The Big Sky Conference champions came up just short in Huntsville, Texas.
Southern Utah forced a punt with one minute to play, gaining possession trailing Sam Houston State by three points. On the second play of SUU’s last possession of the season, senior quarterback Ammon Olsen hit senior wide receiver Justin Brown on a post pattern for a 25-yard gain. But Adrian Contreras forced a fumble and Sam Houston’s Tristan Eche recovered it to punch SHSU’s ticket to the second round of the FCS playoffs with a 42-39 victory over the Thunderbirds.
Southern Utah’s season finishes with an 8-4 record. The Thunderbirds won seven of eight Big Sky games to claim the program’s first league title. SHSU, the 2011 and 2012 national runners up, will play Southland Conference champion McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louisiana next weekend. The Cowboys (10-0) are the lone undefeated team in the FCS.
On Saturday, SUU fell behind 16-6 in the first quarter as Corey Avery ripped off a pair of touchdown runs out of Sam Houston’s triple option offensive attack. A Ty Rutledge 61-yard run out of a Wildcat formation and two Olsen touchdown strikes to junior Mike Sharp boosted Southern Utah to a 26-point second quarter as the Thunderbirds entered halftime up 32-26.
Sharp’s third touchdown grab on the first possession of the second half gave SUU a 39-26 lead. Ridgeway Frank would score a rushing touchdown midway through the third as the final frame began with SUU clinging to a 39-33 lead.
Sam Houston cut the lead to four with a safety. With starting quarterback Jared Johnson on the bench , Jeremiah Briscoe hit Yedidiah Louis for a 55-yard touchdown pass with 3:44 to play for Sam Houston’s final margin.
Olsen completed 33-of-58 passes for 379 yards and four touchdowns. Sharp finished with eight catches for 141 yards and three scores, giving him 14 receiving touchdowns during an All-Big Sky junior season.
Sam Houston rushed for 344 yards on 72 runs. Avery left the game with an injury but Frank and Remus Bulmer picked up the slack. Frank rushed 29 times for 137 yards and two touchdowns. Butler added 16 carries for 111 yards. Johnson completed just 3-of-17 passes for 24 yards before taking a seat. Briscoe threw for 211 and a touchdown.
