THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Colorado Mesa scored on offense, defense and special teams as the Mavericks outlasted New Mexico Highlands 59-46 Saturday afternoon at Stocker Stadium.

The Mavericks (5-4, 4-3 RMAC) needed just 44 offensive plays to pile up 465 yards, an average of 10.6 yards per snap. Trailing 3-0 in the first quarter, CMU struck on its first play from scrimmage when Cole Hansen hit Bryson Brown for a 69-yard touchdown.

The second quarter belonged to the Mavericks, who scored 28 points. Hansen found Brown again for a 45-yard score on the first play of the quarter. Jake Sinz then blocked a Highlands punt, and Kalvin Floyd recovered it in the end zone for a 21-10 lead. After a Cowboys field goal, Noah Greer returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. Braylon Washington later intercepted a pass at the CMU 5 and Hansen connected with Trek Keyworth for a 71-yard touchdown on third-and-8 to push the lead to 35-13. CMU led 35-19 at halftime.

Bronco Hartson opened the second half with a 51-yard touchdown run on fourth and 1. Sam Pollmann added an interception and a 35-yard return to set up a 20-yard Kale Purvis field goal for a 45-19 advantage. In the fourth, Hansen punched in a 1-yard score and Jalen Hankins broke a 62-yard touchdown run on the first play of the next drive to make it 59-31. Highlands added two late touchdowns.

Hansen completed 8-of-10 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score. Brown caught two passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns and Greer finished with 131 all-purpose yards. Hartson ran for 73 yards and Hankins added 64.

La'Markus Reed led the defense with 12 tackles, and George Soppe had nine tackles and three pass breakups. O'Marius Dimry-Lockhart recorded a sack and a forced fumble, Keyshaun Ceaser added a sack and the Mavericks turned two interceptions into 10 points.

KNOW YOUR FOE
Fort Lewis started the season off 2-0 but have since lost six straight with a pair of close losses to Black Hills State and nationally ranked CSU Pueblo. This season, the Skyhawks have already equaled their win total from last year and have a chance to match their win total from 2024. If they win out, they would win at least four games for the first time since 2017.

Head coach Johnny Cox is doing a stand up job in his fifth season with his alma mater Skyhawks. They started the season 2-0 after having their first game canceled due to the tragedy with the William Jewell program. They have also produced narrow losses to #4 CSU Pueblo and Black Hills State during the season. All this after inheriting a team that had lost over 40 games in row.

Jacob Morris is back in the saddle at quarterback after missing significant time due to an injury early in the season. In just three games played he has 543 yards and five touchdowns. He was 24-for-45 and had 267 yards and three touchdown passes against New Mexico Highlands on September 12. The top target for the Skyhawks this season has been Solomon Latimer who has 38 catches for 537 yards and four touchdowns.

Trenton Sullivan leads the team in tackles and is tied for the team lead in pass break-ups. The Aurora, Colo. native has 71 tackles including a 16 tackle effort in the season opener against Arizona Christian. Walter Stauffer provides the pass rush with five sacks and four hurries. He had seven tackles and a sack and a half in the narrow loss to Black Hills State.

The Skyhawks will play at Adams State in their final game of the season. It should make out to be a great matchup as the two rivals will square off in Alamosa. Adams State leads the series with a 42-20-1 advantage. 

Last Five Matchups
Oct. 25, 2025 Grand Junction, Colo. W, 24-14
Oct. 26, 2024 Durango, Colo. W, 49-0
Oct. 14, 2023 Durango, Colo. W, 62-14
Oct. 12, 2022 Grand Junction, Colo. W, 70-10
Oct. 16, 2021 Durango, Colo. W, 55-3

KEYS TO THE GAME
Colorado Mesa (5-4, 4-3 RMAC) makes the short trip to Durango for a noon kickoff Saturday at Ray Dennison Memorial Field. It will be Senior Day for Fort Lewis and the Skyhawks' annual Nike N7 game. The Mavericks have scored 59 points in back-to-back games, most recently a 59-46 win over New Mexico Highlands. Fort Lewis (2-6, 1-6 RMAC) has lost six straight, including a 34-3 loss at Chadron State last week. CMU leads the all-time series 39-11-1, has won the last 10 meetings and is 19-5-1 in Durango. The Mavericks' last three wins at Fort Lewis came by scores of 49-0 in 2024, 62-14 in 2023 and 55-3 in 2021. Fort Lewis' last win in the series came in 2014.

1. Keep running the ball
CMU's ground game has become the strength of the offense. The Mavericks average 199 rushing yards per game at 5.1 yards per carry, with 20 rushing touchdowns. Bronco Hartson leads the team with seven rushing touchdowns, Jalen Hankins is averaging 5.5 yards per carry after a 62-yard run last week and Amari Brown and Jaden Thermidor have both added big plays. The run game is the best way to attack Fort Lewis. The Skyhawks allow 208.3 rushing yards per game at 4.7 per carry. CSU Pueblo ran for 277 yards against them and Highlands ran for 316. A strong running game would also let CMU control the clock. The Mavs had the ball for only 20:06 against Highlands.

