Quali Conley leads Utah Tech to 46-point rout in home opener – St George News

ST. GEORGE – The Trailblazers began a new era in style at Greater Zion Stadium.

Trailblazers quarterback Kobe Tracy (with ball) looks to throw against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

Qualifying Conley rushed for career highs of 139 yards and three touchdowns while the Trailblazer defense forced five second half turnovers, and Utah Tech rolled to a 56-10 victory over Chadron State in its home opener on Saturday night.

It was the first game featuring the new press box and expanded facilities at Greater Zion as well as the new look, Division I Trailblazers on their newly painted field.

UT (1-1) got on the board five minutes into the game thanks to a Conley 10-yard run. Meanwhile Chadron State (0-2) answered with a Jalen Starks 1-yard dive just 28 seconds into the second quarter.

The Trailblazers started strong in the third quarter when linebacker Kaejin Smith-Bejgrowicz stepped in front of a would be Chadron receiver and housed a 32-yard interception return to break the tie just 1:22 into the period.

Utah Tech would strike for two more scores later in the frame, the first coming on a 7-yard fade from Kobe Tracy to Malcolm Ross-Turner that put the Blazers up 21-7.

UT’s defense collected its second interception of the game on the Eagles’ ensuing possession when Smith-Bejgrowicz deflected a Heath Beemiller pass, which was hauled in by defensive back Darrius Nash at the Chadron 34.

Tracy then threw a strike to Joey Hobert that got the Blazers to the Eagle 1-yard line, where Conley dove in on the very next play to extend UT lead to 28-7.

Tracy and Hobert would connect for two touchdowns in the fourth, beginning with a 38-yard hook-up on the first play of the stanza.

Then just 33 seconds later, sophomore safety Tyrell Grayson collected his third career interception and returned it 51 yards to paydirt for his first collegiate pick-six that made it a 42-7 game.

The Blazer defense wasted little time recording its fourth interception of the game on Chadron’s very next offensive play when Steven Ashby picked off Beemiller at the UT 48.

Former Pine View and current Utah Tech kicker Connor Brooksby (43) lines up for a field goal against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

Then Tracy found Hobert on third and eight over the middle at the Chadron 44, and the sophomore receiver did the rest as he out-ran the Eagle defense for his second touchdown of the night.

Following a Chadron field goal with under nine minutes remaining, Conley capped an 11-play, 65-yard drive with his third TD from 1-yard out to add the exclamation point on a dominant Trailblazer win.

Conley carried the ball a season-high 21 times en route to his first collegiate 100-yard rushing day, while his three touchdowns vaulted him sixth place (9 TDs) on UT’s career TD run list.

Tracy threw for a career-best 388 yards on 25-of-44 passing with a career-high tying three touchdowns. It was the sophomore’s second-straight 300-plus yard game to open the season and the fourth of his career.

Hobert finished the night with 161 yards on 11 catches to go with his career-high two TDs.

Utah Tech wound up with 561 yards of total offense, including 398 in the air along with a season-high 163 rush yards.

However the story was the Trailblazer defense, which held Chadron State to just 288 total yards, including only 129 on the ground.

Meanwhile the interception returns for touchdowns by Smith-Bejgrowicz and Grayson marked the second time the program’s NCAA era that Utah Tech’s defense achieved that feat.

Utah Tech now heads out for two consecutive in-state road games, beginning in Ogden with a showdown against Weber State Saturday, Sept. 17. Kick-off inside Stewart Stadium is set for 6 pm

A Utah Tech press release contributed to this post.

PhotoGallery

Trailblazers quarterback Kobe Tracy (with ball) looks to throw against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

Trailblazers quarterback Kobe Tracy (with ball) looks to throw against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

Utah Tech receiver Damani Wilks makes a catch and run against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

The Utah Tech defense, led by Devyn Perkins (9), forced five second-half turnovers against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

The Utah Tech defense, led by Darrius Nash (6) and Devyn Perkins (9) forced five second-half turnovers against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

Utah Tech defender Devyn Perkins moves in for a tackle against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

Utah Tech defender Devyn Perkins moves in for a tackle against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

Utah Tech receiver Cailin Daniels makes a catch against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

Former Pine View and current Utah Tech kicker Connor Brooksby (43) lines up for a field goal against Chadron State, St. George, Utah, Sept. 10, 2022 | Photo by E George Goold, St George News

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

Eric George Goold came to St. George News from southwestern Colorado, where he was a radio news reporter. He has been a journalist for over 20 years in five different states. He graduated with a master’s degree in English from Kansas State University and writes nonfiction as well. Goold has been published in Sunstone Magazine and has done multiple public readings about local history. When he has free time, he enjoys chess, movies and dogs.

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