THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Colorado Mesa opened its longest road trip of the year with a wild one, outlasting South Dakota Mines 30-24 in overtime on Saturday at O'Harra Stadium in Rapid City. The Mavericks improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in RMAC play, while the Hardrockers fell to 2-1 on the season and 0-1 in conference play.

SDM controlled the first half, riding a 23-yard touchdown run from Ty Harris and a 20-yard touchdown pass from Gage Baker to Joshua Morales to a 14-3 lead after one quarter. A Sam Eccles field goal pushed the margin to 17-3 before Colorado Mesa answered late in the second quarter on a two yard touchdown pass from Liu Aumavae to Bryson Brown, trimming the deficit to 17-10 at the break.

The Mavericks came out of the locker room and tied it up almost immediately when quarterback Cole Hansen hit Alex Turpin for a 13-yard score just 32 seconds into the third quarter after a Hardrocker turnover on their second play of the half. SDM regained the lead on another Baker touchdown pass, this one to Morales from 10 yards out, making it 24-17 heading into the fourth.

Hansen, who took over much of the offensive load in the second half, tied the game for good with 1:10 remaining on a 21-yard scramble, capping an 11-play, 58 yard drive.

South Dakota Mines had first crack in the extra period but Eccles missed a 27-yard field goal attempt. Colorado Mesa needed just five plays to win it, with Bronco Hartson punching in a nine yard touchdown run to seal the victory.

Hansen finished with 54 rushing yards and a score to go along with his passing touchdown, while Hartson added 49 yards and the game winner on the ground. The Mavericks outgained Mines 310 to 260 in total offense despite losing the time of possession battle.

UPHILL CLIMB
Colorado Mesa is entering a stretch of the season where they will face an NCAA Playoff team in three straight weeks. They will face No. 8 Western Colorado this week during the Canvas Credit Union Parents' Weekend before heading to the Steel City to face No. 5 CSU Pueblo. They will return home for a matchup against Chadron State on October 3 at Stocker Stadium.

Those three teams are a combined 7-2 this season with both Western Colorado and CSU Pueblo nationally ranked. Chadron State is 1-2 on the season with losses to nationally ranked Northern State and Western Colorado in week one of the RMAC season. 

After the bye week, the Mavericks will host Colorado School of Mines for their homecoming game on October 17.

In their final four games of the season, they will face Adams State, New Mexico Highlands, Fort Lewis and Black Hills State. Currently those four teams have a combined record of 7-4 with the Yellow Jackets and Skyhawks currently unbeaten at 3-0 and 2-0 respectively.

KNOW YOUR FOE
Western Colorado is off to a hot start having defeated a pair of Lone Star Conference foes (West Texas A&M and Angelo State) in the non-conference portion of the schedule. They opened the RMAC schedule with a win over NCAA Playoff team in 2025 Chadron State with a dominant performance last week in a 30-9 win.

Head coach Jas Bains is the dean of RMAC Coaches as he is in his 16th season leading Western Colorado. Bains has led the Mountaineers to three straight appearances in the NCAA Playoffs had picked up wins over Central Washington in back-to-back seasons in the tournament. The Fresno State grad is 78-86 in his tenure as head coach in Gunnison.

Josiah Roy leads the Mountaineer offense from the quarterback position. He has a 65 percent completion percentage for 716 yards, eight touchdowns and an interception. He had a season-high 326 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against Chadron State. He added nine carries for 30 yards and a touchdown. Caden Measner is his favorite target with 13 catches while DJ Allen Jr. is the homerun threat with 32.7 yards per catch.

The Mountaineer defense is headed by former Colorado Mesa defensive coordinator Todd Auer whom is known for his aggressive blitz packages he employs week in and week out. He has possibly the best set of linebackers in the conference led by Ian Loomis who has had nine tackles in each of the first three games. Caden Campuzano is right behind him with 24 total tackles including 12 against Angelo State.

Western Colorado will return home next week for a matchup with Adams State in Gunnison. That matchup will be this year's version of the Colorado Classic and also homecoming.

Last Five Matchups
Nov. 15, 2025 Gunnison, Colo. L, 42-28
Nov. 16, 2024 Grand Junction, Colo. L, 37-7
Sept. 30, 2023 Gunnison, Colo. L, 43-7
Oct. 1, 2022 Grand Junction, Colo. L, 42-34 OT
Oct. 30, 2021 Gunnison, Colo. L, 23-9

KEYS TO THE GAME
Colorado Mesa and Western Colorado renew their rivalry Saturday night at Stocker Stadium, with the Mavericks looking to snap a six-game skid in the series against a Mountaineer team that's rolled through its first three games unbeaten. Both programs enter 1-0 in RMAC play, but Western brings the nation's attention with it as the highest-ranked team CMU has faced so far this season. Here are five keys to the game.

