GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Although the Chadron State College football team put together three long touchdown drives Saturday night while playing Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction, it was not enough as the Mavericks converted three interceptions into points to help them win the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contest 30-20.
The Eagles are now 1-5 for the season and 0-4 in the RMAC while Mesa is 3-3 and 2-2.
Chadron State came up short despite finishing with more total yards (394-304) and first downs (22-16) than the hosts and the Eagle defense holding an opponent under 100 passing yards for the first time since October 18, 2025. Turnovers proved costly, as Colorado Mesa had a pick-six and gained the ball in CSC territory after the other two interceptions and scored a total of 17 points off Eagle giveaways.
The Mavericks opened the scoring midway in the first period when defensive back Braylon Washington, whose only previous defensive stat was one tackle, swiped quarterback Aidan Thompson's pass and took it 50 yards to the end zone.
The Eagles immediately responded with one of their best drives of the season, going 77 yards in five plays. Thompson's first pass went for 35 yards to Devon Rivers out of the backfield and his second went to wideout Garet Schlabs for 32 yards. Three plays later, Thompson hit receiver Camden Walker with an 11-yard strike in the end zone. Shay Prichard added the extra point to tie the score at 7-7 with five minutes left in the opening quarter.
Neither team scored again until two-and-a-half minutes remained in the first half when Mesa's Kale Purvis kicked a 25-yard field goal that was set up by Hunter Hamilton's interception at the Chadron State 40.
Colorado Mesa went ahead 17-7 midway in the third period when Bryson Brown, who had carried the ball just five times for 22 yards entering the game, broke loose on a 53-yard scoring jaunt. The Mavericks also put together a 64-yard drive late in the third quarter and cashed it in on the first play of the fourth frame when running back Bronco Hartson took a direct snap from center and went the final four yards to the goal line.
The Eagles got one first down on their next possession before a third CSC pass was swiped, this time by George Soppe, who made the interception and returned it 26 yards to the Chadron State 29. CMU needed nine plays to reach the end zone before quarterback Cole Hansen went the final yard, putting the hosts ahead 30-7 with just under 10 minutes remaining.
Chadron State responded by driving 75 and 80 yards to paydirt on its next two possessions.
During the first drive, alternate quarterback Wyatt Sprague completed five consecutive passes, two of them to Parker Schwarting for 36 yards and two to Garet Schlabs for 24, before Devon Rivers ran the last two yards to the end zone.
Sprague was on target again during the Eagles' next and final possession. He connected on six passes, three of them to Walker, including the first two for 23 yards and a five-yard toss for the touchdown. Schlabs also grabbed two passes for 21 yards during the drive.
With Sprague completing 11 of 15 passes for 125 yards and Thompson hitting on 12 of 32 for 159 yards, the Eagles out-gained the Mavericks 283 to 96 yards through the air. Schlabs was the CSC reception leader with six for 88 yards while Walker, a redshirt freshman, caught four for 44 yards and the first two touchdowns of his young career.
Colorado Mesa had a 208-yard to 111-yard advantage on the ground, but the Eagles still had a 394 to 304 margin in total net yards. No one from Chadron State had more than 25 net yards rushing and Bryson Brown's only carry for a 53-yard touchdown made him the Mavs rushing leader.
Linebacker Cooper Walton paced the Eagles in tackles with 11 while lineman Ryder True and safety Aiden Kuester were next on the chart with seven stops.
All 10 RMAC teams will have a mid-season break next Saturday, Oct. 10, and return to action on Oct. 17. The Eagles will be at home to meet Adams State, with kickoff from Elliott Field at 1 p.m.
