PUEBLO, Colo. (Sept. 25, 2019) - The No. 20 Colorado State University-Pueblo football team welcomes No. 11 Texas A&M-University-Commerce Saturday, Sept. 28 in a regional showdown at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl. The contest is set to kick at 6 p.m. A fireworks display will follow the game.
THE GAME
• The Pack fell to No. 16 in the D2Football.com poll and No. 20 in the AFCA after the loss to Mines. Texas A&M-Commerce ranks No. 11 in both polls.
• CSU-Pueblo owns a 18-9 (11-5 at home) record versus ranked opponents (Division II) since 2011.
• The ThunderWolves and Lions met for the first time last season in Commerce, Texas. In a rainy battle, CSU-Pueblo defeated then-No. 1 A&M-Commerce 23-13. The home team opened a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, but two Mitchell Carter field goals in the second quarter moved the halftime score to 10-6. A 12-yard touchdown run by Austin Micci following the Pack recovering the second of four Lion fumbles in the game, gave the Pack a 13-10 lead. Another Carter field goal in the third handed the Pack a 16-10 lead. In the early fourth, TAMUC kicked a field goal and the score moved to 16-13. Marcus Lindsay found the end zone with 8:14 left in regulation to give the Pack a 23-13 lead and that is where it would stay.
• The Pack ran for 215 yards and limited the Lions to 40 yards rushing. CSU-Pueblo totaled five turnovers (four fumble recoveries and one interception) and 9.0 tackles for loss (two sacks). Of returning players, Micci had 69 rushing yards and DE Jackson Wibbels totaled eight tackles (2.5 TFL).
LAST TIME OUT
• The Pack fell to 2-1 on the season after a 34-14 home loss to No. 17 Mines.
• The ThunderWolves had their 15-game home winning streak snapped, which as the second longest active winning streak in Division II.
• The Pack (2-1, 2-1 RMAC) scored on the opening drive of the game, which saw the team go 75 yards in five plays with just 1:22 off the game clock. Mines responded with 28 unanswered first half points and led 28-7 at the break. Mines pushed the lead to 34-7 early in the fourth before the Pack added a score with nine minutes left.
• Mines finished with 401 yards on 76 plays, while the ThunderWolves totaled 278 yards on 50 plays. The road team finished with a balanced 201 yards passing and 200 rushing. The Orediggers shutdown the Pack run game and allowed just 27 yards on 20 carries to a team averaging 269.5 rushing yards per game entering the contest. Mines came into the game leading the nation in rushing defense after allowing -0.5 yards per game in the first two weeks.
• Penalties were an issue, as the home team totaled 96 yards on nine infractions. CSU-Pueblo had been disciplined in the first two weeks and had a league-low nine penalties that ranked 13th nationally.
• WR Nick Williams posted a career game with six receptions for 102 yards. His long reception went for 43 yards.
• QB Jordan Kitna finished 20-for-30 for 251 yards with one touchdown and one interception, his first of the season. He netted nine yards rushing with a score on the ground.
• RB Austin Micci totaled 56 yards of offense and a receiving touchdown.
• ILB Kyle Rosenbrock racked up 13 tackles, which included two for a loss (-6 yards) and a sack (-2 yards). Three more linebackers each finished with nine tackles in, Trevor Phillio, James Maxie and Christian Shaver.
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE
• The Lions are 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Lone Star Conference after earning a 45-27 home win against Eastern New Mexico. A&M-Commerce scored 24 points in the first half to lead 24-6 and then ran away with the win in the fourth with two touchdowns.
• Quarterback Miklo Smalls threw for four touchdown passes and earned LSC Offensive Player of the Week honors after setting the top mark this season in all of Division II in single-game passing efficiency rating.
• Smalls is 4th in Division II in passing efficiency with a 195.9 mark. The team is 6th nationally with the same rating.
• The Lion rushing attack is by committee with no player with more than 100 yards accumulated this season.
• The receivers are led by Chance Cooper, who owns eight receptions for 154 yards and three touchdowns, and Jeremiah Bridges' 11 receptions for 140 yards and two scores.
• The defense is led in tackles by DB Alex Shillow's 15 (nine solo), while LB Neema Behbahani adds 10 tackles (five solo) with a sack.
• DB Dominique Ramsey was named LSC Special Teams Player of the Week after a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown. He sits fourth nationally in punt returns with 24.7 yards per return.
