GUNNISON, Colo. — In its two previous losses this season, the Colorado Mesa football team had chances to win.
That wasn't the case Saturday against No. 17 Western Colorado, which controlled the line of scrimmage on offense and defense on the way to a 43-7 RMAC victory at Katy O. Rady Field. The Mountaineers' defense allowed zero points and only 53 yards of offense to the Mavericks.
The Mavericks' five first-quarter possessions netted a negative 39 yards in a total of 12 plays. Their longest drive of the game was only 29 yards, that coming in the second quarter and resulting in a punt, down 17-0.
Quarterbacks Gavin Herberg and Leslie Richardson were either sacked or tackled behind the line of scrimmage 13 times, with Gianni Hurd caught behind the line once, with those 14 plays costing CMU 85 yards. The running game, which has yet to get on track, netted only five yards. That total was 0 until the final play of the game, when Marvin Jones picked up five yards as CMU ran out the clock.
The game was halted for nearly one hour one play into the fourth quarter by lightning on the blustery day in Gunnison. Strong wind hampered CMU's ability to throw the football when the Mavericks were able to contain Western's strong rush.
Colorado Mesa's only score came on defense, when Julius Carter intercepted Drew Nash and returned the ball for a touchdown, pushing his way across the goal line, with 14:01 on the clock in the third quarter, pulling CMU within 20 points, 27-7.
The defense shut out the Mountaineers in the third quarter, but Western scored 16 points in the fourth, including a sack of Herberg in the end zone for a safety. The Mountaineers also blocked a punt, which was returned for a touchdown and a 41-7 lead before the safety in the final four minutes.
The statistics were as lopsided as the final score: Western had 26 first downs to CMU's four, out-rushed the Mavericks 188-5, and had 255 yards passing to the Mavs' 48.
The Mavericks averaged only 1.2 yards per play to Western's 5.1, punted nine times, lost two fumbles and had one pass intercepted.
Penalties continued to be an issue, with the Mavs flagged 15 times for 114 yards. Western was penalized 10 times for 105 yards.
Richardson, who played the second and third quarters, was CMU's leading rusher with 15 yards, with Hurd gaining 14. Richardson completed 5 of 14 passes for 34 yards and Herberg completed 3 of 6 passes for 14 yards and one interception. Noah Sarria caught two passes for 14 yards.
Defensively, La'Markus Reed was in on nine tackles, six solo, and 2.5 tackles for lost yardage. Liban Shongolo had eight tackles, five solo, and Carter, in his first game after missing the first four with injury, had five tackles, two for lost yardage, one quarterback hurry and the pick-six.
It doesn't get easier for the Mavericks, who play host to second-ranked Colorado School of Mines on Oct. 7 at 1:05 p.m. at Stocker Stadium in the annual battle for the Nyikos Cup.
