ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Sam Houston Bearkats reeled off 18 unanswered points but had to hang on in the second half for an 18-13 win over Utah Tech on Saturday night at Greater Zion Stadium.
The Kats (4-2) held an 18-3 lead going into the fourth quarter, but Utah Tech put up 10 unanswered points of their own in the fourth quarter and had the ball inside the red zone before the Sam Houston defense responded with three straight sacks, including a final stop from
Briceon Hayes to turn the ball over one final time.
Cody Chrest set a new career highs with 10 catches for 154 yards, much of it coming in the second half, but it was the Bearkat defense that truly did its job, holding the Trailblazers to just three points until the fourth quarter.
The Kats were able to build a lead on the strength of three field goals from
Seth Morgan, but it was a strip sack by
Caleb Weaver that went for a safety in the third quarter that turned the tide.
With an 11-3 lead, the Kats immediately marched down the field on the ensuing possession and converted on an 8-yard touchdown from
Keegan Shoemaker to
Al'vonte Woodard to give Sam Houston breathing room with an 18-3 lead.
Woodard finished with his most productive night as a Bearkat, catching five passes for 65 yards and the score while Shoemaker finished 19-for-34 passing for a career-high 245 yards.
Defensively,
Kavian Gaither led the way, adding to his team-leading tackle total with 11 stops along with a pair of sacks, while Weaver added five tackles and
Trey Smith had three tackles and his second interception of the year.
The Kats will look to keep their streak going next Saturday when it concludes its 3-game road trip with a game at Tarleton. Kickoff from Memorial Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN+.
