CHADRON, Neb. – The No. 6/7th-ranked Colorado State University Pueblo football team outscored Chadron State 31-0 in the second half here Saturday afternoon to collect a 38-21 win over the Eagles here at Elliott Field in Don Beebe Stadium to earn the outright Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title and more than likely secure the No. 1 seed in Super Region Four of the NCAA Division II Playoffs when the playoff bracket is announced Sunday afternoon.

With the conclusion of the regular season on Saturday, the Pack will learn the match-ups for the NCAA Playoffs on Sunday, Nov. 17 as the NCAA will announce the 28-team field for the 2024 NCAA Division II Playoffs online at www.NCAA.com at 4 p.m. The first round of the playoffs begins on Saturday, Nov. 23 with the No. 1 seed in the region earning a bye and would not play until the second round on Saturday, Nov. 30.

The ThunderWolves extended its overall win streak to eight straight games and improve to 10-1 overall and 9-0 in the RMAC with Saturday's victory, while Chadron State ends the 2024 season 3-8 overall record and 2-7 mark in the RMAC. The victory also extended the Pack's RMAC win streak to 16 games, which is the second-longest active conference win streak in Division II and the Pack's ninth straight road win, which is also the second-longest active road streak in Division II football.

"First off, I am just so proud of these guys. God's hand has been on this team all year long and these guys just believe no matter what," CSU Pueblo head football coach Philip Vigil said. "We didn't tackle well in the first half. We were turning the ball over and I just told them at the half, let's go out and do it one play at a time. That's all we need is one play at a time and go and win the third quarter and see what happens in the fourth quarter."

The outright RMAC title is the first since 2014 for the Pack and the ninth overall league title in school history. In addition, it marked the first time the Pack finished undefeated in league play since 2013 when they went 9-0. It also marked the eighth 10-win season in program history.

After trailing 21-7 at the half, the Pack would score 31 unanswered points in the second half, including outscoring the Eagles, 24-0, in the third quarter to lead 31-21 heading into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Pack scored seven points to seal the victory. The win marks the second largest comeback since 2008 for the Pack as they trailed 21-3 at the halftime of its home game in 2012 against Chadron State. The Pack would ultimately win that game, 45-38, in overtime.

For the game, the Pack finished with 389 yards of offense as they rushed 36 times for 144 yards and passed for 245 yards. In the first half, the Pack were outgained, 198-152, but outgained the Eagles, 237-56, in the second half.

Junior running back Emanuel Fincher (McKinney, Texas/McKinney North) scored three of the Pack's five touchdowns as he finished with a career-high 140 yards rushing on 21 carries and averaged 6.7 yards per carry in his first career start.

Junior quarterback Roman Fuller (Decatur, Texas/University of Tulsa) was 20-for-32 passing for 245 yards and had two interceptions, and one touchdown pass to push his season total to 17, which is tied for eighth on the school's single-season list.

The Pack took the opening kickoff of the second half as they drove 67 yards in eight plays and capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run by Fincher to pull the Pack within 21-14 just three-plus minutes into the third quarter.

After holding the CSC offense to a three-and-out on its first possession, the Pack took over the ball at the Pack 45-yard line following an 18-yard punt by Brodie Eisenbraun. Two plays later, though, Fincher scored his third touchdown of the game on a 10-yard run with 8:53 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 21. The drive began with a 45-yard pass from Fuller to junior receiver Zack Rakowsky (Loveland, Colo./Loveland).

The Pack would retake the lead on its next possession following a blocked punt on the goal line by redshirt freshman linebacker Shallum Peter (Dallas, Texas/Lake Highlands). The blocked punt set up a 1-yard touchdown run by senior linebacker Noa Purcell (Kalihi, Hawai'i/Riverside City College) to give the Pack a 28-21 lead with 1:11 left in the third quarter.

On the following Chadron possession, senior defensive lineman Makeah Scippio (Colorado Springs, Colo./Harrison) recovered a fumble on the Pack 25-yard line and the Pack would extend its lead on a 32-yard field goal by junior kicker Jacob Willig (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) with 22 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Pack would record another blocked kick early in the fourth quarter as junior defensive back Keith Mckaney (Avondale, Ariz./Desert Edge) blocked a 22-yard field goal attempt by Yee to thwart an Eagle scoring drive.

CSU Pueblo pushed its lead to 38-21 with 5:19 left in the fourth quarter following a 31-yard touchdown pass from Fuller to senior receiver Taylor Tosches (Temecula, Calif./Southwestern Oklahoma State).

In the first half, the Pack got on the scoreboard on its opening possession of the game as Fincher scored on a 1-yard run just five-plus minutes into the game.

On Chadron's second possession of the game, the Eagles drove 55 yards in 14 plays, but the drive stalled, and Wilson Yee missed a 37-yard field goal with 1:40 left in the opening quarter.

CSC would tie the game at 7-all following a 1-yard plunge Isaac Jean-Pierre with 9:53 left in the second quarter. The score was set up by a trick play on a 49-yard pass from wide receiver Grant Swenson to Pearson.

On the Eagles' next drive, they drove 47 yards in five plays and capped the drive with a 16-yard pass from Pearson to Chase Nelson to give CSC a 14-7 lead with 4:31 left in the quarter.

The Eagles' next score came off an interception by Fuller and one play later, Jean-Pierre scored from eight yards out to push their lead to 21-7 with 1:06 left in the half.

Chadron State tallied 254 yards offense in the game as Pearson was 16-for-25 passing for 130 yards and added 30 yards rushing in the loss.

The Pack defense finished with two sacks and five tackles for a loss as sophomore linebacker Gary Seidenberger (Fredericksburg, Texas/Fredericksburg) finished with eight tackles, while senior linebacker Jon Nuschy (La Junta, Colo./Northern Colorado) added seven tackles in the win.