PUEBLO, Colo. – The No. 4/6th-ranked Colorado State University Pueblo football team will make its second consecutive and 11th all-time appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs this Saturday, Nov. 22, as the Super Region No. 3 seeded ThunderWolves host UT Permian Basin of the Lone Star Conference in a first-round game set for a 1:02 p.m. kickoff in the ThunderBowl.
CSU Pueblo makes a second straight trip to the postseason after qualifying for the 32-team playoffs as the automatic qualifier from the RMAC after earning its second straight league title with its 30-27 double overtime win last Saturday over 22nd-ranked Chadron State. For the second straight season, the Pack finished the regular season with a 10-1 overall record and an unblemished 9-0 RMAC in back-to-back seasons. The undefeated record in RMAC is the sixth for the program since its reboot in 2008.
Meanwhile, UTPB, which tied for second in the LSC, comes into the game having won four straight games to close the regular season and is sporting a 9-2 overall record and went 7-2 in the LSC. The Falcons are also making their second-ever playoff appearance and first since 2023 when they fell 10-3 in the first round at home to Bemidji State.
The Pack, who is 9-9 all-time in the NCAA Division II Playoffs, including being 5-4 in home playoff games, enters the postseason having won nine straight games since suffering a 36-35 home loss in its second game of the season to Fort Hays State. The nine-game win streak is currently tied for the fourth-longest active streak in Division II football.
"We're excited to get the chance to once again get the opportunity to play football this weekend," CSU Pueblo head coach
Philip Vigil said. "There are only 32 teams that are still playing football this weekend, and we're glad we also get to play at home again in the ThunderBowl against another really quality opponent."
In last weekend's double overtime win over Chadron State, the Pack extended its RMAC win streak to 25 consecutive victories, which is the longest active conference win streak in Division II football, after using a 19-yard walk-off touchdown pass from senior quarterback
Roman Fuller (Decatur, Texas/University of Tulsa) to sophomore receiver
Marcellus Honeycutt, Jr. (Denver, Colo./Eastern Washington) to cap the victory and secure its 10th all-time RMAC Championship.
"I am really proud of our team. For the past three weeks, I think we've probably had the hardest three-week schedule of anybody in the country, and good teams find ways to win, and our team continued that last Saturday," said Vigil, who is now 28-6 in his third season as the Pack coach. "Our guys just stayed in the game and made enough plays when we needed it against a really good Chadron State team."
Fuller's walk-off touchdown pass to Honeycutt, Jr., was his school record 66th pass attempt of the game and his school record 40th pass completion as he finished the game 40-for-66 passing for a career-high 442 yards and had three touchdown passes. The Pack offense ran a school record 109 plays in the win, tallied a school-record 38 first downs, held the ball for nearly 37 minutes, and converted a school-record 12 third-down conversions.
"Chadron State did a good job defensively of limiting big plays, and for us to be extremely successful offensively, we had to have some long drives, which produced 38 first downs, which was a school record. We had 109 total plays, and we're above 50 percent on third downs, which was huge," the Pack coach added.
Fuller's top targets in the passing against Chadron State were senior receivers –
Reggie Retzlaff (Corona, Calif./Riverside City College) and
Zack Rakowsky (Loveland, Colo./Loveland). Retzlaff, who is the reigning RMAC Offensive Player of the Year, capped off the regular season with a school-record 14 catches for 166 yards and two touchdown receptions to push his season total to 15, while Rakowsky added 11 catches for 118 yards.
One of Retzlaff's touchdown catches came in overtime to give the Pack a 24-17 lead, while the other one was a 10-yard catch with 59 seconds left in the second quarter to pull the Pack within 14-10 at the half. It was the third straight game that the Pack trailed at the half.
"Roman is the ultimate competitor. He did a really good job of finding open receivers and putting the ball where only our guys could get it. He threw the ball 66 times on Saturday and had one bad decision that we'd like to take back," added Vigil. "He did a great job on Saturday. I think the thing that really helped him on Saturday was his ability to move around in the pocket. We're very thankful to have him on our team."
Entering Saturday's game with UTPB, Fuller, who was named this week's RMAC Offensive and NFF Colorado Chapter Player of the Week, is 257-for-419 passing for 3,221 yards and has had 30 touchdown passes and six interceptions. He is completing 61.3 percent of his passes and has had five games with 300 or more yards passing. He leads the RMAC in passing yards (3,221), passing yards per game (292.8), completions per game (23.36), and passing touchdowns (30) and is second in total offense (289.1), points responsible for (192), and sixth in passing efficiency (146.7). He is also one of three quarterbacks in school history with 4,000 career passing yards and 40 career touchdown passes.
While its offense gained 542 yards against the league's No. 1 defense, the Pack defense also played a role in Saturday's win, as they held the Eagles to 242 yards of offense (143 rushing, 99 passing) and just three second-half points before overtime.
"Our defense did a great job on Saturday of being great on first down, which allowed us to be good on third down. They were under 30 percent on third down for the game against our defense," Vigil said.
