The Southern Utah University football team faced off against No. 17 ranked Abilene Christian University on Saturday, Nov. 2. The Wildcats dominated the first half, then the Thunderbirds drew up a 15-point fourth quarter, but fell short after fumbling the ball on a potential game-winning drive.
First quarter
The Wildcats had their way in the first, scoring two touchdowns and forcing the Thunderbirds to punt three times. The first score was off a 13-yard pass to wide receiver Javon Gipson from Maverick McIvor for his first touchdown of the season. The next touchdown was earned with a six-yard run from Blayne Taylor.
Second quarter
The second quarter started just the same as the first for the Thunderbirds as they were unable to get the offense on the move. With 10 minutes to go in the half, Wildcat running back Isaiah Johnson ran in another touchdown to give ACU a 21-0 lead.
On their next offensive possession, they missed a field goal, which Southern Utah capitalized on with a 42-yard field goal from Jayden Rogers. The Thunderbirds were finally on the board and trailed 21-3 at halftime.
Third quarter
Neither team came out of the break productive, as the first three drives resulted in punts. On their second drive of the half, the Thunderbirds star running back Targhee Lambson broke free for a 76-yard run. This set them up perfectly to finally reach the end zone off a Lambson carry with 1 minute to go in the fourth.
Fourth quarter
The Wildcats responded with a touchdown drive of their own, scoring on a 12-yard pass to running back Sam Hicks, giving them a 28-10 lead. Not willing to give up, Southern Utah marched the ball down the field and scored with another touchdown run from Lambson to cut the deficit to 11 points.
With four minutes left, SUU safety George Ramirez intercepted the ball in the red zone and returned it to the one-yard line. This made Lambson’s third touchdown of the day easy, and he also converted the two-point attempt, cutting the score 28-25 in favor of the Wildcats.
The SUU defense then got another stop and forced a punt with 2 minutes and 41 seconds to go. Just before the 2-minute warning, quarterback Jackson Berry fumbled the ball and the ACU recovered, preventing the improbable comeback. The final score was 28-25 Wildcats.
Key statistics
— Lambson rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns. He leads the United Athletic Conference in rushing touchdowns with 17.
— McIvor completed 22/31 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns.
— The Wildcats scored on four of their five first half possessions.
What’s next?
Southern Utah is back home as they will host the University of North Alabama on Saturday, Nov. 9, at 1 p.m. This game can be streamed on ESPN+.
Author: Jacob McQueary
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Jack Paul
