GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Western's Chandler Davis kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired to give the visiting Mountaineers a 30-28 win over Colorado Mesa on Saturday evening at Stocker Stadium in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference clash.
 
The two rivals entered the contest unbeaten in RMAC play with both losing their non-conference bout, the Mountaineers to Division I FCS Idaho State and Colorado Mesa to Eastern New Mexico.
 
The game was played out in runs with the two teams tied at 7-7 heading into the halftime break. Western scored on a 35-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.
 
The Mavericks countered with a 19-play, 83-yard drive that chewed up over seven minutes of the clock in the second quarter. The drive was capped by a 1-yard plunge by Isaac Maestas.
 
The Palisade High School product finished with a game-high 139 yards on 19 carries and a 7.3 yards per rush average. It was the first time the sophomore went over the 100-yard milestone in a game.
 
Colorado Mesa finished their 14 point swing with a 10-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Howard to KJ Sapp. It was the first of two touchdown passes by Howard and gave the Mavericks a 14-7 lead early in the third quarter.
 
Western scored the next 14 points unanswered with both touchdowns coming 14 seconds apart from one and other. Both of those scores were setup by turnovers, one by fumble and the other off an interception giving the Mountaineers a 21-14 lead late in the third quarter.
 
The Mavericks answered with 14 points of their own. Dagan Rienks scored a touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Howard. The Paonia, Colo. product finished with five catches for 54 yards and the score to knot the game at 21 a side.
 
Howard scored on a 1-yard plunge with 13:09 to go for the final Maverick points of the evening but gave CMU a 28-21 lead.
 
Making his second start of the season, Howard finished the game 20-for-31 for 223 yards and two touchdown passes through the air.
 
The Mountaineers scored the final nine points on the evening including Davis' heroics.
 
The Maverick defense limited the Mountaineers to just 290 yards of total offense, including just 33 yards rushing, and forced a turnover. Darian Turner intercepted a pass early in the game for the takeaway.
 
Senior Mason Newton led a Maverick defensive front that finished with seven sacks and 11 tackles for a loss. Newton had a career-high three and a half sacks while defensive lineman Reed Rowan finished with a game-high 11 tackles and one and a half sacks.
 
Devante Loggins had a season-high four pass break-ups in the secondary.
 
Senior wideout Peter Anderson finished with nine catches for 123 yards receiving, both were game-highs.
 
Colorado Mesa will be on the road next week to take on the Chadron State Eagles in Nebraska. The Eagles are coming off a loss to Fort Lewis on Saturday.