T-Birds Rout Red Storm 52-0

Season concludes with first D-II blanking

Box Score

BOX SCORE: SUU 52, DSC 0

CEDAR CITY, UTAH (November 6) – Any hopes of a monumental upset of Southern Utah University were extinguished quickly as the T-Birds used a balanced rushing and passing attack to handily defeat the Dixie State College football team 52-0 in Storm's final game of the year.

Dixie State finished the 2010 campaign with a 2-8 overall record. Opponents outscored the Storm by 202 points over the 10-game schedule. Southern Utah keeps their postseason aspirations alive improving to 6-4 with one final test awaiting next week at Eastern Washington.

Sione Tapuosi (East Palo Alto. CA/Carlmont) ran for 109 yards on 23 carries topping the 100-yard mark for the second time in three weeks. Keauntea Bankhead (Seattle, WA/Ballard) made the most of his farewell contest posting a game-high 16 tackles (nine solo) and three-and-a-half tackles for loss.

Freshman quarterback Cody Stevenson (Sandy, UT/Juan Diego) went without a touchdown pass for the second consecutive game. He completed 17-of-35 attempts for 97 yards with an interception taken back for a touchdown by Matt Holley in the third quarter.

After both teams failed to move the chains in their first drives, SUU punched in two scores with one-yard TD runs from Tui Siliva and Lavell Ika for a 14-0 lead after the first quarter.

Brad Sorensen then went to work in the passing game in the second quarter. Four scoring strikes – three yards to Robert Ah Sue, 14 yards to All-American Tysson Poots, seven yards to Jared Ursua and 15 yards to tight end Abbel Aiono – capped off an amazing string of six consecutive SUU touchdown drives.

Holley's pick six early in the third made the score 49-0. With 3:28 remaining in the quarter, Brock Miller drilled a 50-yard field goal for three additional points.

The Red Storm did not cross over into SUU territory until the fourth quarter and had converted only one-of-11 chances on third down entering the period. DSC had two offensive drives to avoid the shutout, but a pair of 32-yard field goal misses from Mike Langston (Riverside, CA/Ramona) sealed the Storm's fate.

Dixie State was shutout for the first time since beginning play in the Division-II ranks. The team's pervious low came last week when Western Oregon held DSC to three points in Monmouth.

During the first quarter, Kyser Christensen (Boise. ID/Centennial) became the first DSC player to eclipse the 2,000-yard receiving threshold during an 18-yard catch and scamper. He finished the game with three receptions. Darren Carter (Sandy, UT/Jordan) had six to pace the squad.

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