Wildcats Fall in Utah

CEDAR CITY, Utah – Southern Utah outscored ACU 21-0 in a critical stretch of the first half to turn a tie game into a rout as the Thunderbirds rolled past the Wildcats 52-14 in a United Athletic Conference game at Eccles Coliseum.
 
The loss snaps ACU's two-game winning streak and drops them to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the league, and virtually wipes out any hopes the Wildcats had to earn a bid to the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs. The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, improved to 3-5 and 2-2 with the victory.
 
ACU – which had begun to put some things together in the last two weeks with wins over North Alabama and Stephen F. Austin – couldn't get anything going in the right direction Saturday afternoon. The Thunderbirds physically dominated the Wildcats at the line of scrimmage, rushing for 308 yards on 48 carries. ACU, meanwhile, ran for just 149 yards on 32 carries. 
 
ACU quarterback Maverick McIvor was 9 for 21 for just 74 yards and three interceptions. The Thunderbirds turned all three of those interceptions into touchdowns.
 
With the game tied 7-7 late in the first quarter, Southern Utah took control of the contest by outscoring ACU 21-0 to push its lead to 28-7. The Thunderbirds needed just 15 plays and 6:04 of clock time to cover 175 yards to score those three touchdowns. 
 
While Southern Utah was putting together that 21-0 scoring run, the Wildcats struggled to get anything going on offense as they managed to run just 14 plays for 26 yards, using 6:54 of clock time. ACU was never able to get back into the game after that stretch.
 
Southern Utah quarterback Justin Miller hit Targhee Lambson for a touchdown from 10 yards out with 11:53 left in the first half, followed by a 6-yard run from Braedon Wissler and a 13-yard touchdown run from Lambson, who finished with 101 yards on eight carries.
 
GAME SUMMARY
How They Scored
1Q (2:25) – Two plays after Southern Utah's AJ Felton picked off a Maverick McIvor pass, Southern Utah got on the board first on a 14-yard pass from Justin Miller to Isaiah Wooden. Miller had last week broken the school's record for touchdown passes with 62.
            Scoring Play: Isaiah Wooden 14 pass from Justin Miller (Tyler Graham PAT)
            Drive: 2 plays, 16 yards, 0:39 TOP
            Southern Utah 7, ACU 0
 
1Q (1:35) – It didn't take the Wildcats long to answer the Thunderbirds' score, as they needed just two plays to find the end zone. After an 8-yard run by Jordon Vaughn moved the ball to the ACU 37, Vaughn ripped off a 55-yard touchdown run up the left hashmark to get the game tied at 7-7.
            Scoring Play: Jordon Vaughn 55 run (Kyle Ramsey PAT)
            Drive: 2 plays, 63 yards, 0:45 TOP
            Southern Utah 7, ACU 7
 
2Q (11:53) – The Thunderbirds ripped off 21 straight points to take control of the game, and that run began here as they put together their longest drive of the game, keyed by a 17-yard run by Braedon Wissler, a 19-yard pass from Miller to Ethan Bolingbroke, and a 10-yard TD pass from Miller to Targhe Lambson to end the march.
            Scoring Play: Targhee Lambson 10 pass from Miller (Graham PAT)
            Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:42 TOP
            Southern Utah 14, ACU 7
 
2Q (8:25) – Southern Utah's defense forced an ACU punt, and it didn't take long for the Thunderbirds to find the end zone to increase their lead to 21-7. Targhee Lambson had a 69-yard run to the ACU 6-yard line, and Wissler finished the march with a 6-yard TD run to push the lead to two scores.
            Scoring Play: Braedon Wissler 6 run (Graham PAT)
            Drive: 3 plays, 81 yards, 0:46 TOP
            Southern Utah 21, ACU 7
 
2Q (7:34) – On ACU's second play of its ensuing drive, McIvor was picked off for the second time in the game, this time by Tre Gola-Collard, giving the ball back to the Thunderbirds at the ACU 19. This drive only took two plays, with Lambson accounting for all 19 yards in the drive, capping the short march with a 13-yard TD run to push the lead to 28-7.
            Scoring Play: Lambson 13 run (Graham PAT)
            Drive: 2 plays, 19 yards, 0:36 TOP
            Southern Utah 28, ACU 7
 
