PUEBLO, Colo. – The No. 18/19th-ranked Colorado State University Pueblo extended its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win streak to 11 consecutive wins here Saturday afternoon as the ThunderWolves scored a season-high 67 points in posting a 67-28 win over New Mexico Highlands on Homecoming 2024 and Hall of Fame Day in the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl.
 
With the win, the Pack improved to 5-1 overall and 4-0 in the RMAC and its current 11-game RMAC win streak is the longest for the program since also winning 11 straight league games from 2019-21 and is currently the third longest conference win streak in Division II football. Only Harding (20) and Kutztown (Pa.) (13) have won more consecutive league games than the Pack following Colorado School of Mines' 14-13 road loss Saturday at Colorado Mesa to snap the Orediggers' 24-game conference win streak. New Mexico Highlands fell to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the RMAC.
 
Along with winning its third straight game overall and 11th consecutive conference game, Saturday's victory also improved the Pack to 16-0 in homecoming games since the program rebooted in 2008 and 32-6 overall in homecoming games since 1963. The 95 combined points in Saturday's game were the most ever in a homecoming game for the Pack and the 67 points scored were the second-most ever scored by the Pack in a homecoming game as they tallied 75 points in a 75-3 win over Fort Lewis on Homecoming 2022.
 
One week after scoring a then season-high 66 points in a 66-10 win at Adams State, the Pack bettered that tally by one point as they 67 points in Saturday's win, and that 67 points are the fourth most scored in a game in school history. During its current 11-game RMAC winning streak, the Pack are averaging 50.4 points per game and allowing just 13.8 points per game.
 
For the game, the Pack offense finished with 576 yards as they rushed 25 times for 197 yards and averaged 7.9 yards per rush and scored four touchdowns, while they passed for 379 yards as the Pack's four quarterbacks were a combined 20-for-27 passing with four touchdowns and no interceptions.
 
"We finally put four quarters together. It's taken six games, but we played all four quarters today," second-year CSU Pueblo head football coach Philip Vigil said. "I am proud of our guys today. They did a good job against a team we were worried about. Their offense is a lot to handle and our defense held them when we needed them to, our offense was extremely efficient today, plus we scored on special teams and created an explosive play on special teams. Just a really good team effort today."
 
The Pack jumped out to a 7-0 lead just four-plus minutes in the game as senior running back Howard Russell V (Phoenix, Ariz./Eastern New Mexico) scored on a 27-yard touchdown run. The drive was set up following an interception by sophomore defensive back Donovan English (Pomona, Calif./Colony) to stymie Highlands' opening possession of the game.
 
On the ensuing possession, NMHU appeared heading to tying the game as they drove 73 yards in 12 plays, but the Pack defense stepped up and used a one-yard tackle for loss by sophomore defensive lineman Jusiah Sampleton (Giddings, Texas/Gidding) on a 4-and-goal play from the 2-yard line.
 
The second quarter featured a total of 45 combined points and 380 yards of offense as the Pack outscored the Cowboys, 39-6, to take a 46-6 lead at the half.
 
In the second quarter, the Pack got the scoring started on a 5-yard touchdown run by senior running back Korien Burrell (Beaumont, Texas/Henderson State) to cap a 4-play, 80-yard drive with 12:58 left in the quarter. The big play on the drive was a 60-yard pass reception by senior receiver Taylor Tosches (Temecula, Calif./Southwestern Oklahoma State) from senior quarterback Devin Larsen (Gilbert, Ariz./Western New Mexico).

The Pack pushed its lead to 21-0 on its new offensive possession as junior receiver Xavier Marshall (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield College) caught a 58-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Steven Croell (Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield).
 
On the ensuing kickoff, the Pack executed an onside kick off play that was recovered by sophomore defensive back Kahden Rullo (Denver, Colo./Grandview) at the Pack 44-yard line. Two plays later, Russell scored his second touchdown of the game on a 7-yard run with 9:38 left in the quarter and the Pack added a 2-point conversion on a pass from junior tight end Tyler Dvorak (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) to junior long snapper Brayden Starmer (Mesa, Ariz./Western New Mexico) to give the Pack a 29-0 lead.
 
After the Pack defense held the Cowboys to a 3-and-out on its next possession, the Pack added fifth touchdown of the game on a 73-yard punt return to a touchdown by redshirt junior receiver Reece Robinson (Los Angeles, Calif./Antelope Valley) to give the Pack a 36-0 lead following the extra point by junior kicker Jacob Willig (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) with 7:30 left in the opening half. The punt return for a score was the first for the Pack since senior receiver Andrew Cook (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge) returned a punt 70 yards to a touchdown last season at home against Western Colorado.
 
