Inside the Series vs. New Mexico Highlands
Colorado Mesa will travel to the Land of Enchantment to take on the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys in the final game of the season. The Mavericks are 30-11 all-time against the Cowboys and are 14-5 in New Mexico. Last season, the Mavericks scored a season-high 77 points in a homecoming win.
New Mexico Highlands won its first two games of the season that included a 65-37 win over Adams State and won a 53-52 battle with South Dakota Mines in their homecoming game.
The Cowboys may have a secret weapon in their back pocket in place kicker Israel Farfan, the reigning RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Farfan ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage, connecting on 84.6 percent of his kickss.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Colorado Mesa 30-11
AT COLORADO MESA: Colorado Mesa 14-4
AT NM HIGHLANDS: Colorado Mesa 14-5
LAST FIVE MEETINGS vs. New Mexico Highlands
SEASON LOCATION RESULT
2017 Grand Junction W, 77-14
2016 Las Vegas W, 87-14
2015 Las Vegas W, 31-6
2014 Grand Junction W, 31-19
2013 Las Vegas W, 22-17
QUICK RECAP
Colorado Mesa earned a 64-63 overtime win over Adams State in their final home game of the season. The Mavericks only led twice in the game, once at 7-0 and the final outcome. Despite the Grizzlies churning up 769 yards of offense, the Mavericks had 554 yards of offense and got the defensive stops when needed.
TOTING THE ROCK
Senior running back Jonathan Beverly has been saving his best performances to the end of the season. The Littleton native rushed for a season-high 153 yards on 26 carries and two touchdowns. He is second on the team in rushing with 598 yards and seven touchdowns. This past weekend, he paired with Eystin Salum and both reached the century mark for rushing yards in a game with 283 combined rushing yards.
RECORD BREAKERS
The Mavericks had two records fall on one play on Saturday night against Adams State. Quarterback Eystin Salum hit receiver Peter Anderson on a 51-yard completion that took the Mavericks down to the one-yard line late in the third quarter. On that play, Salum broke the career passing yards mark of 5,383 set by Jake Logue from 1992-1994 while Anderson set the single season receiving yards mark set by Drew Bohanan of 1,236 in 2005.
ODD PLAYS
Colorado Mesa had a pair of odd scoring plays in the wacky 64-63 win over Adams State. The first and maybe not-so-odd play was a blocked punt for a touchdown. Matt Sorenson rushed in, layed out, and blocked the punt which was scooped up by senior Fredrick Nyamekye and taken back 18 yards for the score. The second is a play that had not happened since 2012 for Colorado Mesa. On a Adams State two-point conversion attempt, Adams State was hit and fumbled. The ball was scooped up by Marco Garcia and as he was being tackled, lateraled the ball to a streaking Damar'ren Mitchell who took it back for the two-point defensive score.
WINNING SEASONS
With the win this past weekend, the Colorado Mesa Mavericks secured their fifth straight winning season. The Mavericks are 39-16 in that stretch. It is the longest winning season streak since the 10 straight seasons from 1980-1990. That streak includes two NAIA National Championship game appearances and seven trips to the NAIA National Playoffs.
