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Utah Tech University Athletics

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Brooklyn Fehr / Utah Tech Athletics
17
Utah Tech UTU 0-9 , 0-5
28
Winner Eastern Ky. EKU 4-4 , 2-2
Utah Tech UTU
0-9 , 0-5
17
Final
28
Eastern Ky. EKU
4-4 , 2-2
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
UTU Utah Tech 0 3 7 7 17
EKU Eastern Ky. 0 14 7 7 28

Game Recap: Football | | UT Athletics Media Relations

Trailblazers Fall at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday

Utah Tech could not build on an early lead as the Trailblazers were handed a 28-17 United Athletic Conference road loss at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon at Roy Kidd Stadium.

After both teams slugged through a scoreless first quarter, Utah Tech got on the scoreboard first thanks to an Ilya Uvaydov 24-yard field goal at the 11:29 mark of the second quarter.

The Trailblazers drove 87 yards in 10 plays on their first scoring drive. Freshman quarterback Bronson Barben threw for 41 of those yards, 37 of which came consecutive completions to Josh Rillos, including a 27-yard slant on 1st and 10 at the Blazer 14.

Barben and Rillos connected again for a 10-yard gain across the midfield stripe on a play that ended with an EKU facemask penalty, which placed the ball at the Colonel 34.

Then after a short Barben-to-Jay McEuen completion, freshman back Asa Chatman rattled off a 20-yard run around the right side to set Utah Tech up first and goal at the Colonel 10.

However the drive stalled at the EKU 7 and the Blazers had to settled for the Uvaydov chip shot.
 
The two sides went on to trade empty possessions before EKU struck for the game's first touchdown on a 1-yard Joshua Carter dive with 4:42 to play until halftime.
 
The Colonels added to their lead with a defensive score 45 seconds later when Gabe Stephens strip-sacked Barben at the Blazer 23. EKU linebacker Maddox Marcellus scooped up the loose ball and rambled to the end zone to put his side up 14-3.

EKU kept its momentum going out of the halftime break as the Colonels took the opening kick-off and marched 75 yards in 14 plays. Eastern Kentucky capped its six-plus minute drive with a 2-yard Cameron Hergott run to extend to a 21-3 advantage.
 
Utah Tech got up off the deck on its first possession of the second half as Barben led a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive that the freshman ended by finding Bryce Parker in the flat for a 9-yard scoring strike to cut the deficit to 21-10.

Unfortunately that would be as close at Utah Tech would get as EKU put the game away with a decisive fourth quarter touchdown drive, a 10-play, 71-yard drive that Carter paid off with a 6-yard run up the middle with 2:27 remaining.
 
The Blazers got that touchdown back on an 11-yard Barben pass to Eni Falayi with 1:13 left. However Utah Tech was not able to recover the ensuing onside kick and EKU ran out the clock from there to earn the Homecoming win.
 
Utah Tech wound up with 346 yards of total offense on the day, with Barben throwing for a career high 231 yards on 22-of-39 passing to go with his two touchdown tosses. The freshman also ran for a team-high 37 yards on 13 carries. Rillos also posted career highs with seven receptions for 72 yards.
 
Sophomore safety Brevin Hamlin posted his fourth-straight double-digit tackle outing with a co-game high 11 tackles, including nine solo stops, while freshman Quincy Lejay racked up a career-best 11 total tackles (10 solo).

Carter led EKU with 167 yards on 31 carries as the Colonels finished with 362 total yards overall.  
 
Utah Tech will play two of its final three games of the 2024 season at home, beginning with a UAC matinee against nationally-ranked Central Arkansas. Kickoff inside Greater Zion Stadium is set for 2 p.m. (MT).
 
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