PUEBLO, Colo. — A slow start snowballed on Colorado Mesa, leading to the Mavericks' seventh straight loss to CSU Pueblo, 38-14, in their conference opener Saturday (Sept. 21).
The No. 22 ThunderWolves (3-1, 2-0 RMAC) scored 21 first-quarter points, putting the Mavericks (1-2, 0-1) in a big hole from the start.
A 57-yard run on the opening play of the game jump-started the ThunderWolves' offense, leading to a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Howard Russell V scored the first of his three touchdowns, punching the ball over from the 1 after the defense stuffed him twice.
Russell scored on runs of 1, 18 and 11 yards.
A blocked punt on the Mavs' opening series was returned 22 yards for a score, and it was 21-0 with just more than three minutes to play in the first quarter after Russell's second TD of the day.
The defense stiffened after that, forcing a long field goal attempt that missed, and shutting the Pack out in the second quarter to give the offense a chance to get back in the game.
Liu Aumavae, who got the start at quarterback, directed a 55-yard scoring drive early in the second quarter. Brandon Belgrave had runs of 9 and 3 yards, caught a 10-yard pass and broke off a 28-yard touchdown run, shedding a couple of tackles and side-stepping another defender for the score.
The Mavericks regrouped in the second quarter and started to move the ball, with a chance to cut into the deficit twice before halftime. A drive to the CSU Pueblo 36 was thwarted when Aumavae's deep pass to Trevin Edwards was broken up, forcing a punt.
The defense held again, and CMU went to its two-minute offense with 2:15 to play. Aumavae completed five straight passes to get the ball to the Pack's 38. On third and 4, though, Aumavae was sacked, taking the Mavs out of field goal range.
With 1:38 remaining in the game and the Mavs down 38-7, they found the end zone again. Aumavae connected with freshman receiver Jack Burke for a 43-yard touchdown, hitting him in the flat at the 10. Burke angled back to the middle of the field, broke a tackle at the 5 and scored his second touchdown of the season.
Aumavae was sacked three times for 28 yards, with the offensive line unable to to hold off Pueblo's rush on key downs. He completed 20 of 35 passes for 236 yards and was intercepted once.
Mesa's trouble to run the football was magnified by the early deficit. The Mavs had 30 carries for only 36 yards, needing to go to the air to try to get back in the game. The rushing numbers were hurt by the three sacks, a 12-yard loss on an end-around and a 13-yard loss when Moon was tackled at the 1, just avoiding a safety, on a third-quarter punt attempt from his own end zone. Moon punted nine times — CMU had only two drives of more than six plays.
Belgrave finished with 52 yards rushing and the touchdown, with Trevin Edwards catching six passes for 58 yards. Burke had two catches for 55 yards and the final touchdown.
Led by Russell's career-best game of 142 yards on 18 carries, the Pack rushed for 211 yards and threw for 155.
Liban Shongolo had 15 tackles, 10 solo, and Charlie Smith had a dozen tackles, one solo, to lead the defense.
The Mavericks will look to get their first home win of the season on Sept. 28, hosting Chadron State at 1 p.m. at Stocker Stadium.