Robinson finished the game with 107 all-purpose yards along with his 73-yard punt return, he also caught two passes for 34 yards.
 
NMHU would finally get on the scoreboard on its next possession as they drove 80 yards in 13 plays and capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Joey Cave to Teneil Nichols to cut the Pack's lead to 36-6 with 1:33 left in the quarter. The two-point conversion failed for the Cowboys.
 
The Pack though came right back and drove 56 yards in four plays and capped the drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Roman Fuller (Decatur, Texas/University of Tulsa) to redshirt senior receiver Nigel Mitchell (Red Bank, N.J./Red Bank Regional) to give the Pack a 43-6 lead with 47 seconds left.
 
On the ensuing Cowboys possession, NMHU's Tevita Valeti fumbled the ball on the first play of the drive and the fumble, which was forced by English and recovered by sophomore linebacker Gary Seidenberger (Fredericksburg, Texas/Fredericksburg) at the NMHU 33-yard line with 36 seconds left in the half.
 
The Pack would cap the scoring in the second quarter on a 41-yard field goal by Willig as the clock expired. Willig's kick gave the Pack a 46-6 halftime lead.
 
On the opening drive of the third quarter, the Pack extended its lead to 53-6 following a 6-yard touchdown run by Burrell just 3:20 into the third quarter.
 
NMHU answered right back on a 4-yard run by Cayden Walton and added a two-point conversion on a pass from Cave to Walton to cut the Pack's lead to 53-14 with 7:37 left in the third quarter.
 
On the next possession by the Pack, sophomore receiver Verlis Smith (Modesto, Calif./Ceres) caught his first career touchdown pass as he hauled in a 27-yard pass from Fuller to push the Pack's lead to 60-14 with 5:46 left in the third quarter.
 
The Cowboys would respond right back on its ensuing possession as Cave hooked up with Nichols for a 26-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter to drop the Pack's lead to 60-20.
 
NMHU would add another score just four-plus minutes into the fourth quarter on a 1-yard pass from Cave to Walton to drop the Pack's lead to 60-26 with 10:48 left in the game and the Cowboys added a 2-point conversion on a 13-yard pass from Cave to Nichols.
 
On the Pack's ensuing drive, they marched down the field as they held onto to the ball for 8:21 and capped the 12-play, 75-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Larsen to redshirt sophomore linebacker Thomas Carroll (Upland, Calif./Damien) with 2:27 left in the game. Carroll's first career touchdown pushed the Pack's lead to 67-28.
 
Three Pack quarterbacks passed for over 100 yards in the win as Larsen was 9-for-14 passing for 139 yards and had one touchdown pass, while Fuller was 5-for-6 for 110 yards and two touchdowns and Croell finished a perfect 5-for-5 passing for 118 yards and had a touchdown pass.
 
Russell led the ground attack for the Pack as he carried the ball seven times for 108 yards and averaged 15.4 yards per carry and scored two times to push his season total to eight rushing scores, which leads the RMAC. Burrell added 62 yards on eight carries, scored twice, and averaged 7.8 yards per carry.
 
Tosches caught three passes for a game-high 103 yards, while Smith caught four passes for 74 yards and Marshall caught two passes for 77 yards. In the game, 13 different players caught at least one pass.
 
The Pack won the turnover battle, 3-0, for the third time this season. The Pack now has a +1 turnover margin on the season.
 
NMHU, who held a nearly 10-minute advantage in time of possession, finished the game 308 yards rushing on 53 carries and passed for just 48 yards as the Cowboys tallied 356 yards against the Pack defense in the loss.

Cave finished the game with 128 rushing yards and 48 passing yards for 176 yards of total offense, while Valeti added 94 yards rushing and Walton had 44 yards rushing. Nichols caught two passes for 31 yards in the game.
 
The Pack was also 4-for-7 on third down and a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone on Saturday. On the season, the Pack is now 24-for-31 in the red zone. 
 
CSU Pueblo will look to make it 12 straight RMAC wins next Saturday, Oct. 12 as they travel to Durango, Colo., for a 2 p.m. contest against Fort Lewis. Fort Lewis enters the game with a 1-4 overall record and an 0-3 RMAC record following its 44-7 loss Saturday night at 13th-ranked Western Colorado.