Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Colorado Mesa football team moved its season record to 2-0 after a 56-37 win over the New Mexico Highlands Cowboys on Saturday (Sept. 18) afternoon at Sanchez Family Stadium.
The game wasn't short on offense as the two teams combined for over 1,000 yards of total offense and 93 points. Colorado Mesa accounted for 586 yards of total offense including 272 yards on the ground.
Freshman running back
Avian Thomas got the scoring going in with a long 72-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 Mavericks with 12:55 to play in the first quarter. Thomas finished as the leading rusher in the game with 130 yards on 11 carries. He averaged 11.8 yards per rush and added a catch for six yards through the air.
The Cowboys answered back with a pair of touchdowns to make it 13-7 late in the first quarter as they would miss the extra point on their second score of the game.
Colorado Mesa would close out the first quarter with a touchdown from Darrick Holmes on a 12-yard catch from
Karst Hunter.It was Holmes's lone catch of the day but gave the Mavericks a 14-13 lead after a quarter of play.
New Mexico Highlands answered right back on a long 65-yard touchdown pass making it 20-14.
The two teams traded scores in the second quarter which means it was Colorado Mesa's turn to score.
Dagan Rienks' touchdown catch on a fade route from 5-yards out capped an 11 play, 75 yard drive with 9:14 to play in the quarter.
The Cowboys came right back with a short 1-yard plunge to make the score 27-21 with 3:34 to play in the half.
Just two plays later,
Karst Hunter threw a strike to
Lionell McConnell for a 70-yard touchdown catch and run that took just 33 seconds off the clock. McConnell finished the game with five catches (seven targets) for 165 yards and the score.
Highlands kicked a 27-yard field goal as time expired to take a 30-28 halftime lead.
Colorado Mesa made several adjustments at halftime and came out firing on all cylinders. The Cowboys had five possessions in the second half and were forced to punt three times, threw an interception on one and had just one touchdown. The defense held the Highlands to just 138 yards of offense in the half.
Offensively, they had five full possessions and scored four touchdowns in those possessions. The Mavericks gained 424 yards of total offense in the second half and outscored the Cowboys 28-7 to close the game out.
Karst Hunter had two touchdown runs in the third quarter as he scored on a 34-yard scamper and a 1-yard plunge. The quarterback finished his day with 53 yards rushing and the two scores while adding 314 yards through the air on 18-of-25 passing and three scores and a pick.
Morian Walker scored his first touchdown as a Maverick with 3:21 to play in the game on a 2-yard run while
Isaac Maestas put the icing on the cake with a 13-yard touchdown run with 1:29 to play. Walker finished the game with 74 yards on eight carries for a 9.2 average per touch.
Brooklyn Hardiman had a career game on defense as he led the Mavericks in tackles with nine including a sack, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. His forced fumble thwarted a Highlands drive in the second quarter.
Liban Shongolo had the first interception this year for the defense as he came away with a pick in the third quarter.
Colorado Mesa will return home for a contest with Chadron State at Stocker Stadium on Saturday. Chadron State is coming off a 31-20 win over South Dakota Mines tonight.
