CEDAR CITY, Utah -- The Thunderbird football team fell to the UC Davis Aggies 33-25 on Saturday evening at Eccles Coliseum.
The loss moves SUU to 1-7 on the season and 0-4 in Big Sky Conference play.
"That's a tough locker room to go in afterwards," SUU head coach Demario Warren said. "We can't seem to catch a break. … It's a disappointing loss, it's frustrating. It's not indicative of the work these guys are putting in."
The Aggies jumped out to a 26-0 lead over the Thunderbirds, using touchdowns by four different players.
The T-Birds got on the board for the first time with roughly 10 seconds left on the clock in the second half, as Lance Lawson took a direct snap and scored from three yards away.
UC Davis held a 26-7 lead at the break.
The Aggies added another touchdown to take a 33-7 lead into the fourth quarter. That was when the Thunderbirds turned it on.
With 13:10 to play in the contest Jay Green Jr. broke into the endzone to put seven more points on the scoreboard for the Thunderbirds. On their next drive, Green Jr. capped an 82-yard effort to get another touchdown on the board. Lance Lawson converted a two-point conversion for the T-Birds to make it 33-22.
The Thunderbirds continued to push as the fourth quarter went on, and Manny Berz made it even closer with a 35-yard made field goal with roughly one minute left. Unfortunately, SUU couldn't recover the onside kick and the Aggies were able to ice the clock.
Chris Helbig finished the game with 29 completions for 313 yards. Landen Measom caught 11 passes for 156 yards for the Thunderbirds. Green Jr. finished with 47 yards and two touchdowns.
AJ Stanley led the Thunderbird defensive effort with 11 tackles. Aubrey Nellems had nine tackles, two of which were for a loss.
The Thunderbirds will be back on the field at home next weekend to face off against the Idaho State Bengals at Eccles Coliseum.
Keep tabs on the Thunderbirds throughout the entire Big Sky Kickoff by following @SUUFB on Twitter and Instagram and by liking the Southern Utah Football page on Facebook.
Single game tickets and season tickets are available for the remainder of the 2019 campaign at www.tbirdtickets.com or at the America First Event Center Ticket Office.
