PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo will make its 2024 season debut on Thursday evening in Rapid City, S.D., as the ThunderWolves play the first of its 11 regular season games at South Dakota Mines. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Dunham Field at O'Harra Stadium.
 
Thursday's game will not only mark the first game of the 2024 season for the Pack, but it will also mark the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opener for both teams as it is the earliest conference opener for the Pack since playing at Utah Tech to open the 2019 season.

The Pack, who will be led this season by second-year head coach Philip Vigil, return 21 starters and 65 lettermen from last season's 8-3 team that finished with a 7-2 mark in the RMAC and ended the season winning its final seven games, including a 35-28 win in Rapid City against the Hardrockers in the second to last game of the 2023 season. The seven-game winning streak entering this season is the third longest active win streak in Division II football heading into the 2024 campaign.
 
 "Anytime you can put the pads on and play someone else that is exciting, and we're looking forward to being able to go up to Rapid City and see who we are against South Dakota Mines," Vigil said. "We always try to keep the focus on getting better every practice and improving, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a different energy (in practice) when you're preparing for another team."
 
Perhaps one of the biggest differences this season is the fact that the Pack will open the season by playing an RMAC opponent, as opposed to a non-conference foe as they have done since the 2019 season when the Pack opened the season at Utah Tech.
 
"The margin for error is smaller when facing a conference opponent to open the season. If you drop a non-conference game early in the season, you still have an opportunity to win the conference, but if you drop a conference game early in the season, you don't control your own destiny," Vigil said when asked about opening the season against an RMAC opponent. "But ultimately, I think playing an RMAC opponent in week zero will give us the greatest advantage that we can have later in the season and that is to get our guys back and healthy following our bye week in week seven."
 
By opening the season with an RMAC game at South Dakota Mines, the Pack will now have a bye week on Oct. 26, before concluding the regular season with RMAC games at Western Colorado, at home against Colorado School of Mines, and on the road at Chadron State.
 
Vigil says that his team's practices have been going well this preseason and a lot of that has to do with the sheer amount of players returning from last year's team.
 
"The players know what to expect every day when they come out to practice now that we're a year into it. The players understand what we're asking them to do as they've had a year in the offense, the defense, and the special teams. They (the players) know the schemes and now they don't have to think, they can just go out and play," the Pack coach said.
 
The Pack returns eight starters on the offensive side of the ball but must find a replacement for quarterback Chance Fuller, who is now serving as an assistant coach working with the quarterbacks. In his lone season with the Pack in 2023, Fuller, who was an Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection and nominee for the Harlon Hill Trophy, was 242-for-384 passing for 2,910 yards, tossed a single season school record 34 touchdown passes, completed 63 percent of his passes, and ranked in the Top 10 in NCAA Division II in passing touchdowns (34), completions per game (22.0), and passing yards per game (264.5 yards per game).
 
"It's hard to replace a guy like Chance (Fuller). He set a school record last year for touchdown passes and was a tremendous player and leader," said Vigil when asked about Fuller's loss.
 
The battle for the top quarterback spot has been competitive this preseason according to Vigil as the three players aiming for the starting quarterback spot are redshirt senior Steven Croell (Broomfield, Colo./Broomfield), senior Devin Larsen (Gilbert, Ariz./Western New Mexico) and senior Roman Fuller (Decatur, Texas/University of Tulsa).
 
"We've got three guys that are battling for that starting quarterback role and I'm looking to seeing how those three battle over the next week. We are going to put the guy out there that puts us in the best position to win football games and those three guys are very talented football players and the margin for error between those three is very thin," added Vigil.
 
Vigil says he is very excited about his offense this season as he believes they will be better at every position on the field this year than they were a season ago. Last season's offense finished in the Top 20 nationally in Division II in scoring (42.0 points per game), passing offense (289.7 yards per game), and red zone offense (87.8 percent).
 
"I think we'll be good, if not, better at every position this year. The one question mark we have going into the first game is who is going to be throwing and handing off the football," Vigil added.
 
One of the biggest question marks for the Pack coming into last season centered around its offensive line, but this season's line has almost everyone back from last season except for one player up front.
 
"We've got a lot of experience on the offensive line this season. These guys have played together a lot, and that continuity up front is so important for successful football teams," said the coach.
 
Among the key returners on the offensive line are senior left guard Arthur Braach (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo East), junior right guard Domingo Prince II (Aurora, Colo./Cherry Creek), sophomore left tackle Tyler Ethridge (Midlothian, Texas/Midlothian), sophomore center Senon Chapple (Fort Worth, Texas/Fossil Ridge). Braach, Prince, and Chapple all earned All-RMAC honors last season, while Chapple became the fourth Pack player to earn RMAC Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors.
 
