GUNNISON, Colo. (September 20, 2014) ~ The No. 2 Colorado State University-Pueblo football team used a late fourth quarter, nine-play, 97-yard drive to the end zone to escape an upset at Western State Colorado University Saturday. The ThunderWolves went the length of the field and scored with 43 ticks remaining in regulation to secure their 40th consecutive regular season victory and start 1-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.

The 97-yard drive was set up by the Pack (3-0, 1-0 RMAC) defense, as the ThunderWolves denied a fourth-and-one, essentially game-ending, attempt by Western State (1-2, 0-1 RMAC) at the CSU-Pueblo three-yard line. Then senior quarterback Chris Bonner (San Diego, Calif.) and junior running back Cameron McDondle (Littleton, Colo.) had a chance to redeem themselves from their performances throughout the game. 

The game-winning drive started with 2:52 showing on the game clock and the first play was a McDondle 16-yard rush that got the offense off its own goal line. Bonner then went 4-for-5 for 60 yards to get the Pack deep into Mountaineer territory. The last reception was a 16-yard catch-and-run by junior Kieren Duncan (WR, Goodyear, Ariz.), who had the ball striped away at the end of his run, but the referees called him down before the ball came out. The call upset the Western defense and in the process of arguing were penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct and the Pack gained 10 more yards down to the Western 11-yard-line.

On third-and-three from the Western four-yard-line, McDondle walked into the end zone to secure the victory.

"Credit to Jas Bains and the Western State football team, they played a heck of a game," said head coach John Wristen. "After beating Sam Houston State like that you are going to have a little letdown, I tried to guard us against that this week in practice.

"Chris (Bonner) didn't have his best day, but took us down and made some plays."

The ThunderWolves totaled 350 yards of offense, while allowing 315, and Western totaled 25 first downs to CSU-Pueblo's 21. Penalties and turnovers were a factor, as the Pack totaled nine penalties for 94 yards and turned the ball over four times. Time of possession was dominated by the Mountaineers, 34:03 to 25:57.

Bonner finished 28-of-51 with 310 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Duncan was Bonner's go-to target in the absence of injured wide receiver Paul Browning (Sr., Widefield, Colo.), as he racked up eight receptions for 130 yards.

After allowing 16 points, 212 yards and 17 first downs in the first half, the Pack defense tightened up in the second stanza and allowed just one score (set-up by a CSU-Pueblo turnover), 103 yards and eight first downs. Four players totaled eight tackles to lead the squad. Three of those players were linebackers and one of those student-athletes was sophomore Seth Brown (Colorado Springs, Colo.), who had seven solo tackles with a sack, forced fumble and a 49-yard interception returned for a touchdown at the end of the first half.

The ThunderWolves won the toss and elected to defer to the second half, allowing the defense to go out on the field and force the Mountaineers to punt after five plays and 11 yards. After a strong punt, the Pack were pinned back at their own three-yard-line, but Bonner orchestrated a 12-play, 97-yard drive to the end zone to give the road team an early 7-0 lead. McDondle capped the 4:23 drive with a two-yard rush past the goal line. 

Things seemed to be looking good for the Pack in the opening minutes, but the rest of the half, minus the final 10 seconds, went poorly. The next seven CSU-Pueblo offensive drives went for a total of 15 yards and two had end results of turnovers. The ThunderWolves committed six penalties for 69 yards, two of which were 15-yard penalties that kept a Mountaineer drive alive and led to 10 Western points. In the half, the Pack were held to 131 yards, while allowing 212.

The saving grace was the 49-yard interception return for a touchdown by Brown with 10 seconds remaining on the clock. Unfortunately for the road team, the extra point was blocked and the teams went into the locker room tied 16-16. 

The Pack didn't score in the third quarter, the first quarter the team hadn't scored in this season. The lone Western touchdown came in the middle of the third quarter, putting the ThunderWolves down 23-16 heading into the fourth. A junior kicker Greg O'Donnell (Monument, Colo.) 37-yard field goal with 6:55 remaining cut the deficit to 23-19, forcing the Pack to go for the end zone on their final possession. 

The ThunderWolves conclude their three-game road trip Sept. 27 versus RMAC-foe Western New Mexico University. Kickoff is slated to begin at noon.

(Photo Credit: Julian Cullumber – Western Sports Info.)

# CSU-Pueblo #

As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.