2. Keep the pressure on a struggling Fort Lewis offense
The Skyhawks have had trouble moving the ball all season. They average 15.1 points and 45.3 rushing yards per game, at just 1.9 yards per carry. They convert only 22.8% of their third downs and were held to three points at Chadron and shut out at Western Colorado. Senior quarterback Jacob Morris gives them their best chance. He led the Fort Lewis offense to its best season since 2017 as a first-year starter last year and he threw three touchdown passes in a 31-28 win over New Mexico Highlands on Sept. 12. He was injured after that game and missed five games before returning last week at Chadron, where he went 13-for-24 for 109 yards with two interceptions. This season he has completed 54.3% of his passes for 543 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. If CMU stops the run, Morris will have to throw. That's where the defense can make plays: Fort Lewis has thrown 14 interceptions and allowed 19 sacks this season. Noah Williams (4.0 sacks, 7.0 TFL) and O'Marius Dimry-Lockhart (3.5 sacks) lead CMU's pass rush. Morris' favorite target is Solomon Latimer, who has 537 receiving yards and four touchdowns, including a 78-yard catch. Latimer also caught two of Morris' three touchdown passes against Highlands.

3. Clean up the pass defense 
Last week was a wake-up call. New Mexico Highlands quarterback Collin Stucki threw for 507 yards and five touchdowns on 62 attempts, and the Cowboys ran 100 plays. For the season, CMU allows 281.0 passing yards per game at 8.0 yards per attempt and has given up 25 touchdown passes. There were positives last week too. Braylon Washington and Sam Pollmann each made an interception, bringing CMU to seven interceptions on the season. Fort Lewis doesn't have Highlands' passing attack, so this is a good week for the secondary to get back on track.

4. Win the turnover battle 
Fort Lewis is -4 in turnover margin with 20 giveaways including 14 interceptions and turned it over three times at Chadron. The Skyhawks' defense can take the ball away, though. It has forced 16 fumbles, recovered eight and made eight interceptions with Elijah Portela and Drennan Dowell sharing the team lead with two picks each. CMU is -1 on the season after losing six fumbles. Hansen has not thrown an interception in four straight games, but holding on to the ball will matter against a defense led by Walter Stauffer (9.5 TFL, 5.0 sacks) and Trenton Sullivan (71 tackles).

5. Win on special teams
Fort Lewis has struggled in the kicking game. The Skyhawks have had five punts and one field goal blocked this season, including three blocked kicks at Chadron last week. They also allow 25.9 yards per kickoff return and 12.3 per punt return, with three return touchdowns allowed. CMU's special teams have been playing well. Noah Greer returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown against Highlands, Kalvin Floyd scored on a punt return and Jake Sinz blocked a kick. Kale Purvis is 9-of-11 on field goals with a long of 52. Field position should also favor CMU, since Fort Lewis' net punting average is 31.7 yards.

MAKING THE MOST ON FOURTH DOWN
When Colorado Mesa goes for it on fourth down, it usually gets it. The Mavericks have converted 14-of-19 fourth-down attempts this season (73.7%), which ranks second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and 11th in NCAA Division II.

The aggressive approach is nothing new. Last season, CMU led the RMAC in fourth-down conversion rate (71.4%) in conference games, and the Mavericks have kept that success going in 2026.

They have been especially reliable over the second half of the season. After going 2-for-4 against Western Colorado on Sept. 19, CMU converted six straight fourth-down attempts. That run included a 2-for-2 day at No. 5 CSU Pueblo, a conversion against Chadron State and a 2-for-2 performance against Colorado School of Mines. Since that Western game, the Mavericks are 9-of-11 on fourth down.

Some of the conversions have come at important moments. Against Western Colorado, the Mavericks scored their only touchdown pass on a fourth-and-goal swing pass to Bronco Hartson. They went a perfect 3-for-3 in the 42-23 win at Eastern New Mexico. At Adams State, Hartson picked up five yards on a fourth-and-3 to keep a drive alive early in the second quarter.

The success on fourth down is tied to what CMU does best. Its offensive line allows the fewest tackles for loss per game in the RMAC, and its run game averages 5.1 yards per carry. Those strengths make short-yardage situations manageable, and the Mavericks' 29-of-32 red-zone efficiency shows how often those extended drives end in points.

The efficiency has made a difference in the standings, too. CMU has scored 59 points in each of its last two games, and the Mavericks will look to keep converting when they visit Fort Lewis on Saturday.

PINNING THEM DEEP
Junior Kale Purvis has been one of the most consistent weapons on Colorado Mesa's roster this season. He leads the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and ranks 11th in NCAA Division II at 43.6 yards per punt.

Purvis has punted 38 times for 1,653 yards with a long of 87. That 87-yarder flipped the field in the Mavericks' overtime win at South Dakota Mines. He has pinned 12 punts inside the 20 and booted nine of 50 yards or longer. He has also kept his punts out of the end zone, with just four touchbacks, and none have been blocked.

