SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Colorado Mesa football team scored in every quarter and got just enough defense to hold off the Black Hills State Yellowjackets 45-38 at Lyle Hare Stadium on Saturday (Nov. 1) afternoon in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
 
Heading into the game, the passing game was going to be a key to the Mavericks success, and it proved to be just that. Cole Hansen had the best passing day for any Maverick quarterback since September 23, 2023, when the Mavericks faced the same Yellowjacket team. Hansen was 20-for-24 for 291 yards and two touchdowns. The Centennial, Colo. native added 49 yards and a touchdown in the win.
 
Hansen got the scoring going on the Mavericks first drive and he ran one in from 13 yards out to make it 7-0. The run capped an 8-play, 69-yard drive including 46 yards rushing from Hansen on the drive. The redshirt junior had a 33-yard run on the drive that put the Mavericks deep in the red zone early in the game.
 
After Black Hills State scored on their ensuing possession, Colorado Mesa traded the touchdown with one of their own on the first of two Brandon Belgrave touchdowns. Belgrave took a handoff and scored from 16 yards out on the third play of the drive to make it 14-7 Mavericks. The big play of the drive came on the first play, a 45-yard pass from Hansen to Bryson Brown to take the possession into Yellowjacket territory.
 
Black Hills State would tie it up on their first drive of the second quarter while Colorado Mesa waited until their second drive of the quarter before they would get their only score of the frame. Hansen connected with Noah Greer from 33-yards out to give the Mavericks a 21-14 lead late in the quarter. Back-to-back 15-yard penalties on the drive aided Colorado Mesa on the score.
 
The Yellowjackets converted a 10-play, 75-yard drive into a touchdown for yet another tie game at 21-21. The score remained that way into the halftime break.
 
The Mavericks wasted no time to regain the lead. Belgrave took the first play from scrimmage in the half, 75-yards for a touchdown and a 28-21 lead.
 
Once again, Black Hills State knotted the game at 28-28 after a 7-play drive that resulted in a touchdown.
 
On the next Maverick drive, Hansen connected for a touchdown the second time in the game, this time with his H-Back Colton Mills-Younger. The two hooked up on a 36-yard touchdown pass to give the Mavericks the lead. Hansen had 65 yards worth of passing yards on the drive which resulted in a 35-28 lead for the Mavericks midway through the third quarter.
 
True to the rest of the way the game went, Black Hills knotted the score on the final play of the third quarter. The game was tied at 35-35 heading to the fourth quarter.
Sullivan Moon connected on a 33-yard field goal on the Mavericks first drive of the quarter to give them a 38-35 lead with 9:14 to play.
 
They would get a stop on the defensive end, stuffing Black Hills State on fourth down on their own 42-yard line. Colorado Mesa would convert on the next drive to extend the lead to two scores as Noah Greer took a jet sweep from 6-yards out to give the Mavericks the lead for good with 3:54 to play at 45-35.
 
Black Hills State made a 49-yard field goal with 1:25 on the clock recovered the onside kick, essentially ending the game.
 
Belgrave finished the game with 117 yards rushing while Mills-Younger and Trek Keyworth each had five catches.
 
Linebacker George Soppe had a game-high 13 tackles.
 
The Mavericks will host South Dakota Mines in the final home game of the season next Saturday at Stocker Stadium. Colorado Mesa will honor their seniors and graduating players prior to the game.