LARAMIE, Wyo., Sept. 4 – Southern Utah played Wyoming toe-to-toe for about 35 minutes Saturday night but one big play led to a five-minute lapse that cost the Thunderbirds a chance at their first win against an NCAA Divison I FBS team since 1997 as the Cowboys pulled out a 28-20 win in the first meeting between the two schools.

At halftime the Thunderbirds were down just 14-10 and at the beginning of the second half the defense played well, stopping the Cowboys on their first drive holding them to negative yards on the first two plays of their second. Quarterback Austyn Carta-Sameuls and receiver Zach Bolger then came up with the biggest play of the game, however, to give Wyoming a 21-10 lead. On the play, with Wyoming facing third-and-13, Carta-Sameuls evaded a blitzing Akeem Anifowoshe and Bolger got past Holley on a post route, then out-ran him for a 69-yard touchdown to give Wyoming a 21-10 lead at the 6:45 mark of the third quarter.

Carta-Samuels “outraced probably our most athletic guy on defense and got outside the contain and hit a long pass when we were in an aggressive system of defense, he did a great job,” SUU Coach Ed Lamb said.

The long score seemed to take the wind out of Southern Utah's sails and inject life into the Cowboys, at least temporarily, as Wyoming forced a punt on SUU's ensuing possession, then put together a 56-yard, penalty-aided drive to go up 28-10. Alvester Alexander dove over the pile from the one-yard line for the score. SUU lost a sack and gave up another first down because of off-side penalties during the drive.

SUU rallied after Alexander's score, however, scoring 10 straight points, on a Brock Miller field goal and a Major Gray run. The Thunderbirds put together a 14-play, 66-yard drive, getting down to the Wyoming eight yard line but from there Sorensen was flushed out of the pocket on three consecutive plays. The last was a five-yard sack on third down, and the Thunderbirds had to settle for Miller's 30-yard field goal.

SUU's defense then forced Wyoming to punt after three plays before the offense put together a 7-play, 66-yard drive that culminated in a one-yard Major Gray run to pull the Thunderbirds within 28-20 with 6:10 to play.

SUU then had a chance to win or send the game into overtime after forcing a Wyoming punt with 44 seconds to play but Tysson Poots wasn't able to come down with Sorensen's Hail Mary pass as the clock ran out.

“The third quarter was really pivotal for them,” Lamb noted. “They took control in the third quarter btu we fought back in the fourth and made it a game. I guess came down to the last play, really, although it was a heck of a long play.

“The four Captains we had tonight, Tysson Poots came back from injury to play for us tonight and played well. Fesi Sitake was helped off the field [in the fourth quarter] and came back and was in thee two-minute drill. Akeem Anifowshe, after he wsa juked by Carta-Sameuel came back and had a sack on the next series to get us back in the game and Colin Pretlwo gave up the first touchdown but on the very next series he caused the fumble that led to our first touchdown. Our four captains led us to a comeback-type effort the whole night.”

Wyoming took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead when Austyn Carta-Samuels found Zach Bolger for a 36-yard touchdown pass at the 12:09 mark.

SUU missed 33-yard field goal on its ensuing possession, but after the Cowboys took over Colin Pretlow forced a Mazi Ogbanna fumble at the 36 yard line. Erron Vonner scooped up the loose ball and returned it to the 16, setting up a 7-yard Brad Sorensen-to-Tysson Poots touchdown pass. It was Sorensen's first touchdown pass since he was at San Bernardino College in 2007, and gave Poots a TD reception in 15 straight games.

Wyoming drove inside the SUU one yard line on its next possession, but the Thunderbird defense stiffened and thwarted the drive when Matt Holley tipped a Carta-Samuels pass in the end zone, then made a diving catch to intercept the ball.

Wyoming took a 14-7 advantage when Carta-Samuels found Ogbanna on a 9-yard pass early in the second quarter before SUU pulled back within 14-10 when McNamara hit a 36-yard field goal with 6:22 to play in the second.

SUU had a chance to take the lead or pull closer after Tyler Osborne sacked Carta-Samuels on third and seven on the Wyoming 20. The Thunderbirds took the punt and drove back to the Cowboy 20, and were going for a first-down on fourth-and three but a false start penalty forced them to opt for another 36-yard McNamara attempt, which missed just wide-right and SUU had to settle for a 14-10 deficit at halftime.

In his first game in four years Sorensen completed 22-of-35 passes for 193 yards and a score without throwing an interception. Sitake caught eight passes for 63 yards while Poots finished with five for 61 yards and the score. Austin Minefee led SUU on the ground with nine carries for 75 yards while Deckar Alexander carried 11 times for 64 yards.

Carta-Samuels completed 26-of-33 passes for 319 yards and three TDs while Alexander led Wyoming with 13 carries for 40 yards. SUU held Wyoming to 36 rushing yards, the fewest ever by an FBS opponent.

NOTES: Sorensen's first completion and his first touchdown went to Poots, the completion was a 23-yarder … the rushing yards were SUU's most since going for 244 vs. Dixie State in the opener last year and the passing yards were the fewest since the Thunderbirds threw for just 189 in that same game …