Purvis' hang time and placement have limited what opponents can do in the return game. Teams are averaging just 7.3 yards on 19 punt returns against CMU, helping the Mavericks post a 37.9-yard net punting average. His best performance came against Colorado School of Mines, when he averaged a season-high 49.3 yards on three punts. One of those punts deflected off a Mines returner, nearly giving the Mavericks a turnover.

Lately, Purvis hasn't had much work. CMU's offense has scored 59 points in each of its last two games, and he has punted just once in that span, a 43-yarder against New Mexico Highlands.

Purvis is also the Mavericks' placekicker and leads the team with 64 points. He is 9-of-11 on field goals, including a perfect 7-for-7 inside 40 yards. He has also made 37 of 38 extra points. His season-long 52-yard field goal at Adams State is the longest by a Maverick this season.

That combination could matter in Durango on Saturday. Fort Lewis averages just 9.6 yards per punt return, and Purvis' leg gives CMU an edge in field position every time the offense stalls.

PRESEASON POLLS & ALL-RMAC
Colorado Mesa was picked to finish fifth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll after finishing in a tie for fourth-place during the 2025 season. The Mavericks finished 6-5 last season and 5-4 in the conference, tied with Colorado School of Mines whom they defeated on October 24. 

Colorado Mesa earned a total of 52 votes that came with a second place vote and a third place vote as voted on by the league's 10 sponsoring schools.

CSU Pueblo was picked to repeat as the RMAC Champion with 80 points including eight first place votes and one second place vote. Western Colorado was picked second with 69 total points with one first place votes, five second place votes and two third place votes. Colorado School of Mines was picked third with 62 points on two second place votes and four third place votes.

2025 NCAA Playoff team Chadron State was picked fourth with 60 points on one first place vote, one second place vote, and three third place votes. 

The Mavericks had four players named to the Preseason All-RMAC team. Three of the four selections came on the offensive side of the ball with Alex Turpin earning a spot at tight end and seniors Calem Grimble and Cooper Mumford earning spots across the offensive line. Turpin played in all 11 games in 2025 and caught 22 passes for 180 yards and four touchdowns while Grimble and Mumford played in and started all 11 games on the left side of the offensive line.

Senior defensive back Gibson Leafgreen was named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team on the defensive side of the ball. In 2025, he played in 11 games and finished with 56 total tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions. 

EYES ON THE SCHEDULE
• Season opener at home on a Thursday night Colorado Mesa will host NSIC power Minnesota State on Thursday August 27 at 6:00 PM to open the season. It will be the first meeting between the two schools and will be the first time the Mavericks have opened the season on a Thursday at home since the 2021 season when they defeated William Jewell 40-3.
• Back-to-back road trips to open conference play The following two weeks the Mavericks will have their longest two game road trip of the season — first at Eastern New Mexico on September 5, then at South Dakota Mines to open RMAC play on September 12.
• Gauntlet of 2025 playoff teams
The Mavericks will take on three straight 2025 NCAA Playoff teams — Western Colorado (home, Sept. 19), CSU Pueblo (road, Sept. 26), and then Chadron State (home, Oct. 3). That's a brutal three-week stretch right in the heart of the schedule.
• Six home games 
The schedule features six home games and five road games for the upcoming season, with three of the final five games at home and the two final road games being the shortest trips of the season. 
• Halloween Matinee 
A Halloween afternoon kickoff will feature the Mavericks taking on New Mexico Highlands at Stocker Stadium on Saturday October 31, with many different spooky promotions expected and the possibility of a special surprise.
• Bye week placement
The bye falls on October 10, right after that brutal playoff-team gauntlet — a fortunate breather before the back half of the conference schedule. The entire Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference will observe a bye during that week with practice and meeting times varying throughout the week.
• Beyond 2026
Colorado Mesa and West Texas A&M announced a four-year football schedule agreement beginning in 2028, with games scheduled for August 24, 2028 (at Canyon, TX), August 23, 2029 (at Grand Junction), August 29, 2030 (at Canyon), and August 28, 2031 (at Grand Junction). Coach Kochevar has a personal connection there — he served as West Texas A&M's defensive coordinator from 2016–18. 

WHAT'S NEW THIS YEAR 
• Coach to player communication
Beginning this year in Division II, coach to player communication is legal and will be available in all games the Mavericks play in. The technology uses encrypted radio and in-helmet speakers that allow coaches to communicate to players on the field. The individuals will be allowed open communication until there are 15 seconds left on the play clock each play.

Colorado Mesa utilizes CoachComm communications systems with the coach's communications and has their solution for the Coach to Player system.

• Tailgate Time
Colorado Mesa will introduce premium tailgating this year with different level options. The premium package includes a 10x20 space that includes tent, tables, chairs, bottled water, two coolers and 40lbs. of ice while the select package comes with a 10x10 space that includes tent, tables, chairs, bottled water, cooler and 20lbs. of ice. The final option is the traditional tailgate where you get one reserved parking spot used to tailgate at your own will.

All of this is brought to us by our friends at FCI Constructors.