This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Cedar City • Going into the 2016 football season, a few things have changed at Southern Utah.

Actually, qute a few things:

• The Thunderbirds are the defending Big Sky Conference champions, a role they've never previously played and one which eliminates any chance of opponents overlooking them.

• Southern Utah must replace NFL-caliber defensive players Miles Killebrew, LeShaun Sims and James Cowser. Killebrew and Sims were drafted. Cowser signed as a free agent.

• SUU must find a starting quarterback. Ammon Olsen is gone after throwing for 3,344 yards and 26 touchdowns during his senior season. He completed 61.1 percent of his passes.

• Former head coach Ed Lamb, who built the program virtually from scratch, left for BYU. Ex-defensive coordinator Demario Warren has been tasked to carry the torch.

• A pair of 300-pound starters on the offensive line decided to follow Lamb to Provo as graduate transfers, so Keyan Norman and Andrew Eide must be replaced.

Clearly, the Thunderbirds have work to do. But Warren sounds ready for the challenge.

"I'm having a blast," he said. "We have some great kids here and the coaches are doing a great job of keep them energetic. … I'm really enjoying it."

Despite the personnel losses, Warren has a solid nucleus of returning players, including five who were picked on the Big Sky's preseason all-league team. The group includes wide receiver Mike Sharp, tight end Steve Wroblewski, defensive lineman Chance Bearnson, outside linebacker Mike Needham and punter Tate Lewis.

According to Warren, the Thunderbirds' strengths will be at wide receiver and the defensive line.

Sharp, a converted quarterback from Dixie High School in St. George, caught 54 passes for 889 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.

"We're comfortable there," Warren said. "… We have a lot of guys who we think will make big plays for us."

Bearnson, a junior from Cedar City, made 46 tackles last season, including 3 1/2 quarterback sacks. Senior Sione Fukofuka and junior Sefesi Vaa'ivaka are other key veterans.

"We have a very deep defensive line, deeper than ever before," Warren said. "We lost Cowser on the edge, but we're going to make up for it with a lot of guys who can play."

Sorensen's replacement at quarterback could be BYU transfer Colt McCoy, although Warren isn't ready to declare a winner of the all-important battle.

"We have some depth there," he said.

Whoever wins the starting job will operate behind an inexperienced offensive line, in part because Norman and Eide transferred.

"They are good kids and good players," Warren said. "They were older program guys, too, because they had been around awhile and could show the young guys how to do things.

"But we've adjusted. We moved a few guys around and moved a few young guys up. … We're coming along. We've just got some guys who have never done it before in a game." —

SUU schedule

Sept. 1 • at Utah, 6 p.m.

Sept. 10 • SE Louisiana, 6 p.m.

Sept. 24 • Portland St. 6 p.m.

Oct. 1 • at Montana, 2:30 p.m.

Oct. 8 • Cal-Davis, 6 p.m.

Oct. 15 • at No. Dakota, Noon

Oct. 22 • Weber State, 6 p.m.

Oct. 29 • at Idaho St., 2:30 p.m.

Nov. 5 • Montana State, Noon

Nov. 12 • at BYU, 1 p.m.

Nov. 19 • at No. Arizona, 3 p.m.