FIRST AND TEN
Colorado Mesa will host the CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves on Saturday for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for the Mavericks. The ThunderWolves come into the game with a 1-0 RMAC record.

This weekend will serve as Parents' Weekend on the campus of Colorado Mesa University. The Mavericks should have several extra spectators in attendance for the first day game of the season.

The ThunderWolves have played their first three games of the season on Thursday's so this will be the first time CSU Pueblo will play on a Saturday during the 2025 season.

The Mavericks will embark on their back-to-back road weekend next week when they travel to Nebraska for their battle with Chadron State on September 27.

THE ROUNDUP
Colorado Mesa hosted Eastern New Mexico for their home opener back on September 6 and found themselves the winners of a 28-7 win over the Greyhounds. After falling behind 7-0 at the end of the first quarter, the Mavericks scored 28 unanswered on their way to evening their record at 1-1.

The Mavericks churned up 242 yards on the ground and finished with 379 yards of total offense against Eastern New Mexico. Aiden Taylor rushed for 113 yards and a pair of scores while Liu Aumavae finished 9-for-14 for 137 yards and a touchdown through the air. Aumavae found Myles Newble on a 23-yard touchdown catch and run.

Sophomore linebacker George Soppe finished with a game-high 14 tackles including two tackles for loss. Lane Branstetter and Noah Williams each forced a fumble while Kendrick Jones and Payton Wainwright each had interceptions in the matchup.

Senior Sullivan Moon averaged 44.4 yards per punt in the game coming off his RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week award. Jackson Hansen had the Mavericks two returns in the game, a five yard punt return and a 25 yard kickoff return.

THE MATCHUP
Both teams will be entering this week's matchup coming off a win as the Mavericks defeated Eastern New Mexico 28-7 prior to their bye week last week while CSU Pueblo defeated MIAA Conference foe Central Missouri in comeback fashion 29-24. 

CSU Pueblo comes into the matchup on a seven game winning streak against Colorado Mesa dating back to the 2017 season. They have also won 13 of the past 14 matchups dating back to the 2010 season. The Mavericks won the first two matchups  when the ThunderWolves brought back the program in 2008.

The last time the Mavericks defeated the ThunderWolves came on October 1, 2016 in Grand Junction when the Mavericks eeked out a 20-19 win at Stocker Stadium. The ending didnt come without controversy as the ThunderWolves were stuffed on the goaline but video showed the CSUP runner may have crossed the goaline.

Last Five with the ThunderWolves
Sept. 21, 2024 in Pueblo (L, 38-14)
Oct. 28, 2023 in Pueblo (L, 50-29)
Oct. 29, 2022 in Grand Jct. (L, 33-28)
Oct. 2, 2021 in Pueblo (L, 19-13 2OT)
Sept. 14, 2019 in Pueblo (L, 48-22)

KNOW YOUR FOE
CSU Pueblo is led by Colorado Mesa alum Phil Vigil in his third season with the ThunderWolves. He brings his team into the matchup with a 2-1 record after playing on three consecutive Thursday's to open the season. Vigil and the Pack defeated South Dakota Mines, in an RMAC game, to open the season before falling to Fort Hays State 36-35 in week one. CSU Pueblo rebounded with a come from behind win over Central Missouri last week 29-24.

The ThunderWolves have three rushers with over 100 yards on the season. Devin Cross leads the group with 138 yards on 25 carries while Russell Patton leads in rushing touchdowns with two. Quarterback Roman Fuller has thrown for 832 yards and seven touchdowns in three games. Reggie Retzlaff is a Harlon Hill contender and has 10 catches already on the year.

The ThunderWolf defense is led by Gary Seidenberger with 24 tackles. Seidenberger had a season-high 12 tackles against Central Missouri. Peyton Shaw leads in interceptions with three and had two picks in the CSU Pueblo win over Central Missouri last week. The Pack have also piled up 10 sacks on the season thus far.

MAVERICK TIES
CSU Pueblo head coach Phil Vigil was the Colorado Mesa quarterback from 2005-08 and spent three seasons on the coaching staff from 2012-14. Vigil earned All-RMAC second team honors at quarterback during his senior season when he threw for over 2,000 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Associate Head Coach and Defensive Backs coach Mac Alexander spent time both as a student-athlete and coach at Colorado Mesa. Alexander was a part of the football program from 2009-11 and basketball program from 2011-14. Following his playing career, he was a defensive backs coach with the Mavericks for six seasons.

Offensive Coordinator and Tight Ends coach at CSU Pueblo Jordan Dodge spent two seasons on the Colorado Mesa coaching staff and helped coach a Maverick all-timer in Peter Anderson.

TOTING THE ROCK
The carries have not been equal by any means but the Colorado Mesa running back room has had their fair share of big plays when they get the ball. Four of the six ball carriers this year have a run of at least 23 yards with Noah Greer's 53 yard touchdown jet sweep being the longest of the season.

Aiden Taylor leads the team in carries and yards with 139 yards on 34 carries. He has two touchdowns and averages 4.1 yards per carry.

Senior Myles Newble is second on the team with 10 carries. The Colorado Mesa Student Body Vice President has 50 yards on those ten carries and has one touchdown catch through the air.

STRONG AGAINST THE PASS
Colorado Mesa continues to be strong against the pass and are back in second of the RMAC in the category. The Mavericks are allowing 149.5 yards passing per game after the first two games of the season. 

The Mavericks have tinkered with their secondary with the absence of Kash Bradley. They will likely start Lane Branstetter and Kendrick Jones at the corners with Gibson Leafgreen and Andre Lopez Green at the two safety positions. The crew has three interceptions and three pass defended.

AMONG THE NCAA LEADERS
Redshirt sophomore wideout Trek Keyworth has the breakaway speed to runaway from defenders. He has six catches for 188 yards and a touchdown on the season. He is the nation's best, ranking No. 1 in the country in yards per catch at 31.3 yards per reception.

Punter Sullivan Moon is averaging 46.6 yards per punt this season. That is the top average in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and No. 3 in all of NCAA Division II. Moon earned RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week during Week Zero when the Mavericks took on Central Washington.

MAVS ON THE NETWORK
10 of the 11 Maverick Football games will be on the RMAC Network this season. In previous years, all Maverick athletic events were free to view but new this year those matchups will be behind a paywall with several different options available. Single games are $10, monthly subscription is $25 or a yearlong pass for $130. You can access all games through CMUMavericks.com/TV or RMACNetwork.com.

The monthly and yearlong subscriptions include access to all games on the RMAC Network including RMAC Championship events and games on-demand. 

COLORADO MESA TURNS 100
The CMU Century Celebration stands as the cornerstone of Colorado Mesa University's year-long centennial celebration. This ambitious initiative unites our community in honoring a rich heritage while boldly envisioning the next hundred years of academic excellence.

Led by the Steering Committee and six specialized sub-committees, we're orchestrating a transformative experience that will resonate through generations. Each committee brings unique expertise to create an unforgettable commemoration of our past, present and future.
 
To learn more about Colorado Mesa's 100-year celebration, visit cmucentury.com

ON THE HORIZON
Colorado Mesa will head out on the road for their first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road trip when they travel to Chadron, Neb. for a battle with the Chadron State Eagles on Saturday September 27. 

The Mavericks will head out on the road for the second straight week following the matchup with Chadron State. They will take the short drive over the mountains to Golden for a matchup with the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers on Saturday October 4.