Four Colorado-based schools won their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference openers, and Colorado and Colorado State scored 50 or more points against FCS Big Sky Conference schools to highlight Saturday’s action for Centennial State teams.
Fifth-ranked Colorado State Pueblo (3-0, 1-0), eighth-ranked Western Colorado (3-0, 1-0), Colorado Mesa (2-1, 1-0) and Fort Lewis (2-0, 1-0) joined Black Hills State (3-0, 1-0) in winning RMAC openers. Colorado and Colorado State secured their second wins after each scored over 50 points in defeating FCS Big Sky Conference schools.
CU (2-0) had 578 total yards enroute to 2 52-21 win over Weber State (1-2) in Boulder. CSU (2-0) had 678 total yards and scored 48 points in the first half as the Rams posted a 58-24 win over Southern Utah (1-2) in Fort Collins.
CSU Pueblo extended its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference winning streak to 26 games with a 45-17 win over visiting Colorado Mines in the ThunderBowl; Western Colorado stopped Chadron State 30-9, Colorado Mesa scored a 30-24 overtime victory at South Dakota Mines, and Fort Lewis won 31-28 in overtime over New Mexico Highlands in Durango.
Northern Colorado (0-3) led 13-7 with nearly seven minutes left in the game before Wyoming (1-1) completed two touchdown passes in the final seven minutes to post a 21-13 win over the FCS Big Sky Bears.
In the evening’s last game, Air Force (1-1, 0-1) could not slow North Dakota State (3-0, 1-0)as the visitors put together four first-half drives of 65 yards or more to lead the Bisons to a 38-25 win over the Falcons in the Mountain West Conference opener for both schools. It was also NDSU’s first-ever game in the MWC after competing in the FBS.
The two-time defending RMAC champions, after posting 9-0 records the past two seasons, CSU Pueblo lost their first two league games in 2023 to Western Colorado (30-14, September 23) and Colorado Mines (55-14, September 30) in Coach Phil Vigil’s first campaign in the Steel City season before closing out the year with seven straight conference wins.
After giving up a field goal to Mines (0-2-1, 0-1 RMAC) on the first series of the game, the Pack (3-0, 1-0) reclaimed the lead on its first offensive play on a 75‑yard touchdown pass from Navi Bruzon to Marcellus Honeycutt Jr. to give CSU Pueblo the lead for good.
On its third and fourth drives of the game, Bruzon completed touchdown passes of 66 yards to Nick Gravagno and 24 yards to Honeycutt Jr. to increase the ThunderWolves lead to 21-3 with 7:43 left in the first half.
Bruzon, who sat out most of the fourth quarter, completed 20‑of‑25 passes for 379 yards and four TDs. His 187 yards of air yards highlighted the Pack’s vertical threat. Honeycutt Jr. caught seven passes for 156 yards and two scores, while the Pack’s balanced attack featured 430 passing yards and 158 rushing yards, accounting for six touchdowns.
In Rapid City, Colorado Mesa (2-1, 1-0) rallied from a 17-3 second-quarter deficit to tie the game at 24-24 with 70 seconds left in the contest on a 21-yard run by Cole Hansen to cap an 11-play, 58-yard drive to force overtime with South Dakota Mines (2-1, 0-1).
After the Hardrockers missed a 27-yard field goal on the first possession of overtime, Bronco Hartson rushed the middle for nine yards on the Mavericks’ sixth play in the extra period to secure the Mesa win in the RMAC opener for both teams.
Hansen finished the game with 54 yards rushing and a TD while passing for 50 yards and a 13-yard scoring pass to Alex Turpin with 13:32 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 17-17. Hartson finished the day with 49 yards rushing.
Josiah Roy accounts for 356 yards and three touchdowns to pace Western Colorado. He completed 24 of 40 passes for two touchdowns (5 and 14 yards) while rushing nine times for 30 yards and a 10-yard TD run.
Julien Lewis completed 17 of 21 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns to pace the CU win as Micah Welch rushed for 106 yards and one score. The Buffs scored on six of their eight first-half drives to lead 42-14 at intermission.
Hauss Hejny accounted for five touchdowns to lead Colorado State as he completed 18 of 30 for 325 yards and four touchdown passes. He added 85 yards on the ground on five carries that included a 75-yard touchdown run with 12:31 left in the game to cap the scoring.
Adams State (0-3, 0-1) could only muster 205 total yards (61 in the second half) against Black Hills State as the Grizzlies trailed 24-8 at halftime enroute to their 31st straight loss. Adams State’s last win was a 21-14 victory on September 30, 2023, at New Mexico Highlands in Las Vegas.
September 12 Results
- at Black Hills State 44, Adams State 8 BOX SCORE / RECAP
- Colorado Mesa 30, at South Dakota Mines 24 OT BOX SCORE / RECAP
- at Colorado 52, Weber State 21 BOX SCORE / RECAP
- at CSU Pueblo 45, Colorado Mines 17 BOX SCORE / RECAP
- at Wyoming 21, Northern Colorado 13 BOX SCORE / RECAP
- at Colorado State 58, Southern Utah 24 BOX SCORE/ RECAP
- at Fort Lewis 31, New Mexico Highlands 28 OT BOX SCORE / RECAP
- at Western Colorado 30, Chadron State 9 BOX SCORE / RECAP
- North Dakota State 38, at Air Force 32 BOX SCORE / RECAP
WEEKLY STATISTICS through September 12
FBS
- Air Force (1-1)
- Colorado (2-0)
- Colorado State (2-0)
FCS
- Northern Colorado (0-3)
DIVISION II
- Adams State (0-3)
- Colorado Mesa (2-1)
- Colorado Mines (0-2-1)
- CSU Pueblo (3-0)
- Fort Lewis (2-0)
- Western Colorado (3-0)
Saturday, September 19 Schedule
- South Dakota Mines at Adams State, 12 p.m. RMACNet
- Fort Lewis at Colorado Mines, 12 p.m. RMACNet
- CSU Pueblo at Chadron State, 1 p.m. RMACNet
- Colorado at Northwestern, 5:30 p.m. FOX/FS1
- BYU at Colorado State, 5:30 p.m. CBS
- Western Colorado at Colorado Mesa, 6 p.m. RMACNet
- Northeastern State at Northern Colorado, 6 p.m. ESPN+
Saturday, September 26 Schedule
- Colorado Mines at Chadron State, 1 p.m. RMACNet
- Fort Lewis at Black Hills State, 1 p.m. RMACNet
- Colorado Mesa at CSU Pueblo, 2 p.m. RMACNet
- Adams State at Western Colorado, 6 p.m.RMACNet
- Utah Tech at Northern Colorado, 6 p.m. ESPN+
- Air Force at Nevada, TBA, FOXN
- Colorado at Baylor, TBA
- Colorado State at UT-San Antonio, TBA ESPN Net
