CHADRON, Neb. – The Chadron State Eagles will take the field for a playoff game for the first time since 2012 when CSC faces Pittsburg State Saturday in a 1 p.m. Central Time kickoff from Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg, Kansas. 

No. 22/17-ranked Chadron State (8-3, 8-1 RMAC), the runners-up in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, will face Pittsburg State (9-2, 8-1 MIAA), the co-champions of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). The Gorillas are ranked No. 6 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 4 in the D2Football.com poll and were given the No. 4 seed in Super Region Four by the NCAA selection committee.

The game is available to live stream exclusively on ESPN+. Any new or existing subscribers to ESPN+ can access the game stream, but single-game purchases are not available. 

The game will also be broadcast live on the radio on Double Q Country 97.5 and 105.9 FM and doubleqcountry.com, with Dave Collins on the call. Live stats are publicly available and CSC's social media pages will provide live updates. 

Looking Back
In a winner-take-all game for the RMAC championship, Chadron State and CSU Pueblo battled down to the wire before the ThunderWolves appeared with a 30-27 victory in double overtime. 

RECAP: CSU Pueblo

Chase Nelson provided an electrifying play when he returned a kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown after the ThunderWolves' opening field goal. Wyatt Sprague and Jake Marschall had rushing touchdowns, with Marschall's coming in overtime, while Wilson Yee hit two field goals including a season-long 57 yarder. 

STPOW
Redshirt sophomore Chase Nelson created a game-changing play in the return game last Saturday and has been rewarded with the first RMAC weekly honor of his career. 

Nelson was named the RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week on Monday by the league office in the final installment of weekly awards this season. It gives the Eagles two consecutive Special Teams Player of the Week winners after Wilson Yee took home the honor last week. 

After CSU Pueblo took a 3-0 first-quarter lead with a field goal, Nelson took the ensuing kickoff and ran untouched through the middle of the ThunderWolves kickoff coverage, angling towards the right sideline and outrushing the Pack for a 92-yard return touchdown.

Nelson's runback is the first kickoff return for a touchdown for Chadron State since the 2017 season. It is the 10^th-longest return in program history and only the 11^th all-time over 90 yards. It is also the fifth-longest kick return in the RMAC this season and the fifth kick return TD in the conference. 

Nelson also added two punt returns for 20 yards for a total of 112 yards in the return game. Nelson's 112 combined return yards are the sixth-most in an RMAC game this year.
On the season, Nelson's 25.6 kick return yards per game rank fifth in the RMAC while his 8.7 punt return yards per game rank fourth in the conference. As a running back, Nelson also has 10 carries for 45 yards and five receptions for 32 yards in 2025. 

RMAC Award Winners
Logan O'Brien (Defensive Player of the Year), Brodie Eisenbraun (Special Teams Player of the Year) and Jay Long (Coach of the Year) all won special awards as the RMAC announced its 2025 Football All-Conference selections on Friday afternoon. 

The Eagles won three of the league's four major awards after an RMAC season which saw the Eagles picked seventh in the league but win their first eight conference games, finish second in the conference and earn a trip to the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2012.

In addition, the Eagles put seven student-athletes on the first team – wide receiver Tommy Thomas on offense, defensive tackle Tanner True, safety Dax Yeradi, cornerback Jadon Bowen and O'Brien on defense and kicker Wilson Yee along with Eisenbraun on special teams. CSC's seven first-team selections are the second-most of any program in the RMAC. 
Three more Chadron State defenders made All-RMAC second team – defensive ends William Stemler and Ryder True and linebacker Cooper Walton. 

Four members of the CSC offense earned All-RMAC honorable mention – offensive linemen Levi Banuelos and Jal Chan, running back Quincey Ryker and quarterback Aidan Thompson. 

With O'Brien and Eisenbraun's POY wins, Chadron State now has 11 RMAC Players of the Year (Offense, Defense or Special Teams) in program history.

NCAA Playoff History
Chadron State will be making its ninth-ever Division II playoff appearance and first since 2012. Chadron State has a 3-8 all-time record in playoff games, going 1-1 in the NCAA tournament in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and 0-1 in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001 and 2012. 

