GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa football team improved to 3-0 on the season with a 24-17 win over the Chadron State on Saturday (Sept. 25) at Stocker Stadium. It is the first time since the 2018 season that the Mavericks have started 3-0.
 
Defense was the name of the game early on as both offenses were held below their season average for total yards. The score was 3-0 after a Chadron State field goal by Gunnar Jones on the first drive of the game and stayed that way all the way until 4:19 was left in the second quarter.
 
Karst Hunter found Lionell McConnell on a 7-yard touchdown pass to get Colorado Mesa on the board and in the lead for the first time in the game. The touchdown capped a nine play, 64-yard drive that took up nearly four minutes of clock to make it 7-3.
 
The defense held up and gave the offense the ball back with a little over two minutes left in the half. The Mavericks went 56 yards in nine plays for another score. Lucas Ruiz Diaz booted a 42-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the half to put Colorado Mesa ahead 10-3.
 
The two teams played even in the second half, trading touchdowns with Chadron scoring the final touchdown of the game with 2:32 to play.
 
With 5:36 to play in the third quarter, Avian Thomas burst around the right end and scored from 50-yards out. Thomas was nearly tackled around the 30-yard line but broke that tackle and was able to stay in bounds for a touchdown of 50-plus yards for the second straight week. The score capped a short 3-play, 76-yard drive that made the score 17-3.
 
Chadron State scored a little over two and a half minutes later to cut the lead to 17-10.
 
As the third quarter closed, Colorado Mesa scored their final touchdown of the game. Dwight Blakey took a handoff from the 2-yardline and plunged in for his first touchdown as a Maverick. The touchdown gave the Mavericks a 24-10 lead until late in the fourth quarter.
 
Chadron State cut the lead with to 24-17 with 2:32 to play in the game. They elected to kickoff instead of the onside kick and it nearly paid off. The Eagle defense forced a quick three-and-out by the Mavericks and got the ball back with 2:07 to play. The Mavericks were able to thwart the drive in five plays.
 
Avian Thomas finished the game with 111 yards on 14 carries for a 7.9 yard average per carry. It was his second straight 100-yard rushing game.
 
It was a great bounce back game for Dwight Blakey as he led all receivers in the game with eight catches for 86 yards on 13 targets. A week ago, Blakey didn't have any catches in the win over Highlands.
 
Demar'ren Mitchell and Remington Green were a two-man, wrecking crew on defense. Mitchell led everyone with 13 tackles, seven solo, while Green had 12 tackles and a half a sack.
 
Mitchell also intercepted his first pass of the season late in the fourth quarter. With 5:16 to play, Mitchell intercepted a Dalton Holst pass at the 3-yardline to stop an Eagle scoring opportunity.
 
The Mavericks will be on the road for a big matchup next weekend in Southern Colorado. They will take on the CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves at the ThunderBowl at 2pm. The ThunderWolves played at South Dakota Mines on Saturday.