The Southern Utah University football team has set themselves up for a successful season with a win in their first game at Eccles Colosseum. SUU dominated all night, defeating Idaho State University 46-24 on Saturday, Aug. 30.
With the win, the T-Birds start their season 1-0, while the Bengals fall to 0-2.
Game recap
The T-birds started the game off with a bang as Bronson Barron connected with Gabe Nunez in the end zone, scoring a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Later in the first quarter, Mark Bails also received a touchdown pass from Barron, bringing the score to 15-0.
Second quarter
Southern Utah continued to play strong with a touchdown from Joshua Dye to open up the second quarter.. Despite the incredible Thunderbird defense, Idaho State was able to respond by scoring 14 unanswered points.
Just before halftime, SUU fought back with a field goal from Jayden Rogers, ending the first half up 25-14.
Third quarter
SUU came out standing their ground as Niko Alailefaleula scored another touchdown. Shortly after, Will Burns also scored a touchdown, taking a 39-14 lead.
Idaho State clapped back with a touchdown of their own and brought the score to 39-21 to end the third quarter.
Fourth quarter
The Bengals started the last quarter with a field goal from the 40-yard line. However, that didn’t faze the Thunderbirds, and Dye scored the last touchdown of the game.
The ambitious Thunderbird offense, combined with their tactical defense, helped SUU secure the 46-24 win and start 1-0 on the year.
Southern Utah will hit the road next week for a matchup against the University of San Diego on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 7 pm. The game will take place at Torero Stadium, and can also be streamed on ESPN+.
Author: Lexie Nelson
Photographer: SUU Athletics
Editor: Jack Paul
