OPENING KICKOFF: The Snow College football team will square off with Highland Community College for the first time in program history Saturday in Kansas. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. CT at Kessinger Field in Highland, Kansas.
 
The Badgers are coming off a 59-7 victory against the Utah Islanders last weekend to start their season. Snow College forced five turnovers throughout the game, including an interception returned for a touchdown. As a result, the Badgers moved up to fifth in the NJCAA Division I Football Rankings.
 
In addition to the interception returned for a touchdown, the Badgers also recorded a safety and returned a punt for a touchdown. Jayden Robertson returned an Islanders' 2^nd-quarter punt 62 yards for the score, while Okusitino Sa recorded a sack in the end zone to score the safety.
 
In his first collegiate start, quarterback Jack Thow completed 16-22 passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns for a 113 passer rating. He connected with Makel Paiva seven times for 62 total yards and a touchdown.
 
The Badgers recorded six sacks for a total of 26 yards against the Islanders. As a team, Snow College averaged 3.1 sacks per game during the 2024 season, including seven sacks against the Islanders in the 2024 opener.
 
Snow College converted on six of its 11 3^rd-down conversion attempts. The Badgers converted on 45 percent of their 3^rd downs a season ago, which slotted them fifth overall among qualifying teams in the nation.
 
The Badgers gained 130 total yards on the ground against the Islanders. Three different Badgers recorded at least six carries, led by Seth Rigtrup, who toted the ball eight times for 58 yards. Matt Wilson had 10 carries for 40 yards and a touchdown while Lamana Tapusoa recorded 15 yards and two touchdowns on six carries.
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Snow College football team earned its first win of the season Saturday in a 59-7 victory against the Utah Islanders in Herriman. The Badgers forced five turnovers to secure their first win of the 2025 season.
 
Snow College was one of the few teams across the college football landscape in action Saturday as the 2025 season began. The Badgers put their stamp on the opening weekend with a convincing victory against the Islanders.
 
The Badgers received the opening kickoff and picked up a first down and appeared to pick up another as redshirt freshman quarterback Jack Thow scrambled for 10 yards on third down, but the play was called back for holding forcing the Badgers to punt.
 
The Islanders first drive went nowhere, and the Badgers regained possession with under 10 minutes to play in the first quarter. A pair of rushes from Matt Wilson put the Badgers in Islander territory. Thow completed four of his next five passing attempts to put Snow College in the red zone.
 
Four straight rushing plays later, and it was Matt Wilson who found pay dirt from one yard out to record the first touchdown of the 2025 season. The point after attempt was good and the Badgers led 7-0.
 
Following another Islanders punt, Seth Rigtrup started the subsequent drive with a 19-yard rush. Wilson picked up another first down with his feet to end the first quarter. Thow then found CJ Rabb III for a 27-yard pitch and catch for a touchdown to give the Badgers a 14-0 lead.
 
The Islanders were able to record their first 1st down of the game early in the second quarter but were ultimately forced to punt the ball back to Snow College. The ball dropped into the arms of Jayden Robertson who retreated to secure the booming punt.
 
Robertson started the return down the Snow College sideline before cutting back to the middle of the field. He juked a would-be tackler and turned on the jets to return the ball 62 yards for the touchdown.
 
The Badgers forced their first of five turnovers on the night on the ensuing Islanders drive as Junior Kaufusi strip sacked Utah's quarterback. Brett King jumped on the loose ball and the Badgers had their best starting field possession of the night at the opponents 25-yard line.
 
It took just one play for the Badgers to score again as Thow found Stephon Sellers Jr. streaking down the seam for the score, giving the Badgers a 28-0 edge. The Islanders scored their lone tally of the game on their next possession on a 71-yard completion to bring the score to 28-7.
 
The Badgers were able to get the ball right back after being forced to punt. Dallin Sweat penetrated the Islanders line to force the running back to fumble. The ball popped up into the air and Salehe Koonooka-Williams grabbed it to give Snow College possession at the Utah 45.
 
The ensuing possession began with consecutive defensive pass interferences, setting the Badgers up inside the 15. It was Lamana Tapusoa who eventually punched it in from two yards out and the Badgers held a 35-7 lead heading into the halftime break.
 
The Islanders received the second-half kickoff but gave the ball back to the Badgers as Martin Alisandro made a diving catch for an interception. The Badgers couldn't capitalize on the turnover, but later in the third quarter forced and recovered a third fumble. It was once again recovered by Koonooka-Williams
 
This time the Badgers took advantage as Thow found Makel Paiva in the end zone from 12 yards out. They struck again to start the fourth quarter as Tapusoa scored his second rushing touchdown of the game to give the Badgers a 49-7 lead.
 
Once again, the Badgers' defense impacted the game as they recorded a safety on the subsequent Islanders' drive. Okusitino Sa got home to record the sack and the safety to put two more points on the board for Snow College.
 
The final score of the game came as Kolose Latu intercepted the Islanders and returned the ball 45 yards for the touchdown. The Badgers 2-point conversion was successful as Jace Welsch scampered across the goal line giving the Badgers the win, 59-7.
 
As a team, the Badgers gained 278 yards of total offense. The defense limited the Islanders to just 140 yards while recording six sacks, two interceptions, and recovering three fumbles.
 
In his first collegiate start, Thow completed 16 of 22 passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns. Rigtrup gained 58 ground yards on just eight attempts while Paiva caught seven passes for 62 yards and a touchdown.
 
ON THE SIDELINE: Zac Erekson returns for his sixth season at the helm for the Badgers. He is 41-10 all time as head coach for the team and has won nine games in each of the previous two seasons.
 
The Badgers have been ranked inside the top 15 every week during his five seasons and have won 10 games against ranked opponents under Erekson. Additionally, Erekson has not lost a game to an unranked opponent over his first five seasons, going a perfect 30-0 in such matchups.
 
Snow College went 5-1 in home games last year while sporting a 4-1 road record. Erekson is 23-3 all time within the friendly confines of Terry Foote Stadium. His teams have also amassed an impressive 18-4 mark in road games since 2020.
 
Three coaches from the 2024 staff will return to the program for the 2025 season, including Trever McFalls (Southern Utah University), who will serve as the offensive coordinator and the offensive line coach in his fourth season with the program. Michael O'Neal (Norwich University) will serve as the defensive backs coach/special teams coordinator and JV head coach in his second season. Matt Beecher (Brigham Young University), also in his second season with the team, will serve as the running backs coach.
 
Erekson will welcome four new coaches to the staff, including Mark Wilson (Abilene Christian University), who will take over the defensive coordinator responsibilities. Michael Dixon (Doane University) will serve as the wide receivers coach, while Colby Hyder (Southern Virginia University) will coach the linebackers, and Stevie Tu'ikolovatu (University of Southern California) will serve as the defensive line coach.
 
UP NEXT: The Badgers will welcome No. 8 Tyler Junior College to Ephraim for their 2025 home opener. This will be the first of four home games the Badgers will play during the 2025 season.
 
The Apaches started their season with a 27-7 victory against Dodge City Community College last weekend in Tyler, Texas. They will not play another game before facing off with Snow College next Thursday. Tyler is coming off a 7-4 overall record during the 2024 campaign and suffered a 31-28 loss to Navarro College in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference Championship. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. inside Terry Foote Stadium. For video streaming and live stats information, visit snowbadgers.com.