2Q (0:10) – After the teams traded punts, ACU put together its best drive of the game with a seven-play, 45-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard TD pass from McIvor to Jed Castles. The biggest play of the drive was a 16-yard pass from McIvor to Castles that moved the ball to the Southern Utah 10-yard line with about 20 seconds left in the first half. ACU would score two plays later.
            Scoring Play: Jed Castles 10 pass from Maverick McIvor (Ramsey PAT)
            Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 0:52 TOP
            Southern Utah 28, ACU 14
 
3Q (8:49) – ACU was moving briskly with its opening possession of the second half before McIvor was intercepted for the third time in the game, this time by Jordan Washington, who returned the ball 39 yards to the ACU 32-yard line. The Thunderbirds needed four plays to get into the end zone as Wissler scored on a 10-yard run, his second TD run of the afternoon.
            Scoring Play: Wissler 10 run (Graham PAT)
            Drive: 4 plays, 32 yards, 1:58 TOP
            Southern Utah 35, ACU 14
 
3Q (3:20) – After another ACU punt, the Thunderbirds' offense returned to work, moving briskly down the field to a second touchdown in the third quarter. Miller and Wooden hooked up for 15 yards on third-and-7 from the Southern Utah 43, and they hooked up again to cap the drive with a touchdown pass from 25 yards out.
            Scoring Play: Wooden 25 pass from Miller (Graham PAT)
            Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:24 TOP
            Southern Utah 42, ACU 14
 
3Q (3:20) – After another ACU punt, the Thunderbirds' offense went back to work, moving briskly down the field to a second touchdown in the third quarter. Miller and Wooden hooked up for 15 yards on third-and-7 from the Southern Utah 43, and they hooked up again to cap the drive with a touchdown pass from 25 yards out.
            Scoring Play: Wooden 25 pass from Miller (Graham PAT)
            Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards, 3:24 TOP
            Southern Utah 42, ACU 14
 
KEY STATS
• After forcing eight turnovers in their last two games – both wins – the Wildcats didn't force a turnover Saturday against the Thunderbirds, losing the turnover battle 3-0. 
• The Thunderbirds ran for 308 yards on 48 carries Saturday, the third time this season the Wildcats have allowed more than 300 yards on the ground, with the other two coming at Central Arkansas (45 carries for 380 yards) and at Prairie View (60 carries for 301 yards).
 
TURNING POINT
• The Wildcats trailed 28-14 early in the second half when they forced a punt, a pooch punt that was blocked by Chase Merrell, giving the ball back to ACU at its 46-yard line with a chance to cut the lead to just one score. On second-and-nine from the Southern Utah 36, McIvor dropped back to pass and tried to hit Tristan Golightly for what would have been a first down. However, the ball went through his hands into the arms of Jordan Washington, and he returned the ball 39 yards to the ACU 32-yard line. Southern Utah scored four plays later to push its lead back to three scores at 35-14, and that was the ballgame.
 
POST-GAME NOTES
• Saturday's 52-14 loss marked the sixth time since ACU moved to NCAA Division I FCS affiliation in 2013 that it has given up at least 47 points in a game. The other five are:
     > 49-21 loss vs. Sam Houston State, Oct. 17, 2015
     > 58-27 loss vs. Central Arkansas, Oct. 1, 2016
     > 56-21 loss vs. Southeastern Louisiana, Oct. 21, 2017
     > 49-47 win over Northwestern State, Nov. 3, 2018
     > 52-17 loss vs. Central Arkansas, Sept. 23, 2023
• ACU running back Jordon Vaughn – a sophomore transfer from Wyoming – became the third Wildcat to run for at least 100 yards in a game this season, as he finished with 108 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. His only other action this season came two weeks ago against North Alabama when he carried 11 times for 50 yards in the Wildcats' win over the Lions. The other Wildcats to rush for at least 100 yards in a game this season are Jay'Veon Sunday (140 yards against North Texas and 147 yards last week against Stephen F. Austin) and Jermiah Dobbins (106 yards vs. Incarnate Word).
 
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will return to Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium next Saturday for the first of back-to-back home games to close out the 2023 regular-season home schedule. The Wildcats will host Utah Tech at 2 p.m. in a United Athletic Conference game. The Wildcats and Trailblazers have met once before, with ACU taking a 26-10 win last season in St. George, Utah. ACU outscored Utah Tech, 13-10, in the fourth quarter to pull away for the victory.