Southern Utah University Athletics

CEDAR CITY, Utah - Southern Utah took No. 14 Idaho State down to the wire in Saturday's Homecoming matchup, but the Bengals held on to win 28-24. The loss drops the Thunderbirds to 1-4 on the season, with a 0-2 conference record and the Battle for the Ax on the horizon next week.

In the back-and-forth battle, Southern Utah took a 24-21 lead in the fourth quarter, but Idaho State answered with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Cooke to Chedon James with 7:19 remaining and held on for a 28-24 win Saturday at Eccles Coliseum. The T-Birds trailed 21-10 after three quarters and scored 14 unanswered points in a span of 4:45 to take the lead, finishing with 242 rushing yards on 6.1 yards per carry. Idaho State outgained SUU 447-395, but the tale of the tape was untimely turnovers and penalties. 

Coach DeLane Fitzgerald Said

Game Breakdown:

1st Quarter:

The Thunderbirds moved the ball well on the opening drive but stalled around midfield and were forced to punt. The T-Birds defense came up clutch with a forced fumble to give the ball back to the offense. SUU punched it in on a three-yard run by quarterback Will Burns. Idaho State drove into Southern Utah territory but was forced to attempt a 54-yard field goal, which sailed wide left. 

2nd Quarter: 

Southern Utah punted to open the second quarter but stopped the ensuing drive to get the ball back. The next possession for the Thunderbirds moved into the red zone before a tipped-ball interception turned it back to the Bengals. Idaho State punted again, but the short punt resulted in three points as Jayden Rogers hit a career-long 54-yard field goal that put him in second for the all-time longest field goal in T-Birds history. ISU took their next drive down the field and punched it in to bring the score to 10-7 in favor of the T-Birds. SUU drove down the field but ran out of clock on the nine-yard line. 

3rd Quarter: 

The Bengals opened the second half with the ball and promptly marched 75 yards, taking the 14-10 lead on an 18-yard rush by Jordan Cooke. The teams traded punts for the next two drives. The Bengals broke through on their next drive to extend the lead to 21-10 with 1:03 left in the quarter. 

4th Quarter: 

The Thunderbirds had the ball on the ISU 27 to start the final quarter. Burns grabbed his second rushing touchdown of the game on a 23-yard scamper. Sal Avila forced a fumble on the ensuing kick, but the T-Birds couldn't move the ball and pulled the field goal wide left. The Thunderbirds answered with an interception by Tim Christian. Burns and Floyd Chalk exploded for big plays, taking the 24-21 lead on Chalk's 45-yard run. The Bengals had an answer with a 43-yard touchdown to retake the lead, 28-24. Southern Utah punted, but the defense once again came up with a huge play, earning another turnover on a fumble recovery near midfield. The T-Birds almost punched the ball in, but a fumble inside the five-yard line gave the Bengals the ball back with under two minutes to play. Idaho State added drama by driving down the field but pushed the field goal wide left. With little time left on the clock, SUU grabbed a first down; the Bengals ' defense held strong to close out the game. 

Offensive Leaders

Will Burns led the Thunderbirds through the air and on the ground, completing 20 of 32 passes for 153 yards and adding 72 net rushing yards on 16 carries. He scored on a 23-yard run in the first quarter and a 23-yard run to open the fourth-quarter rally. Mark Bails Jr. led the receiving group with four catches for 65 yards, and David Spjut caught a team-high six passes for 20 yards. Floyd Chalk ran for a team-high 159 yards on 20 carries (8.0 per carry), including a 62-yard rush, and scored on a 45-yard carry that put SUU ahead 24-21 in the fourth quarter. He also caught four passes for 41 yards on the night. 

Defensive Leaders

Mason Stromstad paced the defense with 10 tackles, including three solo stops. Stromstad added a tackle for loss and a half sack. Parker Vance was next with eight tackles, six of them solo, and 1.0 tackle for loss, while Tim Christian came up with an interception and added four tackles. As a team, SUU recorded one sack for 13 yards and one interception.

Next Up

The Thunderbirds are on the road next weekend at Utah Tech. The Battle for the Ax will kick off at 6:00 p.m. MT on Saturday, October 3, with live stream available on ESPN+ and live stats available on the schedule link at suutbirds.com.

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