• The Lion defense forced a pair of turnovers last week and have three takeaways on the season, while coughing up the ball just twice.
• Last season A&M-Commerce went 10-3 overall and 9-2 during the regular season to advance to the NCAA Playoffs where they went on the road and defeated Minnesota Duluth, 33-17, and lost to Tarleton, 34-28.
THE POLLS
• CSU-Pueblo finished 2018 ranked No. 7 in the AFCA and D2Football.com polls. The Pack. CSU-Pueblo entered the season No. 7 in the D2Football.com rankings and No. 9 by the AFCA. The team dropped to No. 16 in the D2Football.com poll and No. 20 in the AFCA afte the loss to Mines.
• The Pack ranked in the AFCA top 25 for 66 consecutive polls ranging from Sept. 5, 2011 (21st) to Sept. 5, 2016 (19th).
• The ThunderWolves ranked in the top 10 nationally for a then-NCAA Division II-best 37 straight weeks from Oct. 17, 2011 (eighth) to Oct. 6, 2014 (second).
TEAM NOTES
• The CSU-Pueblo football program and Head Coach John Wristen recorded their 100th victory since the restart of the program in 2008 when they defeated New Mexico Highlands 48-3, Oct. 6, 2018. Wristen owns a 108-26 all-time record. The .806 percentage ranks 2nd among active NCAA Division II coaches (min 5 years).
• Since 2008, CSU-Pueblo is undefeated when scoring 36 or more points (60-0) and when allowing 10 points or less (44-0). The Pack had done both in each of the final three games of the regular season last year and started 2019 meeting both stat lines.
• Since 2008, the ThunderWolves are 56-12 (.824) at the ThunderBowl.
• The Pack had won 15 straight at home from 2016-2018, which ranked as the second longest current home winning streak in NCAA Division II. CSU-Pueblo had that streak broken by Mines in the home opener.
• The Pack have seven drives of 75 yards or more, which includes a 12-play, 92-yard drive in the opener at Dixie State.
• In the last 23 regular season games the ThunderWolves have allowed just 40 points in the fourth quarter, dating back to Sept. 16, 2017.
• CSU-Pueblo clocked 40:17 of possession time in the opener and with 30:36 time of possession this season, the team ranks fourth in the RMAC.
• The Pack will play their five regular season road games in five different states (Utah, Nebraska, South Dakota, New Mexico and Colorado).
CSU-PUEBLO POSITION NOTABLES
OFFENSE
• WR Dionte Sykes had a big debut for the Pack, as he brought in four receptions for 172 yards in the opener against Dixie State. He had receptions of 46, 50 and 70 yards and with the performance tied Paul Browning's 2013 performance of 172 receiving yards for the most receiving yards in a game since the restart in 2008.
• He had 53 yards against Chadron State before suffering an injury. He own 225 receiving yards this season, which is still fifth in the RMAC.
• WR Nick Williams recorded 102 yards on six receptions against Mines for his first-career 100 yard game. He adds 149 yards on seven receptions.
• RB D.J. Penick racked up 105 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries in his debut.
• He owns a team-best 198 rushing yards to rank fourth in the RMAC. He has three rushing scores and ranks 1st in the league (21st nationally) with 6.0 yards per carry.
• QB Jordan Kitna made his Pack debut in the opener and went 9-for-18 (50%) with 261 yards and two rushing touchdowns. His three rushing scores ties for the team lead.
• He has 638 passing yards to rank 3rd in the RMAC, while his 15.95 yards per completion is good for 2nd in the conference and 14th nationally.
• With 188.7 rushing yards per game, the ThunderWolves are 2nd in the RMAC.
• With 15.48 yards per pass completion, the Pack rank 27th nationally and 2nd in the RMAC.
• RB Austin Micci eclipsed the 2,000 career yards mark against Fort Lewis last season to become the 9th player in program history to reach the milestone. He owns 2,337 yards to rank 7th all-time. His 174 career points is good for a tie for eight all-time in total points.
DEFENSE
• The Pack have been one of the most stingiest and unforgiving defenses in the nation the past eight seasons. Since 2011, the ThunderWolves have finished the season in the top 22 nationally in scoring defense, which includes leading the country in 2011 and 2014. CSU-Pueblo has also ranked in the top 21 in turnover ratio (or turnovers gained) in all but one season in that span with the nation's best mark in 2014 and in 2018.
