GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. – When you play the Colorado Mesa University football team make sure you block No. 20 Dustin Rivas on field goals. For the second straight week Rivas blocked a field goal attempt. And for the second straight week it was returned for the winning touchdown.

Antonio Clark scooped up the loose ball and returned it 80-yards for a touchdown to give Colorado Mesa a 33-24 non-conference win over No. 13 Azusa Pacific in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday (Nov. 12).

The win gives the Mavericks a 9-2 record for the year and keeps their hopes alive for a berth in the NCAA Div. II Playoffs with the teams announced Sunday (Nov. 13) at 3 pm on www.NCAA.com.

Mesa wasted no time pointing on the board scoring on its first three possessions.

Josh Brown broke a tackle and ran 47-yards to the endzone to give the Mavs an early 7-0 lead.

CMU enjoyed field goals of 40- and 30-yards from Ryan Sheehan on its next two possessions to extend the Mavs lead to 13-0 after the first.

Andrew Elffers got the Cougars on the board with a four-yard touchdown run to cap a six-play 88-yard scoring drive to open the third quarter.

Blake Nelson, who led the CMU defense with 13 tackles, including three for loss and one sack, blocked a 48-yard field goal attempt by APU.

David Tann wasted no time turning it into seven points as he ran 70-yards to the house on the following play. He eclipsed 1,000 yards for the season after running for 106 yards on 16 carries (6.6 ypc).

Ryan Sheehan booted his third field goal of the game, this one from 25-yards, at 3:46 of the second quarter to give the Mavericks a 23-7 lead at halftime.

The third quarter belonged to Azusa Pacific who scored all 17 points.

Andrew Elffers scored his second touchdown of the game at 9:13 of the third with a 17-yard run.

The Mavericks fumbled a punt return on its own five-yard line and the Cougs turned it into seven points on a one-yard run by Kurt Scoby with six minutes remaining.

APU took the lead less than five minutes later with a 33-yard field goal by Jacob Hall.

The Mavericks regained the lead with a 44-yard field goal by Ryan Sheehan that just made it over the crossbar with 8:56 remaining.

Antonio Clark scored the winning touchdown returning a blocked field goal by Dustin Rivas 80-yards to the endzone.

APU finished with a 396-357 edge in total yards thanks in large part to 285 yards on the ground. CMU enjoyed a more even attack finishing with 185 yards rushing and 172 yards receiving.

Sean Rubalcaba completed 22-of-33 passes for 172 yards with one interception and one touchdown.

Marcus Cross joined Blake Nelson in double-digit tackles finishing with 11.

The CMU defense recorded nine tackles for a loss of 21 yards.