Perhaps the deepest position on the offensive side of the ball this season is the receivers and tight ends. The Pack returns three of its top four pass catchers from last season and has added some impact transfers that have added both depth and playmaking ability, according to Vigil.
 
"Our receiver position is an exciting position for us. We've recruited well in that room and have added some playmaking power to that room that was already full of playmakers," Vigil stated.
 
Among the key returning receivers returning from last season are senior Reggie Retzlaff (Corona, Calif./Riverside City College), junior Zack Rakowsky (Loveland, Colo./Loveland) and junior tight end Tyler Dvorak (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek). Those three, who all earned All-RMAC honors in 2023, combined to catch 134 passes for 1,808 yards and haul in 22 touchdown receptions.
 
Rakowsky led the way as he caught 58 passes for 769 yards and had six touchdown receptions, while Retzlaff caught 48 passes for a team-best 805 yards and tied a single-season school record with 12 touchdown passes and Dvorak caught 28 passes for 234 yards and had four touchdown catches.
 
In addition to the returning receivers, the Pack also welcomes back redshirt senior receiver Nigel Mitchell (Red Bank, N.J./Red Bank Regional), who sat out last season due to injury. In 2022, Mitchell caught 14 passes for 196 yards and averaged 14.0 yards per reception and also was strong in the return game.
 
"Nigel (Mitchell) is back from injury and is one of the fastest guys in the conference, while Zack (Rakowsky) is an absolute stud and Reggie (Retzlaff) had an outstanding record-setting season last year," the Pack coach added.
 
Among some of the newcomer receivers listed on the two-deep heading into the season opener are senior transfer Taylor Tosches (Temecula, Calif./Southwestern Oklahoma State), redshirt freshman Clint Thomas, Jr. (Chiefland, Fla./Chiefland), and junior Xavier Marshall (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield College).
 
Another position that is strong on offense is running back as the top returner is senior Howard Russell VI (Phoenix, Ariz./Eastern New Mexico), who gained 585 yards rushing on 80 carries, scored five touchdowns, and averaged 7.3 rushing yards per game. Other top running backs this season include redshirt junior Ty Virgin (San Diego, Calif./Azusa Pacific), sophomore Mossah Alsaffar (Aurora, Colo./Grandview), and senior transfer Korien Burrell (Beaumont, Texas/Henderson State). Both Russell and Alsaffar earned All-RMAC honors last season.
 
"The running back room is also very special this season," Vigil said.
 
Vigil says that the depth on the offensive side of the ball this season has helped create competition at every position.
 
"When you're building a program, you want to create as much competition in every position as possible and I feel right now, we have a lot of positions where we're deeper than we've ever been and that helps, not only in practice, but more importantly, it helps as the season goes on because injuries happen," Vigil said. "The competition is important because even if you're not the guy, you're pushing the guy to be better."
 
While the offense returns eight starters, the Pack defense welcomes back nine starters, including 10 of its top 12 tacklers from a season ago. The lone defensive starters gone this season are defensive backs Cory McLellan and Donyai Dixon, who each earned All-RMAC honors as seniors in 2023.
 
The Pack defense led the RMAC and was 10th in Division II in sacks with 36, was 13th nationally in turnover margin (+12), and 17th nationally in fumbles recovered (11).
 
Among the defensive starters returning are senior linebacker Jon Nuschy (La Junta, Colo./Northern Colorado), senior two-time All-American defensive back Daniel Bone III (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek), senior defensive back Eli Pittman (Peoria, Ariz./Liberty), sophomore linebacker Gary Seidenberger (Fredricksburg, Texas/Fredricksburg), senior defensive lineman James Turrentine (Elk Grove, Calif./American River College), senior defensive lineman Makeah Scippio (Peyton, Colo./Harrison), fifth-year senior defensive lineman Dominick Fini (Colorado Springs, Colo./Mesa Ridge), junior defensive back Keith Mckaney (Avondale, Ariz./Desert Edge) and senior defensive lineman Cody Ramming (Littleton, Colo./Littleton). All nine of the returning defensive starters were All-RMAC selections last season. At the same time, Bone repeated as an All-American honoree and Seidenberger was the fifth Pack player to earn RMAC Defensive Freshman of the Year accolades.
 
"Coach (Caid) Faske and his staff have done a good job recruiting. They've done a good job developing these guys and we have a lot of guys on defense who are playing at a high level, so I'm excited to see them let loose and play somebody else Thursday night," Vigil said.
 
