, while Bowen completed 18-of-33 for 217 yards and two scores. One big difference, however, was Cooper didn’t throw an interception, while Bowen was picked off twice.
In addition to his kicking heroics, Griffith was also the Red squad’s top receiver, with six receptions for 52 yards. Ursua led the White in receiving, with five catches for 63 yards while Aiono had five grabs for 54 yards.
The Red team also held the edge in rushing yards, picking up 150 yards with redshirt junior Major Gray leading the way with 67 yards on eight carries. Austin Minefee led the White squad – which totaled just 43 yards on the ground – with 10 carries for 29 yards.
All-GWC linebacker Robert Takeno, playing for the White team, led all defenders with 12 tackles, including a sack, while safeties Blake Fenn and Tyson Turley each had eight stops and a tackle-for-loss. Cornerback Erron Vonner and linebacker Drew Willard, a pair of sophomores, led the Red with eight tackles each. Vonner also had an interception he returned 64 yards and might have returned for a score if not for a touchdown-saving tackle by Dylan Fox. Willard had the other interception and also tallied a pair of sacks on the day.
Red Offense
Rushing
Cade Cooper: 3-25, Long 16
Brandon Godfrey: 3-6, Long 3
Daryl Brown: 6-37, Long 16
Deckar Alexander: 8-25, Long 8
Major Gray: 8-67, Long 29
Passing
Cade Cooper: 17-31-0, 113 yards, 1 TD, Long 16
Zack Olsen: 2-4-0, 14 yards, 0 TD, Long 12
Receiving
Brandon Godfrey: 3-14, Long 10
Deckar Alexander: 1 (-1)
Ryan Griffith: 6-52, Long 18
Aaron Rodriguez: 4-35, Long 16
Kaden Carli: 3-23, 1 TD, Long 11
Dylan Fox: 1-3
Red Defense:
Erron Vonner: 8 tackles, 6 solo, 1 Interception returned 64 yards, 1 PBU
Dion Turner: 6 tackles, 5 solo
Herman Sword: 3 tackles, 2 solo, 1 PBU
Jess Kearsley: 1 tackle
Scott Larsen, 3 tackles, 2 solo
Nick Witzmann: 6 tackles, 1 solo, 2 TFL (11), ½ sack (7)
Ricky Clark: 5 tackles, 4 solo
Aaron Rodreguez: 1 tackle
Drew Willard: 8 tackles, 6 solo, 2 sacks (9), 1 Interception
Eddie Mialogo: 4 tackles, 3 solo
Myles Crawford-Harris: 1 tackle (solo)
Troy Bunting: 6 tackles, 3 solo, 2 TFL (7), PBU
Nick Garcia: 7 tackles, 1 solo, 1 ½ sacks (14)
Clayton King: 4 tackles, 2 solo
Deckar Alexander: 1 tackle
White Offense
Rushing
Kyle Bowen: 10-16, Long 19
Austin Minefee: 10-29, Long 11
Brian Wilson: 4-7
Tui Siliva: 4-(-9)
Passing
Kyle Bowen: 18-33-2, 217 yards, 2 TDs
Zack Olsen: 0-0-0
Receiving
Austin Minefee: 3-45, Long 32
Brian Wilson: 2-19, Long 16
Tui Siliva: 1-2
Abbel Aiono: 5-54, 1 TD, Long 16
Chris Hanning: 1-18
Jared Ursua: 5-63, Long 22
Robert Ah Sue: 1-16, 1 TD
White Defense
Robert Takeno: 12 tackles, 5 solo, 1 sack (4)
Colin Pretlow: 3 tackles, all solo, 1 TFL (19)
DJ Lucchesi: 7 tackles, 4 solo, 1 PBU
Tyson Turley: 8 tackles, 6 solo, 1 TFL (2)
Cody Heinreich: 5 tackles, 4 solo, 3 TFL (5), 1 sack (2)
Chad Westwood: 1 solo tackle, 2 PBU
Jeff Tukuafu: 3 tackles, 1 QB hurry
Andrew Taeoalii: 1 solo tackle
Brady Arnold: 1 tackle
Dylan Fox: 1 solo tackle
Tu Tui: 1 solo tackle
Blake Fenn: 8 tackles, 5 solo, 1 TFL (2)
Marlon Hogains: 1 solo tackle
http://www.suutbirds.com/ViewArticle.db ... ID=3728263
CEDAR CITY, Utah, April 25 – Senior Cade Cooper rallied SUU’s Red team to a come-from-behind 13-12 win in Southern Utah University’s 2009 Annual Red-White Scrimmage, and true to his word Thunderbird Head Coach Ed Lamb named Cooper the team’s starting quarterback heading into the fall.
The game-winning score came on a 41-yard Ryan Griffith field goal with 32 seconds to play. The kick, which went into a brisk wind, may have answered another question facing the Thunderbirds heading into the 2009 season, as the team is trying to find a replacement for all-Great West Conference kicker Steve Pulver, who graduates next week. Griffith was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts, with both coming in the fourth quarter and into the wind.
Earlier in the week Lamb said he would use performances in the spring game to name a starting quarterback heading into the fall. Cooper and junior Kyle Bowen had waged a spirited battle for the position all spring and Lamb said he decided to let the players decide the issue on the field.
When it was all said and done, Bowen had accumulated more total yards, but Cooper came through when it mattered most and won the game.
