CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah scored a barrage of 29 straight points in the second half to take down No. 14 UC Davis 38-17 Saturday at Eccles Coliseum. The Thunderbirds trailed 17-9 at halftime before the defense shut out the Aggies in the second half, and SUU improved to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in Big Sky play.
Running back Floyd Chalk ran for 212 yards on 26 carries, the first 200-yard rushing game by a Thunderbird since Joshua Dye went for 221 against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 8, 2025. Chalk has topped 100 yards in all seven games this season and pushed his total to 1,035, making him Southern Utah's third straight 1,000-yard rusher after Targhee Lambson in 2024 and Dye in 2025. Quarterback Will Burns had a hand in four T-Birds touchdowns, running for two and throwing two more to tight end Joshua Acord. Safety Parker Vance picked off his fifth pass of the season, one shy of six interceptions, tied for second on the SUU single-season list. The win snapped a four-game losing streak against UC Davis, giving the Thunderbirds their first win in the series since 2017 and their first win over a ranked opponent since last season's victories over No. 13 Abilene Christian and No. 22 Austin Peay.
Coach DeLane Fitzgerald and some players answer questions following the 38-17 win over number 14 UC Davis.
Game Breakdown:
1st Quarter:
The two teams traded punts to open the game, but the T-Birds came out on the positive side of the field and set up their second drive near midfield. SUU didn't move the ball far enough and was forced to attempt a long field goal that sailed wide right. The defense picked them up, however, holding the Aggies to a similarly anemic drive. The Thunderbirds broke through, scoring on a 35-yard rush by Will Burns to take the 6-0 lead.
2nd Quarter:
 The Aggies got on the board early in the quarter and kicked the extra point to take a 7-6 lead. The ensuing T-Birds drive started deep in their own territory. It ended in a punt, giving UC Davis the ball back at its own 26-yard line. The Aggies moved the ball well, finishing the drive with a 19-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Treynor Cleeland. Southern Utah answered with a 10-play drive that stalled inside the 10, and Parker Kucifer knocked through a 25-yard field goal to make it 14-9. Parker Vance picked off Cleeland on the very next play to give the T-Birds a short field, but the Aggies blocked the field goal attempt. UC Davis took advantage, driving 64 yards in 44 seconds and hitting a 29-yard field goal as time expired to take a 17-9 lead into the locker room.
3rd Quarter:
 The defense forced a three-and-out to open the second half, and the Thunderbirds answered with a 13-play, 73-yard drive that ate up eight minutes of clock. Facing fourth-and-goal from the 1, Burns found Joshua Acord in the end zone, then ran in the two-point conversion himself to tie the game 17-17. The Aggies went three-and-out and tried a fake punt deep in their own territory, but the defense stopped it short and gave the T-Birds the ball at the UC Davis 33. Five plays later, Burns hit Acord again on a 6-yard touchdown pass to give Southern Utah its first lead since the first quarter, 24-17.
4th Quarter:
 UC Davis drove into Thunderbird territory to start the fourth, but the defense pushed the Aggies back and forced a missed 44-yard field goal. Acord hauled in a 28-yard catch on third down to keep the next drive alive, and Floyd Chalk broke loose up the middle two plays later for a 37-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 31-17. The Aggies answered with a 51-yard completion, but Amarion York intercepted Cleeland at the SUU 4 to end the threat. The defense came up big again with five minutes to play, stopping UC Davis on fourth-and-2 at the SUU 22. Chalk took the first snap 35 yards, and Burns finished the drive two plays later with a 41-yard touchdown run to seal the 38-17 win.
Offensive Leaders
Floyd Chalk turned in a big night on the ground, carrying 26 times for 212 yards and a touchdown. Chalk averaged 8.2 yards per carry with a long of 37 and added a 7-yard reception. Will Burns completed 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, and added 98 rushing yards and two more scores on 11 carries, including touchdown runs of 35 and 41 yards.
Joshua Acord led the Thunderbirds through the air with five receptions for 67 yards and both touchdown catches. David Spjut added three catches for 21 yards and 19 punt return yards, while Jack Fairchild had two receptions for 19 yards, including a 14-yard grab that set up Acord's first touchdown.
Defensive Leaders
Parker Vance led the defense with 10 tackles and an interception, his pick coming on the first play after Southern Utah's second-quarter field goal. Mason Stromstad added eight tackles, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry, while Amarion York recorded four tackles, a half tackle for loss and the fourth-quarter interception at the SUU 4.
Aiden Hall posted six tackles, a team-high 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack. Parker Andrus had 1.5 tackles for loss and a 7-yard sack, and Keenan Eck added a 15-yard sack in the final minutes. The Thunderbirds held UC Davis scoreless after halftime, with the Aggies' six second-half drives ending in a punt, two turnovers on downs, a missed field goal, an interception, and the final whistle.
Next Up
The Thunderbirds head back on the road next week, October 24. Southern Utah will take on the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. The game against the Vandals will kick off at 3:00 p.m. MT, with live stream available on ESPN+ and live stats available on the schedule link at suutbirds.com.
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