Halloween came early for Dixie State University football this year.
The Storm tricked their way to a Great Northwest Athletic Conference record 589 rushing yards, a treat that gave DSU the 48-25 win against South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
Freshman quarterback Blake Barney led the Storm with 384 total yards and four touchdowns, including a 2-yard score on the opening possession to give DSU the 7-0 lead. Barney, a graphic design major from St. George, said he gives all the credit to his offensive line.
“Our [offensive] line was able to dominate the line-of-scrimmage today,” Barney said. “Everyone who carried the ball ran hard, and our schemes were perfect. There were a lot of factors to our success today.”
DSU continued the offensive onslaught throughout the afternoon as the Rockers couldn’t find an answer for the Storms’ potent ground attack.
After a SDSM field-goal, the Storm went on to score 20 unanswered points, which gave them a comfortable 27-3 halftime lead.
The second half didn’t see any change as the Rockers couldn’t seem to slow down the DSU offense. Barney opened the half with a 13-yard touchdown scamper and followed it up by throwing a 60-yard touchdown to senior wide receiver Nate Stephens.
After allowing a couple Rocker touchdowns, the Storm knocked the will out of their opponents with a 12-play and 91-yard touchdown drive that ate up more than six minutes off the game clock. Senior tailback DeJon Coleman capped-off the drive with a 2-yard plunge into the end zone.
DSU allowed 455 yards of total offense, forcing it to score on virtually every possession in the second half. The Storm were forced to punt just once and were able to limit their turnovers, dominating the game and controlling the time of possession.
With 291 yards on the ground, Barney broke yet another school record in the win. Coleman added 144 yards on 16 carries and senior running back Myles Burton tacked on 83 yards on 10 attempts. Freshman tailback Orlando Wallace and receiver Damarrio Hammonds each hit pay-dirt with a couple of rushing touchdowns between the two of them.
On the defensive side, sophomore corner Colton Olson, senior linebacker Robert Metz, and junior corner DeShawn Perkins led the Storm with nine tackles each. Olson also had the sole interception for the DSU defense. Metz, an integrated studies major from Tucson, Arizona, said he thought the team was well-prepared coming into the game.
“The bye-week was huge for us,” Metz said. “It gave us a chance to heal up and get back to the basics to really prepare for these guys. We weren’t afraid to make plays, and we’ve got to continue to play with that chip on our shoulder going forward.”
The Storm will have a rematch with Humboldt State University, who thrashed DSU to the tune of 66-7 Sept. 19. It will be the final home game of the season for the Storm as they attempt to avenge the early season drubbing Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.