Utah Tech gave No. 7/8 UC Davis all it could handle and more, but the Trailblazers could not stop a furious second half Aggie rally in a hard-fought 31-24 loss in the 2025 season opener on Saturday night at Greater Zion Stadium.

The homestanding Trailblazers (0-1/0-0 UAC) took a 10-7 lead with them into the halftime break when quarterback Reggie Graff connected his tight end Eric Olsen for a 1-yard touchdown toss with 31 seconds to play in the second quarter.
 
Utah Tech jumped out to a 3-0 lead on a 33-yard Ilya Uvaydov field goal with nearly six minutes gone in the first quarter. The Blazers' first points of the season were set up by a Justin Houston strip sack and a Cody Carlson recovery at the UCD 33-yard line, one of two turnovers UC Davis turnovers Utah Tech converted into points on the night.
 
UC Davis (1-0/0-0 Big Sky) answered right back with a 66-yard Jordan Fisher run just 34 seconds later to make it a 7-3 game.
 
The Trailblazers kept their momentum going to start the second half, striking for a pair of touchdowns in the first seven minutes of the third period to bolt out to a commanding 24-7 advantage.
 
Utah Tech's defense came up big on the Aggies' third play of the frame when safety Brevin Czosnyka jumped in front of a Caden Pinnick pass at the UCD 45.
 
It took the Blazers only one play to cash that miscue into points as Graff found Tru Tanner all alone over the middle for a 45-yard scoring strike that extended the lead to 17-7.
 
After Utah Tech forced consecutive Aggie three-and-outs, the Trailblazers rattled off a five-play, 50-yard drive that culminated with a 1-yard Chris Street touchdown run that made a three-possession game.
 
However from there it was all Aggies, who clapped back with 24-unanswered points, including touchdowns on their next two third-quarter possessions. UC Davis would eventually pull even at 24-24 following a 29-yard Hunter Ridley field goal with 12:42 to play in regulation.
 
Utah Tech was forced to punt on its ensuing possession, and UC Davis turned that defensive stop into points when Pinnick connected with Samuel Gbatu Jr. for a 60-yard catch-and-run to jump back on top with 6:17 to play.
 
The Trailblazers had one more chance to tie the game with under two minutes to go when quarterback Bronson Barben hit Olsen down the near sideline for a 31-yard pitch-and-catch to midfield.
 
Unfortunately it was not meant to be as Utah Tech turned the ball over for the fourth time on the night just three plays later. UC Davis managed to run out the clock from there to escape with the road victory. 
 
Utah Tech racked up 353 yards of total offense in the loss, though the Trailblazers were held to only 71 yards in the fourth quarter. Utah Tech recorded 272 of those yards in the air as Barben wound up with 222 yards on 24-for-39 passing, while Graff went 4-for-5 for 50 yards and two touchdowns. 
 
Barben also led the Trailblazers with 28 yards rushing on nine carries as Utah Tech finished with 81 yards on the ground.
 
On defense, freshman Daylen Love notched his first collegiate sack and led the Trailblazers with 10 total tackles in his debut game. Meanwhile, linebacker Dallin Havea made the most of this Blazer debut as he racked up eight total tackles (5 solo), including 2.5 tackles for loss, and accounted for two of the unit's six sacks on the night. 
 
In addition, fifth-year cornerback Devyn Perkins collected seven stops in his first game back in a Trailblazer uniform, while Jace Sweeten and Will Alovao each tallied six tackles and a half-sack. 

UC Davis tallied 417 yards of total offense, with 234 of those yard coming in the final 23 minutes of the game. Pinnick threw for 253 yards on 21-of-31 passing and three touchdowns, while Fisher ran for 105 yards on 16 carries. 
 
Utah Tech opens its six-game road slate with a quick trip down to Flagstaff to face another Big Sky opponent in No. 18/19 Northern Arizona next Saturday afternoon, Sept. 6. Kickoff on the Findlay Toyota Field inside the Walkup Skydome is set for 3 p.m. (MT).