One of CSC's scores came on a 92-yard kickoff return by
Chase Nelson late in the first quarter to give the Eagles a 7-3 lead. In regulation, the Eagles' offense scored just one touchdown and added a field goal.
The Pack defense, which has held four of its last seven opponents to less than 300 yards of offense and has forced a total of 14 turnovers and recorded 18 sacks. In addition, they have held four opponents to less than 15 points.
On the season, the Pack ranks second in the RMAC in scoring defense (19.4 ppg), rushing defense (122.2 ypg), passing defense (187.8 ypg), and is third in total defense (310.0 ypg). In addition, they are tied for fourth in Division II interceptions (17) and are second in red zone defense (71.4 percent).
Before Saturday's game, one of the Pack's strengths was red zone offense as they entered the game having converted on 47 of their 49 red zone chances this season, but were just 5-for-9 in the red zone against Chadron State, and are now 52-for-58 in the red zone, which is still tops in the RMAC and 16th in Division II.
"We struggled in the red zone on Saturday. You can't go 5-for-9 in the red zone against a really good opponent, so we have to make sure once we get the ball in the red zone that we end with touchdowns," the coach stressed.
The Pack has scored 41 touchdowns and added nine field goals in the red zone this season.
Vigil has been impressed with the zero-zero mindset his team has shown this season, especially over the past three weeks when they've trailed at halftime.
"We talk about a zero-zero mindset and what that means and what that looks like. It's about being fully present in the moment at hand, and you can't be fully present in the moment at hand if you're worried about the last play, or if you're worried about the scoreboard. We've preached that zero-zero mindset, and our guys have gravitated to that and have latched onto it," added Vigil. "It just shows that if you stay in the fight for 60 minutes, you're going to have a shot against anybody."
Unlike last season's home second-round playoff game against Minnesota State, the Pack comes into Saturday's game with UTPB having been tested in playoff-like games the past three weeks, and Vigil hopes those challenges have prepared his team for what they'll experience on Saturday.
"I think that every experience that you go through gives you confidence, and when we talk about this team, we've been in playoff game situations the past three weeks," added Vigil. "Last Saturday against Chadron was about as close to a playoff game as you can get, both teams being undefeated in conference for the conference championship. Our guys have been playing in playoff-like games for a while, and so those games we've played lately should give us confidence going into a game like this one."
One of the key factors for the Pack on Saturday, according to Vigil, is for his team not to change its approach, despite the magnitude of the game being a playoff contest.
"Our approach doesn't change. It's awesome to have a playoff game. It's awesome to be at home in the ThunderBowl, but we've got to block out all of those distractions and noise and just continue to play to our standard and understand that UTPB is going to present us some challenges," the coach added. "The turnover battle is going to be a huge determining factor. The battle for field position is also going to play a huge determining factor on Saturday, and explosive plays are also going to be a factor in the game."
Saturday's game marks just the second-ever meeting between the two schools on the gridiron and the first since the Pack opened the home portion of its schedule last season with a 43-20 win over the Falcons.
In last season's regular season game, the Pack scored on four of its first five possessions and led 26-9 just 16 seconds into the second quarter before a 90-minute lightning delay halted play. Following the delay, the Falcons closed within 29-16 late in the third quarter, but a 4-yard touchdown pass from
Devin Larsen to
Taylor Tosches gave the Pack a 37-23 lead with 9:19 left in the game. For the game, the Pack defense recorded four sacks and two interceptions and held UTPB to a 3.8 yard average per play on their 90 snaps.
Since rebooting the football program in 2008, the Pack has advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs 11 times beginning in 2011. Those 11 appearances (counting this season) are the 10th most among the 32 teams that earned playoff bids this season. In addition, the Pack is one of eight schools in this year's playoff field to have won a national title in football. The other Division II programs that have won national titles in this year's playoff field are Northwest Missouri State (1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2016), Valdosta State (2004, 2007, 2012, 2018), Ferris State (2021, 2022, 2024), Pittsburg State (1991, 2011), Minnesota-Duluth (2008, 2010), West Florida (2019), and Harding (2024).
ABOUT UT PERMIAN BASIN
UT Permian Basin comes into Saturday's game sporting a 9-2 overall record and is riding a four-game win streak, including capping the regular season with a 74-10 home win over Sul Ross State, since suffering back-to-back losses at home to then 13th-ranked Central Washington (27-14) and at Western Oregon (31-28). Before those two losses, the Falcons had opened the season with a 5-0 record, including posting a 34-14 win in their season opener at home against then fifth-ranked Central Oklahoma.
"UTPB is a really good team. They finished second in the Lone Star Conference and only lost to Central Washington and Western Oregon," Vigil said when asked about UTPB. "I think that Coach McCullough has done a really good job of recruiting speed. They have a lot of guys who can run on both the offensive and defensive sides, and they've got some special players."
