Dixie State earned its fifth win of the season Saturday in a 24-21 thriller over Adams State at Rex Stadium in Alamosa, Colorado.
The Trailblazers (5-4, 5-3 RMAC) forced an Adams State punt with the score tied at 21-21 with less than a minute remaining in the game. Freshman running back Sei-J Lauago (Paramount, Calif./La Mirada HS) returned the punt to the DSU 45-yard line, but a penalty on the return moved DSU back to its own 30-yard line. Two plays later, senior running back DeJon Coleman (Los Angeles, Calif./Arleta HS) burst through a hole in the defense for a 54-yard run to the ASU 12-yard line. After a holding penalty, Coleman ran the next play up the middle for another 18 yards to the 4-yard line with one second remaining to set an opportunity for a game-winning field goal.
Head Coach Shay McClure called for a timeout, and sophomore kicker Anthony Reyes (Queen Creek, Ariz./Dobson HS) stepped on the field to attempt a 21-yard field goal to clinch the win. Prior to the kick, Adams State called each of its three timeouts in an attempt to ice the sophomore kicker. But the attempts proved unsuccessful as Reyes split the uprights as time expired to propel the Trailblazers to the victory.
The win marked a new Division II-era single-season win record for Dixie State as the Trailblazers picked up their fifth win of the season, eclipsing the previous mark of four wins (2008, 2009, 2013). Coleman logged a career day, rushing for a career-high 206 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, becoming the new DSU career rushing (1,505 yards) and career rushing touchdowns (15) leader in the process.
Adams State scored the game's first touchdown, intercepting a tipped pass and racing 63 yards the other way for the score to take a 7-0 lead with 10:13 remaining in the first quarter.
The lead held until Dixie State took over possession at its own 1-yard line with 2:26 remaining in the quarter. Undaunted by the poor field position, the Trailblazers marched 92 yards in 11 plays to set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Coleman to tie the score at 7-7 with 12:26 remaining in the second quarter.
After forcing an ASU punt, Dixie State marched down the field again, and freshman quarterback Josh Thompson (Ontario, Calif./Colony HS) connected with senior receiver Aubrey Reed (Tacoma, Wash./Woodland Hills HS) on a pass to the near sideline. Reed made the catch, absorbed contact from a defender, and tiptoed the sideline for a 20-yard touchdown to give DSU its first lead at 14-7 midway through the second quarter.
Adams State drove to the DSU 20-yard line on the ensuing drive, but the Dixie State defense stiffened and forced a 34-yard field goal attempt, which missed wide left, and the 14-7 lead held up until halftime.
The Grizzlies looked to even the score early in the third quarter, marching 86 yards to the DSU 4-yard line. But the Trailblazers had other plans, as freshman defensive back Jaylen Moore (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley HS) forced an ASU fumble on the next play and fellow freshman Mike Jones (San Diego, Calif./Mount Miguel HS) scooped up the loose ball to regain possession for Dixie State.
Adams State eventually evened the score at 14-14 early in the fourth quarter after a 2-yard touchdown pass capped a 10-play, 54-yard drive for the Grizzlies.
Dixie State responded on the ensuing drive after Lauago returned the kickoff 56 yards to the ASU 29-yard line. Redshirt freshman running back Clifford Simms (Compton, Calif./St. John Bosco HS) scored on a 2-yard plunge four plays later to push the lead back to 21-14 with 11:22 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Grizzlies tied the game for a second time on their next drive, scoring on a 3-yard pass to even the score at 21-21 with 10:04 remaining in the quarter.
The teams traded punts until Dixie State took over with 36 seconds remaining and marched down the field for the game-winning field goal.
Dixie State finished the game with 472 yards of total offense, including 378 yards rushing. Coleman led the way with a career-high 206 yards rushing and a touchdown on his record-setting day. Simms also eclipsed the century mark, rushing for 105 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Thompson completed 10-of-15 passes for 94 yards with one touchdown and an interception.
Defensively, the Trailblazers allowed 415 yards of total offense (330 pass, 85 rush). Moore led the defensive attack with a game-high nine tackles and a forced fumble, while freshman linebacker Marika Lesuma (Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS) finished with a career-high eight tackles.
Dixie State returns to central Colorado next week with its first trip to Colorado State-Pueblo on Saturday, Nov. 5.
NOTES: Saturday's win marked the first DSU win at Rex Stadium since the teams first met in 2006 … with the win, Dixie State finishes the month of October with a 4-1 record, the most wins in the month of October in its Division II era ... junior linebacker Shiloh Pritchard (American Samoa/Leone HS) (second quarter) and junior safety Colton Olson (Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork HS) (third quarter) were both ejected after targeting calls were issued, marking the second consecutive game Olson has been disqualified due to targeting.
