GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa football team got back to its winning ways in grand fashion on Saturday (Oct. 15) evening at Stocker Stadium as they defeated the Fort Lewis Skyhawks 70-10.
 
It was the first time since 2017 that the Mavericks have scored 70 points when they did so against New Mexico Highlands in a 77-14 win.
 
The Mavericks dominated from the opening kickoff and continued it throughout the game scoring touchdowns on nine of their 10 possessions. They were even able to tally a defensive touchdown in the fourth quarter.
 
Colorado Mesa churned up 601 yards of total offense with 353 yards coming through the air and another 263 yards coming on the ground. The last time the Mavericks had over 600 yards of total offense came on October 21, 2017, when they tallied 683 total yards against Adams State, their opponent next week.
 
The Mavericks started the scoring against the Skyhawks with their version of the Philly Special as Dagan Rienks threw a touchdown pass to Karst Hunter from 16-yards out on the first drive of the night. This wasn't the first pass of Rienks' career as he also had a completed pass back in 2019.
 
Out of the Mavericks 10 touchdowns on the evening, only two Mavericks had multiple touchdowns in Hunter and running back Keyshawn Ashford who has played sparingly this year.
 
Ashford easily had his best performance as a Maverick against Fort Lewis. The junior toted the ball seven times for 47 yards and a touchdown while also catching one pass for 80 yards and a touchdown. He took a swing pass from Hunter in the first quarter and had 77 yards after the catch for his first touchdown then later took a carry off right side for a 10-yard score on the ground.
 
Eight different Mavericks carried the ball with redshirt freshman Myles Newble leading the way with nine carries for 64 yards and a 7.1 yard per rush average. Five of the eight ball carriers recorded a touchdown with Jullen Ison, Isaac Maestas, Hunter and Ashford and quarterback Kia'I Keone earning their first career touchdowns.
 
Keone came into the game in the second half and was 6-for-8 passing for 52 yards. He and Hunter found 10 different targets on the evening with Jacob Whitmer being the favorite target, catching three passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. Markell Quinney also caught his first touchdown pass as a Maverick in the second quarter.
 
A ton of credit goes to the Maverick offensive line who paved the way all evening and didn't allow a sack for the second time this season.
 
The Colorado Mesa defense was also stout allowing just 295 yards of offense and was able to score on the evening as Kash Bradley scooped up a lateral for the 13-yard scoop and score.
 
They ended the game with four sacks as Ryan Randall, Kaden Stewart, Lex Leany, and Nathan Deitrick all got home against the Skyhawks. Stewart also was able to get a hand on the Skyhawks first punt of the evening for the partial block.
 
Jayden Davis, Gavin Herberg, Levi Krebs and Big Mike Thompson split the team-high honors with seven tackles.
 
The Mavericks will head back out on the road next week as they travel to Alamosa for an evening date with the Adams State Grizzlies on Saturday October 22.
 
OTHER RMAC SCORES:
Western Colorado 28, Black Hills State 27
CSU Pueblo 35, New Mexico Highlands 11
#19 Colorado School of Mines 48, South Dakota Mines 20
Chadron State 29, Adams State 27