CEDAR CITY, Utah – Southern Utah linebacker Mason Stromstad has been named the United Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week, following a standout performance that fueled the Thunderbirds' 31-24 upset victory over No. 13 Abilene Christian on Saturday night at Eccles Coliseum.
Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald Said
"Mason plays with intensity and discipline. He's the kind of player who makes everyone around him better, and Saturday night was a great example of that. Josh continues to do everything that he is asked to in our backfield, he is finding holes and running hard."
Stromstad led the defensive charge with 11 total tackles, including three solo and eight assisted, along with one tackle for loss, an assisted sack, a forced fumble, and an interception that swung momentum in Southern Utah's favor. His impact was felt on nearly every drive, helping the T-Birds stifle one of the conference's top offensive units.
Through five games this season, the junior linebacker has totaled 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble, establishing himself as one of the defensive leaders on a rapidly improving SUU squad.
On the offensive side, running back Joshua Dye earned honorable mention for the Stats Perform National Offensive Player of the Week after another electric performance. Dye carried the ball 26 times for 179 yards and two touchdowns, averaging an impressive 6.9 yards per carry with a long run of 67 yards. His effort powered a Thunderbird offense that controlled the tempo and helped secure the statement victory.
Stromstad, Dye, and the Thunderbirds will look to build on their momentum as they continue UAC play this week.
Next Up
This week, the T-Birds hit the road to take on Utah Tech in the Battle for the Ax. The game will take place at Greater Zion Stadium in St. George on Saturday, October 25, at 6:00 p.m. MT. The game can be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats are available on suutbirds.com.
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