Thanks to three combined
Deacon Hill touchdowns, coupled by a banner day by the Trailblazer defense, Utah Tech notched its first-ever Big Sky Conference victory with a 43-26 road triumph at Cal Poly on Saturday afternoon at Mustang Memorial Field at Spanos Stadium.
The victory snapped the Trailblazers' 10-game losing streak, which dated back to the final seven games of the 2025 season, and was the program's first road victory since the 2023 season.
Utah Tech's offense gained 387 yards, while the Trailblazer defense forced an opponent season-high six turnovers, including four interceptions, which directly led to 26 Blazer points.
After surrendering an early Cal Poly touchdown and two-point conversion, Utah Tech (1-7/1-4 Big Sky) responded with 17-unanswered points to open up a 17-8 lead with 10 minutes to go in the first half.
The Trailblazers cracked the scoreboard on their opening possession when quarterback
Bronson Barben came off the bench, executed a perfect play-action fake, and found his tight end
Zay Akinsanya all alone over the middle for a 22-yard touchdown connection.
Utah Tech's defense came up with a big stop on Cal Poly's next possession, thanks in part to a big sack of Mustang QB Anthony Grigsby Jr. by safety
Brevin Czosnyka on third down.
The Blazers cashed that stop in with an eight-play, 74-yard drive, which culminated with a 2-yard Hill touchdown run with 1:11 to play in the first quarter. Hill, who started the game under center, threw for 199 yards on 18-for-28 passing in the first half.
Utah Tech made it a two-score game on its ensuing possession thanks to a career-long, 50-yard
Max Shepherd field goal with 10 minutes to play until halftime.
Cal Poly (4-5/3-3 Big Sky) stopped the Blazer run with a Josue Lopez 31-yard field goal at the 5:25 mark of the second quarter, and had got the ball back with under two minutes to play in the period.
However Czosnyka would come up with another big play on defense, this time picking off Grigsby Jr. at the Mustang 38 with 1:32 on the clock.
Utah Tech turned that turnover into points with a 29-yard Shepherd field goal on the final play of the frame to spot the Blazers with a 20-11 cushion at the intermission.
The Blazers kept the complementary football vibe going after the halftime, turning big plays on defense into points for the offense
Utah Tech's defense forced five of its six total turnovers in the second half, and the Blazers redeemed four of those five Mustang miscues into points.
Freshman linebacker
Luke Hansen got the turnover fest with his first collegiate interception when stepped in front of a Grigsby Jr. pass at the CP 23 and returned it 19 yards to the Mustang 4.
Hill needed only one play to cash in that miscue with a 4-yard TD toss to
Ace Chatman out of the backfield to extend the Blazer lead to 27-11.
Cal Poly clapped back with another touchdown and two-point conversion to make it a one-possession game at 27-19 with 4:12 left in the third quarter.
However that would be as close as the Mustangs would get as Utah Tech answered with 16-unanswered fourth quarter points.
After Blazer safety
Shaun Niu Jr. picked off Grigsby Jr. late in the third quarter, Shepherd drilled his third field goal of the day from 35-yards out to push the Blazer lead to 30-19 at the 14:11 mark of the fourth.
On the Mustangs' ensuing drive, Grigsby Jr. completed a pass to receiver Ray Hall at the Utah Tech 38 on 3
rd and 19. Blazer defensive back
Devin Costello then stripped Hall of the ball, which was recovered by UT corner
Ryan Tillman, who raced 56 yards down the near sideline to the Cal Poly 9.
Then after a Cal Poly pass interference penalty in the end zone moved the ball to the Mustang 2, Hill tried to sneak in to the end zone one play later. However Hill would get the ball knocked out of his grasp at the goal line.
Fortunately for Utah Tech, receiver
Prince Zombo Jr. was able to dive on the loose ball in the end zone for the touchdown, and though the PAT was block, the Blazers saw their lead swell to 36-19 with 11:36 to play.
The Trailblazers would put the game on ice later in the stanza when after the Mustangs muffed a punt at the Cal Poly 24, Hill scored on a keeper from 5-yards out to up the Utah Tech advantage to 43-19 with 1:57 remaining.
Utah Tech finished with 387 yards of total offense on the afternoon, with Hill throwing for 213 yards on 20-for-36 passing. Hill also ran for a season high 57 yards on 14 carries to go with his two rushing touchdowns.
Darnell O'Quinn led the Blazer receiving corps with five catches for 68 yards, while freshman running back
Junior Curtis ran for a game and career-high 59 yards on nine carries.
On defense, Czosnyka finished with six total tackles to go along with his sack and interception, while Hansen followed suit with six tackles, including two tackles for loss and his first collegiate sack, which complemented his big third quarter pick.
In all, Utah Tech racked up season highs of 10 total TFLs and four sacks to go with the unit's six forced turnovers.
Utah Tech returns home for a Halloween Big Sky matinee vs. Idaho State. Kickoff inside Greater Zion Stadium is set for 1 p.m. (MT).
POSTGAME NOTES: Utah Tech's victory on Saturday was Head Coach Lance Anderson's first road victory at Utah Tech … the victory also broke the program's 21-game road losing skid … prior to Saturday's win, the Trailblazers' last road victory came at Northern Arizona (50-36; 9/16/23) early in the 2023 season … Utah Tech's four interceptions on Saturday tied for the second-most in the program's NCAA era, and were the most since 2024, when the Trailblazers picked off four Central Arkansas passes in a 34-21 home victory over the then-ranked Bears (11/2/24).
