CEDAR CITY, UTAH - The Eastern Kentucky football team dropped its first UAC game of the season, losing 42-21 to Southern Utah on the road on Saturday night.
 
The Colonels (3-3, 1-1 UAC) battled back to tie the game at 14-14 early in the third quarter, but the Thunderbirds (3-4, 2-1 UAC) responded with 21 unanswered points to secure the win.
 
Penalties were a major factor, with EKU flagged nine times for 77 yards and SUU penalized 11 times for 126 yards.
 
During the game, kicker Patrick Nations set a new program record for career field goals, converting his 49th and 50th in the first half. His record-breaking 47-yard field goal came just before halftime.
 
Quarterback Matt Morrissey passed for 207 yards and one touchdown, while linebacker Braden Sullivan led the defense with a game-high 17 tackles.
 
Next up, EKU will travel to face Abilene Christian on Saturday, Oct. 19.
 
How It Happened
The Colonels reached the SUU 28-yard line on their opening drive but came away empty after failing to convert on fourth-and-six from the SUU 31.
 
On the ensuing SUU possession, the Thunderbirds executed a fake punt, with the up-back running 36 yards to the EKU 26. Two plays later, SUU found the end zone on a run around the left edge, but the touchdown was negated by a holding penalty.
 
After a red zone stop by EKU appeared to force a field goal attempt, a pass interference call on Jaheim Ward gave SUU a first down at the 3-yard line. Two plays later, Targhee Lambson punched in a short touchdown to give the Thunderbirds a 7-0 lead with 4:31 left in the first quarter.
 
EKU responded on the next drive, aided by two major penalties against SUU. A goal-line stand by the Thunderbirds was erased by a defensive penalty, giving EKU a fresh set of downs near the goal line.
 
However, the Colonels settled for a field goal early in the second quarter after an offensive pass interference pushed them back.
 
SUU then put together a 12-play, 75-yard drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 14-3 with 6:03 left in the half.
 
Return man Jalen Montgomery provided a spark with a 53-yard kickoff return to the SUU 42, but EKU missed a 38-yard field goal with 2:21 remaining in the half.
 
With 40 seconds left before halftime, EKU took over at its 25-yard line. Morrissey completed five straight passes to set up a 47-yard field goal by Nations, bringing the score to 14-6 at halftime.
 
EKU came out strong in the second half, aided by two personal fouls against SUU, and capped a 9-play, 75-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Joshua Carter. A trick two-point conversion tied the game at 14-14, with kicker Patrick Nations taking a direct snap and throwing a lateral to Cameron Hergott, who found defensive lineman Jeremiah Bailey in the end zone.
 
However, SUU responded quickly, retaking the lead with a 12-yard touchdown pass on the next drive to go up 21-14 with 7:21 left in the third quarter.
 
On EKU's next possession, a strip sack of Morrissey gave SUU the ball at the EKU 31. Lambson took over, rushing six straight times before scoring from eight yards out to push the lead to 28-14.
 
After both teams traded punts, SUU added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a 38-yard pass to make it 35-14 with 8:49 remaining.
 
EKU answered with a 9-yard touchdown pass from Morrissey to Dequan Stanley with 5:55 left, cutting the deficit to 35-21.
 
SUU sealed the victory with a 9-play, 75-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Lambson to make the final score 42-21.