Despite a season-high 500 yards of total offense, Dixie State could not overcome three costly turnovers as the Storm lost a 42-24 GNAC decision to Western Oregon Friday night at Hansen Stadium. The loss dropped the Storm to 1-4 overall/0-2 in GNAC play, while the Wolves improved to 2-3, 1-1 in league action.

After both teams swapped three-and-outs to open the game, Dixie State put together a 17-play drive that set the Storm up with a first-and goal at the WOU 5-yard line. However DSU had to settle for a 40-yard Alex Giordani (West Jordan, Utah/West Jordan HS) field goal after a costly penalty pushed the Storm out of the red zone.

Dixie State did find the end zone to close out the first quarter when freshman quarterback Blake Barney (St. George, Utah/Dixie HS) hit Nate Johnson (Oceanside, Calif./Vista HS) at the WOU 5-yard line, and Johnson did the rest as he carried five would-be Wolves tacklers to the goal line for his first touchdown of the season, which gave Dixie a 10-0 lead after one period.

From there, however, it was all Western Oregon as the Wolves scored 42 unanswered points over the next two-and-a-half quarters to put the game out of reach. WOU started the barrage on the Wolves' ensuing possession as quarterback David Sowards hit Keoni Piceno on a quick 5-yard inside slant, and Piceno did the rest as he turned the quick hitter into a 51-yard touchdown scamper, which cut the lead to 10-7.

Dixie State had a chance on its next possession as Barney drove the Storm down to the Western 12-yard line, but the Storm was turned away as Trebiel Larry picked off a Barney pass at the goal line. That turnover set up a Western Oregon nine-play, 92-yard drive, which ended with a Joe Harris 4-yard TD run to stake the Wolves to a 14-10 halftime lead.

Western Oregon scored on its first possession of the third quarter when Sowards turned a third and 13 into a 32-yard touchdown pass to Paul Revis to extend the advantage to 21-10. DSU had its chances to get back into the game, but the Wolves defense stopped DSU on a fourth-down play in one possession, and forced another Dixie turnover in the Storm's end of the field on another drive.

That turnover proved costly as the Wolves cashed that miscue in for a Harris 1-yard TD run with 14:25 to play in the game to put WOU three scores. Western Oregon then put the game out of reach as the Wolves scored two more touchdowns in the span of three-plus minutes, including another Harris TD run, this time from 13-yards out, which was set up after another DSU interception. The Wolves closed the stretch with a Paul Revis 81-yard punt return, which put WOU up 42-10.

Dixie State did not quit as the Storm put together two fourth-quarter scoring drives, the first being an eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a Tyson Blackner (Draper, Utah/Alta HS)-to-Brad Duran (Corona, Calif./Santiago HS) 20-yard TD connection. Then in the waning moments, tailback Myles Burton (Berkeley, Calif./Angelo Rodriguez HS) found the end zone off a 3-yard pass from Blackner.

A week after being held to an NCAA Division II-era low 20 yards passing, Dixie State gained a season-high 392 yards in the air, including a career-high 223 yards from Blackner on 19-of-30 passing with two touchdowns, while Barney finished with 169 yards passing and 53 yards rushing. Senior receiver Nate Stephens (Redding, Calif./Shasta HS) collected season-highs of 124 yards on 11 receptions. On the defensive side, DSU held Western Oregon to 354 yards of offense, with sophomore safety Colton Olsen recording a game-high 14 tackles, including six solo stops, and one tackle for loss.

However it was the three turnovers and a couple big plays that proved to be the difference in the game.

"Big plays have killed us all year long," Head Coach Scott Brumfield said. "Our guys have been in position to prevent them, but just don't get it done. We talked before the game about how we would respond to a big play against us or a big play for us, and we didn't respond on either side. We have to eliminate those big plays."

Harris finished with 90 yards rushing to go with his three TDs to lead WOU, while Sowards passed for 199 yards with two touchdown passes.

Dixie State opens a stretch of four-straight road games in October next Saturday as the Storm goes north of the border for a GNAC match-up against Simon Fraser.