CHADRON, Neb. -- October 19, 2019 -- The Chadron State College football team, which entered Saturday's game against the University of Texas Permian Basin averaging 486 yards in total offense, fell two yards shy of that figure Saturday, but found plenty of ways to score while winning the non-conference contest 43-21 during Friends and Family Weekend in Chadron.
 
Now 3-4 for the season and on a three-game roll, the Eagles dominated most of the first half, jumping out to a 13-0 lead on their first three possessions and owning a 27-0 lead with nearly five minutes left before halftime.
 
Up to that point, the Texas team had never been in Chadron State territory.  But the Falcons finally began to make their passing attack click, and scored three consecutive touchdowns in the middle of the game to cut the margin to six points--27-21--before the Eagles regained their dominance, particularly in the fourth quarter.
 
"We had to make some adjustments that worked out well because we came up with some big plays in about every phase of the game," Chadron State head coach Jay Long said.  "We finally slowed down their passing game by getting great pressure on their quarterback and we got a big interception and some help from special teams to come away with the victory."
 
The Eagles opened the scoring with 34- and 32-yard field goals by freshman Colton Dolder.  The first was set up by Stevann Brown's 57-yard run and the second followed back-to-back passes of 31 and 16 yards from quarterback Dalton Holst to Brandon Fullerton.
 
Then came three "on the money" touchdown passes that Holst launched, giving him 20 for the season.
 
The first was a 19-yard over-the-shoulder grab in the end zone by senior standout Tevon Wright late in the opening quarter.  But the passing combo couldn't take all the credit for the TD.  Prior to their connection, sophomore tailback Elijah Myles carried seven times for 37 yards while giving a preview of coming attractions.
 
Myles, who had missed most of three games this fall because of injuries, ripped off 22 yards to set up Holst's 24-yard scoring pass to Cole Thurness. 
 
Next up, the Falcons fumbled a punt that CSC sophomore linebacker Bryant Wilson recovered at the Texans' 31.  Three plays later, Holst hit sophomore wide receiver Chad Mikelson with a 25-yard strike in the middle of the east end zone, giving the Eagles a 27-0 lead with 4:38 left in the second frame.
 
The shutout vanished a couple minutes later when Permian Basin's capable quarterback, Kameron Mathis, completed a 33-yard bomb to one of his favorite targets, Jeremy Cooley, and a few plays later hit Cooley in the end zone for a nine-yard TD.
 
That wasn't the last of the Falcons' firepower that the sun-splashed crowd would witness.  During the third quarter on back-to-back possessions with Mathis pulling the trigger, the visitors would use long passes to go 82 yards in seven plays and 83 yards in five plays and the score was suddenly 27-21.  
 
A 40-yard hook-up with Davion Sutton ignited the first touchdown, which was posted five plays later when Mathis hit Kobe Robinson with a 36-yard scoring strike.  On their next possession, Mathis and Caleb Forrest, a freshman, teamed up on a 66-yard pass that carried to the Eagles' 17, where CSC cornerback DeAngelo Barthwell finally shoved him out of bounds.
 
Mathis scored on a quarterback sneak four plays later.
 
Because of an offensive pass interference call against the Eagles, they had a touchdown taken off the scoreboard after Holst and Thurness had put together a 48-yard pass play as the third period was ending.
 
But moments later, the gritty Thurness gave the Eagles some breathing room when he returned a punt 42 yards for a touchdown that put the hosts ahead 33-21.
 
The Eagles made things happen again when senior safety Tyree Fryar intercepted Mathis' pass and returned it 30 yards.  It led to Dolder's 26-yard field goal. 
 
Chadron State wasn't finished as things turned out. With just under three minutes remaining, Myles broke free on a 42-yard touchdown sprint that wrapped up the scoring.  The scoring burst gave Myles 173 yards on 29 carries. 
 
All told, the Eagles finished with 228 yards rushing while the Falcons were limited to 61.
The passing stats were much closer with Holst completing 15 of 31 for 256 yards and the three TDs and Mathis connecting on 20 of 30 for 247 yards and two TDs. 
 
Led by freshman defensive lineman Joel Carpenter, the Eagles sacked Mathis five times.   
 
                                                UTPB                     CSC
First Downs                                13                         22
Total Net Yards                          313                       484
Rushes, Yards                         30-61                   43-228
Passing Yards                           252                       256
Passing                                  21-34-1                15-31-1
Return yards                              143                      144
Punts, average                        9-43.2                   6-37.5
Fumbles-lost                              5-2                       1-1
Penalties, Yards                       9-101                    7-80
 
Texas-Permian Basin              0          7          14            0        ----21
Chadron State                        13        14            0          16         ---43
 
First Quarter
CSC--Colton Dolder 34 field goal.
CSC--Dolder 32 field goal
CSC--Tevon Wright 18 pass from Dalton Holst (Will Morgan kick)
Second Quarter
CSC--Cole Thurness 24 pass from Holst (Morgan kick)
CSC--Chad Mikelson 25 pass from Holst (Morgan kick)
UTPB--Jeremiah Cooley 9 pass from Kameron Mathis (Hayden Decossas kick
Third Quarter
UTPB--Kobe Robinson 36 pass from Mathis (Decossas kick)
UTBP--Mathis 1 run (DeCossas kick)
Fourth Quarter
CSC--Cole Thurness 42 punt return (pass failed)
CSC--Dolder 26 field goal
CSC--Elijah Myles 42 run (Morgan kick)
 
Rushing:  UTPB--Davion Sutton, 8-37, Gabe Nelson 4-15, Marquis Simmons 4-14, Kameron Mathis 24-minis 5.  CSC--Elizah Myles 29-175, Stevann Brown 4-61, Priest Jennings 6-5, Tyler Hyland 1-minus 5, Dalton Holst 3-minus 6.
 
Passing:  UTPB--Kameron Mathis 20-30-1 246 yards, 2 TDs; Caleb Leake 1-40-0, 5 yards. CSC--Dalton Holst--15-31-0, 256 yards, 3 TDs.
 
Receiving: UTPB--Kobe Robinson 8-65, Jeremian Cooley 4-50; Kyle McBride 4-16, Caleb Forrest  1-66, Davion Sutton 1-50, Gabe Nelson 1-12, Matt Zuviate, 1-4-0, Ben Galabiate 1 minus 1 CSC--Cole Thurness 3-81, Chad Mikelson 3-46, Tevon Wright 3-40, Brandon Fullerton 2-47, Ethan Fray 1-23, Stevann Brown 1-16, Elijah Myles 1-3.
 
Kickoff Returns: UTPB--Caleb Forrest 6-194, Bl Galviz 1-34.  CSC--Cole Thurness 2-40, Stevann Brown 1-25. Punt Returns: UTPB--Kobe Robinson 2-1. CSC--Cole Thurness 2-49, Stevann Brown 1-0.
Interception Returns: UTPB--Derrian Gorge 1-4. CSC--Tyree Fryar 1-30.
 
Tackles:  UTPB--Donta Suart 8-3-11; Chris Hoad 8-2, 10; Derrian Forge 6-2, 8; Xavier Brooks 5-1, 6.  CSC--Noah Kerchal 4-4-8; Joel Carpenter 2-5-7; Ethan Zimmerman 5-0, 5; Tyler Lewis 4-5, 5.