Greeley
Southern Utah beats Northern Colorado 31-24 after Bears tie game with 17 straight points
Will Burns threw 2 touchdown passes as the Thunderbirds built a 24-7 halftime lead. Talmage Brown's touchdown run broke the tie in the fourth quarter, and the Bears' final drive ended in an interception.
Southern Utah beat Northern Colorado 31-24 on Saturday at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City after the Bears scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter to tie the game. The Thunderbirds scored the only points of the fourth quarter. Northern Colorado had trailed by 17 at halftime and never led.
Southern Utah opened with 21 straight points. Will Burns completed 18 of 29 passes for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns, including a 25-yard throw to Mark Bails that put the Thunderbirds ahead 21-0 with 6:26 left in the second quarter. Marcus Mozer caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Brayten Silbor for the Bears' first points, but Jayden Rogers' 32-yard field goal made it 24-7 at halftime.
After halftime, Landon Richardson's 39-yard field goal began Northern Colorado's 17 straight points. Silbor, who completed 21 of 35 passes for 149 yards and 2 touchdowns with 2 interceptions, connected with Garrett Harstad for a 12-yard touchdown before Justin Guin's 5-yard run tied it 24-24 with 2:09 left in the third quarter.
Southern Utah answered with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that carried into the fourth quarter. Talmage Brown finished it with a 2-yard touchdown run, putting the Thunderbirds ahead for good with 10:24 left. Northern Colorado's next drive ended on downs, and its final possession ended in an interception. Northern Colorado hosts Montana State on Saturday, Nov. 14.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Colorado | 0 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 24 |
| Southern Utah | 7 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
ScoringScore after each, UNCO-SUU
- 1st 8:49Joshua Acord 16 Yd pass from Will Burns (Jayden Rogers Kick)0-7
- 2nd 11:12Will Burns 19 Yd Run (Jayden Rogers Kick)0-14
- 2nd 6:26Mark Bails 25 Yd pass from Will Burns (Jayden Rogers Kick)0-21
- 2nd 3:48Marcus Mozer 27 Yd pass from Brayten Silbor (Landon Richardson Kick)7-21
- 2nd 0:02Jayden Rogers 32 Yd Field Goal7-24
- 3rd 10:06Landon Richardson 39 Yd Field Goal10-24
- 3rd 6:10Garrett Harstad 12 Yd pass from Brayten Silbor (Landon Richardson Kick)17-24
- 3rd 2:09Justin Guin 5 Yd Run (Landon Richardson Kick)24-24
- 4th 10:24Talmage Brown 2 Yd Run (Jayden Rogers Kick)24-31
Team statistics
| Northern Colorado | Statistic | Southern Utah |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | First downs | 22 |
| 353 | Total yards | 358 |
| 149 | Passing yards | 201 |
| 204 | Rushing yards | 157 |
| 21 of 35 | Passes completed | 18 of 29 |
| 28 | Rushes | 40 |
| 1 of 9 | Third downs converted | 8 of 15 |
| 2 of 3 | Fourth downs converted | 2 of 2 |
| 5 for 47 yards | Penalties | 12 for 99 yards |
| 3 | Turnovers | 0 |
| 26:24 | Time of possession | 33:36 |
Leaders
- PassingBrayten Silbor, 21 of 35 passes for 149 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions
- PassingWill Burns, 18 of 29 passes for 201 yards, 2 touchdowns
- RushingBrandon Lambert Jr., 5 carries for 67 yards
- RushingFloyd Chalk, 22 carries for 66 yards
- ReceivingMarcus Mozer, 5 catches for 46 yards, 1 touchdown
- ReceivingJoshua Acord, 7 catches for 62 yards, 1 touchdown
- TacklesKJ Smedley, 9 tackles
- TacklesParker Vance, 10 tackles
Eccles Coliseum, Cedar City. Attendance 2,562.
Play-by-play as ESPN publishes it. Clock times are time left in the quarter.