UTPB and the Pack have played one common opponent this season – Adams State. The Falcons picked up a 41-7 road win over the Grizzlies on Sept. 4, while the Pack collected a 55-7 win at home over the Grizzlies on Sept. 27.
Judging by the statistics, Saturday's game will feature two teams that mirror each other on both sides of the ball. The Pack and UTPB are eighth and ninth nationally in scoring (39.6 to 39.5), 14th and sixth in total offense (469.4 to 453.5), and ninth and third in passing offense (328.5 to 302.2), and are both tied for third in offensive first downs (286), while being 21st and 30th in total defense (301.2 to 310.0) and is seventh and 13th in pass efficiency defense (101.23 to 108.91).
Offensively, the Falcons are averaging 39.5 points, 469.4 yards, and 328.5 passing yards per game, and is 10th nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage (71.9 percent). Over its last four games, the Falcons averaged 52.3 points and 571.8 yards of offense per game, including posting two games of more than 600 yards of offense.
"Offensively, they've got a quarterback that runs and throws, and they're going to use him in both the passing and run game. They're going to use a lot of different personnel groupings and a bunch of formations and motions," Vigil said about UTPB's offense. "We'll need to be really good at understanding what they're doing, getting the right check, and play sound defense."
Leading the way for the high-powered Falcons offense is junior quarterback Kanon Gibson. The West Texas A&M transfer has passed for 2,981 yards as he is 225-for-371 passing with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In addition, he has gained 374 yards rushing and has scored eight touchdowns, and is averaging 305 yards of total offense per game, which is eighth-best in Division II.
Gibson's top targets in the passing game are junior receiver Traylen Suel and senior TJ McKenzie. Suel has caught 42 passes for 478 yards and has hauled in five touchdown passes, and is averaging 11.4 yards per catch, while McKenzie has caught 39 passes for 593 yards and has had six touchdown catches and is averaging 15.2 yards per reception. In addition, senior Ben Patterson is a big play threat in the passing game as he has caught 23 passes for 567 yards and is averaging 24.7 yards per catch and has caught five touchdown passes.
Gibson is joined in the run game by senior running back Kory Harris, who has rushed the ball 126 times for 550 yards and has scored nine touchdowns, and is averaging 4.4 yards per carry and enters the game eighth among active Division II players in career rushing yards (2,882).
Meanwhile, defensively, UTPB is allowing 17.7 points per game and 301.2 yards per game, including allowing 159.9 passing yards per game. As a team, the Falcons have recorded 24 sacks, 72 tackles for a loss, and have forced 18 turnovers, including picking off 10 passes. Two of those interceptions have been returned for touchdowns.
"Defensively, they're going to be multiple. They've shown an odd front, an even front. They like to match personnel. They are going to be some things defensively that will cause problems. Their linebacker (Exline) is one of the best defensive players we've seen all year long," Vigil said about UTPB's defense. "They're going to have the athletes in the back end to be able to play man. Overall, they are just a really good football team."
Leading the way defensively for the Falcons is junior linebacker Tristan Exline. Exline has recorded 104 tackles, including 59 solo stops, and has recorded 18.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, four quarterback hurries, picked off one pass, and forced two fumbles.
In addition to Exline, junior linebacker McKyle So'oto has tallied 42 tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, and has broken up two passes, while senior linebacker Jacob Humphrey has recorded 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks and junior free safety Jamarion Ravenell has had 18 tackles, six pass break-ups and three interceptions that have been returned for 121 yards, including a 96-yard interception return for a score against Adams State.
On special teams, sophomore kicker Angel Diaz is 10-for-16 on field goals and 46-for-50 on extra points. Diaz leads the team in scoring with 76 yards and is making 66.7 percent of his field goals. Freshman punter Jolon Cabello is averaging 41.0 yards per punt and has had five punts of 50 or more yards and has downed five punts inside the 20-yard line.
The Falcons' return game is paced by Suel as he is averaging 17.0 yards per kickoff return, while junior Heston Kelly is averaging 5.1 yards per punt return.
UTPB is coached by Kris McCullough, who is in his third season at the helm of the Falcons program. He has compiled a 26-9 record at UTPB and is 35-12 in his fourth season as a collegiate head coach. In his first season at UTPB in 2023, he led the program to a perfect 8-0 record and along the way was named the LSC Coach of the Year and the College Football Network D2 Coach of the Year.
One of McCullough's assistant coaches is former CSU Pueblo assistant coach Mike Babcock. Babcock, who serves as the Falcons' assistant head coach and offensive line coach, was on former coach John Wristen's original staff from 2008-12 where he served as a tight ends coach, before becoming the quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2010-12.
The winner of Saturday's game will face the winner of Saturday's first-round game between 18th-ranked Western Colorado (9-2 overall) and fifth-ranked and No. 2-seeded Central Washington (10-1 overall) in a second-round game next Saturday, Nov. 29. The Western Colorado-Central Washington first-round game is slated for a 2:05 MT kickoff in Ellensburg, Wash.
PACK FOOTBALL NOTES 