PUEBLO, Colo. (Sept. 30, 2021) – The (RV) Colorado State University Pueblo football team is looking forward to its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) clash with Colorado Mesa University at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl on Saturday at 2 p.m. 
 
The ThunderWolves host the Mavericks at home as the latest RMAC game of the Saturday slate of contests. 
 
THE GAME
The ThunderWolves head into week four after the team came away with an overpowering 49-7 victory over RMAC foe South Dakota Mines in Rapid City, S.D.
 
The Pack are 9-3 vs. Colorado Mesa since 2008 and have taken last nine out of 10 games played. CSU Pueblo has won the last three match-ups with the Mavericks.
 
The ThunderWolves are 63-13 when playing at home since 2008, only losing three RMAC home competitions in the same time frame.
 
Both Colorado Mesa and CSU Pueblo have won each of their first two RMAC competitions.
 
Colorado Mesa began the season 3-0 after taking down RMAC opponent Chadron State 24-17 in a tightly contested league battle a week ago.  
 
The 3-0 start for the Mavericks marks their best start since 2018 and puts them at second in the RMAC standings.
 
Colorado Mesa has one of the top offenses in the nation as they rank ninth in total offensive production, 19th in rushing offense, and tied for 16th in scoring offense.
 
The Mavericks have the top special teams in the nation on kickoffs. Colorado Mesa averages a nation's best 41.60 yards per kickoff return.
 
Head Coach Tremaine Jackson is now in his first full season at the helm for the Mavericks. Jackson finished 2020 at 2-1.
 
SERIES NOTES
 
The ThunderWolves and Mavericks are meeting for the 12th time since the reboot of the Pack program in 2008 and 21st all-time. The Pack enter the week four match-up 9-3 since 2008  and 19-18-5 all-time against Colorado Mesa. 
 
CSU Pueblo took the last match-up between the two teams in convincing manner. 
The Pack have only lost once to the Mavericks since 2009 when CSU Pueblo fell 20-19 in a gut-wrenching loss in Grand Junction.
 
The ThunderWolves won the first matchup between the fierce rivals back in 1976 when CSU Pueblo was known as the University of Southern Colorado. 
 
LAST TIME OUT
 
CSU Pueblo clinched its second straight win of the season over RMAC foe South Dakota Mines in Rapid City, S.D. where the Pack dominated the Hardrockers on their way to a 49-7 conference win.
 
In the win over South Dakota Mines, the Pack passed for a season-high 220 yards with the combined help of freshman QB Steven Croell and QB Devin Williams.
 
Williams passed for 103 yards and his first CSU Pueblo touchdown in his appearance against the Hardrockers while Croell passed for 113 yards and a touchdown.
 
The spotlight was shone on RB Michael Roots who exploded out of the backfield throughout the entire game. Roots exhibited his well-rounded domination on the defense as he busted out a 35-yard touchdown rush in the first quarter and then capped off another drive with a punishing goal-line run up the middle. Roots also ran for a season-long rush of 53 yards in the second quarter to re-energize the Pack offense.
 
Roots finished the game with a season-high 145 yards rushing off 14 carries to average 
 
WR Andrew Cook highlighted the Pack's receiving efforts as the redshirt freshman pulled in three catches for 102 yards and touchdown.
 
Cook pulled off the longest play of the season with an 83-yard reception from Devin Williams in the fourth quarter.
 
RB Jordan Jones logged his first career touchdown after he sprinted for a 48-yard score in the third.  
Jones finished with 77 yards on the ground off five attempts out of the backfield.
 
The Pack were helped to 71 yards and a touchdown from their flex WR Jensen Feggins after the senior pulled in a season-long 30-yard touchdown catch.
 
The ThunderWolves recorded a season-high 11 tackles-for-loss off the backs of 12 different Pack players.
 
LB Trevor Philio and DL Trey Botts led the way with a sack apiece on the Hardrockers. Philio added on a forced fumble that ended in his first career touchdown after making the recovery.
 
P Justin Dwinell excelled in his four punt appearances as he logged his fourth consecutive game with at least two punts in side the 20 and another over 50 yards.
 
Dwinell ranks 11th in the nation with an average of 40 yards per punt as the sophomore leads the RMAC in the same category.
 
The ThunderWolves kicked off their season with a defensively dominated 12-6 loss to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
Week two featured a hostile road trip to No. 14 Grand Valley State where the Pack fell to the Lakers 34-14 in front of a rambunctious crowd of 11,000 strong.
 
Week three featured the Pack's first victory of the season over with a 19-16 win over RMAC foe, Black Hills State. The Yellow Jackets nearly completed a 16-point comeback, but the Pack staved off the attempt by controlling the final five minutes of the game.
 
