CEDAR CITY, Utah (October 31, 2015)- The football equivalent of Halloween is facing a triple-option team in conference play.
Unfortunately for Southern Utah, the Thunderbirds had to face that task on Halloween as they welcomed the Cal Poly Mustangs to Eccles Coliseum.
Fortunately for SUU, the Thunderbird defense was the scariest element on the field, scoring three defensive touchdowns to earn a 54-37 win over the Mustangs.
Cal Poly scored an opening field goal, after which Southern Utah responded with a 20-0 run. Southern Utah built up a 33-17 lead with 53 seconds left in the first half, before the Mustangs responded with a 14-0 run of their own in the third quarter.
However, with Cal Poly driving, trailing 33-31, Southern Utah’s Mike Needham returned a fumble 57 yards for a touchdown. Then, Big Sky Preseason Defensive Player of the Year James Cowser returned a fumble 55 yards to boost Southern Utah’s lead to 47-31 with 14:51 left in the fourth quarter.
Cal Poly finished with 582 yards, but Southern Utah forced six turnovers (five fumbles and an interception).
In the fourth quarter, on a sack-fumble, Cowser moved to 72.5 tackles-for-loss in his career, just a half-tackle behind Idaho State’s Jared Allen for the all-time Big Sky lead.
EASTERN WASHINGTON 14, WEBER STATE 13- A 10-0 Weber State first quarter lead didn’t hold up for the Wildcats, as Eastern Washington used two Cooper Kupp touchdowns to propel to a narrow win at home.
Kupp inched closer to catching the FCS receiving touchdown record set by New Hampshire’s David Ball, as he caught touchdowns of 40 and 4 yards from Jordan West. The first, a 40-yard score, gave Eastern Washington its first points, as the Eagles trailed Weber State 10-7.
The Wildcats opened up a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, as a six-yard run by Chad Leckington and a field goal by Josh Kealamakia gave Weber a two-score lead.
Weber State held a 13-7 halftime lead, but Kupp scored his second touchdown with 8:53 to go in the third quarter. The touchdown would be the only score of the second half.
Eastern Washington had a season-low 189 yards. Weber State finished with 412 yards.
NORTH DAKOTA 44, MONTANA STATE 38- North Dakota running back John Santiago rushed for 230 yards and three touchdowns, as UND picked up a home win over the Bobcats.
North Dakota held a 21-7 first quarter lead, until Montana State tied the game at 21-21 after a 39-yard run by Jayshaun Gates. A Santiago run before halftime gave UND a 31-24 halftime lead.
Montana State quarterback Dakota Prukop briefly tied the game at 31-31, after a three-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. However, North Dakota would never trail again.
The two teams combined for 1,027 yards, with North Dakota finishing with 548 yards. The win breaks a three-game losing streak for North Dakota.
PORTLAND STATE 35, MONTANA 16- #BarnyBall continued its winning ways, as Portland State forced three Montana turnovers in a home win.
Vikings quarterback Alex Kuresa threw two touchdowns, and also rushed for two touchdowns in the win. Kuresa threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Thomas Carter III to give Portland State a 7-0 lead with 9:47 to go in the first quarter, as the Vikings led wire-to-wire.
A 49-yard run by Kuresa in the third quarter gave Portland State a 28-10 victory.
The Vikings’ defense held Montana to 294 yards, while Portland State finished with 460.
NORTHERN ARIZONA 63, NORTHERN COLORADO 21- Northern Arizona quarterback Case Cookus threw seven touchdown passes, as the Lumberjacks earned 668 yards in a win.
The Lumberjacks held a 42-7 halftime lead, as Cookus threw four touchdown passes in the first half. NAU led 63-7 at the end of the third quarter, after Cookus was pulled in favor of backup Jordan Perry.
Northern Arizona receiver Emmanuel Butler finished with four touchdown catches.