MOSCOW, Idaho - Southern Utah scored 10 points in the final 4:54 to tie the game, but Idaho kicked a 53-yard field goal as time expired to win 31-28 Saturday at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome. Quarterback Will Burns ran for 187 yards and a touchdown and threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to redshirt senior wide receiver Mark Bails on fourth-and-10 with 42 seconds left to tie the game at 28. The loss drops the Thunderbirds to 3-5 overall, and 2-3 in Big Sky play.
Burns finished with 392 yards of total offense, 205 passing and 187 rushing, 16 yards shy of the program's single-game top 10. His 187 rushing yards matched his total at Utah Tech on Oct. 3 and extended Southern Utah's run of having a 100-yard rusher in every game dating back to homecoming in 2025.
Coach Fitzgerald answers a few questions following a tough loss on the road in Moscow.
Game Breakdown:
1st Quarter:
Idaho went three-and-out to open the game after redshirt senior defensive end Keenan Eck sacked Joshua Wood for a 10-yard loss on third down, and redshirt sophomore wide receiver David Spjut returned the punt 33 yards to the SUU 47. Aaron Kinsey intercepted Will Burns on the first play of the drive and returned it to the SUU 39. Redshirt junior cornerback Christian Sampson sacked Wood on third-and-one at the 13, holding the Vandals to a 35-yard Owen Forsman field goal. Idaho reached the SUU 24 on its next drive after starting near midfield, but junior cornerback Sean Mays intercepted Wood at the five and returned it 21 yards. A personal foul on the return backed the Thunderbirds up to their own 10, and Idaho led 3-0 after one quarter.
2nd Quarter:
Southern Utah took its first lead on a six-play, 80-yard drive. Will Burns broke a 37-yard run to the Idaho 43. Floyd Chalk finished it with a 19-yard touchdown run to make it 7-3 at 9:20. Idaho answered in five plays, as a pass interference penalty and a 37-yard Damonte Bias run set up a 19-yard touchdown pass from Wood to Markel Taylor. Burns ripped off a 50-yard run on the next drive, and redshirt junior kicker Jayden Rogers tied the game at 10 with a 42-yard field goal at 3:20 left in the half. The Vandals went 75 yards in six plays on their next possession. The Thunderbirds stopped Hayden Kincheloe on second-and-goal from the 1, but he scored on third down, and a two-point conversion pass to Gus Donnerberg gave Idaho an 18-10 lead at the break.
3rd Quarter:
Southern Utah tied it on the opening drive of the second half. Facing third-and-ten at the SUU 24, Will Burns ran 76 yards up the middle for a touchdown, then hit redshirt junior wide receiver Jack Fairchild for the two-point conversion to tie it at 18 with 12:04 on the clock. Idaho's Tyler Kinsman pinned the Thunderbirds at their own one with a 52-yard punt, and Floyd Chalk carried twice for 23 yards to move the offense off the goal line before the drive stalled at the SUU 40. Nolan McWilliams returned the ensuing punt 37 yards to the Idaho 43, and the Vandals drove to the SUU seven, where senior safety Amarion York broke up a third-down pass. Forsman's 25-yard field goal put Idaho ahead 21-18 at 3:09.
4th Quarter:
Idaho carried a drive over from the end of the third quarter and went 85 yards in nine plays, with two Southern Utah penalties extending the possession. Wood found Donnerberg for a 14-yard touchdown to make it 28-18 with 10:19 to go. The Thunderbirds answered with an 11-play, 60-yard drive that chewed up 5:25. David Spjut made a 23-yard catch on third-and-seven, and Will Burns picked up 19 yards on third-and-20 to set up a 32-yard Jayden Rogers field goal that cut the deficit to 28-21 at 4:54 left in the game. The defense forced a three-and-out, and Southern Utah drove to the Idaho 43 before a fourth-and-three pass fell incomplete with 1:29 left. Two plays later, redshirt senior defensive end Myles Amey forced a Kincheloe fumble and recovered it at the SUU 43. After three straight plays without a gain, Burns hit Mark Bails over the middle for a 57-yard touchdown on fourth-and-ten, and the Rogers extra point tied the game at 28 with 42 seconds left. Idaho went 40 yards in 42 seconds, with a pass interference penalty moving the ball to the SUU 41, and Forsman made the 53-yard field goal as time expired.
Offensive Leaders
Will Burns completed 17 of 31 passes for 205 yards, including a touchdown and an interception, and led all rushers with 187 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, averaging 10.4 yards per attempt. He also threw the two-point conversion to Jack Fairchild. Mark Bails caught two passes for 69 yards, including the game-tying 57-yard touchdown. David Spjut had three catches for 60 yards and returned three punts for 36 yards. Redshirt senior tight end Joshua Acord led the team with six receptions for 46 yards, and Fairchild added three catches for 35 yards. Floyd Chalk ran for 58 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Southern Utah outgained Idaho 450-378 and ran for 245 yards at 7.0 yards per carry.
Defensive Leaders
Senior linebacker Lincoln Tuioti-Mariner, senior linebacker Mason Stromstad and redshirt freshman safety Parker Vance each had seven tackles to lead the defense, with Tuioti-Mariner adding a tackle for loss and Stromstad a quarterback hurry. Myles Amey posted six tackles and forced and recovered the fourth-quarter fumble that set up the tying score. Amarion York had six tackles and a pass breakup. Christian Sampson recorded four tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack, and senior defensive end Aiden Hall added four tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Keenan Eck had a 10-yard sack, redshirt freshman nickel Kasahn Johnson posted a tackle for loss and a pass breakup, and Sean Mays had an interception. Junior punter Daniel Valencia averaged 47.0 yards on six punts, with three of 50 or more yards and two downed inside the 20.
Next Up
The Thunderbirds head back to Cedar City for a Halloween matchup with Northern Arizona in the Battle for the Grand Canyon. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. MT, with the game broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats available on suutbirds.com.Â
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