ST. GEORGE, Utah - Will Burns ran for 187 yards and two touchdowns and threw for two more as Southern Utah beat Utah Tech 46-33 Saturday night at Greater Zion Stadium. The teams traded the lead five times in the first 17 minutes before Ran Sawyer returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown 17 seconds after the Trailblazers went up 17-15. The Thunderbirds never trailed again, scoring 17 unanswered points in the first 6:32 of the fourth quarter to pull away. SUU improved to 2-4 overall, and 1-2 in Big Sky play.
SUU ran for 344 yards on 44 carries, averaging 7.8 yards per rush, and had two 100-yard rushers in Burns (187) and Floyd Chalk (115). Burns answered Utah Tech's opening field goal 12 seconds later, going 75 yards up the middle on SUU's first snap and then running in the two-point conversion. He finished with 311 yards of total offense and had a hand in four touchdowns. Sawyer's 99-yard return started at the SUU 1 and gave him 138 kickoff return yards on two attempts. Jayden Rogers hit a 48-yard field goal in the third quarter and went 5-for-5 on extra points, and the Thunderbirds were 2-for-2 in the red zone and averaged 8.5 yards per play.
Coach DeLane Fitzgerald and quarterback Will Burns answer questions following the 46-33 victory in the Battle for the Ax.
Game Breakdown:
1st Quarter:
The Trailblazers scored a 29-yard field goal on the opening drive to take the early lead. The Thunderbirds answered immediately with a 75-yard rush by Will Burns, followed by a two-point conversion by Burns to take an 8-3 lead. Utah Tech answered quickly, marching 75 yards in five plays to retake the lead, 10-8. The Trailblazers picked off the next play, but Southern Utah's defense held strong, forcing a fourth-down stop and turning the ball over to the offense. The Thunderbirds turned the opportunity into points with Burns finding Mark Bails for a 12-yard touchdown pass.
2nd Quarter:
The Trailblazers captured the lead 17-15 on a nine-yard touchdown pass with 13:18 left in the half. Southern Utah sophomore Ran Sawyer returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Utah Tech moved the ball well on its next drive but was forced to take a 20-yard field goal, bringing the score to 22-20 in favor of the T-Birds. Southern Utah got behind the sticks on its next drive and had to punt. UTU attempted a 50-yard field goal on its next drive, but it sailed wide right. The T-Birds took the next drive down the field and scored on an 11-yard rush up the middle by Burns, his second rushing score of the game.
3rd Quarter:
The two teams exchanged punts to open the second half. The T-Birds extended the lead to 32-20 on a 48-yard field goal by Jayden Rogers. The quarter closed with the Trailblazers knocking on the end zone door.
4th Quarter:
Utah Tech scored on the first play of the fourth quarter to cut the score to 32-27. Southern Utah pushed the lead back up to 39-27 on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Burns to Joshua Acord. The T-Birds' defense forced a punt, and the offense turned to the running game to eat up the clock. The Thunderbirds scored again on a 24-yard rush by Floyd Chalk with eight and a half minutes to go. Utah Tech drove the ball into SUU territory, but the defense forced a fumble and put it back in Burns' hands. SUU moved the ball well, but the drive stalled, and UTU cashed in on the possession to cut the score to 46-33 after failing the two-point try. The T-Birds nullified Utah Tech's onside attempt and held on to win the game.
Offensive Leaders
Will Burns completed eight of 11 passes for 124 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, and added 12 carries for 187 yards (15.6 per carry), including runs of 75, 36, 23, and 20 yards and an 11-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left in the first half. Floyd Chalk carried 18 times for 115 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown run that capped an 87-yard drive and made it 46-27 with 8:28 to play. Tight end Joshua Acord caught two passes for 42 yards, including a 27-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter, and Hayden George had two catches for 41 yards. Mark Bails Jr. added two receptions for 27 yards and a 12-yard touchdown on third-and-6 in the first quarter.
Defensive Leaders
Parker Vance led SUU with nine tackles and a half tackle for loss, and Mason Stromstad had eight tackles, a tackle for loss and two quarterback hurries. Christian Sampson made seven tackles, broke up a pass and forced a fumble on a 30-yard completion that reached the SUU 28 with 4:49 left, and Jakobi Spence recovered it to add five tackles and a pass breakup. Myles Amey recorded the Thunderbirds' only sack, a 7-yard loss, among four tackles, and Amarion York added five tackles and a tackle for loss. Utah Tech outgained SUU 572-468, but the Thunderbirds held the Trailblazers to 5-of-14 on third down and stopped a fourth-and-2 at the SUU 42 in the first quarter.
Next Up
The Thunderbirds have a bye next week before hosting UC Davis on October 17. The game against the Aggies will kick off at 6:00 p.m. MT, with live stream available on ESPN+ and live stats available on the schedule link at suutbirds.com.
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