PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo and Grand Valley State University played one of the top games so far this season in Division II here Saturday evening as the No. 3 ranked Lakers survived a fourth-quarter rally by the No. 22 ranked ThunderWolves to post a 24-21 non-conference victory in front of 8,057 fans on Throw Back Night at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl.
 
The Pack, who trailed 17-0 at the half, outscored the Lakers, 21-7 in the second half, scoring 14 points in the final quarter and had a chance late in the game to force overtime.
 
With the setback, the Pack fell to 2-1 overall on the season and saw its nine-game win streak that dated to last snapped, while GVSU improved to 2-0 on the season and is now 6-0 all-time against the Pack. The nine-game win streak was Division II football's second-longest active streak.
 
After watching the Lakers score on its first three possessions, the Pack defense would hold the Lakers off the scoreboard until late in the third quarter. In the opening quarter, GVSU outgained the Pack, 171-111, but the Pack was able to outgain the Lakers, 282-230, over the game's final three quarters. In the second half, the Pack outgained the Lakers, 214-171.
 
For the game, the Pack finished with 378 yards of offense as they passed for 309 yards and rushed for just 69 yards on 26 carries, while GVSU tallied 401 yards of offense as they rushed the ball 45 times for 239 yards and passed for 162 yards.
 
Trailing 17-0 at the half, the Pack was able to dent the scoreboard on its first possession of the second half thanks to a 15-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Devin Larsen (Gilbert, Ariz./Western New Mexico) to junior tight end Tyler Dvorak (Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek) with 8:19 left in the quarter. The big play on the drive was a 65-yard pass from Larsen to senior receiver Reggie Retzlaff (Corona, Calif./Riverside City College).
 
Retzlaff, who entered the game leading Division II in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, caught was targeted 13 times and caught seven passes for 147 yards and has now hauled in 25 passes for 552 yards and is averaging 22.2 yards per reception and 184 receiving yards per game. Retzlaff, who has had five touchdown catches on the season, was held without a touchdown in Saturday's game.
 
The Lakers would extend its lead to 24-7 following a four-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Jones with 14 seconds left in the quarter. The big play on the drive was an 18-yard run by Lakers quarterback Avery Moore on a 3-and-5 play from the Pack 22-yard line.
 
Following GVSU's score, the Pack would answer back as they drove eight plays in 75 yard and capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Larsen to redshirt senior receiver Nigel Mitchell (Red Bank, N.J./Red Bank Regional) to cut Grand Valley's lead to 24-14.
 
Later in the fourth quarter, the Pack had a chance to pull with seven points as junior receiver Zack Rakowsky (Loveland, Colo./Loveland) got the drive started with a 28-yard punt return and an ensuing 15-yard penalty by the Lakers gave the Pack the ball at GVSU's 24-yard line. The drive would eventually stall and a 33-yard field goal attempt by sophomore kicker Evan Lyons (Superior, Colo./Monarch) was missed with 5:21 left in the game.
 
On GVSU's ensuing possession, the Pack was able to force a GVSU fumble and that fumble was returned 24 yards by sophomore linebacker Bryson Torrie (Denver, Colo./Vista Park), but Torrie fumbled the ball on the GVSU 6-yard line to give the ball back to the Lakers with 2:04 remaining.
 
The possession by the Lakers was stalled after three plays and following a 61-yard punt by GVSU's Trace Hrgich, the Pack would take over the ball at its 19-yard line with 50 seconds left. The Pack offense drove 81 yards on five plays in 46 seconds and capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Larsen to senior receiver Taylor Tosches (Temecula, Calif./SW Oklahoma State) to pull the Pack within 24-21 with four seconds left.
 
The Pack's onside kick attempt was kicked with four seconds left went out of bounds and the Lakers would take a knee to seal the win.
 
Larsen finished the night 24-for-42 passing for 309 yards and had three touchdown passes and one interception. Larsen is now 75-for-122 passing for 1,104 yards and has tossed 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.
 
Along with catching five passes for 67 yards, Rakowsky added 49 yards on five punt returns to finish with 116 all-purpose yards. Dvorak caught five passes for 44 yards in the loss.
 
Senior running back Howard Russell V (Phoenix, Ariz./Eastern New Mexico) carried the ball 18 times for 72 yards. The Lakers entered the game having allowed just 60 yards rushing yards on the season.
 
On the opening possession of the game, the Pack drove 53 yards in six plays, but on a fourth-and-3 play from the GVSU 15-yard line, Larsen was sacked for a 7-yard loss to turn the ball over to the Lakers.
 
Following that sack, the Lakers drove 78 yards in four plays and scored the first points of the game on a 2-yard touchdown run by Moore. The big play on the drive was a 47-yard rush by Khalil Eichelberger. Eichelberger finished the night with 95 yards rushing on 14 carries.
 
After the Pack went three-and-out on its next possession, the Lakers drove 62 yards in nine plays and capped the drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Moore to Kellen Reed to give the Lakers a 14-0 lead with 4:38 left in the opening quarter.
 
The following Pack possession resulted in a fumble by Larsen and eight plays later, the Lakers pushed its lead to 17-0 following a 41-yard field goal attempt by Mathew Bacik just a little over two-and-half minutes into the second quarter.
 
Following the Lakers field goal, the Pack drove into GVSU's territory, but the drive was halted following an interception by Larsen with 10:31 left in the quarter.
 
Moore was 14-for-22 passing for 162 yards and had one touchdown pass and was sacked three times by the Pack defense, who have now recorded nine sacks through three game this season. Moore also added 64 yards rushing for 226 yards of total offense.
 
Senior linebacker Jon Nuschy (La Junta, Colo./Northern Colorado) paced the Pack defense with a career-high 17 tackles and added a sack and a tackle for a loss. In addition to Nuschy, two-time senior All-American defensive back Daniel Bone III (Colorado Springs, Colo./Pine Creek) tallied 10 tackles and a tackle for a loss.
 
The Pack lost the turnover battle, 3-1, and were just 3-for-11 on third down conversions.
 
CSU Pueblo will look to rebound next Saturday, Sept. 21 as they conclude its three-game homestand with a 2 p.m. Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game against Colorado Mesa (1-1, 0-0 RMAC) on Band Day at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl. The Mavericks suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday as they fell 28-12 at home to 13th-ranked Central Washington.