ST. PAUL, Minnesota - Southern Utah fell behind just before halftime and couldn't quite get back on top, falling just short of the comeback, 28-26, to St. Thomas on the road. The Thunderbirds drop to 1-3 on the season heading into a much-needed home game next week against Idaho State.
Parker Vance was the headline act early, snagging his fourth interception of the season and returning it for a touchdown to give the Thunderbirds a 10-7 lead in the first quarter, a play that set the tone for a defense that also came up with a blocked punt to flip field position in the second half. Down eight in the final minutes, Will Burns and the offense showed no quit, hitting Mark Bails on a touchdown pass down the middle. Burns' throw to Bails fell just out of reach, closing the game in heartbreaking fashion.
Game Breakdown:
1st Quarter:
The first two drives for both teams ended in three-and-out punts before St. Thomas took a 7-0 lead on a reverse that went 63 yards for a touchdown. The Thunderbirds drove down the field, taking a 27-yard field goal by Jayden Rogers to make the score 7-3. On the next play from scrimmage for the Tommies, Parker Vance grabbed his fourth interception of the season, returning it for a pick-six and giving the T-Birds the 10-7 lead with just under five minutes to play in the first. St. Thomas drove down into Southern Utah territory but missed a 40-yard field goal attempt to give the ball back to the Thunderbirds.
2nd Quarter:
Southern Utah pushed the ball into the Tommies' side of the field, but a fumble with just over ten minutes to go in the half turned the ball back over to St. Thomas. The Tommies scored on the ensuing drive to make the score 14-10. The Offense for the T-Birds finally got rolling, marching down the field to take a 17-14 lead on a 9-yard scramble by Will Burns. Despite the Thunderbirds' defense holding the goal line twice, the Tommies were able to break the plane of the end zone on the third tush push of the drive, taking a 21-17 lead with no time left on the clock.
3rd Quarter:
The teams traded punts for the first few drives of the second half, but St. Thomas scored again on a long run up the middle, bringing the score to 28-17. SUU punted on its next drive but blocked the punt by the Tommies on their next drive to give the offense a start in the St. Thomas red zone. Southern Utah would be forced to take a field goal, cutting the lead to 28-20. The Thunderbirds forced a punt on the next drive, but the Tommies pinned SU back on its own one-yard line.
4th Quarter:
The Thunderbirds moved the ball a bit but had to punt, and the Tommies followed with their own drive that ate up about five minutes of clock before punting back to SUU. The Thunderbirds got the ball back with just over three and a half minutes left in the game, trailing by eight. The Thunderbirds were unable to move the ball once again, leading to a turnover on downs, but the defense stuffed the Tommies in their bid to seal the game. Will Burns and the offense got the ball back with under a minute to play, and thanks to a quick hit to Mark Bails, pulled to 28-26. Needing the two-point conversion to send the game to overtime, the T-Birds drew up a play that ended in a near miss throw from Burns to Bails at the back of the end zone, ending the game in a tough loss.
Offensive Leaders
Floyd Chalk anchored the ground game with 119 yards rushing, continuing his season-long role as the workhorse of Southern Utah's offense. Will Burns turned in an efficient day through the air, completing enough to post a 146.4 quarterback rating while throwing for 228 yards and adding 30 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Mark Bails Jr. was Burns' top target, hauling in four catches for a team-high 106 yards, his second consecutive 100-plus yard effort, and finding the end zone late to set up SUU's two-point attempt. Logan Dunfield and David Spjut each added four receptions, with Dunfield's four grabs going for 56 yards to give the Thunderbirds a balanced passing attack.
Defensive Leaders:
Parker Vance turned in another standout performance, leading Southern Utah with 11 tackles to go with his fourth interception of the season, which he returned for a touchdown. Logalima Lesa backed him up with seven stops, while Sean Mays and Tim Christian each chipped in five tackles as the Thunderbirds' defense kept pace with a St. Thomas offense that found room to move the ball. Vance's pick-six proved to be the defense's signature play of the day, giving Southern Utah the lead in the first quarter and setting the tone for a hard-fought effort that came up just short.
Next Up
The Thunderbirds return to the friendly confines of Eccles Coliseum next week for a Homecoming matchup against Idaho State. The game will kick off at 6:00 p.m. MT on Saturday, September 26, with live stream available on ESPN+ and live stats available on the schedule link at suutbirds.com
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