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Utah Tech University Athletics

Blackner vs. SD Mines
Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics
31
Winner SD Mines SDSM&T 2-0 , 1-0
27
Dixie State DX 1-1 , 1-1
Winner
SD Mines SDSM&T
2-0 , 1-0
31
Final
27
Dixie State DX
1-1 , 1-1
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
SDSM&T SD Mines 0 3 21 7 31
DX Dixie State 8 0 13 6 27

Game Recap: Football | | By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Football rally falls short vs. SD Mines

The Dixie State football team fell to South Dakota Mines on Saturday as the Hardrockers handed the Trailblazers a 31-27 loss at Legend Solar Stadium.

Dixie State (1-1, 1-1 RMAC) had a chance at a game-winning drive, trailing by four points with 38 seconds remaining. The Trailblazers forced South Dakota Mines to punt and took over at their own 16-yard line. Freshman quarterback Josh Thompson (Ontario, Calif./Colony HS) then found senior receiver Aubrey Reed (Tacoma, Wash./Woodland Hills HS) over the middle for a 14-yard pass. Thompson found redshirt freshman receiver Dejuan Dantzler (Moreno Valley, Calif./Citrus Hill HS) two plays later for 10-yards. After the catch, Dantzler pitched the ball to sophomore running back Orlando Wallace (Cathedral City, Calif./Cathedral City HS) who ran for another 14 yards to the Hardrocker 46-yard line. However, the drive stalled two plays later when Thompson heaved a hail-mary to the end zone and was picked off by SD Mines defensive back Rafael Arellano at the goal line, sealing the victory for the Hardrockers.

Dixie State opened the scoring on its first drive of the game for the second time in as many games, as the Trailblazers went 85 yards in 12 plays to take the lead. Redshirt freshman running back Clifford Simms (Compton, Calif./St. John Bosco HS) capped the drive with a 15-yard scamper into the end zone. The Trailblazers converted a 2-point try when sophomore receiver Brad Duran (Corona, Calif./Santiago HS) took a low snap and opted to throw to freshman Marika Lesuma (Taylorsville, Utah/Taylorsville HS) in the end zone to extend the lead to 8-0.

The Hardrockers trimmed the DSU lead to five points when kicker Robbie Joe Gerarden hit a 42-yard field goal with 30 seconds remaining in the first half, and the Trailblazers took an 8-3 lead into the halftime break.

The floodgates opened in the second half as the teams combined for five touchdowns in the third quarter.

After Dixie State was forced to punt on the opening drive of the third quarter, senior punter Corey Stens (Corona, Calif./Santiago HS) pinned the Hardrockers at their own 7-yard line. SD Mines scored three plays later when running back Kevin Thompson took the handoff on third down and ran 84 yards untouched to give the Hardrockers their first lead of the game at 10-8.

The Trailblazers responded on the next drive when sophomore quarterback Tyson Blackner (Draper, Utah/Alta HS) completed four consecutive passes, capped by a 51-yard strike to Reed to retake the lead at 14-10 after the PAT failed.

But just when it seemed Dixie State had regained the momentum, it was the Hardrockers' turn to answer with a touchdown. SD Mines went 59 yards in 10 plays on its next drive and scored on a 10-yard pass to regain the lead at 17-14 with 6:59 remaining in the third quarter.

Dixie State answered the call again on its next drive, matching the SD Mines touchdown with an 8-play, 72-yard scoring drive of its own, capped by a 14-yard wildcat formation run by Wallace.
With 4:03 remaining in the third quarter, DSU led 21-17.

The Hardrockers wasted no time retaking the lead, this time for good, going 74 yards in six plays on the next drive to take a 24-21 lead. The touchdown marked a streak of five consecutive combined scoring drives for both teams.

SD Mines extended its lead to a game-high 10 points at 31-21 just 17 seconds into the fourth quarter after the Hardrockers intercepted a Josh Thompson (Ontario, Calif./Colony HS) pass and returned it to the DSU 9-yard line. Running back Dorian Cowart scored on the next play.

The Trailblazers pulled to within four points at 31-27 late in the fourth quarter when Wallace scored his second wildcat formation touchdown of the game, but the PAT failed and Dixie State would get no closer.

Dixie State amassed 475 yards of total offense (306 pass, 169 rush) in the loss, but also allowed 410 yards in the same category. Blackner finished the game 19-of-29 for 213 yards passing and a touchdown, while rushing for another 94 yards on 11 carries. Wallace led the receivers with 149 yards on 12 catches, to go with two rushing touchdowns. Sophomore linebacker Peter Brown (St. George, Utah/Desert Hills HS) finished the game with a team-high 12 tackles, while junior safety Colton Olson (Spanish Fork, Utah/Spanish Fork HS) added nine tackles.

The Trailblazers now head to Spearfish, South Dakota, to take on Black Hills State in their first road test of the season on Saturday, Sept. 17. Kickoff is set for Noon Mountain Time.
 
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