CONWAY, Ark. — In an exciting matchup on Saturday night, Jackson Berry led Southern Utah to a 38-31 victory over Central Arkansas by throwing three touchdown passes. Targhee Lambson made a significant impact with 161 rushing yards and one touchdown on 28 carries.

Berry completed 17 of 28 pass attempts for a total of 242 yards but also threw one interception. This win marks the second consecutive victory for Southern Utah (6-5, 5-2 United Athletic Conference) and four wins out of the last five games.

Central Arkansas (6-5, 3-5) briefly took the lead late in the first half when Caleb Koger, filling in as quarterback, tossed a 12-yard touchdown pass to give the team a 21-14 advantage with just under two minutes remaining in the half. However, Southern Utah responded quickly; Berry, under pressure, managed to escape and completed a pass to Devin Downing at the 35-yard line, who then sprinted for a 55-yard touchdown just 27 seconds later to tie the game.

The momentum shifted in the second half when Rylen Sua-Filo recovered a fumble, setting up a 51-yard drive capped off by a 16-yard touchdown pass from Berry to Joshua Acord, handing Southern Utah a lead they would maintain for the rest of the game with 8:26 left in the third quarter. Shortly afterward, LaCarea Pleasant-Johnson’s interception allowed Jayden Rogers to score with a 37-yard field goal, pushing the lead to 31-21 just two minutes later.

In his first career start, Koger, a walk-on redshirt freshman, gave it his all, completing 21 of 34 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns for Central Arkansas, stepping in after injuries sidelined three-year starter Will McElvain and backup Austin Myers in the previous week’s loss to Eastern Kentucky.