1. Slow down Josiah Roy before he hits a home run
Western's redshirt sophomore quarterback has been nearly unstoppable through three weeks, headlined by a 9-of-11, 268-yard, four-touchdown outing against West Texas A&M that included touchdown strikes of 65 and 76 yards. Roy isn't just efficient he's explosive, and Western's offense is built to strike fast rather than grind clock. CMU's secondary has to eliminate the big play and force Western into longer, sustained drives where mistakes can happen.

2. Lean on the ground game and multiple formations
CMU's overtime win at South Dakota Mines was defined by its ability to manufacture points on the ground with Cole Hansen's game-tying rushing touchdown late in regulation and a wildcat rushing score from Bronco Hartson to win it in OT. Against a Western defense that's held two of three opponents under 25 points, the Mavericks will likely need that same physical, multi-look run attack to stay ahead of the chains and keep Roy off the field.

3. Win the turnover and red-zone battles
CMU has shown it can be turnover-prone (an early pick against Minnesota State in the opener), while Western has taken care of the ball through three games. In a series this tight, live possessions and finishing drives with six points instead of three will likely be the difference between a signature win and another loss in the streak.

4. Flip the field with special teams
Both programs have shown they can swing games in the kicking game this season, and last year's meeting in Gunnison saw field position play a real role. A blocked kick, a long return, or a field-position mistake could be as decisive as anything that happens between the tackles in a matchup this evenly built.

5. Handle the moment
Colorado Mesa hasn't beaten Western Colorado since 2018 and has dropped six straight in the series, including a 42-28 loss last November. That's as much a mental barrier as a physical one. Western arrives having already faced a hostile true road environment at West Texas A&M, while CMU will need to avoid the sluggish start that cost it in the season opener against Minnesota State. Whoever settles in faster under the Parents' Weekend lights likely controls the night.

BUCKING BRONCO PACKAGE
Quarterback Cole Hansen and converted quarterback, now running back, Bronco Hartson were a nice 1-2 tandem in the ground game against the Hardrockers. They formed the Bucking Bronco package with both combining for 103 of the Mavericks 149 yards rushing in the win.

Hartson is the Mavericks leading rusher with 171 yards and three touchdowns. The Johnstown, Colo. native is averaging 3.7 yards per carry and has just one catch this season.

Hansen was Colorado Mesa's leading rusher against South Dakota Mines with 54 yards and the game-tying touchdown. The 21-yard touchdown run capped an 11-play, 58 yard drive that left 1:10 on the clock. 

The Centennial, Colo. native also threw for a touchdown pass to begin the third quarter as he found Alex Turpin from 13-yards out.

WE ARE HEADED TO OVERTIME
The Mavericks and Hardrockers played to an overtime in Rapid City last weekend. Colorado Mesa fans may remember the last time the Mavericks played an overtime game came when the current seniors were freshman and back on September 9, 2023. They defeated Division I FCS University of San Diego 28-21 in overtime in San Diego.

With the overtime win, Colorado Mesa head coach Miles Kochevar moved his record to 3-1 in overtime games in his career. 

Coach K also had a pair of overtime games in his first year as the head coach in 2022. Kochevar and the Mavericks fell to Western Colorado in overtime before a late overtime win on the road at Chadron State. 

STANDING STRONG
The Colorado Mesa defense has had the bend but but dont break moniker early in the season but with the game on the line against South Dakota Mines, they stood strong.

The Mavericks allowed zero yards in the fourth quarter and just 15 yards in the overtime period. During that time, the Maverick offense kept the Hardrocker defense on the field for over 10 minutes in the final frame. They also outscored South Dakota Mines 13-0 in the fourth quarter and overtime.

The Hardorckers wound up only totaling 74 yards  and seven points in the second half  

THE TACKLE MONSTER
Sophomore linebacker Dante Vigil was a man on a mission against South Dakota Mines. For his efforts, Vigil earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors becoming the first member from the program this season.

The Golden, Colo. native had a career-high 17 total tackles, besting his previous mark of eight last season against Adams State on October 11. Vigil led a defense that allowed just 260 yards of total offense including no yards in the fourth quarter and just 15 yards in the overtime period.

He is the first Colorado Mesa player to have 17 or more tackles since October 8, 2022, when Michael Chavez had 17 tackles against Colorado School of Mines.

Vigil now leads the team in tackles with 36 with three tackles for loss and a sack.

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.

• Five-for-5 On August 5, the NCAA approved a new age-based or clock eligibility model that allows student-athletes a streamlined five-year period to compete, starting upon full-time enrollment or after turning 19. 

This new rule replaces complex redshirt tracking and waivers and takes full effect for incoming cohorts starting in the fall of 2027. This rule also eliminates most traditional extension waivers outside of the major exceptions of military service, religious missions or pregnancy.