CSC is 0-4 against MIAA teams in the Division II playoffs, falling to Central Oklahoma in 1996 (23-21) and 1998 (21-19) and to Northwest Missouri State in each of the 2006 (28-21) and 2007 seasons (26-13). 

Flipped Scripts
The Eagles completely flipped the script from a 3-8 record in 2024 to an 8-3 record in 2025.

Chadron State defeated six teams in 2025 that the Eagles lost to last season (Black Hills State, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado Mesa, New Mexico Highlands, South Dakota Mines and Western Colorado). and were much better in close games, going 4-1 in one-score games after going 1-5 in such contests in 2024. 

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 2025 and Second Team honors in 2024.
 
Thomas currently ranks third in the RMAC in both receiving yards (862) 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. Entering the playoffs, Thomas needs:

• 2 catches to tie Cole Thurness (2016-21) for the school's all-time receptions lead with 192
• 365 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

Stat Standouts
 

• The Chadron State defense leads the league and ranks 27th in Division II in total defense (307.6 yards allowed per game). The Eagles rank third in the RMAC and 42nd in Division II in scoring defense (20.6 points allowed per game).
• The Eagles lead the RMAC and rank 37th in Division II in fewest passing yards allowed (183.4/game). They rank 9th in Division II in defensive passing efficiency (103.72).
• The Eagles lead the RMAC and rank 16th in Division II in time of possession, holding the ball for 32:38. 
• The Chadron State offense ranks fifth in the RMAC in scoring (30.5 points per game) and sixth in total offense (369.0 yards per game). 
• Redshirt freshman Quincey Ryker ranks fourth in the RMAC with 6.0 yards per carry and at 72.2 yards per game.
• Tommy Thomas ranks third in the RMAC in receiving touchdowns (14), total yards (862) and receiving yards per game (76.2).
• Defensive Player of the Year Logan O'Brien is tied for the RMAC lead with 14 tackles for loss (T-32nd in Division II) and ranks sixth in the RMAC with 82 total tackles. He is also one of two RMAC players with multiple interception TDs this season.
• William Stemler is tied for the RMAC lead with six sacks. O'Brien is tied for third with five.
• Dax Yeradi and O'Brien are CSC's co-leaders with two interceptions apiece. 
• Jadon Bowen ranks third in the RMAC with nine pass breakups.
• Special Teams Player of the Year Brodie Eisenbraun just broke his own program single-season record by averaging 44.2 yards per punt. Eisenbraun has 17 punts inside the 20 and 12 of 50 yards or more.
• Chase Nelson is fifth in the RMAC in kick returns, averaging 25.6 yards per return. 
• Wilson Yee is third in the RMAC in both field goals per game (1.4) and field goal percentage (68.2). 

Scouting Pitt State

Pittsburg State is making its 22nd all-time appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs.The Gorillas have won more games (769) in its all-time history than any other Division II program.

The Gorillas are 9-2 overall and 8-1 in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA). Like Chadron State, Pitt State started the season 0-2, albeit against excellent competition in No. 1 Ferris State and then-No. 19 Central Oklahoma.

Pittsburg State will enter Saturday having won nine consecutive games, defeating then-No. 3 Grand Valley State and eight consecutive MIAA conference opponents. With last Saturday's win over Northwest Missouri State, Pittsburg State sealed a share of the MIAA championship.

Quarterback Jackson Berry won MIAA Offensive Player of the Week in each of the last two games of the regular season. Berry has thrown for 2,417 passing yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

First Team All-MIAA running back Zahmari Palode-Gary ranks 24th in Division II by averaging 6.24 yards per carry. 

The Pitt State offensive line has been formidable, allowing 15 sacks all season and helping pave the way for Palode-Gary. Two members of the Pitt State OL - Drew Daniels and Carter Stanchfield - earned First Team All-MAIA honors.

Defensively, the Gorillas allow just 19.5 points per game. Defense is Pitt State head coach Tom Anthony's calling card, as Anthony is a defensive-minded coach who served as Pitt State's defensive coordinator before taking the head job. 

Anthony is 17-5 as a collegiate head coach. He went 8-3 in his frist season and 9-2 in his second.