PUEBLO, Colo. (September 10, 2026) – Fifth-ranked Colorado State University Pueblo football opens its nine-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule here Saturday afternoon as the ThunderWolves welcome longtime rival Colorado School of Mines to the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl. Kickoff for Saturday's Throwback and Family Day game is set for 2:05 p.m.

Saturday's contest will be the RMAC opener for both teams and marks the Pack's first home game since opening the 2026 season with a 44-25 victory over Central Missouri on Aug. 27. CSU Pueblo enters Saturday with a 2-0 record, while Mines comes to Pueblo with a 0-1-1 record.

CSU Pueblo is coming off a 35-17 road win last Thursday over then-No. 25 Fort Hays State. The victory extended CSU Pueblo's NCAA Division II-leading road winning streak to 16 consecutive games and gave the Pack its 11th consecutive regular-season victory dating to last season. CSU Pueblo also enters RMAC play having won 25 consecutive conference games, which is the longest active conference winning streak in NCAA Division II football.

In the win over Fort Hays State, the Pack used a balanced offensive attack to finish with a season-high 539 yards of total offense as it rushed for 259 yards and passed for another 280 yards. CSU Pueblo recorded 27 first downs and controlled the ball for nearly 33 minutes against the nationally ranked Tigers. Four of the Pack's five touchdown drives covered more than 70 yards, including an eight-play, 97-yard opening drive that ended with a 42-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Navi Bruzon (Peoria, Ariz./Highland CC) to senior receiver Dedrek Taylor-Akins (Fontana, Calif./Northeastern State).

"I was really pleased with the way that our guys responded on Thursday night," CSU Pueblo fourth-year head coach Philip Vigil said. "I thought they executed well when we needed to. I thought offensively that we had some huge third-down conversions that helped propel us offensively. I was really pleased with our ability to run the football against a really good defense."

The Pack's rushing attack was led by sophomore running back Russell Patton (Denver, Colo./MLK Jr. Early College), who carried the ball 14 times for 80 yards, while sophomore running back Jaedon Matthews (Goodyear, Ariz./Cal Poly) added 52 yards on eight carries and Bruzon tallied 42 rushing yards on eight carries and scored on a 20-yard touchdown run to give the Pack a 14-7 lead less than six minutes into the second quarter.

Vigil credited the continued development of the offensive line and the versatility of the Pack's rushing attack for its success on the ground against the Tigers.

"That's a credit to those guys up front," said Vigil, who is now 30-7 as the Pack's coach. "I think, again, as you see them continue to play, the more that they're able to play together, the better I think they're going to get. Our backs were making people miss and breaking some tackles, and then you can sprinkle in some quarterback run game and things of that nature. I think it makes it really difficult to defend."

Bruzon continued his strong start to the season against Fort Hays State as he completed 21-of-31 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns and added 42 yards and a touchdown on the ground. His touchdown passes covered 42, five, and seven yards as he accounted for four of the Pack's five touchdowns in the victory.

"I think the biggest thing that you're seeing from Navi right now is, one, he looked more comfortable last week than he did in week one," Vigil added. "I'm hoping that trend continues as we continue throughout the season.

"His ability to keep his eyes downfield and step up in the pocket and find open receivers, or even run, if need be, has added an element to our offense that makes it very difficult to defend. When you can play 11-on-11, and defenses have to account for the quarterback in the run game or have to account for his legs in the pass game, that opens things up for you. He's doing a really good job right now of exploiting that."

Through the first two games this season, Bruzon, who was a two-time Gatorade Arizona High School Player of the Year, has completed 39-of-60 passes for 601 yards and seven touchdowns, while Taylor-Akins has caught 13 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns. Bruzon currently leads the RMAC in passing yards (601), passing yards per game (300.5), passing touchdowns (7), and total offense (325.5) and points responsible for (48), while Taylor-Akins leads the RMAC in receiving yards, receiving yards per game (151.5), and touchdown receptions.

Bruzon ranks second nationally in NCAA Division II in touchdown passes and third in points responsible for, while Taylor-Akins ranks second nationally in receiving yards and third in touchdown receptions.

Defensively, the Pack held Fort Hays State to 357 yards of total offense and limited the Tigers' top two running backs to a combined 34 rushing yards. Through two games, CSU Pueblo has recorded seven sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 15 pass breakups and three interceptions, which is second in the RMAC and 15th nationally in Division II.

The Pack defense is led by sophomore linebacker Carter Daniels (Centennial, Colo./Mountain Vista), who leads the team in tackles (23), tackles for loss (3.5) and sacks (2.5). Daniels was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Week and NFF Colorado Chapter Player of the Week following his season-opening performance against Central Missouri. In addition to Daniels, senior safety Kahden Rullo (Denver, Colo./Grandview) is second in tackles with 14 and tied for the team lead with three pass breakups. 

"We talked all week long about how good their tailbacks were," Vigil said. "Number zero (AG Floyd) and number five (LaAngelo Bell) are both really, really special players, and they had a combined total of 34 yards between the two of them. We still gave up over 100 yards rushing, and most of that was to the quarterback, but I thought overall, we talked about being able to stop the run, and I thought we did a really good job of that on Thursday."