The Pack's special teams are also expected to be another strength this year as they return several key kickoff and punt returners, plus its top two kickers from last season. The Pack earned the NCAA Division II national statistical title for kickoff return average last season as they averaged 29.95 yards per return and had three kickoffs returned for touchdowns, including two by Alsaffar, who was named a First-Team All-RMAC selection as a return specialist after averaging 76 yards per return on three kickoff returns.
 
"Coach (Mac) Alexander does an unbelievable job of creating buy-in into the den. That's what we call it. It's an elite fraternity that you must earn your way onto, and our guys have bought into it and understand how important special teams are," Vigil said about his special teams unit. "When we talk about tilting the field and winning the special teams battle, you get one play and don't get a redo. If you mess up on a punt or kickoff, that may be the difference in the game, and we make sure every day in practice to emphasize it. But, ultimately, just like on offense and defense, we're going to put our best guys out there on teams."
 
Vigil says the depth of his team at many positions this season will help a lot of guys being able to make the bus because of what they do on special teams.
 
"If you want to play, if you want to be on that travel roster of 65 players and you're a fringe player, you better be on every single special teams unit," Vigil stressed.
 
Vigil's second team does have several changes to the coaching staff from a season ago as Brian Natkin joined the Pack just two days before spring practice began as the offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator, while former six-year NFL cornerback Kevin Peterson joined the coaching staff in early August as the Pack's cornerback coach. In addition, Neema Behbahani has shifted over to coach linebackers this season after coaching the cornerbacks last season.
 
"We lost two good coaches in Garrett Graf and Ryan Tuley. Those guys were a crucial part of our success last year not only in how many games we won but also in recruiting. Replacing people is hard and I think the most important thing I do as a head coach is finding the right people to bring into this family and I honestly think we knocked it out of the park with both of these hires," Vigil said. "Brian (Natkin) came to us from Sam Houston State, but before that, he spent five years in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. He is an unbelievable teacher and that is what sets him apart. Kevin (Peterson) arrived right before fall camp began and came highly recommended. He was with the Arizona Cardinals doing a minority coaching fellowship and left that to come to be with the Pack. He is stepping into a good room as we've got five or six corners that are really good players. He has been able to go in and teach the little nuances and the guys know that anything he says, they take it to heart because he was where they want to be, so he's been a great addition to our staff and has done a good job."
 
One of the biggest keys for the Pack this season will be being able to take care of today and improving each and every day.
 
"I know I sound like a broken record, but I believe the most important key is about focusing on today and how we get better today? How do I focus on this rep, and how can I be great on this rep? And if we take care of this rep, the results will take care of themselves," the coach stated. "We need to follow our core standards, our core beliefs, which is - to love, to serve, to believe. We need to connect well with each other, we need to love each other, and we need to serve this team and serve each other, and we need to believe the best is still yet to come and if we do those things, we're going to be okay."
 
The 2024 season is a special year for Pack football as it will mark the 61st anniversary of the Pack's first-ever game as a four-year school in 1963 and also marks the 10th anniversary of the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship team. The school's first-ever game as a four-year school came on Sept. 14, 1963, as the Pack fell 21-20 to Emporia State in Pueblo and that game will be celebrated when the Pack hosts Grand Valley State on Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. MT, while the 2014 National Championship team will be celebrated at the Pack's final home of the 2024 season on Nov. 9 against Colorado School of Mines at 1 p.m. MT.

"I think one of the reasons this place is special is because of the history. When you get an opportunity this year to celebrate that 10 years ago, CSU Pueblo won a national championship, that is a special thing. There are a lot of schools that are good programs that have never won a national championship, and we've got one here. As soon as we walk in the door every day, we get to see the national championship trophy," Vigil said. "So, honoring those guys and honoring the guys that were here before when it was Southern Colorado State College (SCSC) and then the University of Southern Colorado (USC). It is the rich football history of this place that makes it special, and this year will be special for the history of this program."
 
Thursday's season opener with South Dakota Mines will mark the eighth-ever meeting between the two schools that began in 2016. The Pack is a perfect 7-0 all-time against the Hardrockers, including being 4-0 in Rapid City. Last season, the Pack earned a 35-28 win against South Dakota Mines in Rapid City. Additionally, the Pack is 20-0 all-time against football-playing schools from the state of South Dakota.
 