Scouting Colorado Mesa
This is the 13th time the Mavericks and the ThunderWolves have met since the reboot of the CSU Pueblo program in 2008. The Pack currently lead the rivalry 9-3  after winning the most recent three contests. 
 
Colorado Mesa kicked off their season with a convincing 40-3 victory over William Jewell in Grand Junction, Colo.
 
The Mavericks have two RMAC contests under their belts after taking a road victory over New Mexico Highlands, 56-37 followed by a 24-17 win over Chadron State at home.
 
Mesa has established one of the most dominant offenses in the nation as they ranked ninth in total offense as the team has logged two games with over 500 yards of offense.
 
The Mavericks totaled 246 yards rushing in their win over William Jewell and 272 yards rushing in their RMAC opener. 
 
So far, the offense has not struggled throwing the ball either. QB Karst Hunter has carried the weight as the redshirt freshman has thrown for 698 yards on 99 attempts thus far on the season. Hunter totaled 372 yards in the lopsided victory over New Mexico Highlands.
 
The Mavericks average 6.5 yards per carry and 13.4 yards per reception while Hunter has a passer efficiency of 144.4. Mesa averages 584.7 all-purpose yards per game and 487 yards of total offense.
 
Defensively, the Mavericks tend to have a harder time as they surrender an 87% success rate in the red-zone through the four games. The scoring defense makes up for th red-zone statistics as Mesa ranks 32nd in the nation in scoring defense at 19.0 points per game. 
 
RB Avian Thompson  is the third-leading leading running back in yards-per-rush in the RMAC after racking up 299 yards on the ground off 32 carries to average over nine yards per carry.
 
Head Coach Tremaine Jackson is now in his first full season at the helm for the Mavericks. Jackson finished 2020 at 2-1.
 
THE POLLS
 
The Pack entered the season No. 12 in the D2Football.com and the AFCA polls. The ThunderWolves were one of two RMAC teams with a top 25 ranking in either poll to begin the season. 
 
In the second week of the AFCA Coaches' Poll, CSU Pueblo dropped to No. 19 following the heartbreaking loss to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce and are still receiving votes following the traveling loss to GVSU and the wins over Black Hills State and South Dakota 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 121-30 all-time record. 
 
Since 2008, CSU Pueblo is undefeated when scoring 36 or more points (64-0) and when allowing 10 points or less (47-0). 
 
Since 2008, the ThunderWolves are 64-12 (.838) at the ThunderBowl.
 
The Pack 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. 
 
CSU Pueblo had a league-best +23 turnover margin in 2019. The next best team was at +7. Their 1.92 turnover margin per game was good for 1st nationally, while the 35 takeaways was tied for 1st in Division II heading into the Pack's final game. 
 
The Pack have accumulated three defensive touchdowns so far on the season to rank third in the nation.
 
The ThunderWolves totaled eight RMAC Players of the Week in 2019. P Justin Dwinell had four RMAC Player of the Week awards in 2019 which was topped by an 80-yard touchdown run. 
 
CSU PUEBLO POSITION NOTABLES
 
OFFENSE
 
QB Steven Croell has emerged as a consistent player under center for the Pack. The freshman took on the majority of the offensive snaps in the loss to the Lakers and took over duties in the second quarter of the Black Hills State game due to injury. 
 
Croell notched 135 yards in the win over South Dakots Mines while he split duties later on in the game with QB Devin Williams.
 
Croell burst onto the scene with a stellar first outing in the 12-6 loss to Texas A&M-Commerce. Croell used his arm to start 5-5 throwing which included a 35-yard dart to WR Nigel Mitchell against the Lions. Croell finished the two drive appearance with 6-9 throwing and 58 yards.
 
The freshman quarterback came through in the clutch for the Pack as he stepped in for the injured QB against Black Hills State. Just in his second pass of the game, Croell fired a touchdown pass to WR Dionte Sykes. Croell finished with a pair of touchdown passes to Sykes and Mitchell as he finished the game with 113 yards passing and two touchdown passes. The freshman sits at 36-63 passing so far on the season with 389 yards passing and four touchdowns.
 
RB Michael Roots was able to have a breakout game against the Hardrockers. Roots compiled 145 yards off 14 carries with a game-long 53-yard rush. The senior transfer compiled two touchdown rushes in the victory to tally his first scores as a CSU Pueblo running back.
 
Roots broke out two rushes over 40 yards in the win off his best performance of the year. The Central Washington transfer leads the Pack with 279 yards on the ground off 46 total rushes.
 
WR Max Fine continues to be one of the favorite targets for the Pack, leading the team with 15 catches and 146 yards receiving.
 
The junior also has racked up 105 yards on special teams off 12 total punt returns to rank 28th in the nation for all punt returners. 
 