• Since 2008, the Pack have totaled 37 interception returns for a touchdown. The most in a season is five by the 2010, 2014 and 2017 squads.
• CB Emery Taylor recorded a team-best seven interceptions and a team-high 15 pass break-ups last season and started the year off with the first pick of 2019 against DSU.
• RECORD WATCH: Taylor has 18 career interceptions to sit 2nd all-time at CSU-Pueblo. Stephan Dickens (2010-14) has the record with 19.
• CSU-Pueblo's rushing defense was established on game one of the program re-boot in 2008. The Pack allowed 13 yards rushing against Oklahoma Panhandle State (Sept. 8, 2008) and since have held their opponent to less than 50 yards rushing on 22 more occasions.
• Eight times since 2008 the ThunderWolves allowed 10 or less rushing yards, with the record standing at -11 yards this season at Black Hills State (previous record was -4 rushing yards at New Mexico Highlands Nov. 9, 2013).
• In the opener, Dixie State was only able to muster 59 rushing yards on 23 attempts (2.6 ypc). The Pack are 5th in the RMAC in rushing defense at 136.0 yards per game.
• By allowing 20.7 points per game, the team sits 4th in the RMAC.
• ILB Kyle Rosenbrock leads the team with 27 tackles (13 solo). His 5.5 tackles for loss (-16 yards) is 2nd in the RMAC and T-25th nationally. Rosenbrock owns two sacks (-7 yards).
• OLB James Maxie adds 22 tackles (13 solo).
SPECIAL TEAMS
• K Mitchell Carter is 4-for-6 on field goal attempts for 1.33 field goals per game, which is T-2nd in the conference and T-21st in DII. He is 8-for-10 on extra points for 20 points, which leads the team and T-10th in the conference.
• Redshirt-freshman punter Justin Dwinell has taken over punting duties and has placed six of his 12 punts inside the 20. He averages 43.3 yards per kick with, two of more than 50 yards a long of 63 yards.
#PACKPROS: CSU-Pueblo has three former players in the NFL right now. Ryan Jensen (2009-12) is in his seventh season and second with Tampa Bay after five with the Baltimore Ravens. After a breakout season where he started all 16 games at center for the Ravens, Jensen inked the largest contract for a center in NFL history when he signed with the Bucaneers. Morgan Fox (2012-15) moved from the practice squad to active roster in 2016 and was on the active roster all of the 2017 season with the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, the defensive lineman suffered a knee injury during OTAs and missed the 2018 season. He returns to the active 53-man roster for 2019. Defensive lineman Deyon Sizer (2014-18) earned a spot on the Denver Broncos practice squad for 2019 after a successful rookie mini-camp tryout and summer with the team. Mike Pennel (2013) has five seasons of NFL experience (Green Bay, New York Jets), but was cut during camp in August by New England. Darius Allen (2011-14) is currently in his fourth season in the Canadian Football League. As of Sept. 6 he was on the BC Lions' 6-game injured list.
VS. RANKED SQUADS: CSU-Pueblo owns a 18-8 (11-4 at home) record versus ranked opponents (Division II) since 2011. The ThunderWolves went 6-0 versus the nation's top 25 in 2014 and also added a 47-21 win against Sam Houston State (No. 15) to record the team's first-ever victory against a ranked FCS team. The Pack went 4-1 against ranked opponents in 2015 and had won 10 straight against the nation's best before the loss to Grand Valley State. The Pack recorded the program's second win against a team ranked No. 1 in the AFCA poll when it posted a 23-13 road win at Texas A&M-Commerce Sept. 22, 2018. The first time came when CSU-Pueblo won the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship by the score of 13-0 against Minnesota State.
STREAKS: CSU-Pueblo posted three straight 11-0 seasons entering 2014 and was just one of two teams in NCAA Division II history to accomplish the feat. After starting 5-0 in 2014, the Pack owned 42 straight regular season victories, which was the second-longest in NCAA Division II history, behind only Grand Valley State, which posted 48 straight wins from 2004-09. The streak ended Oct. 11 in a 23-22 road loss at Fort Lewis.
The Pack recorded 28 consecutive regular season home victories from a 66-0 win against New Mexico Highlands Oct. 30, 2010 to a 51-20 win against Colorado Mesa Nov. 7, 2015.
