Box Score GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa football team wiped a 21-point first half deficit to force overtime but eventually fell 42-34 in overtime to rival Western Colorado on Saturday (Oct. 1) evening in a cool and rainy Stocker Stadium in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
 
Western Colorado (3-2, 3-0 RMAC) jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter as Josh Cummings scored on a 6-yard run followed by a 30-yard touchdown pass from Connor Desch to Malik White. An interception setup the latter with the touchdown pass coming on the first play from scrimmage following the pick.
 
The Mavericks (1-3, 0-3 RMAC) got on the board with 12:30 remaining in the second quarter when redshirt senior Isaac Maestas scored on a 3-yard plunge. The touchdown run capped a 13-play, 75 yards drive that chewed up 5:35 of game clock.
 
Western answered back immediately as Victory David took the ensuing kickoff to the house for a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to give the Mountaineers their lead back at 21-7 with 12:16 remaining the in the half.
 
The Mountaineers would build their largest lead of the game with 1:11 to play in the half as Deyvon Butler would take a handoff and go around left end for an 8-yard touchdown run. The play capped a seven play, 64-yard drive to make it 28-7.
 
Just before the halftime break, Karst Hunter found Keenan Brown on a 35-yard touchdown pass to cut into the Mountaineer lead with just seven ticks left in the half. Brown contorted himself and ended up on his back and after the referees conferred for a couple minutes, they ruled it was a good catch and score to make it 28-14.
 
Colorado Mesa went into the break with 166 yards of total offense and allowed 97 yards including just 11 through the air. They would go onto limit the Mountaineers to just a field goal in the second half.
 
Karst Hunter started the second half comeback with a 1-yard rushing touchdown with 3:31 to play in the third quarter as he capped a 12-play, 75-yard drive. The drive featured a lot of Jullen Ison on the ground but a big 32-yard completion to Jacob Whitmer was the lone chunk play on the drive. Whitmer went up and was sandwiched in mid-air but was able to hang on the play.
 
After the WCU Alec Fonseca field goal, the Mavericks answered right back with a score of their own. Noah Sarria hauled in a nice touch pass from Karst Hunter for a 34-yard touchdown catch with 5:36 to play in the game to cut the Western lead to 31-28.
 
After a little bit of a surprise on-side kick, the Maverick defense stuffed the Mountaineers to force a Mountaineer three-and-out and a Mountaineer punt that would give the ball back to the Mavericks with 3:47 to play and the ball at their own 10-yardline.
 
After being stymied on first and second down, Hunter hooked up with his receivers again for two big chunk plays. He hit Whitmer on a 23-yard pass on third-and-eight and followed it up with a strike to Keenan Brown for an 18-yard gain.
 
The Mavericks had three shots at the endzone with 14 seconds left in the game but couldn't find paydirt. They settled for a Lucas Ruiz Diaz chip shot field goal to tie it and force overtime.
 
The two teams would trade field goals in the first overtime segment before the Mountaineers scored a touchdown on their second offensive series of the second overtime. The Mavericks were stopped on their series of plays with the game ending on a ball slipping through a receiver's hands on a rainy evening.
 
Colorado Mesa finished with a season-high 563 yards of offense including 336 through the air and 227 on the ground. The defense limited the Mountaineers to 346 yards of offense.
 
Hunter finished with a career-high 111 yards rushing on 17 attempts while teammate Booda Ison ended the game with a season-high 100 yards rushing and averaged 4.2 yards per carry.
 
Hunter was also 30-of-53 through the air for 336 yards and touchdowns along with two interceptions. He found nine different receivers with Sarria, Ison, and Dagan Rienks each catching a team-high five passes. Brown finished with a team-high 81 yards receiving.
 
Western Colorado's Josh Cummings finished with 126 yards rushing on 30 attempts.
 
Despite the big rushing night for Cummings, the Maverick defense limited the damage.
 
Haydn Steffens led the unit with 11 tackles and a forced fumble while Liban Shongolo also had 10 tackles with one coming for a loss.
 
Colorado Mesa will head back out on the road as they are scheduled to take on nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines next weekend in Golden.
 
Other RMAC Scores:
Black Hills State 24, South Dakota Mines 17
Colorado School of Mines 45, Chadron State 9
CSU Pueblo 75, Fort Lewis 3
New Mexico Highlands 23, Adams State 21
 
GAME NOTES:
-Karst Hunter's 111 yards rushing was a career-high, eclipsing last week's 72-yard total.
-Hunter's 336 yards passing was also a career-high, surpassing the 314 yards he had last season against New Mexico Highlands.
-The 563 yards of total offense is a season-high, eclipsing the 399 yards they had against William Jewell.