RAPID CITY, S.D. – Colorado State University Pueblo concluded the road portion of its 2023 regular season schedule here Saturday afternoon with a 35-28 hard fought victory over South Dakota Mines in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action in Dunham Field at O'Harra Stadium.

With the victory, the ThunderWolves extend its win streak to six straight games and improves to 7-3 overall and 6-2 in the RMAC, while South Dakota Mines falls to 5-5 overall and 4-4 in the league.

The Pack win was secured thanks to back-to-back third down sacks on South Dakota Mines quarterback Jayden Johannsen on the Hardrockers' final two offensive possessions with the Pack holding a 35-28 lead. The sack came on a third-and-seven play from the SDSM 23-yard line as redshirt junior strong safety Daniel Bone III (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek) was credited with a 12-yard sack and on the 'Rockers next possession, junior defensive end Makeah Scippio (Colorado Springs, Colo./Harrison) was credited with a four-yard sack on a third-and-24 play from the SDSM 28-yard line.

"Our guys' didn't give up today, they fought to the end. It is a hard trip to come up here and that was a really good football team we just faced. Credit to our guys, they made plays when we needed it the most," CSU Pueblo head coach Philip Vigil said following the game. "When needed it the most in the fourth quarter today, our defense stepped up and got us two three-and-outs."

Following Scippio's sack, the Pack offense got the ball back with 2:03 left on the clock and needing just one first down to seal the win and the Pack got that first down on an 11-yard run by junior running back Kiahn Martinez (Denver, Colo./University of Idaho).

For the game, the Pack offense finished with 436 yards of offense as they passed for 353 yards and added 83 yards rushing on 28 carries. The Pack also scored five offensive touchdowns, three of which came on touchdown passes from graduate student quarterback Chance Fuller (Arlington, Texas/Fort Hays State).

Fuller finished the game 23-for-34 passing for 353 yards and had three touchdown passes and one interception and added nine yards rushing for a total of 362 yards of total offense. With his three touchdown passes, Fuller pushed his season total to 29, which is third on the school's single season chart and just four shy of Chris Bonner's single season school record of 33 touchdown passes in 2013.

Junior receiver Reggie Retzlaff (Corona, Calif./Riverside City College) caught five passes for 172 yards and had one touchdown reception to push his season total to 12, which ties the single season school record set by redshirt junior receiver Andrew Cook (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge) last season.

In addition to Retzlaff, redshirt sophomore receiver Zack Rakowsky (Loveland, Colo./Loveland) caught seven passes for 39 yards and redshirt sophomore tight end Tyler Dvorak (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) caught four passes for 51 yards and had a touchdown reception.

Martinez, who entered the game as the leading rusher in the RMAC, finished with 64 yards and scored on an 8-yard run to give the Pack a 14-0 lead just a little under three minutes into the game.

The Pack got on the scoreboard on its opening possession as Cook picked up a fumble on a pass caught by Retzlaff and returned it 35 yards for a score just 46 seconds into the game to give the Pack an early 7-0 lead.

After holding South Dakota Mines to a three-and-out on its first possession, the Pack took the ball over near midfield and Martinez capped the drive with his 8-yard touchdown run.

The Pack had a chance to make 17-0 midway through the first quarter, but a 43-yard field goal attempt from junior Jacob Willig (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) was missed wide right.

South Dakota Mines would get on the board late in the first quarter thanks to a 7-yard touchdown pass from Johannsen to Ben Noland to cap a 13-play, 67-yard drive that began following Willig's missed field goal. Noland's touchdown brought the Hardrockers' within 14-7.

The Pack extended its lead to 21-7 just a little under six minutes into the second quarter thanks to a 10-yard touchdown pass from Fuller to Dvorak to cap an 8-play, 75-yard drive for the Pack.
SDSM pulled within 21-14 with 2:18 left in the second quarter thanks to a 20-yard touchdown pass from Noland to Henry Dryden.

On the Pack's ensuing possession following Dryden's touchdown, Fuller connected with Retzlaff for a 49-yard touchdown pass with 40 seconds left in the first half to give the Pack a 28-14 lead. The touchdown by Retzlaff was his school-record tying 12 of the season and capped a six-play, 75-yard drive for the Pack.

Neither team would do much scoring in the third quarter until the Hardrockers pulled within 28-21 with 1:54 left in the third quarter following a 99-yard drive in 18 plays that was capped by a four-yard touchdown pass from Johannsen to Jalen Frye. The drive came after Fuller tossed an interception on its first possession of the second half and was aided by a targeting penalty called on freshman linebacker Gary Seidenberger (Fredericksburg, Texas/Fredericksburg).

Following the Hardrockers' 99-yard drive, the Pack responded as they drove 75 yards in five plays and capped the drive with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Fuller to junior tight end Curtis Luckadoo (Reno, Nev./Bishop Manouge Catholic) on the final play of the third quarter to give the Pack a 35-21 lead.

On the ensuing drive by SDSM, the Hardrockers drove 65 yards in eight plays and capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run by Ty Harris to pull within 35-28 with 11:31 left in the final quarter.

The Pack responded with a nine-play, 63-yard drive, but the drive stalled at the Hardrockers' 12-yard line and Willig missed a 29-yard field goal attempt with seven minutes left in the game.

On the next SDSM drive, the Hardrockers offense was stopped thanks to that 12-yard sack by Bone.

Following that play, the Pack got the ball at midfield following a 49-yard punt and 10-yard return by Cook but were only able to drive eight yards in four plays before being stopped on downs with 3:25 left in the game.

On the ensuing Hardrockers drive, they lost 18 yards in three plays, including that sack by Scippio to force the final punt of the game.

The Pack defense forced three turnovers, recorded three sacks and had seven tackles for loss. SDSM entered the game having allowed just six sacks on the season.

Redshirt junior linebacker Jon Nuschy (La Junta, Colo./Northern Colorado) paced the Pack defense with 12 tackles and a forced fumble, while Bone had eight tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.

The Hardrockers finished the game with 409 yards of offense against the Pack defense as they rushed 42 times for 166 yards and passed for 243 yards.

Johannsen was 19-for-35 passing for 223 yards and had two touchdowns and two interceptions and gained 24 yards rushing on 14 carries to finish with 247 yards of total offense.

Frye led the ground game for the Hardrockers with 92 yards on 18 carries, while Noland caught seven passes for 127 yards and had a touchdown reception and a touchdown pass.

The Pack will close out the 2023 regular season next Saturday, Nov. 11 as they host Black Hills State for a 1 p.m. Senior Day game at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl. Prior to the game, the Pack will
honor its 10 seniors in a pregame ceremony.