Thanks to a big week in South Dakota, WR Andrew Cook and WR Jensen Feggins each have over 100 yards on the season now to come in as the second and third-leading receivers on the team, respectively.
 
DEFENSE
The Pack have owned 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.
 
The defense in week one shut down the Texas A&M-Commerce offense and prevented the Lions from marching down the field. The Lions were only able to muster up 214 total yards on 64 plays. 
 
The stifling defense by the Pack limited the two high powered offenses of No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce and No. 14 Grand Valley State to low passing efficiencies and limited yardage. The Pack rank 24th in the nation in Passing Efficiency Defense and 25th in scoring defense after four weeks of play.
 
S Cory McLellan nabbed the Pack's first interception for a touchdown on the season in the loss to Grand Valley State. McLellan's pick-six almost shifted the tide against the Lakers, but not enough to overturn the final result.
 
S Tanner Draper tallied his first career pick six last week vs. South Dakota Mines, where he ran back an interception for a 30-yard return,
 
Since 2008, the Pack have totaled 46 interception returns for a touchdown. The most in a season is eight, occurring in 2019. The ThunderWolves produced  five in 2010, 2014 and 2017 and now sit at two for the current season.
 
The ThunderWolves had eight interceptions for touchdowns in 2019 to set the program record. CSU Pueblo totaled three in one game against Adams State. With 12 defensive touchdowns since the beginning of 2019, the Pack are first nationally. 
 
LB Trevor Philio tallied the second touchdown on defense last week with a forced fumble and recovery as the senior returned it back for a score.
 
In the first quarter of the Commerce battle, the CSU Pueblo defense did not allow a single first down and limited the Lions to just two yards in the period. In the opening quarter, the Pack were also able to force the lone lost fumble of the game for the Lions.
 
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 26 more occasions. 
 
Nine times since 2008 the ThunderWolves allowed 10 or fewer rushing yards, with the all-time record standing at -68 yards this season at New Mexico Highlands. The previous record was -11 yards last season at Black Hills State. This season against Fort Lewis, the Skyhawks finished with -3 yards. Last week, Augustana rushed for just 14 yards. 
 
DL Ikenna Onwuasoanya highlighted the defensive efforts for the Pack against Texas A&M-Commerce as he finished with 2.5 tackles for loss and added on a sack to his line score. Onwuasoanya headlined his Pack debut with seven tackles. The senior transfer now has 5.5 tackles for loss on the season to the lead the Pack. 
 
DB Sam Warren has 21 tackles on the season to lead all defensive backs. He also has tallied a pass break-up and interception to round out his defensive stat-line.
 
McLellan finished the game vs. Commerce with two pass break ups. His second included a break up in the end zone which preserved the one score deficit and allowed the Pack to remain competitive. 
 
McLellan was named to the All-RMAC Honorable Mention team in 2019. He finished with 50 tackles (31 solo), three interceptions, and seven passes defended . His three inceptions had a season-long return of 36 yards. 
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
 
K Dean Faithfull leads the RMAC with the most field goals made this season at five. He kicked two field goals as the only points for the Pack in the loss to Texas A&M-Commerce and tacked on another in the win over Black Hills State. Faithfull knocked through a 29-yard FG and a 33-yard FG against the Lions.
 
Faithfull joins the Pack in 2021 after returning to collegiate athletics after a long hiatus since his time as a soccer player at Florida Tech. Faithfull graduated from Florida Tech in 2010 after playing four years with the Panthers as a defender.
 
Redshirt sophomore punter Justin Dwinell took over punting duties in 2019 and placed 29 punts inside the 20. He averaged 41.0 yards per kick to rank third in the RMAC and 23rd nationally. He has 14 50+ yard punts and a long of 77 yards, which is the 5th longest in NCAA Division II this season. 
 
In the first week vs. Commerce, Dwinell punted seven times for 244 yards while fighting harsh windy conditions. The Dwinell punts averaged 34.9 yards per attempt. Dwinell logged a punt that soard 62 yards and then tacked on two punts that landed inside the 20 yardline. 
 
In week two, the punter stood out as a key player on special teams, logging eight punts for over 350 yards and tallying two punts over 50 yards.
 
Once again against Black Hills State, Dwinell shined. He logged five punts for over 200 yards while pinning the Yellow Jackets inside their own 20-yardline twice.
 
Dwinell excelled in his four punt appearances against South Dakota Mines as he logged his fourth consecutive game with at least two punts inside the 20 and another over 50 yards.
 
Dwinell ranks 11th in the nation with an average of 40 yards per punt as the sophomore leads the RMAC in the same category.
 
He had a touchdown in the 2019 season after picking up a fumbled snap on a punt attempt, Dwinell returned it 80 yards for a touchdown against CMU.
 
Dwinell had four RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week awards and two D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week honors in the 2019 season.