Dixie State closed out its 2021 Spring FCS debut season in record-breaking fashion with a dominant 60-0 rout of Fort Lewis on Saturday night inside Greater Zion Stadium. The Trailblazers wrapped up their spring slate with a 2-3 overall record, while FLC fell to 0-1.

The Trailblazers set team scoring records for total points (60), first half points (44) and margin of victory (50) on Saturday night. Meanwhile, the shutout win was DSU's first at home and was just the second in the program's NCAA era (55-0 at New Mexico Highlands, 9/21/19).

The DSU defense set the early tone on Fort Lewis' opening possession when linebacker Sam Kanongata'a forced an Armon Hickson fumble on the Skyhawks' fourth play from scrimmage. Darrius Nash scooped up the loose ball at midfield and scampered all the way to the FLC 3-yard line. However DSU had to settle for a 22-yard James Baird field goal and the Blazers had their first points just 3:42 into the game.

Freshman running back Quali Conley scored DSU's first touchdown nearly six minutes later when he busted through the right side virtually untouched for a 39-yard scoring run. Dixie State's defense followed that up 27 seconds later when after a Skyhawk three-and-out, Fort Lewis mishandled the snap on the ensuing punt attempt. Linebacker Trace Tupe hit FLC punter Matthew Waid, and defensive lineman Isaac Fotu was there to collect the ball in the end zone to put DSU up 17-0.

Junior quarterback Kody Wilstead then put on a show as he threw for a DSU school-record tying five touchdown passes, four of which came later in the opening half. With 3:01 to play in the first quarter, Wilstead threw a 40-yard strike to Deven Osborne to extend the Blazer lead to 23-0.

Wilstead threw for three more scores in the second quarter, the first coming on an 18-yard catch-and-run to David Fisher at the 8:25 mark, then he hooked up with tight end Chase Hess in the corner of the end zone from 14-yards out with exactly three minutes on the clock.

Just before halftime, Wilstead again connected with Osborne, this time from 38 yards out with 50 seconds left in the stanza as DSU took a commanding 44-0 lead into the halftime break. Wilstead came out for one final drive to open the third quarter and proceeded to hurl his career-high tying fifth TD pass of the night when he found Conley all alone over the middle for a 17-yard scoring strike.

Baird would add tack on three more field goals, including a career-best and school record tying 50-yarder with 1:45 to play in the game. Baird's four field goals made on the night also tied a DSU NCAA-era single game record (4 - Mike Langston vs. Azusa Pacific 2009, 4 - Jameson Schultz vs. APU 2011). In addition, Baird tied the DSU single game record for total points with 18 after he went 6-for-7 in PAT attempts, and with his first field goal on DSU's opening possession, the senior kicker became DSU's career field goals made leader.

While the offense was scoring at will, the Trailblazer defense locked down the Skyhawks all night. DSU gave up just 120 yards of total offense, including a season-low 38 net passing yards, and forced five Fort Lewis turnovers, including a DSU single-game record tying four fumble recoveries. Meanwhile, the 38 passing yards allowed were the second-lowest total in the program's NCAA-era, while the 120 total yards allowed were the third-fewest in DSU's four-year history.

Dixie State finished with 436 yards of total offense, 312 of that came in the air. Wilstead closed the night 17-of-23 for 282 yards to go with his five TDs. The junior quarterback wound up with 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions on the season, and in the process moved into solo second place on DSU's career passing touchdowns list (28).

DSU also gained 124 yards on the ground, with Conley accounting for 73 of those yards on 10 carries with that one touchdown. Osborne posted his second-straight 100 yard receiving day as he caught seven passes for a career-high 147 yards, while his two touchdown receptions were also a career-best.

Dixie State will kick off the 2021 fall season with two-straight home games against Big Sky Conference opponents, starting with a date against Sacramento State on Saturday, Sept. 4. Then one week later, the Trailblazers will welcome in-state foe and national power Weber State to Greater Zion Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 11.