CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State football has a winner-take-all opportunity to win its first RMAC Championship since 2008 on the field this Saturday, facing CSU Pueblo on the road in the ThunderBowl at 1 p.m.
 
The Eagles (No. 22 AFCA/No. 19 D2Football.com) and the CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves (No. 5 AFCA/No. 7 D2Football.com) will enter Saturday's clash with identical 8-0 RMAC records. Chadron State is 8-2 overall while the ThunderWolves are 9-1.
 
With a win, the Eagles would seal their ninth all-time RMAC football championship, which would tie CSU Pueblo for fourth-most among current RMAC members. The ThunderWolves currently have nine and are trying to repeat after breaking a six-year program drought with a conference championship in 2024.
 
Beyond the conference title being at stake, the Eagles are also jockeying for seeding and ensured selection to the NCAA Tournament, which would be CSC's first appearance since 2012 if the Eagles qualify. The RMAC champion gets an automatic bid to the postseason, eliminating all suspense on Selection Sunday, but both CSC and CSU Pueblo have solid at-large cases. 
 
Chadron State is ranked No. 6 in the NCAA's latest Super Region Four regional rankings, with the top eight qualifying. CSU Pueblo is at No. 4 and currently in possession of the final first-round hosting spot. 
 
Fans can watch live (with a subscription) on the RMAC Network, listen live on Double Q Country 97.5/105.9 FM or doubleqcountry.com with Dave Collins on the call, or monitor the Chadron State Eagles Facebook page or @cscfootball on X and Instagram for updates.
 
Watch Party
Members of the public are encouraged to join the CSC football team in the Student Center Ballroom on campus this Sunday, November 16 at 4 p.m. to watch the NCAA Division II Football Selection show. 
 
The show, produced by the NCAA, unveils the 32 teams which will qualify for the bracket of the NCAA Division II Football Championship. Eight teams will be selected from each of the country's four Super Regions. The Eagles are in Super Region Four along with the rest of the RMAC, Lone Star Conference, Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and Great American Conference (GAC). 
 
The four conference champions will each earn automatic bids, meaning the winner of Saturday's Chadron State/CSU Pueblo game will be assured of a spot, while the other four regional spots are at-large and can be filled by teams from any of the region's four conferences.
 
The selection show is also free to watch live and on demand on NCAA.com.
 
Looking Back
Chadron State earned one of its more substantial program wins in recent years, toppling No. 11/9 Western Colorado in overtime on Senior Day to remain unbeaten in RMAC play.  
 
RECAP: Eagles Knock Off No. 11/9 Western in OT
 
Down 14-0 early, Chadron State cut the deficit to four points at halftime after a 58-yard bomb to Tommy Thomas from DJ Ralph, making his first start since September 13, made it 14-10. Another TD from Thomas and a 1-yard plunge from Jake Marschall made it 24-17 Eagles, only for Western to score a game-tying touchdown with 1:18 to play.
 
In overtime, Aiden Kuester secured his second interception of the day on the first play of the extra period and CSC wasted no time sending out senior kicker Wilson Yee on third down for a 47-yard field goal, which Yee drilled to set off wild celebrations in Elliott Field. 
 
The victory was Chadron State's seventh in 13 overtime contests all-time and is the most significant since the Eagles edged Abilene Christian 76-73 in the third OT during an NCAA Division II playoff game in Chadron on Nov. 24, 2007.
 
Players of the Week
Both overtime heroes earned RMAC Player of the Week awards from the league office Monday, with Aiden Kuester taking home the Defensive Player of the Week honor and Yee winning the Special Teams Player of the Week award. 
 
Kuester's two interceptions Saturday were the first two of his career. The redshirt sophomore was making only his second start of the season as a game-time decision injury fill-in. Kuester's two picks came off Western Colorado QB and reigning Second Team All-American Drew Nash, who had only thrown two INTs all year before Kuester doubled up his total.
 
