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Utah Tech University Athletics

FB - Pritchard vs. WSCU 2016 (CSUP 2018 Recap)
Stan Plewe/Utah Tech Athletics
14
Dixie State DSFB 0-1 , 0-1
56
Winner CSU-Pueblo CUFB 1-0 , 1-0
Dixie State DSFB
0-1 , 0-1
14
Final
56
CSU-Pueblo CUFB
1-0 , 1-0
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
DSFB Dixie State 0 12 2 0 14
CUFB CSU-Pueblo 14 21 21 0 56

Game Recap: Football | | By DSU Athletics Media Relations

Big plays sink Trailblazer Football at CSU-Pueblo

DSU concedes six scoring plays of 65 yards or more; Shiloh Pritchard logs a pick-six

Dixie State football dropped its 2018 season-opener on Saturday in Pueblo, Colorado, suffering a 56-14 loss to Colorado State-Pueblo at the Thunderbowl.

The Trailblazers (0-1, 0-1 RMAC) fell victim to the big play in the setback, conceding six scoring plays of 65 yards or more, including two 80-yard touchdown runs in the third quarter.

Dixie State found itself in a 21-0 hole midway through the second quarter. The Thunderwolves forced a DSU punt on the opening drive of the game, then promptly drove 66 yards in six plays to take a 7-0 lead.

The Blazers looked to swing the momentum later in the frame, forcing a CSU-Pueblo fumble. Anthony Yarbrough (San Diego, Calif./Mount Miguel HS) dove on the loose ball to regain possession for the visitors.

Desmond Davis (Houston, Texas/Spring HS) broke through the Thunderwolves defensive line two plays later for a first down, before Trent Darms (Chico, Calif./Pleasant Valley HS) found Deven Osborne (Los Angeles, Calif./Culver City HS) for a six-yard pickup. But, the drive stalled, and DSU was forced to settle for a field goal. CSU-Pueblo blocked the 27-yard attempt, picked up the loose ball, and rumbled 65 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 14-0 at the 6:53 mark of the opening quarter. The feat marked the first time a DSU opponent had returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown since Sept. 15, 2007, in a loss at Montana State.

After CSU-Pueblo tacked on another score with a 65-yard run, DSU again looked to swing things back in its favor when Shiloh Pritchard (American Samoa/Leone HS), in his first game since 2016, picked off an AJ Thompson pass and raced 36 yards the other way for a pick-six. The DSU point-after attempt failed, and the Trailblazers remained within striking distance at 21-6 with eight minutes remaining until halftime.

But, the Thunderwolves seized control of the game with a 71-yard touchdown run and a 68-yard touchdown pass over the next three minutes to extend the lead to 35-6.

Dixie State countered with a touchdown just before halftime when Trent Darms (Chico, Calif./Pleasant Valley HS) found Xavier Smith (Kansas City, Mo./Ruskin HS) for a 23-yard strike to pull to within 35-12, but DSU would get no closer.

CSU-Pueblo outscored DSU, 21-2, the rest of the way to clinch the win, as the only second-half Trailblazer points came on a Pritchard stop in the end zone for a safety early in the third quarter.

The Trailblazers finished with 253 yards of total offense (185 pass, 68 rush). Darms completed 12-of-31 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown in his Dixie State debut. Lawrence Starks (Fontana, Calif./Etiwanda HS) rushed for 47 yards on 14 carries, while Davis picked up 42 yards on 16 carries. Smith led the receiving corps with three catches for 76 yards and one touchdown, while Brad Duran (Corona, Calif./Santiago HS) made five catches for 47 yards, and Dejuan Dantzler (Moreno Valley, Calif./Citrus Hill HS) also snagged three passes for 39 yards.

Defensively, DSU conceded 573 yards of total offense (496 rush/77 pass). Pritchard led the defense with six tackles and one sack to go with the pick-six. Abraham Reinhardt (Wailuku, Hawaii/H.P. Baldwin HS), Mike Jones (San Diego, Calif./Mount Miguel HS), and Jaylen Moore (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley HS) added five tackles each.

Dixie State returns home for its 2018 home opener on Saturday against Fort Lewis at Trailblazer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

NOTES: Freshman punter Josh Carlson (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert HS) set a new Dixie State record in his Trailblazer debut with an 81-yard punt in the third quarter, eclipsing the previous mark of 78 yards set by Nate Lewis against Humboldt State in 2007.
 
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