CEDAR CITY, Utah, Oct. 12 – Tyree Mills intercepted two passes and Tommy Collet Jr. added another pick to spark Southern Utah to a 17-7 Homecoming win over Portland State on Saturday afternoon. With the win the Thunderbirds improved to 2-1 in Big Sky Conference play and 5-2 overall while PSU dipped to 0-3 in the BSC and 3-4 overall.
Although Southern Utah finished with a season-low 183 yards of offense the Thunderbirds also limited the Vikings' high-powered offense to a season-low 313 yards, as well as a season-low seven points. Coming into the game PSU was averaging 574 yards and 38 .7 points per game and had not scored fewer than 27 points nor gained fewer than 483 yards in a game this season.
“Early on in the week we put a lot on our defensive staff and those guys worked their tails off,” SUU Coach Ed Lamb said. “There was not a play that they got … that our guys didn't see. We didn't win every time, we didn't win every match-up – that's never going to happen – but our guys were so well-prepared. I give credit to the coaches for coming up with the game-plan and I give credit to the players for spending a considerable amount of time. It was a completely new defense, a new set, we hadn't run all year.
The SUU defensive backs “challenged some of the best receivers in the country,” Lamb added. “We got some good pressure. Our defensive line coach and defensive coordinator did a good job of turning those guys loose up front and getting a game plan. A week ago we got burned a couple of times playing a little more conservatively at the line of scrimmage; this week we turned the guys loose and they did a great job getting penetration.”
Southern Utah led 10-7 at the half after Paris Penn edged his way into the end zone on a quarterback sneak with one second remaining in the second period, capping a 13-play, 75-yard drive.
That would be the only time the Vikings would get on the scoreboard, however, as the Thunderbirds thwarted two drives with fumble recoveries and three more with interceptions.
The teams exchanged punts on the first six possessions of the game before the Thunderbirds got on the scoreboard with a 48-yard Colton Cook field goal early in the second period. SUU then took advantage of a fumble recovery to extend the lead to 10-0 when Fatu Moala caught a 5-yard TD pass from Aaron Cantu with 5:15 to play in the half.
Cook's field goal tied his season high, while Moala's touchdown was his first of the season and his 10th in the past two seasons.
SUU got its final points after Mills returned his second interception of the game 42 yards to the Viking one yard line. Cantu took the ball the final yard for the 17-7 advantage with 6:01 to play. Southern Utah's defense came through on the ensuing PSU possession, taking over on downs at its own 20 with 3:12 to go, then running the clock out to seal the win.
Freshman running back Levi Te'o posted career-high with 22 carries for 62 yards while Cantu completed 14-of-25 passes for 119 yards with one interception.
“Aaron's interception was on me,” Lamb said. “I told him to take a shot and he took a shot.”
PSU used three quarterbacks. Starter Kieran McDonagh completed 12-of-24 passes for 126 yards but was intercepted twice while Collin Ramirez, who was directing the offense at the end of the game, completed 5-of-12 for 74 yards with an interception. Penn attempted just two passes, completing one for minus-4 yards but carrying six times for 25 yards the the TD.
-- SUU --
