Colorado Mesa rallied from a 13-0 third-period deficit to score two fourth-quarter touchdowns and a 2-point conversion to snap a pair of winning streaks for multi-defending Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champion and fourth-ranked Colorado Mines 14-0.
In the afternoon game on Saturday in the “Battle for the Nyikos Cup” at Grand Junction’s Stocker Stadium, the Maverick victory snapped Mines’ 23-game RMAC winning streak, with Mesa being the last team to defeat the Orediggers in league play with a 26-21 win on October 23, 2021.
The Golden-based team also had their 24-game regular-season victory string snapped, with their last setback being on September 10, 2022, at home, with Angelo State posting a 30-27 overtime win at the Orediggers’ Marv Kay Stadium.
In addition to the streak enders, Mines lost for only the second time in the Coach Pete Sterbick era in Golden (18-2). The Orediggers were also held to 267 yards on offense as Mines entered the contest, averaging 460 yards per game.
On the first play of the final stanza, Liu Aumavae hit Trevin Edwards on a six-yard touchdown pass for the Mavericks’ first score. However, Jaden Healy blocked Moon Sullivan’s point-after attempt.
After a failed Mines possession on the ensuing drive, Mesa started the game-winning sortie on their two-yard line, and 11 plays later, the Mavericks scored with 5:29 left on the contest on a nine-yard pass from Aumavae to Quezon Villa. Aumavae then connected with Sam Horneck on the two-point conversion.
Colorado Mines has two drives in the closing minutes to tie the game, but quarterback Evan Foster was tackled for a two-yard loss on the first sortie and sacked for a six-yard loss on the second drive.
A 10-yard touchdown pass by Foster to Max McLeod in the first quarter and a two-yard run by Landon Walker in the second period put Mines on the scoreboard. Matthew Eich missed the second of two extra that left the Orediggers with a 13-0 lead at intermission.
Both teams are now 2-1 in RMAC play. Mines dropped their first game in five contests this season, and the Mavericks are 3-2 overall. Mesa plays at Adams State next Saturday at 1 p.m. Mines returns home to host South Dakota State at 12 p.m. MESA RECAP / MINES RECAP
at CSU Pueblo 67, New Mexico Highlands 28 – The 18th-ranked Pack jumped to a 36-0 lead and coasted to their fifth win in six games this season in posting a 67-28 win over New Mexico Highlands in the school’s homecoming game at the ThunderBowl. CSU Pueblo used four quarterbacks in the contests, and the ThunderWolves are now 4-0 in RMAC play. Led by starting quarterback Devin Larsen and running back Howard Russell V, CSU Pueblo compiled 576 total yards in the contests. Larsen passed for 139 yards and one score. Russell V rushed for 114 yards and two scores, highlighted by a 27-yard TD run for the game’s first points. Russell V has rushed for over 100 yards in the last three games and has four century-busting contests this season. Reece Robinson had a 73-yard punt return in the second quarter and caught two passes for 34 yards. The Pack led 46-6 at intermission. CSU Pueblo travels to Fort Lewis next weekend for a 2 p.m. game in Durango. READ MORE
at Western Colorado 44, Fort Lewis 7 – Royce Pao rushed for 142 yards, Josiah Roy passed for 291 yards and three scores, and Josiah Ayon caught six aerials for 75 yards and one TD in leading the 3th-ranked Mountaineers to their fifth win this season in five games and third in the RMAC. Western Colorado amassed 597 yards on offense and held Fort Lewis to 145 yards, including minus-seven yards rushing. The Skyhawks’ lone score was a six-yard run by Stone Walker in the fourth quarter to cut the Mountaineer lead to 38-7. Western Colorado IS back on the road next week at Black Hills State. Fort Lewis returns home to host CSU Pueblo at 2 p.m. on Saturday. WESTERN COLORADO RECAP / FORT LEWIS RECAP
Navy 34, at Air Force 7 – The Air Force was defeated by the Navy in Colorado Springs for the first time since 2012 by a score of 34-7. John Busha would share quarterback duties with Quentin Hayes beginning in the second quarter, and Josh Johnson would play quarterback for the last two drives in the fourth quarter. Busha had three rushes for 13 yards and was 0-2 passing with an interception. Hayes was 5-6 for 115 yards, a touchdown, and 11 rushes for 17 yards. Air Force only had 158 rushing yards, and Navy had 329. For Navy, Blake Horvath and Eli Heidenreich were the best players in this game. Blake Horvath was 9-15 with 134 yards passing, and in the rushing game, he had 18 attempts for 115 yards. Heidenreich had 16 attempts for 100 yards on the ground. READ MORE
at Oregon State 39, Colorado State 31 – The Rams could not score a touchdown after getting a first and goal at the two-yard line in the second overtime as visiting CSU lost for the third time in five games this season. Three Avery Morrow rushes lost four yards after an Oregon State pass interference call. Braden Fowler-Nicolosi’s pass to Tory Horton was broken up in the endzone to finish the contest. Fowler-Nicolosi passed for 263 yards and two scores for the Rams. Avery Morrow had 140 yards on 25 rushes with one CSU score. Horton caught nine passes for 158 yards and one score on 15 targets. CSU entertains San Jose State next Saturday in a 1:30 p.m. game on truTV. READ MORE
at Chadron State 52, Adams State 3 – The host Eagles scored the first 38 points in the game before the Grizzlies scored on a 46-yard field goal by Byrsen Gardner in the third quarter. Adams State is now winless in three RMAC and five overall games this season. The Grizzlies offense generated only 99 yards in the road game, with Alexander Grado completing only 13 passes for 45 yards. Jordan Niesent was the ASU top rusher with 36 yards in six tries, highlighted by a 43-yard run. Adams State hosts Colorado Mesa next Saturday at 1 p.m. READ MORE
at Montana State 55, Northern Colorado 7 – Despite the Bears dropping their 17th straight game to third-ranked Montana State in Bozeman, UNC quarterback Kia’i Keone had the best day of the season in the Big Sky Conference contest. Keone completed 17 passes to 10 receivers for 247 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 21 yards. UNC is 0-2 in league play and 0-6 overall. UNC plays at Weber State next Saturday at 6 p.m. READ MORE