Yee also earned a career-first Player of the Week nod after hitting from 50 yards away in the second quarter and nailing the walk-off 47-yard winner. 
 
This week marked the second time this season that Chadron State has won multiple RMAC weekly honors in the same week after quarterback Aidan Thompson and linebacker Logan O'Brien won offensive and defensive honors, respectively, after CSC's win over then-No. 23 Colorado School of Mines on September 20. 
 
The Eagles have seven total RMAC Player of the Week awards in 2025. O'Brien leads the way with four Defensive Player of the Week wins (9/15, 9/22, 10/13 and 11/3) while Kuester, Thompson and Yee have one win apiece. 
 
Regional Rankings Update
Chadron State's win against Western Colorado was significant as the Eagles moved up in the rankings while the Mountaineers are on the outside looking in as things stand. 
 
Here are the most recent Super Region 4 regional rankings, as released by the NCAA committee on Monday. Each team is ranked, followed by their record against Division II opponents and their conference affiliation:
 

1. Harding (10-0) (GAC)
2. Central Washington (9-0) (LSC)
3. Northwest Missouri State (9-1) (MIAA)
4. CSU Pueblo (9-1) (RMAC)
5. Pittsburg State (8-2) (MIAA)
6. Chadron State (8-1) (RMAC)
7. Western Oregon (7-1) (LSC)
8. UT Permian Basin (8-2) (LSC)
9. Western Colorado (8-2) (RMAC)
10.  Southern Arkansas (7-3) (GAC)

 
Several big matchups this Saturday will shuffle the rankings. Aside from the RMAC's winner-take-all showdown between Chadron State and CSU Pueblo, the MIAA and Lone Star also have de facto championship showdowns. 
 
Northwest Missouri State (9-1, 8-0 MIAA) and Pittsburg State (8-2, 7-1 MIAA) face off Saturday. The winner of that matchup seems likely to be the No. 3 seed, while the loser will likely be the main competition with the Chadron/Pueblo winner for the No. 4 seed, which would mean a first-round home playoff game. 
 
Central Washington (9-1, 8-0 LSC) also faces Western Oregon (8-2, 7-1 LSC) for the Lone Star's title and automatic bid. Western Oregon needs a win to feel safe in the top eight while Central Washington is seeking to mount a challenge to Harding, who has already clinched the GAC's automatic bid, for the No. 1 regional seed.
 
UT Permian Basin (8-2, 6-2 LSC) faces Sul Ross State (0-10, 0-8 LSC), with the Falcons hoping to hang on to the No. 8 spot or better. Western Colorado officially needs help to make the top eight, which could come if Permian Basin loses or if the committee determines the Mountaineers are better than an 8-3 Western Oregon if Central Washington wins. 
 
Chadron State's head-to-head win over Western Colorado, currently the first team out, could be significant if CSC does not get the RMAC's automatic bid. 
 
In the Polls
Chadron State achieved program history this week when the Eagles were given a No. 22 ranking in the AFCA Coaches Poll, marking CSC's first appearance in that poll since the 2013 season.
 
STORY: Eagles in AFCA Top 25 For First Time Since 2013
 
Chadron State has not been ranked in the AFCA Poll since CSC was No. 19 on October 8, 2013. That year's Eagles were in the poll for the first five weeks of the season, starting at preseason No. 20 and staying between No. 19 and No. 21 for five subsequent ranking releases. 

On October 12, the No. 19 Eagles lost a homecoming game to No. 5 CSU Pueblo, fell out of the rankings and did not return despite posting an 8-3 record that year. The Eagles also won eight games in 2014, but were never ranked, and had not won eight games in a season until this year's squad at 8-2 so far.

Chadron State is one of four schools to enter the AFCA Top 25 this week, joining Benedict, Western Oregon and UNC Pembroke. The four newbies take up spots 22-25 in the rankings, making CSC the highest-ranked new entrant in the country. 
 
