Box Score CHADRON, Neb. – For the third week in a row, the Chadron State College football team secured a one-possession victory over a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponent, downing Colorado Mesa 34-27 during the Eagles' Homecoming contest Saturday afternoon.
The victory marks the first time that the CSC program has won its first three RMAC games of the season since 2008, when the Eagles went on to win the RMAC with a 9-0 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA playoffs. It also was just CSC's second win over Colorado Mesa in the past 11 years.
Chadron State had the statistical edge throughout the contest. They had 22 first downs to CMU's 13, outgained the Mavericks 428 yards to 285 and possessed the ball for more than 38 of the game's 60 minutes.
After the teams were tied at 7-7 early, the Eagles scored twice more to go on top 17-7 by halftime and posted two touchdowns in the third period to take a commanding 31-7 lead, then withstood some explosive plays by the Mavericks in the second half to win by six points.
The Eagles continued to get off to flying starts. For the third week in a row, the Eagles scored on their first possession, needing just six plays to drive 69 yards for their first touchdown. Reigning RMAC Offensive Player of the Week Aidan Thompson, starting his second game in a row in place of the concussed DJ Ralph, connected with senior wide receiver Tommy Thomas on a 28-yard pass, inside receiver Preston Pearson with a 16-yard toss and then found Rollin George III open in the corner of the end zone for a 19-yard scoring strike.
The Eagles seemed to be back in business on their next possession when Thompson and George III connected again on a 52-yard pass play that pinballed off a Mesa defender before settling in George III's hands at the Mesa 22. But that drive stalled and a 42-yard field goal effort by Yee was wide right as the opening quarter was closing.
The Eagles gave up a touchdown to Mesa early in the second quarter when the snap from center got past CSC quarterback Aidan Thompson and was recovered by the Mavericks in the end zone to tie the score 7-7, but that was the only time the Eagles did not lead.
The Eagles broke the deadlock with 4:45 left in the second quarter when Yee booted a 22-yard field goal. On their final possession of the half, Thompson's 40-yard run after he'd looked to pass carried to the Mesa two-yard line where he was knocked out of bounds. Running back Quincey Ryker scored on the next play for his first rushing touchdown of the season, giving the Eagles their 17-7 margin at intermission, when the CSC Hall of Fame inductees and the Homecoming royalty were introduced to the crowd.
The Eagles seemed to have broken the game wide open in the third period. They initially drove 65 yards in six plays, the final one being an 18-yard pass from Thompson that Thomas caught on the run in the end zone. Chadron State scored again just a minute later by capitalizing on CMU mistakes.
Maverick punter Sullivan Moon had launched a 62-yard punt, but a penalty on the Mavericks gave Chadron State the option to have CMU re-kick, which head coach Jay Long exercised. The decision paid off instantly when Moon bobbled the second snap and was tackled shortly after picking up the loose ball at the CMU one-yard line by Aiden Kuester. Two plays later, Daytuawn Pearson found the end zone, and Yee's PAT put the Eagles up by 24 points, 31-7, with 7:15 left in the third quarter.
Colorado Mesa unlocked the big play in the second half, however, with freshman receiver Bryson Brown in the middle of things. Just 11 seconds on the gameclock after Daytuawn Pearson's touchdown, Brown took a jet sweep 75 yards for a score to ignite the visitors' late rally.
Colorado Mesa got the ball back almost instantaneously when Thompson's pass in the middle of the field was picked off by senior Kash Bradley. While the Mavericks did not score on that drive, they applied pressure leading to a short CSC punt and took possession again on the 50-yard line. From there, they scored in seven plays, including a two-yard plunge by Aiden Taylor on the first play of the fourth quarter, cutting Chadron State's lead to 31-20.
The teams traded pass interceptions in the next few minutes. Mesa's Gibson Leafgreen swiped Thompson's long pass in the back of the east end zone. But on the Mavericks' second play, Chadron State's all-conference senior safety Dax Yeradi picked off Cole Hansen by making a remarkable over-the-shoulder grab while running with the intended receiver.
With five minutes remaining, the Eagles forced another turnover. For the second time in as many weeks, cornerback Jadon Bowen came on a blind-side blitz and forced a fumble. This time, Bowen recovered the fumble himself at the six-yard line, and the Eagles cashed in with Yee's 26-yard field goal that gave the Eagles a 34-20 advantage with 4:05 still to play.
Colorado Mesa answered again when Brown caught a 59-yard pass from Cole and tight-roped his way 20 or so yards down the south sideline to the end zone, closing the difference to the final seven points.
There were more tense moments for CSC fans as the Eagles fumbled twice in the final four minutes of play, but were able to recover both loose balls.
Daytuawn Pearson was the Eagles' leading rusher with 16 carries for 85 yards, including several key gains late in the game. Thompson completed 15 of 28 passes for 232 yards and the two touchdowns. Tommy Thomas caught seven passes for 98 yards while Rollin George III had three receptions for 80 yards.
With the Eagles running 81 plays, several Mavericks were busy tacklers. Andre Lopez-Green was the leader with 14, followed by George Soppe with 12 and Bradley with 11.
Edge rusher William Stemler was Chadron State's leader with seven, also contributing a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss, while Cooper Walton, Sutton Pohlman and Logan O'Brien all had three.
The Eagles will head to Alamosa, Colorado to take on the Adams State Grizzlies next Saturday. The Grizzlies are 0-4, but have faced nationally-ranked RMAC foes Western Colorado and CSU Pueblo over the past two weeks.