Since the Pack football program restarted in 2008, CSU Pueblo is 13-2 in season opening games and is 27-10 all-time in season openers since becoming a four-year school in 1963. Thursday's game on the road with South Dakota Mines will be the earliest season opener since opening the 2017 season with a home RMAC game against Mines, a game the Pack won 38-7. Last season, the Pack picked up a 37-8 win at home over Midwestern State on Sept. 2.
 
The South Dakota Mines game will be the first of 11 regular season games for the Pack, including one of the nine games in the RMAC. Six of those 11 games will be played at home in the CSU ThunderBowl.
 
Following Thursday's season opener at South Dakota Mines, the Pack will open the home portion of its 2024 schedule on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. against the University of Texas Permian Basin. That game will start a string of three straight home games for the Pack as they also host Grand Valley State on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m., and host Colorado Mesa for an RMAC game on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m.
 
ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
South Dakota Mines comes into the 2024 season looking to post its third winning season in the last four years as the Hardrockers were tabbed to finish sixth in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 42 points. Last season, South Dakota Mines finished with a 5-6 record and tied for sixth in the RMAC with a 4-5 league record.
 
The Hardrockers finished the 2023 season with one of the top offenses and defenses in the league as they were third in the league in total offense (418.3 yards per game), fourth in scoring offense (34.2 points per game), second in red zone offense (92.5 percent), third in passing offense (253.3 yards per game and third in rushing offense (165.0 yards per game), while on defense, they were third in total defense (295.1 yards per game), and third in scoring defense (23.3 points per game).
 
"There are always a lot of unknowns heading into the first game of the season. Even if they have the same coordinators as last year, you don't know from a personnel standpoint what they've got and what new schemes they've picked up, so there is always an element of the unknown," Vigil said when asked about South Dakota Mines. "But I know that we're going to see on Thursday night a well-coached team that is going to play extremely hard."
 
South Dakota Mines, who is coached by fifth-year head coach Charlie Flohr, welcomes back three of its top four pass receivers, two of its top four rushers, and 12 of its top 14 tacklers last season, but must find a replacement for its top quarterback Jayden Johannsen and top receiver Ben Noland, both of which did not return this season.
 
"Charlie has done an unbelievable job at South Dakota Mines. He has taken that place that was not very good and has turned it into a contender in the RMAC," Vigil said about Flohr, who is 20-17 as the Hardrockers' head coach. "They've got a lot of guys returning on both sides of the ball, including 10 to 11 guys on defense. That is a defense that is going to hold the box and expect you to make plays on the edge, which is something we were able to do last year. I expect them to once again do some things defensively that will make it difficult for us offensively."
 
Among the key offensive returners for the Hardrockers are redshirt senior receiver Max Hoatson,  redshirt junior tight end Henry Dryden, junior running back Ty Harris and redshirt junior receiver Mason Galbreath. Hoatson caught 42 passes for 486 yards and had five touchdown receptions, while Dryden caught 34 passes for 422 yards and had seven touchdown receptions, Harris rushed 67 times for 361 yards and scored six touchdowns and Galbreath caught 17 passes for 190 yards and had three touchdown receptions.
 
The expected replacement for Johannsen at quarterback is expected to be redshirt senior Jake Martinelli, who saw action in seven games as Johannsen's backup. In seven games last season, Martinelli was 13-for-21 passing for 179 yards and had two interceptions and one touchdown pass.
 
"On offense, they (South Dakota Mines) always do a good job of moving around their playmakers and finding mismatches and putting their guys in a great position to make plays," said Vigil. "We've got to find a way on defense to make sure that we can slow those guys down and play our brand of football."
 
Meanwhile, the Hardrockers' top returners on defense are senior linebacker Hunter Newsom, senior defensive back Kaleb Tischler, senior linebacker Jacob Schwab, junior defensive back Will Lester, senior defensive lineman Caleb Franklin, and sophomore linebacker Isaac Engle.
 
Newsom was one of the top tacklers in the RMAC last season as he recorded 99 tackles, including 55 solo tackles and added 11.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, and one interception. Tischler tallied 70 tackles, four tackles for a loss, had two interceptions, and posted six pass break-ups, while Schwab had 60 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks, Lester added 42 tackles, three tackles for a loss, and five pass break-ups. Franklin had 31 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, 5.5 sacks, and blocked a kick and Engle tallied 30 tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss, a sack, and two quarterback hurries.
 
On special teams, the Hardrockers return its top kicker in senior Connor Taylor, who was second on the team in points scored with 62 as he was 5-for-7 on field goals and 47-for-51 on extra points and its top kick returner, Harris, but will need to replace both its punter (Johannsen) and its top punt returner (Noland).