The Eagles got their first taste of being a nationally ranked team when the D2Football.com media poll put the Eagles at No. 22 ahead of their showdown with Western Colorado. This week, D2Football.com has the Eagles at No. 19. 
 
Both polls have three RMAC teams in them. CSU Pueblo is the highest-ranked RMAC squad, appearing at No. 5 in the AFCA poll and No. 7 in D2Football. The polls are split on Western Colorado, with the AFCA keeping the Mountaineers ahead of the Eagles at No. 18 overall while D2Football.com has WCU behind Chadron State at No. 22.
 
Stat Standouts
 

• The Chadron State defense ranks third in the RMAC in scoring defense (19.7 points per game) and leads the league in total defense (284.2 yards allowed per game).
• The Eagles rank eighth in all of Division II in fewest passing yards allowed (157.5/game) and are 14^thnationally in total defense. 
• The Chadron State offense ranks fifth in the RMAC in scoring (30.8 points per game) and sixth in total offense (382.0 yards per game). 
• Chadron State has a two-headed rushing attack. In redshirt freshman Quincey Ryker and junior Daytuawn Pearson, the Eagles have two of the top six rushing yards per game leaders in the RMAC (with Ryker fourth at 72.2/game and Pearson sixth at 56.7/game). 
• Tommy Thomas ranks second in the RMAC in receiving touchdowns (14) and total yards (812) and ranks third in receiving yards per game (81.2).
• Logan O'Brien is tied for the RMAC lead with 14 tackles for loss (T-23^rd in Division II) and ranks sixth in the RMAC with 72 total tackles. He is also one of two RMAC players with multiple interception TDs this season.
• William Stemler is second in the RMAC with 5.5 sacks. O'Brien is tied for third with five.
• Dax Yeradi and O'Brien are two of 16 RMAC players with multiple interceptions. 
• Jadon Bowen ranks tied for third in the RMAC with seven pass breakups.
• Brodie Eisenbraun is second in the RMAC with 16 punts inside the 20-yard line, ranks third with 10 punts of 50 yards or more and ranks third with a 43.7 punting average (6^th in Division II). That average, if he maintains it, would break Eisenbraun's own single-season program record of 43.26 set last year.
• Chase Nelson is third in the RMAC in kick returns, averaging 20.5 yards per return. 
• Wilson Yee ranks third in the RMAC in both field goals per game (1.3) and field goal percentage (72.2). 

 
Tommy Tracker
Tommy Thomas is having a landmark conclusion to a decorated career that has seen the Fort Collins, Colorado native earn First Team All-RMAC honors in 2023 and Second Team honors in 2024.
 
Thomas currently ranks second in the RMAC in both receiving yards (812) and receiving touchdowns (14) in 2025. All 14 TDs have come against RMAC opponents.
 
The nonstop explosive plays have helped Thomas set a new Chadron State career record with his 27^threceiving TD with his third and final score against Fort Lewis (Thomas is currently at 30 and counting). Thomas passed the previous record of 26 shared by Tevon Wright, who graduated in 2019, and Cole Thurness, who concluded his career in 2021. Thomas's 14 reception touchdowns this season are a career-high for the redshirt senior, beating his 10 touchdowns from his 2023 season that ended in First Team All-RMAC honors. 
 
Thomas may not be done breaking records this season. With three games remaining in the regular season, Thomas needs:

• 4 catches to tie Cole Thurness (2016-21) for the school's all-time receptions lead with 192
• 415 receiving yards to tie Cory Brooks (1992-95) for the school's all-time receiving yards record with 2,941
• 2 receiving touchdowns to tie Tevon Wright (2016-19) for the school's single season record with 16

 
Reversing Trends
After beating Western Colorado, Chadron State now has six wins in 2025 over teams that the Eagles lost to in 2024 (Black Hills State, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado Mesa, New Mexico Highlands, South Dakota Mines and the Mountaineers). 
 
