Southern Utah Doomed By Turnovers In Loss To No. 25 Arizona State
Sep 2, 2021, 11:59 PM

Southern Utah Thunderbirds running back David Moore III (30) runs the ball during the college football game between the Southern Utah Thunderbirds and the Arizona State Sun Devils on September 2, 2021 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Southern Utah Thunderbirds battled hard but were ultimately doomed by turnovers in a road loss to No. 25 Arizona State.
ASU hosted the T-Birds at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Thursday, September 2.
Southern Utah turned the ball over four times and struggled to keep up with the Sun Devils.
Arizona State defeated SUU, 41-14.
No. 25 Sun Devils open the season on a high note. 😈#ForksUp | @ASUFootball | @tacobell pic.twitter.com/Z259pycxmR
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) September 3, 2021
The game got off to a rocky start for the Thunderbirds, who faced their second FBS opponent in as many weeks.
Arizona State forced its first turnover and scored a touchdown only 24 seconds into the contest. They never trailed.
First touchdown of 2021 belongs to @Chipperrz_ 🍪🔱
🎥 https://t.co/HKwpED3ERA pic.twitter.com/ue823lucum
— Sun Devil Football (@ASUFootball) September 3, 2021
The Thunderbirds scored later in the opening quarter and trailed 13-7 at the end of one. However, that is as close as they would get to the Sun Devils.
1Q 4:14 | @juddcockett takes the handoff from @justinmiller_12 and runs it 7 yards into the endzone for the TD! @AKKICKER_2 knocks the point after through to get us on the board!
⚡️7
☀️13— Southern Utah Football (@SUUFB_) September 3, 2021
SUU fought throughout the night, but the combination of giving the ball away and ASU’s play put the T-Birds into a hole.
Arizona State outscored Southern Utah over the final three quarters, 28-7.
Thunderbirds quarterback Justin Miller threw three interceptions in the loss. He finished the game 19/30 passing for 146 yards and three picks.
Statement start for the Sun Devils! 😈
The pick ⬇️
📺 Pac-12 Arizona
📱 https://t.co/cmgHBALqs8#ForksUp | @ASUFootball pic.twitter.com/xSRlZDnOAV— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) September 3, 2021
With the loss, Southern Utah fell to 0-2 on the season.
The Thunderbirds’ next game is against the Tarleton Texans on Saturday, September 18 at 5 p.m. (MDT). The game will broadcast on ESPN+.