CEDAR CITY, Utah - In the second conference match-up for both teams this season, Southern Utah showed why most have been calling the Thunderbirds the most improved team in the Great West Conference. SUU's control of the game began on the opening drive and carried all the way to the 35-10 Homecoming victory.
Southern Utah (3-4, 1-1 GWC) moved its opening drive 68 yards downfield and capped the seven-play drive with a seven-yard pass from Cade Cooper to Tysson Poots. Cooper would later hit Poots again in the endzone, this time in the third quarter to give the T-Birds a 25-point lead.
Cooper finished the game 31-for-45 for 295 yards. He was responsible for four of SUU's five airborn TDs. The fifth came off of an interception turned touchdown by Erron Vonner in the fourth quarter.
The Thunderbirds found the endzone five minutes into the second quarter as Cooper hit Fesi Sitake on a six-yard pass.
Sitake led both sides with 114 all-purpose yards. He was joined over the 100-yard mark by teammate Austin Minefee who recorded 105 yards.
On the ensuing drive, the Fighting Sioux worked their way down to the SUU nine-yard line, but a trio of incomplete passes forced UND to bring out the field goal unit. With the 26-yard kick from senior Brandon Hellevang (K/P, Fargo, N.D.), UND set the score 14-3 with just over six minutes left to go in the half.
Before the break, the T-Birds would take advantage of a fumbled punt to up their lead to 21-3 with another receiving touchdown.
The Fighting Sioux had similar issues in the third quarter as they did in the first half as first downs were few. UND managed only two first downs in the third quarter in comparison to SUU's seven.
On the defensive side, sophomore Dominique Hawkins (Plymouth, Minn.) led both sides with a career-high 12 tackles (five solo). Juniors Ryan Kasowski (Grand Forks, N.D.) and Curtis Dublanko (Thorsby, Alberta) both picked up sacks for the Sioux.
Trailing 35-3 with just over four minutes remaining in the game, backup quarterback Brent Goska (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) moved the ball 39 yards on six plays and finally into the endzone. The entire one-minute, 46-second drive was made up of Goska rushes with a final eight-yard run pushing him into the endzone.
Goska finished the game 4-for-6 for 45 yards, including a 13-yard pass.
North Dakota will return home next weekend to take on Cal Poly at the Alerus Center. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
GAME NOTES: Tyson Heiser nabbed his first career interception at 9:15 in the first quarter ... Paul German picked up his first fumble recovery ... All-time North Dakota is 598-357-30 on the gridiron ... Under head coach Chris Mussman, the Fighting Sioux are 9-8 and are 2-3 in the Great West Conference.
- Go Sioux -