In many cases, the wins have snapped notable streaks in the all-time series, as Chadron State had lost three straight to Black Hills State, 11 straight to Mines and six straight to Mesa prior to winning this year. 
 
One reason for the turnaround has been CSC's success in close games, especially compared to last season. The 2024 Eagles finished 3-8, but were not far away from reversing that record as the Eagles went 1-5 in one-score games, including 0-5 against RMAC opponents.
 
This season, the 8-2 Eagles are 4-0 in one-score contests, beating Black Hills State by three points, Mines by six points and Mesa by seven points on consecutive weeks before the three-point OT win over Western Colorado.
 
Senior Heroes
Chadron State honored 13 seniors on Senior Day last Saturday against Western Colorado, and several loomed large in the win over the higher-ranked Mountaineers.
 
Most notable was the walk-off field goal from Yee, who is in his third season with the Eagles, but Yee wasn't the only senior special teams hero. 
 
Zachary Kapushion, who began his career as a quarterback and attempted four passes in 2023 but has spent the last two seasons on the roster as a tight end and special teams player, came up with the first blocked punt of his career midway through the third quarter. 
 
DJ Ralph also had a redemptive role on his Senior Day. The California native started the first three games at QB for the Eagles before being sidelined with a concussion and watching the Eagles go on an RMAC winning streak with redshirt junior Aidan Thompson under center. 
 
With Thompson unavailable last Saturday, Ralph started and completed 10 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Both tosses went to Tommy Thomas, another senior who now has 14 on the season.
 
Levi Banuelos, who has started every game on the offensive line for each of the past two seasons at CSC, helped the Eagles pile up 159 rushing yards but was also Johnny-on-the-spot to recover an Eagle fumble. 
 
On defense, Logan O'Brien added 10 more tackles to his season total of 72, and Dax Yeradi, Sutton Pohlman and Tanner True had three tackles apiece.
 
Ground Marschall
In his sophomore season in 2024, Jake Marschall was CSC's leading rusher with 154 carries for 617 yards. After suffering a broken leg late in the 2024 season, combined with the emergence of redshirt freshman Quincey Ryker and transfer Daytuawn Pearson, Marschall had taken a back seat in this year's Eagle rushing attack. 
 
Marschall's number was called against Western Colorado, however, and the junior put CSC on his back. The Littleton, Colorado native recorded a team-high and season-high 16 rushing attempts last weekend for 34 yards and a touchdown, eclipsing his previous season totals of nine rushes for 23 yards. 
 
Block Party
Saturday's game has to have been one of the wilder special teams contests played in college football this season. 
 
With the difficulty level already turned up due to a windchill of 21 degrees and swirling winds in excess of 20 miles per hour, Chadron State and Western Colorado combined to block six kicks in Saturday's showdown. Western Colorado affected two punts and blocked an extra point, while Chadron State blocked one punt and turned away two WCU field-goal attempts, including a would-be game winner as time expired in regulation.
 
Chadron State lineman Brady Dahlberg came up with both field goal blocks. Dahlberg is now one of 41 Division II players with multiple blocked kicks and one of four in the RMAC, joining Western Colorado's Logan White and Jevon Young and Colorado School of Mines's Jackson Zimmerman.

RMAC Update
Despite being picked to finish seventh in the league's preseason poll, Chadron State is one win away from the program's first title in 17 years.
Here is a look at the current RMAC standings:
 

Team	RMAC Record	Overall Record
#5/#7 CSU Pueblo	8-0	9-1
#22//#19 Chadron State	8-0	8-2
#18/#22 Western Colorado	6-2	8-2
Colorado Mesa	5-3	6-4
Colorado School of Mines	4-4	6-4
New Mexico Highlands	4-4	6-4
Black Hills State	2-6	2-8
South Dakota Mines	2-6	2-8
Fort Lewis	1-7	2-8
Adams State	0-8	0-10

