STEPHENVILLE, Texas - Southern Utah's offense was once again explosive, but the T-Birds ran out of gas late in the game, falling 52-42 on the road to the No.3 Tarleton State Texans. The Thunderbirds drop to 1-5 on the season with the loss and 0-2 in conference play. The Texans improved to 6-0 in 2025 and 2-0 against the UAC.
Southern Utah battled offensively, going toe-to-toe with one of the most prolific offenses in FCS football. The Thunderbirds had two players rush for over 100 yards for the second time this season en route to 291 yards on the ground. The team added 129 yards through the air for a total of 420 yards from scrimmage and an incredible 7.9 yards per play.
Coach DeLane Fitzgerald Said
1st Quarter:
The T-Birds started the game with possession and quickly moved the ball 75 yards for a touchdown, capped with a 48-yard touchdown run by Joshua Dye. The Texans answered back with a drive of their own to knot the score at 7-7 with just over 11 minutes left in the first. Tarleton State scored again on its next drive to take the early lead. Southern Utah answered with a surprising 67-yard touchdown run by Will Burns to bring the score even once again with just under four minutes to go in the first.
2nd Quarter:
The Texans had the ball deep in the Thunderbirds' territory to begin the second quarter and scored on a short touchdown run, bringing the score to 21-14. The Thunderbirds quickly struck again on another long drive, finished by a 12-yard rushing touchdown for Dye. TSU scored again with just under 11 minutes to go in the first half to make the score 28-21. The Thunderbirds' next drive took over six minutes off the clock and ended on a three-yard touchdown pass from Burns to Shane Carr. The T-Birds' defense made a crucial stop, and the offense once again struck to give SUU the 35-28 lead courtesy of Dye's third rushing touchdown of the game.
3rd Quarter:
Tarleton State opened the second half with the ball and promptly marched the ball down the field to tie the game at 35-35. Joshua Dye picked up his fourth touchdown of the game on a 59-yard scamper to give the Thunderbirds back the lead 42-35 with seven minutes to go in the third quarter. The Texans evened the score at 42-42 on a short rushing touchdown less than two minutes later. Tarleton State took a three-point lead on a field goal with 22 seconds to go in the third quarter.
4th Quarter:
The Thunderbirds turned the ball over at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and the Texans took advantage to extend their lead to ten on a 30-yard pass. The final quarter passed without another score leaving the final at 52-42.
Offensive Leaders
Running back Joshua Dye led the charge with a spectacular showing on the ground, racking up 189 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries, including a long run of 59 yards and an impressive 9.9 yards per carry. Quarterback Will Burns also contributed heavily to the ground game, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, highlighted by a 67-yard burst. Through the air, Burns completed 12 of 17 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, with his top targets being Gabe Nunez, who hauled in five catches for 50 yards, and Mark Bails Jr., who added 53 yards on two receptions. Shane Carr recorded the team's lone receiving touchdown.
Defensive Leaders
The Thunderbirds' defense saw strong performances across the board, led by Sebastian Adamski, who anchored the unit with a team-high 12 total tackles, including one tackle for loss. Mikey Allen and Tim Christian each contributed eight tackles, with Christian also adding a tackle for loss. Mason Stromstad made his presence felt in the backfield, recording 1.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry, while Henry Harper delivered the defense's only sack of the game, finishing with three tackles and two tackles for loss. Lando Brown and TrayVaughn Swanigan each notched a quarterback hurry, and Sean Mays contributed in coverage with a pass breakup.
Next Up
Southern Utah heads into the bye week with time to get healthy and reset for the second half of the season. The Thunderbirds' next contest will be at home against Abilene Christian on Saturday, October 18, at 6:30 p.m. MT. The game can be streamed on ESPN+, and live stats will be available on suutbirds.com.
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