Brook Madsen rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns and Joe Dupaix added 109 yards on the ground as Southern Utah University defeated Southwest Texas State 41-27 on Saturday.
Southern Utah took an early lead on a first period 1-yard Dupaix plunge. But Mathis answered with dashes of 10 and 5 yards to put the Bobcats up 14-6 early in the second period.Madsen brought the Thunderbirds to within a point of the Bobcats, 14-13, late in the second period with a 45-yard scoring run. The Thunderbirds dominated the third period, scoring three touchdowns on a 43-yard run by Mike Gadlin, a 30-yard Madsen run and a 45-yard Terry Rose run. Southern Utah had a 34-14 edge entering the fourth period.
Southwest Texas pulled to 34-27, but Southern Utah scored on an 80-yard play in which Dupaix carried the ball the first 35 yards before passing it laterally to Roosevelt Miller for the final 45 yards and a score.
"The key was that we were able to hang in there, be patient, run the ball and not let them take us out of what we wanted to do," said SUU coach Rich Ellerson.