PUEBLO, Colo. (November 15, 2014) – The No. 8 Colorado State University-Pueblo football team and coaches preach going 1-0 each week. After going 1-0 this week following a 44-21 home victory Saturday in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contest versus New Mexico Highlands University, those 1-0 weeks have amounted to a 10-1 overall record and an 8-1 mark in RMAC play to claim the RMAC Championship for the fourth consecutive season.
The 8-1 conference record ties Colorado School of Mines and the two schools share the 2014 RMAC Championship. The win also ensures a trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, which will be confirmed Sunday at 3 p.m. with the NCAA Division II Football Selection Show.
The ThunderWolves honored 17 senior student-athletes at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl before the game Saturday, a senior class that has recorded a 44-4 record in their four playing years and a 53-6 record since stepping onto campus in 2010.
The Pack defense held the NMHU offense scoreless until just three ticks remained on the fourth quarter clock. The Cowboys entered the game averaging 518.8 yards of total offense per game, but was held to just 175 Saturday. New Mexico Highlands had also been averaging 411.7 passing yards per game and was limited to just 156 in the game. CSU-Pueblo scored a defensive touchdown for the sixth time this season and third time in the last two games. The score came on senior C.J. Roberts' (CB, Boynton Beach, Fla.) second pick six in as many games, as he returned an interception 60 yards to the end zone Saturday. (19-yard touchdown versus Colorado Mesa University).
Roberts finished the season with an RMAC-best eight interceptions, which he returned for a conference high 127 yards and two touchdowns. On his other side, senior corner Stephan Dickens (Aurora, Colo.) wrapped up his seventh pick of the season in the game to finish second only to Roberts in the RMAC.
The defense totaled five turnovers to finish the regular season with 35 takeaways (23 interceptions).
CSU-Pueblo has now scored more than 40 points for the fourth time in the last five games. The ThunderWolves offense racked up 536 yards for their second largest output of the season. The big offensive burst was thanks in large to 356 rushing yards, which is an RMAC single-game best this season and guided CSU-Pueblo to finish first in the league in rushing with 197.5 yards per game.
Junior running back Cameron McDondle (Littleton, Colo.) again led the way with his biggest game of the season, totaling 227 yards on 29 carries (7.8 yards per carry) and a touchdown. The yards total by McDondle was his first 200-yard game of the season, but eighth straight (nine total) game with 100 or more yards. He has recorded two, 200-yard games in his career. McDondle finished the regular season with 1,555 yards and 13 touchdowns to rank second in both categories. His 6.4 yards per game was a league best among backs with 100 or more carries.
Senior quarterback Chris Bonner (San Diego, Calif.) continued to share the ball and hit seven different receivers, three of those players each totaled four receptions and 40-plus yards.
The Pack failed to be the first to score for just the third time this season, when NMHU returned an interception 66 yards to the end zone in the first five minutes of the game to open a 7-0 lead. The ThunderWolves responded on the next possession with a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ate up 4:12 and resulted in a touchdown connection between Bonner and senior tight end Trent Thompson (Pueblo, Colo.).
The lead went to 9-7 with 4:20 left in the second quarter when junior running back J.B. Mathews (Aurora, Colo.) blocked a punt that deflected out of the back of the end zone for a safety. The safety was the first by the ThunderWolves since recording one against Highlands Oct. 30, 2011.
The play was a major momentum boost for the entire team and the offense capitalized on the free kick and gaining the ball at the 50 by using five plays to get past the goal line and open a 16-7 lead heading into the half. Bonner capped the drive by hitting sophomore Khalyph Smith (WR, Austin, Tex.) on a 14-yard strike.
CSU-Pueblo came out of the locker room on a mission for the league title and put up 28 points in the third frame. The Pack scored three rushing touchdowns by three different players in McDondle (13 yards), Mathews (1 yard) and sophomore Marche Dennard (Phoenix, Ariz.) (3 yards) and added Roberts' defensive score.
The ThunderWolves led 44-7 after three quarters, a comfortable lead, as Highlands scored on a 58-yard fumble recovery and the touchdown with three seconds left.
FOOTBALL PLAYOFF TICKETS
Football season ticket holders can purchase their NCAA Division II Playoffs tickets at the Massari Arena Ticket Office using the playoff ticket order form, which was mailed out last week, by Tue., Nov. 18. Single-game tickets will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday.
Questions, contact Koby Wittek at (719) 549-2050 or koby.wittek@csupueblo.edu.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
