Griff Robles Adjusting to Being "The Guy"

    In 2009, Griff Robles was the talk of Ute fall camp.  The freshman returned missionary made a name for himself when he took a linebacker out of practice with a big block.

     Now, I know what you're saying, this is football we are talking about.  People get hurt all the time.  But injured because of a hit by a quarterback? Well that's something new.

     In three years at Utah, Robles struggled to get consistent playing time.  In 2011, in an attempt to get him on the field, Utah coaches moved him from quarterback to linebacker.  Still, he mostly saw action on special teams and that's about it.  

     In 2012, Robles has taken a fresh start by heading down I-15 to Dixie State to quarterback the Red Storm.  The transition from PAC-12 to Division II has not gone as smoothly as many had hoped.  

     In four games, Robles has gone 49-105 for 502 yards and two touchdowns with five interceptions.  Four of those interceptions came in the opening week loss to Adams State on the road.  

     He has also carried the ball 51 times for 200 yards.  

    On Saturday night, the Red Storm  head up to Canada to take on Simon Fraser University.  Robles will have a chance to build on his performances as 2-2 Dixie will try to steal one from 1-3 Simon Fraser.

    In the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, teams play each other twice.  After this saturday's game, the Red Storm will host Central Washington University to complete the first half of conference play.  It will be interesting to see how Robles does the second time through the conference slate.  

    Good luck to Griff and the Red Storm!

   

    

Biggest game ever for SUU?

 

    Over the last several years, there has been a great shake up in our state with regards to where each team plays its games.  The University of Utah went from the Mountain West to the Pac-12.  BYU also left the Mountain West, going independent.  Utah State will soon be joining the Mountain West.

      As for the Thunderbirds of Southern Utah?  They left their home in the Great West Football Conference for the Big Sky.  For years, the Big Sky has been one of the top conferences in the FCS (Formerly Div I-AA).  

     Southern Utah has struggled for years to build a winning program.  With current head coach Ed Lamb at the helm, the team has turned things around in recent years.  From going winless in 2007, to posting back to back winning seasons in 2010 and 2011, the Thunderbirds appear to be on the right track.  

    On Saturday night, the Thunderbirds came away victorious in their first ever Big Sky game.  After falling behind 21-3 in the first quarter, SUU came back to defeat Portland State 49-42.  Portland State had a chance to tie, but the SUU defense held firm in denying the Vikings at the 1-yard line.  

 

    This coming Saturday, the T-Birds host conference foe Montana State.  The Bobcats are ranked second in the country and are many experts pick to win the national championship.  

    A win for Southern Utah would be monumental.  It would announce to the rest of the conference that there is some great football being played in Cedar City.  

   A win would also be enormous on the recruiting front.  It is no secret that SUU goes after the same athletes that Montana State does.  If these athletes see that SUU is a legitimate program, it could sway their decision toward Cedar.  

    This game will be a rare opportunity to show on regional tv (ROOT sports) that the T-birds have arrived. It should be one of the best games in all of college football this weekend. 

    

What is this Blog?

    For years, I have been interested in the sports scene here in Utah.  From Snow College Football to Utah Jazz basketball and everything in between, I love it all.  

    One of my frustrations has been the coverage of the smaller schools.  I can open the sports page on Saturday morning and read article after article about how BYU and Utah did on Saturday.  But if I am interested in Utah State or Dixie, there is hardly a blurb at all.  

     This blog aims to change that.  Here, you will find interesting tidbits and equal coverage of all the schools and sports.  Do you love BYU volleyball, Utah Gymnastics, or SUU Basketball? We have you covered, no matter what your favorite sport is.  

     If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email us at utahsportscentral@yahoo.com.  Also, follow us on twitter @UtahSportsCentral