“Kyle played really well and exceeded all our expectations during the spring,” Lamb pointed out. “He has worked very hard and he had a good spring game but Cade rallied his team to the win today ... he has a slight edge at the position.
“It’s been good to have this competition in spring ball and it will be good in the fall to have Kyle pushing Cade,” Lamb went on to say. “It’s good to have this kind of depth at the quarterback position.”
After a scoreless first half, Cooper got his Red team on the scoreboard first, finding Kaden Carli in the end zone on a four-yard TD pass midway through the third period. Early in the fourth period Bowen got the White on the board on a 12-yard pass to Abbel Aiono, but the two point conversion failed, leaving the Red with a 7-6 advantage.
Red extended its lead on Griffith’s first field goal, a 28-yarder, but Bowen gave White a 12-10 lead when he hit Robert Ah Sue in the corner of the end zone on a 16-yard hookup. White opted to go for two on the conversion, but Bowen’s pass to Jared Ursua was broken up by Dion Turner, leaving the door open for the winning field goal by the Red squad.
After each team had one subsequent drive fail, Cooper took over near mid-field with 2:48 to go, moved the team into position for Griffith’s game-winner.
Cooper completed 17-of-31 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown, while Bowen completed 18-of-33 for 217 yards and two scores. One big difference, however, was Cooper didn’t throw an interception, while Bowen was picked off twice.
In addition to his kicking heroics, Griffith was also the Red squad’s top receiver, with six receptions for 52 yards. Ursua led the White in receiving, with five catches for 63 yards while Aiono had five grabs for 54 yards.
The Red team also held the edge in rushing yards, picking up 150 yards with redshirt junior Major Gray leading the way with 67 yards on eight carries. Austin Minefee led the White squad – which totaled just 43 yards on the ground – with 10 carries for 29 yards.
All-GWC linebacker Robert Takeno, playing for the White team, led all defenders with 12 tackles, including a sack, while safeties Blake Fenn and Tyson Turley each had eight stops and a tackle-for-loss. Cornerback Erron Vonner and linebacker Drew Willard, a pair of sophomores, led the Red with eight tackles each. Vonner also had an interception he returned 64 yards and might have returned for a score if not for a touchdown-saving tackle by Dylan Fox. Willard had the other interception and also tallied a pair of sacks on the day.
Red Offense
Rushing
Cade Cooper: 3-25, Long 16
Brandon Godfrey: 3-6, Long 3
Daryl Brown: 6-37, Long 16
Deckar Alexander: 8-25, Long 8
Major Gray: 8-67, Long 29
Passing
Cade Cooper: 17-31-0, 113 yards, 1 TD, Long 16
Zack Olsen: 2-4-0, 14 yards, 0 TD, Long 12
Receiving
Brandon Godfrey: 3-14, Long 10
Deckar Alexander: 1 (-1)
Ryan Griffith: 6-52, Long 18
Aaron Rodriguez: 4-35, Long 16
Kaden Carli: 3-23, 1 TD, Long 11
Dylan Fox: 1-3
Red Defense:
Erron Vonner: 8 tackles, 6 solo, 1 Interception returned 64 yards, 1 PBU
Dion Turner: 6 tackles, 5 solo
Herman Sword: 3 tackles, 2 solo, 1 PBU
Jess Kearsley: 1 tackle
Scott Larsen, 3 tackles, 2 solo
Nick Witzmann: 6 tackles, 1 solo, 2 TFL (11), ½ sack (7)
Ricky Clark: 5 tackles, 4 solo
Aaron Rodreguez: 1 tackle
Drew Willard: 8 tackles, 6 solo, 2 sacks (9), 1 Interception
Eddie Mialogo: 4 tackles, 3 solo
Myles Crawford-Harris: 1 tackle (solo)
Troy Bunting: 6 tackles, 3 solo, 2 TFL (7), PBU
Nick Garcia: 7 tackles, 1 solo, 1 ½ sacks (14)
Clayton King: 4 tackles, 2 solo
Deckar Alexander: 1 tackle
White Offense
Rushing
Kyle Bowen: 10-16, Long 19
Austin Minefee: 10-29, Long 11
Brian Wilson: 4-7
Tui Siliva: 4-(-9)
Passing
Kyle Bowen: 18-33-2, 217 yards, 2 TDs
Zack Olsen: 0-0-0
Receiving
Austin Minefee: 3-45, Long 32
Brian Wilson: 2-19, Long 16
Tui Siliva: 1-2
Abbel Aiono: 5-54, 1 TD, Long 16
Chris Hanning: 1-18
Jared Ursua: 5-63, Long 22
Robert Ah Sue: 1-16, 1 TD
White Defense
Robert Takeno: 12 tackles, 5 solo, 1 sack (4)
Colin Pretlow: 3 tackles, all solo, 1 TFL (19)
DJ Lucchesi: 7 tackles, 4 solo, 1 PBU
Tyson Turley: 8 tackles, 6 solo, 1 TFL (2)
Cody Heinreich: 5 tackles, 4 solo, 3 TFL (5), 1 sack (2)
Chad Westwood: 1 solo tackle, 2 PBU
Jeff Tukuafu: 3 tackles, 1 QB hurry
Andrew Taeoalii: 1 solo tackle
Brady Arnold: 1 tackle
Dylan Fox: 1 solo tackle
Tu Tui: 1 solo tackle
Blake Fenn: 8 tackles, 5 solo, 1 TFL (2)
Marlon Hogains: 1 solo tackle