Previous season
The Thunderbirds finished the 2016 season 9–3, 7–1 in Big Sky play to earn a share of the conference championship with Weber State. They received the conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs where they lost to Weber State in the second round.
Preseason
Polls
On July 16, 2018 during the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Washington, the Thunderbirds were predicted to finish in sixth place in both the coaches and media poll.[1]
Coaches poll
Predicted finish |
Team |
Votes (1st place) |
1 |
Eastern Washington |
134 (6) |
2 |
Weber State |
124 (3) |
3 |
Northern Arizona |
121 (3) |
4 |
Idaho |
101 (1) |
5 |
Sacramento State |
94 |
6 |
Southern Utah |
91 |
7 |
Montana |
82 |
8 |
Montana State |
76 |
9 |
UC Davis |
64 |
10 |
Cal Poly |
40 |
11 |
Northern Colorado |
30 |
12 |
Idaho State |
29 |
13 |
Portland State |
21 |
Media poll
Predicted finish |
Team |
Votes (1st place) |
1 |
Eastern Washington |
651 (27) |
2 |
Weber State |
636 (19) |
3 |
Northern Arizona |
535 (1) |
4 |
Montana |
496 (2) |
5 |
Idaho |
483 (3) |
6 |
Southern Utah |
449 (1) |
7 |
Sacramento State |
415 |
8 |
Montana State |
391 (1) |
9 |
UC Davis |
331 (1) |
10 |
Idaho State |
170 |
11 |
Cal Poly |
169 |
12 |
Northern Colorado |
166 |
13 |
Portland State |
103 |
Preseason All-Conference Team
The Thunderbirds had five players selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team.[2]
Marquez Tucker – Sr. OT
PJ Nu’usa – Jr. OG
Zach Larsen – Jr. C
Chinedu Ahanonu – Sr. LB
Jalen Russell – So. CB
Game summaries
North Alabama
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Lions |
3 |
10 |
7 |
14 |
34 |
Thunderbirds |
0 |
16 |
7 |
7 |
30 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
First meeting |
at Oregon State
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Thunderbirds |
0 |
7 |
9 |
9 |
25 |
Beavers |
17 |
24 |
0 |
7 |
48 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
First meeting |
at Arizona
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Thunderbirds |
0 |
17 |
0 |
14 |
31 |
Wildcats |
7 |
17 |
24 |
14 |
62 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
First meeting |
at Northern Arizona
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Thunderbirds |
0 |
7 |
16 |
0 |
23 |
Lumberjacks |
7 |
7 |
10 |
7 |
31 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
9–12 |
2017 |
SUU, 48–20 |
at Eastern Washington
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Thunderbirds |
3 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
17 |
No. 5 Eagles |
14 |
20 |
21 |
0 |
55 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
3–6 |
2017 |
SUU, 46–28 |
Sacramento State
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Hornets |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Thunderbirds |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
8–9 |
2017 |
SAC, 54–27 |
at Idaho
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Thunderbirds |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Vandals |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
6–15 |
2012 |
EWU, 20–3 |
Northern Colorado
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Bears |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Thunderbirds |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
5–1 |
2017 |
SUU, 27–14 |
Montana
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Grizzlies |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Thunderbirds |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
2–6 |
2016 |
MONT, 43–20 |
Weber State
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Wildcats |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Thunderbirds |
|
|
|
|
0 |
at Cal Poly
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
Thunderbirds |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Mustangs |
|
|
|
|
0 |
Overall record |
Last meeting |
Result |
5–16 |
2017 |
SUU, 20–14 |
References
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Venues | |
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Bowls & rivalries | |
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People | |
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