GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. – The Colorado Mesa University football team opened the season with a 34-14 win at Western State Saturday (Sept. 3).
 
CMU quarterback Sean Rubalcaba completed a career-high 72.7-percent (24-33) of his passes for 326 yards.
 
Marcus Hines was Rubalcaba's favorite receiver catching 10 passes for 114 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown pass.
 
David Tann rushed for a team-high 82 yards on 14 carries (5.9 ypc), and Jonathon Beverly ran for 81 yards on 11 carries (7.4 ypc).
 
The Mavericks racked up 514 yards of total offense (326 passing, 188 rushing).
 
The CMU defense held WSCU to 356 yards of total offense (168 rushing, 188 passing). RMAC Co-Offensive Preseason Player of the Year Austin Ekeler was held to 110 yards and one touchdown.
 
The Mavericks scored on their first drive of the game when Sean Rubalcaba found Marcus Hines for a 53-yard touchdown pass.
 
The Mountaineers got on the scoreboard on their second possession of the game. Austin Ekeler capped an eight-play, 54-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run.
 
The Mavs second scoring drive needed just five plays thanks to another Rubalcaba pass of over 50 yards. The drive started with a 62-yard pass to Josh Brown and ended with a one-yard rush by Eystin Salum with 9:53 left in the second half.
 
Ryan Sheehan gave the Mavericks a 17-7 halftime lead with a 17-yard field goal at the end of the half.
 
David Tann opened the second half scoring with his first of two touchdowns at 10:59 of the third quarter.
 
Western State responded with a three-yard touchdown run by Cameron Shumway at 5:59 of the third to cut the CMU lead to 24-14.
 
Ryan Sheehan booted a 21-yard field goal, and Tann ran 17-yards for his second touchdown to complete the scoring for CMU.
 
CMU scored on five of its six trips into the red-zone (three touchdowns, two field goals).
 
Neither team committed a turnover.
 
Alec Barcellos led the Mavericks with 11 tackles, and Marcus Cross added 10. Blake Nelson made eight tackles and recorded 1.5 of the team's two tackles.
 
Colorado Mesa (1-0) will make its home debut Sept. 10^th when it hosts Chadron State.