GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (Ralph Stocker Stadium) – The No. 8 Colorado State University-Pueblo football team dominated all areas of the game Saturday to cruise to a 52-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road victory versus Colorado Mesa University, at Ralph Stocker Stadium in Grand Junction, Colorado.
The ThunderWolves (9-1, 7-1 RMAC) out-gained the Mavericks (5-5, 4-4 RMAC) 429-176, totaled 27 first downs to CMU's 11 and forced four interceptions (99 return yards), two of which were returned for touchdowns. The Pack didn't commit a turnover and went 10-for-18 (56%) on third down to help run 82 offensive plays. The CSU-Pueblo defense held Colorado Mesa to a 1-for-14 (7%) effort on third downs and the Mavericks ran 60 plays.
Colorado Mesa totaled 79 yards on its first drive of the game, collecting just 97 total yards of offense after the drive (negative 47 yards from Pack tackles for loss, 36 of them off sacks), while the lone three points came with 8:48 left in the fourth quarter.
The 52 points was the most since a conference home game versus New Mexico Highlands University, Oct. 30, 2010. The ThunderWolves won that game 66-0.
Junior running back Cameron McDondle (Littleton, Colo.) again guided the ThunderWolves' run game, which totaled 209 yards, with his seventh straight and eighth total 100-yard game of the season. He racked up 136 yards on 21 carries for 6.5 yards per rush and two touchdowns.
Senior quarterback Chris Bonner (San Diego, Calif.) managed the game and went 22-for-37 for 194 yards and two touchdowns. He hit 11 different receivers, as five players totaled three receptions and three receivers recorded at least 30 yards.
The Pack defense held a team under 10 points for the fifth time this season and improved to 24-0 since 2008 when doing so. The squad entered the game sixth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 13.2 points per game. The ThunderWolves have now forced three or more turnovers in a game for the seventh time, while bumping their interceptions total to 20 on the season. CSU-Pueblo was ninth nationally in the category entering the contest. The Pack also totaled three sacks, marking the seventh time this season the squad has produced three or more takedowns of the opposing quarterback. The ThunderWolves have now scored five times on defense (four via interception, one fumble return) in 2014 and all five have been a different player.
Two student-athletes totaled seven tackles, in sophomore linebacker Seth Brown (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and senior nose guard Tony Campton (Littleton, Colo.). Campton added one and a half tackles for loss (-18 yards), which included a sack for -17 yards. He also forced a fumble.
Senior cornerback C.J. Roberts (Boynton Beach, Fla.) recorded two interceptions and returned one 19 yards to the end zone. His first interception came on the first drive of the game as Colorado Mesa marched down the field to the CSU-Pueblo seven-yard-line and then threw the ball to Roberts in the end zone. He returned the pick 48 yards and would total 67 interception return yards. He added two tackles, one of which was a half tackle for loss (-1 yard).
The Roberts pick, set up the offense at midfield and they took it from there, as the squad marched 52 yards to the end zone, capped off by a McDondle one-yard run. The next Pack drive went nine plays, 57 yards for a score, as Bonner connected with junior Jarred Radebaugh (WR, Thornton, Colo.) for an eight-yard strike. The scoring play gave the ThunderWolves the 14-0 lead after the first. Radebaugh leads the team with six touchdown receptions.
Senior linebacker Josiah Flack (Littleton, Colo.) scored the first defensive touchdown with 12:51 left in the second quarter, when his 16-yard pick six gave the Pack a 21-0 lead.
Feeling left out, the special teams unit decided to get in on the action, as sophomore linebacker Trace Gray II (Longmont, Colo.) blocked a punt to set-up the offense at the CMU 31-yard-line. A 20-yard McDondle rush, then an 11-yard McDondle run advanced the score to 28-0 with 6:08 left in the first half.
But the Pack weren't done, as Bonner found freshman tight end Zach Boyd (Fort Lupton, Colo.) on a two-yard connection on third and goal with four ticks left in the frame to hand the road team a 35-0 lead headed into halftime.
A 26-yard field goal from busy junior kicker Greg O'Donnell (Monument, Colo.) was the only score of the third quarter and the Pack took a 38-0 lead into the fourth.
Roberts' interception for a touchdown came with 13:55 left in the fourth and moved the score to 45-0. Backup quarterback Malcolm Ruben (Baytown, Colo.) then got his name in the box score, as he connected with freshman wide receiver Felix Mestas (Pueblo, Colo.) from 12 yards out to push the Pack past 50 at 52-0.
The final scoring play was a 27-yard field goal from Colorado Mesa to break up the shutout.
The Pack will close the regular season at home Nov. 15 when it hosts New Mexico Highlands (3-7, 3-5 RMAC). Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m., will serve as Military Appreciation Day, Senior Day and will air live on Altitude Sports and Entertainment Network.
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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.
