CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to a touchdown, but No. 7 Northern Arizona ran out the final 2:23 to hold on for a 34-27 win Saturday afternoon at Eccles Coliseum. Redshirt senior running back Floyd Chalk ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns. The loss drops Southern Utah to 3-6 overall, and 2-4 in Big Sky play.
Chalk's 130 yards on 23 carries pushed his season total to 1,223, moving him past Brook Madsen (1,214 in 1997) into ninth on the program's single-season rushing list. It was his eighth 100-yard game of the year and extended Southern Utah's run of having a 100-yard rusher in every game dating back to homecoming in 2025.
Game Breakdown:
1st Quarter:
Southern Utah struck first, marching 75 yards in eight plays on its opening drive. Floyd Chalk broke off an 18-yard run, converted a fourth-and-one with a 16-yard gain, then capped the drive with a 10-yard touchdown.
The Thunderbirds forced a three-and-out before putting together another scoring drive. A 15-yard catch by David Spjut and a personal foul helped move the ball to the NAU 13, and Jayden Rogers converted a 28-yard field goal to make it 10-0.
2nd Quarter:
Northern Arizona got on the board with a 46-yard field goal by Francisco Orduno Jr. after Lincoln Tuioti-Mariner sacked Ty Pennington on third down.
The Lumberjacks threatened again when Pennington hit Myseth Currie for 59 yards to the SUU 11, but the defense held firm, forcing another field goal to cut the lead to 10-6.
NAU reached the SUU 5 late in the half, but the Thunderbirds stopped a fake field goal, with Ty Pringle tackling Tyler Manship for a two-yard loss. Southern Utah took a 10-6 lead into halftime.
3rd Quarter:
Northern Arizona took control coming out of halftime, scoring on its opening drive as Quran Gossett punched in a fourth-and-goal touchdown from the one to give the Lumberjacks a 13-10 lead.
The momentum quickly swung further in NAU's favor. JaSire Peterson intercepted Will Burns at the SUU 41, and Pennington connected with Jeter Purdy for a 41-yard touchdown on the next play to make it 20-10.
After a Thunderbirds punt, NAU struck again, covering 82 yards in six plays. A 44-yard pass to Gossett set up Pennington's two-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 27-10.
Southern Utah moved into NAU territory late in the quarter, setting up a fourth-quarter push.
4th Quarter:
The Thunderbirds opened the fourth with a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Burns converted a fourth-and-four with a seven-yard run before connecting with Jack Fairchild for an 11-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 27-17.
NAU answered with a 75-yard drive, capped by a 12-yard Pennington touchdown pass to Luke Edgecomb to restore its 17-point lead.
Southern Utah kept battling. Burns ran for 16 yards and hit Spjut for 35 more before Rogers converted a 25-yard field goal to make it 34-20.
The Thunderbirds recovered an onside kick, but NAU appeared to get the ball back when Jesse Garza forced a Gossett fumble, and Colten Swanson recovered at the SUU 42.
Southern Utah capitalized on the turnover, with penalties moving the ball to the NAU 2 before Chalk scored to cut the deficit to 34-27 with 2:23 remaining.
The Lumberjacks closed out the game on the ground, as Pennington picked up 75 yards on three carries before NAU took three knees to secure the win.
Offensive Leaders
Floyd Chalk carried 23 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns and added a seven-yard catch. Will Burns completed 16 of 26 passes for 138 yards with a touchdown and an interception and ran for 41 yards on 13 carries. David Spjut led the receivers with five catches for 63 yards, and Jack Fairchild had four receptions for 25 yards and a touchdown. Jayden Rogers made both field-goal attempts and all three extra points. Southern Utah held a 23-21 edge in first downs and controlled the ball for 32:03.Â
Defensive Leaders
Redshirt freshman safety Parker Vance led all players with 11 tackles, 10 of them solo stops. Senior safety Amarion York added eight tackles, and Lincoln Tuioti-Mariner posted six tackles, including a sack. Mason Stromstad had five tackles and a pass breakup, and Seni Tuiaki added four tackles. Jesse Garza recorded three tackles, a tackle for loss and the forced fumble that set up the final touchdown, and Colten Swanson recovered it. Jakobi Spence had two tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup, and Ty Pringle made the fourth-down stop on the fake field goal before halftime.
Next Up
The Thunderbirds stay in Cedar City to host Northern Colorado on Nov. 7. 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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