The Mesa State Mavericks played a hard, physical game on both sides of the ball Saturday. Despite their hard work they just couldn't get past the Eagles, losing 27-16 and falling to 6-4 (6-2 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference). Chadron State came into Stocker Stadium with the highest rated rush defense in the RMAC — while Mesa has the most rushing yards — the battle was on.
Mesa State running back Bobby Coy pounded through the best rush defense in the league, pushing through for 117 yards on the game. Coy's effort didn't save the Mavs from defeat, but proved he's one of the best running backs in Division II football. Coy earned a statistical victory, rushing for more yards than anyone this season against the Eagles.
“Bobby's phenomenal. Unless they're putting eight or nine guys in the box, there's no team in the nation that can stop Bobby,” Mesa State quarterback Phil Vigil said, “It makes my job easy having him back there.”
Mesa received the opening kick-off and went three and out quickly, disappointing the capacity crowd. The game remained a defensive battle until the fourth drive of the contest, when Chadron let running back John Ritzen loose. Second and four on the Chadron 45-yd line and Ritzen broke off a 48-yard sprint, which led to a Ritzen score two plays later. He had 128 yards on the day averaging 16-yards per carry.
“The O-line started it all. They just made seams and of us put our foot in the ground and got down field,” Ritzen said.
On the Mavs next possession they drove downfield with a 15-yard contribution from Coy. The offense halted and it was fourth and nine at Chadron's 30-yard line. In came Mesa State kicker, Jared Keating. He blasted a season long, 47-yarder to make the game 7-3, Chadron.
Mesa stopped the Eagles on the next drive and got the ball back just before the second quarter. The drive started off dismal as a 26-yard Coy scamper got called back on a holding penalty. Coy stepped up the very next play, gaining nine yards. Still fourteen yards from a first, Vigil dropped back and hit Mesa State wide receiver, Ricky Noble for a 17-yard gain. First down, Mavericks. Vigil set up to throw on first down and hit tight-end Seth Damron for whopping 34-yards. Vigil was 10 of 26 with one interception. He threw for 248-yards and a touchdown.
The Mavs had first and goal but just couldn't get into the end zone. Cue Keating. He came in and hit a field goal from 20-yards out making it a one-point game.
Chadron gained two first downs, but were held out of the end zone as the Mavs forced a field goal attempt. Chadron State kicker Travis Atter connected on the 35-yard field goal pushing the game to 10-7.
The Mavs took control of the ball with 8:37 left in the half. The team gained a first on a 15-yard sprint from running back Joey Applehans. After an offensive facemask that negated nine yards from Coy, the Mavs looked at second and twenty on their own 17-yard-line. Vigil then hit a streaking Justin Murray for an 83-yard touchdown, his longest reception of the season.
“They were just the better team today. They play like conference champs and that's why we lost,” Murray said, continuing about the long catch and run, “We called the right play and outran everyone.”
Mesa was now up 13-10 and had the momentum. Chadron State freshman, Maurice Threatts received Keating's kick-off. Threatts temporarily disappeared in a pile of players and emerged several yards downfield on the loose, moving fast. He took the ball, a season high 98-yards to the house for six.
The return seemed to have demoralized Mesa, going three and out on their next possession. Chadron tried to mount a drive down the field before the end of the half, but came up empty. Mesa's defense forced a field goal attempt, which Atter missed. With only seconds left in the half, the Mavs let the clock wind down and went back into the locker room to regroup.
Mesa started their next drive after stopping Chadron with 13:22 on the clock in the third. Murray came up big again and caught Vigil's pass right in front of a defender. He held the ball despite getting hammered moments after the reception. Murray had four catches for 155-yards and a touchdown. On the 32-yard line the Mavs were facing fourth and nine. Keating was called in again. He was good from 49-yards, snapping his season high for the second time in the game.
This was as close as the Mavs got Saturday—17-16. The rest of the game was a mixed bag of Chadron's runner Ritzen, penalties and miscues by the Mavs. The last bright spot in the game for Mesa was when linebacker Ryan Kadavy snatched a Chadron State quarterback, Joe McLain pass out of the air. Kadavy took the ball 1-yard to the 24-yard line.
The interception came at an ideal time—it was exactly what Mesa needed. After two carries for 12 yards from Coy, Vigil attempted a pass to fullback Kris Means. Means bobbled the ball twice before hitting it right into the hands of Chadron State defensive end, Shaine Odell. The big Odell rumbled down the field for 5-yards before finally getting pulled down.
“That just killed the momentum. You get a pick and you want to score,” Kadavy said, and regarding his own pick, ”I was just acting like I was blitzing and then I just dropped back and he threw it right to me.”
Chadron scored ten more points before the game ended, leaving the final score at 27-16. Mesa State head coach Joe Ramunno knows how good the Eagles can be.
“I'm proud of our guys, they fought hard—maybe too hard,” Ramunno said, “I feel for those seniors because they worked so hard and put so much into it that it's a tough loss.”
Next week the Mavericks will head to the University of Nebraska at Kearney for the final game of the regular season.
“That's going to be a huge challenge because they're playing very well right now. We've got an uphill battle on our hands and we'll prepare the best we can,” Ramunno said.
Kickoff is set for Nov. 8, at 1 p.m.
