DURANGO, Colo. – The No. 14/16th-ranked Colorado State University Pueblo football team outscored Fort Lewis College 45-10 here in the second half Saturday afternoon to post a 58-24 come-from-behind Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory over the Skyhawks at Ray Dennison Memorial Field.
With the victory, the ThunderWolves improved their record to 6-1 overall and 5-0 in the RMAC and extended its league win streak to 12 consecutive games, which is the third longest active streak in Division II football. Fort Lewis falls to 1-5 overall and 0-4 in the RMAC.
The Pack, who trailed 14-13 at the half, scored 17 points in the third quarter and then tallied 28 points in the fourth quarter to post the victory and extend its road win streak to seven straight games, which is the fourth longest active streak in Division II.
"We were doing things that were uncharacteristic of ourselves in the first half, and we just needed to do our job, which is something we did in the second half," CSU Pueblo second-year head coach
Philip Vigil said following the game that lasted nearly three-and-half hours. "We needed to focus on one play at a time and go out and do what we're supposed to do. We moved the ball well in the first half, but didn't finish with touchdowns and turned the ball over twice, which gave them (FLC) a short field and credit to Fort Lewis they capitalized on those."
For the game, the Pack offense finished with 614 yards on 76 plays and averaged 8.1 yards per play as they rushed for 291 yards on 35 carries and averaged 8.3 yards per carry, while passing for 323 yards as the Pack's three quarterbacks were a combined 23-for-41 passing with an interception and four touchdown passes. The 614 yards of offense were the ninth most in game in school history.
The Pack retook the lead just 73 seconds into the third quarter thanks to a 68-yard touchdown run by senior running back
Howard Russell V (Phoenix, Ariz./Eastern New Mexico) on the second offensive play of the second half for the Pack. Russell finished the day with 135 rushing yards on 14 carries for his fourth straight 100-yard rushing game this season.
After the Pack defense got a three-and-out on Fort Lewis' first offensive possession, the Pack pushed its lead to 27-14 following a 47-yard touchdown pass from junior
Roman Fuller (Decatur, Texas/University of Tulsa) to senior receiver
Taylor Tosches (Temecula, Calif./Southwestern Oklahoma State).
FLC would take advantage of a Pack turnover on its next possession and pull within 27-21 following a 2-yard run by Stone Walker. The score came after a fumble by Russell on the Pack's 6-yard line.
The Pack would push its lead to 30-21 on its next possession as they drove 73 yards in 14 plays and capped the drive with a 20-yard field goal by sophomore kicker
Evan Lyons (Superior, Colo./Monarch) with 2:26 left in the quarter.
Tosches added his second touchdown catch just two-plus minutes into the fourth quarter as he caught a five-yard pass from Fuller to give the Pack a 37-21 lead. The two touchdowns by Tosches pushed his season total to six.
Junior running back
Emanuel Fincher (McKinney, Texas/McKinney North) gave the Pack a 44-21 lead following a 55-yard touchdown run with 9:36 left in the fourth quarter. The touchdown by Fincher was the first of his career. Fincher just missed his first 100-yard rushing game as he gained 99 yards on six carries for the Pack.
Senior receiver
Reggie Retzlaff (Corona, Calif./Riverside City College) pushed the Pack's lead to 51-24 with 5:36 left in the fourth quarter thanks to a 39-yard touchdown pass from Fuller. Retzlaff's touchdown was his seventh of the season and 19th of his career. Retzalff finished the game with 10 catches for 158 yards.
Following a turnover on the Skyhawks' next possession, the Pack pushed its lead to 58-24 following a 1-yard touchdown run by senior running back
Ty Virgin (San Diego, Calif./Azusa Pacific.
Fuller finished the game 10-for-19 passing for 216 yards and had three touchdown passes and an interception, while senior quarterback
Devin Larsen (Gilbert, Ariz./Western New Mexico) was 12-for-21 passing for 82 yards in the win.
The Pack missed a chance to take an early in Saturday's game as Lyons missed a 35-yard field goal on its opening possession.
Following that missed field goal, Fort Lewis would move the ball down the field and cap a 6-play, 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Walker to Jamille Humphrey with 1:02 left in the opening quarter.
The Pack, though, would get on the scoreboard just about two minutes into the second quarter as senior kicker
Jacob Willig (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) connected on a 35-yard field goal to cut FLC's lead to 7-3.
On the Skyhawks' ensuing possession, redshirt freshman defensive back
Dre'Monti Jackson (Denver, Colo./Dr. MLK Early College) picked off a Walker pass at the FLC 36-yard line and two plays later, the Pack scored its first touchdown on a 25-yard touchdown pass from junior receiver
Zack Rakowsky (Loveland, Colo./Loveland) to junior tight end
Tyler Dvorak (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) to give the Pack a 10-7 lead with 12:36 left in the opening half.
The Pack pushed its lead to 13-7 following a 33-yard field goal by Willig with 9:48 left in the second quarter.
FLC would take advantage of Russell fumble with about seven minutes left in the second quarter and take a 14-13 lead following an 8-yard touchdown pass from Walker to Xavier Rauls with 2:44 left in the first half.
Meanwhile, the Pack defense held Fort Lewis to 280 yards of offense, limiting them to just 127 yards in the second half. The Pack defense also forced five turnovers in the game, including picking off four passes, which are the most in a game since collecting five interceptions against Fort Lewis in 2022 and tied a season-high with five sacks. The Pack offense had three turnovers in the game.
Walker finished the game 20-for-33 passing for 214 yards, rushed 11 times for 29 yards, and tallied 243 yards of total offense.
The Pack will return to action next Saturday, Oct. 19 as they host Black Hills State for a 1 p.m. RMAC game in the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl.
