ABILENE, Texas – On paper Saturday's game between the Thunderbirds and the Wildcats looked to be one of the most intriguing matchups of the year. The two evenly matched teams would battle to a close 21-18 finish in favor of Abilene Christian.

The Wildcats would receive the opening kickoff as SUU won the toss but elected to defer to the second half. Abilene Christian appeared to be stopped on the first drive of the game but a forty-six-yard fake punt by the Wildcats led to their first score of the game, a fifteen-yard rush by Jermiah Dobbins. 

The Thunderbirds had a couple of opportunities to score, moving the ball deep into Abilene territory on two different occasions but ended up going for it twice on fourth and short situations and failing to convert each time. 

Southern Utah got on the board for the first time midway through the second quarter when Micah Pettit came on to make a twenty-eight-yard field goal. The Cats turned the tables quickly, scoring a touchdown the very next drive on a seven-yard pass with just over two minutes to go in the half. Abilene would take the lead to the locker room as the T-Birds were unable to drive on their final possession. 

The Thunderbirds moved the ball well in the opening possession, marching fifty-eight yards, but when the drive stalled Pettit came on to attempt a thirty-eight-yard field goal that would sail wide left. In the second Southern Utah possession of the third quarter Justin Miller completed back-to-back deep passes. The first went to Tim Patrick who made a spectacular one-handed grab thirty-seven yards downfield. The second went to Isaiah Wooden who won a jump ball and took it in for the forty-seven-yard score. The quick three play drive would send the game to the fourth quarter with the score at 14-10.

A Justin Miller pass was intercepted early in the fourth quarter which gave the Wildcats a short field. Abilene capitalized on the good field position capping off a fifteen-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run. The next drive for Southern Utah did not go anywhere and looking to flip the field Jake Gerardi came on to punt. The snap would sail over Gerardi's head and though the punter was able to recover the ball, he would be dropped for a big loss and a turnover on downs. The Thunderbird defense would keep the candle of hope burning as they came up with a huge fourth and goal stop on the one-yard line. 

The Southern Utah offense would not move the ball much in the ensuing drive but a booming kick by Gerardi flipped the field once more. The T-Bird defense once again came in the clutch stopping the Wildcats and blocking the punt to give the ball back to the offense on the ACU twenty-six-yard line. A few short plays later Miller found a wide-open Ethan Bolingbroke in the endzone to close the gap. Looking to make it a field goal game Southern Utah elected to try for the two-point conversion. Miller threw the ball to Marcus Phillips who wrestled it away from a defender to put the T-Birds within three. 

Short on time, the Thunderbirds lined up for an onside kick but instead kicked it over the front line for Abilene. The Wildcats had someone there to make the play however and took over on their own twenty-nine-yard line. Needing only a first down to secure the victory the Wildcats got just what they needed on the fourth play of the drive moving the sticks and holding on for the victory. 

Miller finished the game having completed nearly sixty percent of his passes with two touchdowns and one interception. The leading receiver for the Thunderbirds was once again Wooden who caught six passes for one hundred and twenty-seven yards. On the ground it was Braedon Wissler who led the T-Birds with six carries for thirty-two yards. Wissler also had four receptions for eighteen yards. 

The Southern Utah defensive effort was led by freshman linebacker Kohner Cullimore who tallied eleven total tackles including seven solo tackles and one tackle for a loss. Rylen Sua-Filo and Francis Bemiy each notched sacks in the game while Rodrick Ward and Torion White each came in with a pair of pass break ups. The Thunderbird defense held the Wildcats to just two hundred and eighty yards of total offense in the game and forced them to punt eight times. 

Southern Utah has lost the last three game by a combined total of just twelve points. They will look to end the skid next Saturday when they take on Stephen F. Austin at home. That game will kick off at 1:00 PM. 

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