(Cedar City, UT) - Southern Utah University football fans will get an chance to watch the 2012 version of the Thunderbirds in a full scrimmage Saturday morning at the SUU practice facility, and fans wanting to preview the team would be well-advised to attend as in all likelihood this will be the only full scrimmage prior to the team’s season-opener at Utah State on Aug. 30.

With the season beginning on a Thursday night, rather than the typical Saturday, the team will already be into game-week mode on Aug. 25, the Saturday prior to the opener and the traditional date for the team’s final scrimmage of the preseason, a factor which rules out a scrimmage on that date.

“We will have a full scrimmage this Saturday, but in all likelihood it will be our only scrimmage of the fall,” SUU Head Coach Ed Lamb said, indicating that the team will probably employ more game-action type scrimmaging in its regular practices next week rather than conduct a full-blown scrimmage.

Saturday morning the team will take the field at 10:00 a.m. and go through its normal pre-game routine before beginning the scrimmage, which is planned for about 90 minutes. Lamb indicated that the scrimmage will include all phases of the game, although special teams workouts may be conducted in one session rather than in the game flow.

Instead of a scrimmage on Aug. 25, the team and the Thunderbird Club will hold its annual Watermelon Bust from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Thunderbird Park, located east of Eccles Coliseum.