*for ranked teams: first # = ranking in AFCA Coaches Poll, second # = ranking in D2Football.com poll | RV = "receiving votes" in top 25 | NR = "not ranked"

RMAC Championships (most recent)
Western Colorado (19, 2021)
Colorado School of Mines (16, 2023)
Colorado Mesa (12, 2017)
CSU Pueblo (9, 2024)
Chadron State (8, 2008)
Adams State (7, 1989)
New Mexico Highlands (2, 1999)
Fort Lewis (1, 1984)
Black Hills State/South Dakota Mines (0)

Scouting the ThunderWolves
The defending RMAC champion CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves are 9-1 overall and are seeking to run the table in the RMAC for the second straight season, as they are currently 8-0 in league play. The ThunderWolves clinched their program's first title since 2018 at Elliott Field last season with a 38-21 win over CSC last year. 
 
CSU Pueblo has won 24 consecutive RMAC games, which is the longest active conference win streak in Division II. Pueblo's only loss this season was by one point to Fort Hays State in the second game of the year by a 36-35 final score. Pueblo scored a touchdown with 27 seconds left and was an extra point away from tying the game, but Fort Hays blocked the kick.
 
Reigning RMAC Offensive Player of the Year and Harlon Hill finalist Reggie Retzlaff is back with the ThunderWolves and putting up numbers. Retzlaff has 756 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns in just nine games, ranking just behind CSC's Tommy Thomas in total numbers but edging out Thomas in per-game numbers. 
 
Quarterback Roman Fuller is the league's leading passer with 2,779 passing yards. Fuller has a league-high 27 pass touchdowns against five interceptions. Running back Kiahn Martinez has 466 rushing yards for the Pack while Russell Patton has 462 and ranks third in the league with 6.2 yards per carry.
 
The Pueblo defense is big-play-happy, leading the RMAC with 16 interceptions and tied with the Eagles with a league-high nine recovered fumbles. Pueblo ranks second with 29 sacks. The Pack rank second in the league in scoring defense (18.6 points per game allowed) and third in total defense (316.9 yards per game allowed).
 
The Staff
Head Coach Jay Long returns for his 14^th season at the helm of the Chadron State football program. In addition, Long coached for three seasons at now-RMAC rival Black Hills State from 2019-2012. 
 
As a result of CSC's five-game win streak, Long is back over .500 for his head coaching career, with an all-time record of 82-81 as a head coach and 67-66 at CSC. 
 
The core of Long's staff all returns for 2025, including sixth-year offensive coordinator Micah Smith and fifth-year defensive coordinator Clint Sasse. Long, Smith and Sasse are all Chadron State football alumni. Special teams coordinator Wes Coomes and quarterbacks coach Tommy Wilson also return to their roles from 2024. 
 
Four of the Eagles' six coaching assistants are new to the staff this year, with three bringing Division I experience. 
 
DeMarcus Felton (running backs) and Herbert Frazier, Jr. (wide receivers) both come to CSC from the staff of Dekaney High School in Houston, Texas, where they mentored several eventual Division I and Power 4 players. Both Felton and Frazier were members of the Texas Tech (Division I, Big 12) football program, with Felton racking up 10 rushing touchdowns during his Red Raider career.
 
Lorenzo Neal (defensive line) joins the CSC staff after a playing career at Purdue University, where he served as a team captain and earned two Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selections. Neal's father, Lorenzo, played for 16 seasons in the NFL and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a three-time All-Pro as a fullback.
 
The final new coaching assistant is Deunte Moody (defensive backs), who begins his coaching career at Chadron State after concluding his playing career at Black Hills State last season. Returning to the staff are coaching assistants Steve Chang (linebackers) and Logan Zacharias (offensive line). 
 
Other Eagle support staff includes strength and conditioning coaches E.J. Kreis and Chase McLendon and athletic trainer Allison Wood.