DURANGO, Colo. — It took awhile to get going, but a thank-you defensive score after Colorado Mesa scored its first touchdown Saturday helped the Mavericks get on track in a 49-0 runaway RMAC victory at Fort Lewis.
Colorado Mesa (6-2, 5-1 RMAC) won its fifth straight game, its longest winning streak since 2017. The defense pitched its first shutout since a 42-0 win against the Skyhawks in 2013.
Touchdowns from the offense, defense and special teams contributed to the Mavs' most complete performance of the season.
It was CMU's ninth straight victory over Fort Lewis and gives the Mavericks a 3-1 record against in-state teams with one crucial Colorado game remaining against No. 8 Western Colorado in the regular-season finale. The victory moved CMU into sole possession of third place in the RMAC after Colorado School of Mines lost 38-28 to RMAC co-leader Western Colorado (6-0).
Only nine seconds after Liu Aumave connected on a 25-yard touchdown pass to Trek Keyworth in the second quarter, Fort Lewis quarterback Stone Walker inexplicably threw a backwards pass on a roll-out. Instead of finding his trailing running back, he threw the ball right into George Soppe's hands, and the Mavs' freshman linebacker ran it back 23 yards for a 14-0 lead. The play was officially ruled a fumble recovery and return because it was a backwards pass.
Just as they dominated the scoreboard, the Mavericks dominated the statistics, running for 303 yards to the Skyhawks' 71.
Aumavae completed nearly 90% of his passes, 16 of 18, for 144 yards and a pair of touchdowns, both to Keyworth, a redshirt freshman who reached the end zone for the first time in his career.
In rolling up 40 offensive yards, CMU averaged 6.7 yards per play.
And in allowing zero points, the CMU defense allowed only 2.4 yards per play to the Skyhawks (1-7, 0-6 RMAC), who had 146 total yards of offense, 71 on the ground and completing 14 of 33 passes for 75 yards. Only twice did Fort Lewis cross midfield, once reaching the Mavs' 48 — right before JaCari Williams intercepted a pass to end that drive — and once getting to the 42, when the Skyhawks turned the ball over on downs.
Their longest two drives went for 32 yards, and three more that resulted in negative yardage.
Conversely, CMU scored touchdowns on five of seven series starting in the second quarter, including four consecutive series to turn that slow start into a rout. Mesa's offensive scoring drives went for 68, 75, 58, 50 and 89 yards, and the offense had the ball for 35 minutes, 34 seconds.
Brandon Belgrave, who rushed for 87 yards on 14 carries, put CMU up 21-0 on a 4-yard run up the middle in the third quarter, and Keyworth went up for an 18-yard touchdown catch from Aumavae with 3:48 remaining in the third.
Less than one minute later, the special teams got in on the act.
Redshirt freshman Eli Keith broke through and blocked a Fort Lewis punt after the defense went 3-and-out, not allowing a yard with the Skyhawks backed up at their own 5. Sean Sharp chased the ball down in the end zone for the touchdown and a 35-0 lead after three quarters.
Leslie Richardson took over at quarterback, with Jack Burke catching a 33-yard pass down the sideline to set up Myles Newble's 4-yard touchdown run.
Sean Kidd, who had rushed for 25 yards on seven carries through the first seven games, carried the ball on seven straight plays after yet another defensive stop. Kidd's personal 89-yard drive culminated in an 18-yard touchdown and a 49-0 lead and was highlighted by a 47-yard run up the middle on second down from CMU's 12 that put the ball on the Fort Lewis 41.
Kidd ended up with a 100-yard day on 11 carries, with Aiden Taylor gaining 101 yards on 14 carries. Sam Horneck had four catches for 30 yards and Keyworth caught three passes for 56 yards and the two TDs.
The defense recorded four sacks, with Hunter Hamilton getting two, had nine tackles for lost yardage and broke up five passes. Levi Krebs continued his stellar defensive play, with six tackles, five solo, and two tackles for lost yardage. Gibson Leafgreen had four solo tackles.
Colorado Mesa returns home at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, facing Black Hills State.
