PUEBLO, Colo. (Sept. 28, 2019) – A regional battle between No. 20 Colorado State University-Pueblo and No. 11 Texas A&M University-Commerce went to the home team, as the ThunderWolves posted a 24-17 victory Saturday at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl. 
 
The Pack (3-1, 2-1 RMAC) and Lions (3-1, 1-0 Lone Star) traded scores and momentum swings for the majority of the game, but it was the home team who would score last and serve up a big defensive stop as time expired to earn the bounce-back victory. 
 
The teams were fairly even statistically across the board. The Lions ran six more plays and totaled just 11 more yards than the Pack (299-288). Both defenses held the run in check with the ThunderWolves leading in the category 69-54, while both teams charted five sacks. The home team had one more first down (18-17) and both teams punted seven times. TAMUC won the possession battle 35:35-24:25, while the Pack gained the edge with two more third down conversions (six to four) and was a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone (TAMUC went 1-for-3).
 
In his first collegiate start, redshirt-freshman safety Cory McLellan (Monument, Colo.) tied for the team lead with nine tackles (six solo) and had one break-up, which happened to be in the end zone on third down on the final drive of the game for the Lions. 
 
Sticking with the secondary, senior Tevin Donnell (Fountain, Colo.) moved from corner and started as safety and produced seven tackles (four solo) with a huge late third quarter interception that halted a TAMUC drive. He intercepted the ball at the Pack's own three yard-line and returned it to the 21. The pick swung the momentum back to the ThunderWolves and on the ensuing drive, the Pack marched 79 yards on 12 plays for what would be the game-winning touchdown. Donnell also returned two kickoffs a total of 52 yards with a long of 32 yards. Senior corner Emery Taylor (Auora, Colo.) added seven tackles (four solo).
 
Senior outside linebacker James Maxie (Parker, Colo.) recorded nine tackles (three solo) with a tackle for loss (-3), while senior inside linebacker Kyle Rosenbrock (Brush, Colo.) had eight tackles (two solo) and a half sack (-3 yards). On the other side of Maxie, junior Trevor Philio (Denver, Colo.) continued to impress, as he recorded six tackles (four solo) with three tackles for loss (-13 yards) and two sacks (-11 yards) in his second straight start. 
 
Up front, senior defensive end Jackson Wibbels (Colorado Springs, Colo.) grabbed five tackles (two solo), which included 2.5 tackles for loss (-12 yards) and 1.5 sacks (-11 yards). 
 
On offense, the ThunderWolves again saw a No. 2 quarterback setup and perform well. Sophomore Gunnar Lamphere (Aurora, Colo.) was the starter in game one, but after a quarter of play was injured and sophomore Jordan Kitna (Dallas, Texas) came in and flourished in his debut.Kitna started the last two games while Lamphere continued to heal. Saturday, it was Kitna who was hurt in the first quarter and Lamphere, after knocking off some rust, managed the game well and produced some key plays, both through the air and on the ground. In the end he was 14-for-25 for 191 yards and a touchdown and also gained 28 yards rushing (12 net yards) with a score. 
 
Sophomore wide receiver Nick Williams (Aurora, Colo.) nearly posted back-to-back games with 100 yards, as he finished with 91 yards on five receptions, which included the game-winning touchdown with 11:20 remaining in regulation.
 
Junior running back D.J. Penick  (Evanstan, Ill.) logged just one carry last week before missing the rest of the game due to injury, but returned Saturday and recorded 47 yards on 13 carries and added one reception for 28 yards. Senior running back Austin Micci (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored a rushing touchdown in the third quarter and finished with 29 yards on 10 carries and 21 yards on two receptions.
 
Punter Justin Dwinell (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was the key in the victory, as he helped to flip the field on multiple occasions with two 50-plus yard punts, which included a long of 61 yards. He also had four of his seven punts land inside the 20. He totaled 297 yards for an average of 42.4 yards per punt. His efforts helped limit the Lion returner, who entered the game fourth in Division II in punt returns with 24. 7 yards per return. 
 
Junior kicker Mitchell Carter (Colorado Springs, Colo.) was perfect in all areas, as he was 3-for-3 on extra points and hit a 33-yard field goal with the second quarter clock at 0:00 to move the score to 10-10 at the break. Two of his four kickoffs were touchbacks, as he averaged 64.5 yards per kickoff. 
 
The Lions opened up a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter after a field goal in the first and the game's first touchdown in the second. Oddly enough, TAMUC started the game last year in Commerce with a 10-0 lead before the ThunderWolves battled back and won 23-13. 
 
The ThunderWolves got on the board with 4:49 remaining in the half when Lamphere rushed for two yards to the paint to cap an eight-play, 43-yard drive. 
 
With just 1:27 to work before the half, the Pack moved the ball 65 yards on six plays to set up Carter's field goal. The drive was aided by a roughing the passer penalty as time expired to move the ThunderWolves into position to attempt a field goal with no time on the clock. 
 
The Lions re-gained the lead midway though the third with a one-yard run into the end zone on fourth and goal from the half yard line. The officials originally placed the ball short of the goal line, but after discussion, awarded the Lions the score. 
 
On the next Pack drive, the momentum swing back the way of the home team, as Micci found the end zone from a yard out to finish off an eight-play, 68-yard drive that tied the game. 
 
Donnell's interception was another momentum boost and then Lamphere threw for 59 yards of a 12-play, 79-yard drive to the end zone. Lamphere and Williams connected for 44 yards on the drive, which included the 15-yard touchdown strike. 
 
The Lions didn't back down and had the ball for the final 7:13 of the game. TAMUC scored two touchdowns on the drive, but both were negated by penalties. The second came on fourth down with less than 20 seconds left, but a holding penalty canceled out the touchdown, then a unsportsmanlike penalty moved the team back a total of 25 yards. The final play from scrimmage came from the 30 yard line. The Lion quarterback was able to get a good pass up and into the end zone, but it was deflected down by the Pack and the game was over. 
 
CSU-Pueblo moves back into Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play and starts a two-game road trip Oct. 5 at South Dakota Mines. Game time from Rapid City, S.D. is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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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.