Weber State Football is back in Cedar City for a matchup that brings an old series back to life. Weber State and Southern Utah met this season for the first time in five years, and the game counted as a nonconference contest even though Southern Utah has returned to the Big Sky.
At the start of this season, the two schools lined up a six-game nonconference series, giving the matchup a little more structure after the long gap. It also carried added meaning for Weber State, which described the game as the first of three traveling trophy rivalry games on its schedule.
Weber State entered the game at 1-0 after a 30-29 victory at Northern Colorado. Southern Utah came in at 0-1 after a 28-21 loss to Montana. That made the opener in Cedar City a chance for both teams to reset early in the season while also restarting a series that had been dormant since the previous meeting five years ago.
Why the matchup mattered
The setting mattered as much as the schedule. This was the fifth time the schools met in Cedar City, a detail that gives the rivalry a familiar backdrop even with the long break between games. For Weber State, the trip also fit into a broader schedule that includes multiple trophy games and a chance to make each one count in the standings and the season narrative.
There was also a local angle. Southern Utah had multiple Northern Utah players on its roster, while Weber State listed 13 Northern Utahns on its team. That kind of regional overlap gives the matchup another layer beyond the records and the conference label.
What comes next
The immediate question is simple: how often will this series now get played after being renewed? For now, the answer is set by the six-game nonconference arrangement, with the 2026 meeting in Cedar City already part of the schedule. That gives Weber State and Southern Utah a defined path forward after a five-year pause, and it keeps a familiar rivalry in rotation for the near future.
Southern Utah's opener also offered a reminder of what the Thunderbirds can bring to the series. Senior quarterback Will Burns finished that game against Montana 24 of 34 for 251 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing 15 times for 119 yards. If that production carries over, Weber State will keep getting a real test every time the teams line up again.