CSU Pueblo now turns its attention to a Mines program that has been one of its biggest rivals in the RMAC. Saturday's game will be the 37th all-time meeting between the two schools, with the Pack holding a 21-15 advantage in the series. CSU Pueblo has won the last two meetings and owns a 13-4 record against the Orediggers in Pueblo.

Since CSU Pueblo reinstated football in 2008, the Pack and Mines have been the RMAC's winningest programs. CSU Pueblo has posted a 163-44 record, won nine RMAC titles and captured the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship during that span, while Mines has gone 158-50-1 with seven conference championships and back-to-back NCAA Division II National Runner-up finishes in 2022 and 2023. The two programs have won or shared 14 of the last 15 RMAC football titles.

The Pack posted a 28-13 victory over Mines at the ThunderBowl in 2024 before earning a thrilling 41-34 overtime win last season in Golden. In last year's game, CSU Pueblo trailed 28-6 with 4:07 remaining in the second quarter before outscoring the Orediggers 35-6 over the remainder of the contest, including forcing overtime with a 32-yard pass from Roman Fuller to junior receiver Marcellus Honeycutt, Jr. (Aurora, Colo./Eastern Washington) with 56 seconds left and then completed the overtime win with a 12-yard pass from Fuller to two-time All-American receiver Reggie Retzlaff, to complete its largest comeback victory since the program restarted in 2008.

"This next game's really important because it's the next one," Vigil said. "It's our first conference game. Yeah, it's against a rival. But none of those things really matter. The thing that matters the most is it's the next one on the schedule.

"For us, there's still a lot of areas where we have to improve and grow. I have a lot of respect for (Mines) Coach (Bob) Stitt and his team, and I know that they're going to play extremely hard. I know that they're going to have some really talented players on offense, defense, and special teams, and we're going to have to play really well to have a shot to defend our home field."

Mines' defense has a different look under a new defensive coordinator, something Vigil said will present another challenge for the Pack offense.

"Their scheme defensively is a little bit different than what they've been in the past," Vigil said. "In the past, they've been more of an odd structure, and now they're going to more of a crunch front, very similar to what Central Missouri was doing in week one.

"They've got some really good guys up front that are very good football players. Their linebackers are really solid, and then they've got some moving pieces in the back end. They've got some length in the back end as well, and they're flying around to the football. They're finding ways to create turnovers on defense."

On the other side of the ball, Vigil said the Pack defense will need to be prepared for a Mines offense led by veteran head coach Bob Stitt that is capable of attacking a defense in numerous ways.

"Coach Stitt has done such an unbelievable job in his entire career of really being able to move the football," Vigil said. "I think the thing about Coach Stitt that you see is he's going to do what works. If that means the pass game is working well, then he's going to stick with the pass. If that means the run game's working well like it was against us last year, then he's going to stick with the run.

"He's done enough from a schematic standpoint to put his offenses in a position to be able to go and execute both. We're going to have to really be able to tackle a lot better than what we have for the last two weeks. I think that's an area of growth that we still have to be able to improve in."

One of the big keys for the Pack on Saturday will be stopping the run, as the Orediggers rushed for 245 yards on 51 carries in last season's game. The Orediggers also possessed the ball for 34:50 in that contest.

"We have to find a way to stop the run defensively," Vigil said. "I think that was an issue for us last year. It really made that game difficult because then they were able to possess the football and keep our offense off the field. We have to find a way to stop the run defensively. We have to find a way to generate some turnovers and get the ball back to our offense."

Offensively, Vigil said sustaining drives and taking care of the football will be two important keys for the Pack. CSU Pueblo has committed three turnovers through its first two games this season.

"We have to be able to sustain drives, and we have to be able to protect the football," Vigil said. "That's something that I really challenged our offense on over the last two weeks. We've had three turnovers in two weeks, and we've got to be able to hold onto the football a little bit better than what we are right now. That's going to be a huge key for us."

Vigil also expects special teams to play an important role in Saturday's game, especially with the strength of both teams' kicking and punting units.

"I think their specialists are very good," Vigil said. "With their kicker, they attempted a 64-yard field goal last week against Washburn. They made the first one, but there was a timeout called, and then he missed the second one. He has the leg, and it seems like once they cross the 50, they're in field goal range.

"The punter is very good as well, and so we've got to be really good on teams on Saturday. I think we've got a really good punter and a really good kicker. I'm excited to see those units kind of go to battle on Saturday and see who comes out on top."

Mines' punter is redshirt sophomore Lucas LeSieur, and its kicker is redshirt sophomore Preston Kyle, while the Pack's punter is junior Caleb Harner (Erie, Colo./Erie) and its kicker is senior Jackson Smith (Centennial, Colo./Santa Barbara City College). Kyle and Smith were both named to the 2026 Fred Mitchell Award Preseason Watch List, while Kyle, LeSieur and Smith were named the Preseason All-RMAC team.

Through two games this season, LeSieur is second in the RMAC in punting average as he is averaging 46.9 yards per punt, while Harner is averaging 39.7 yards per punt. On the kicking front, Kyle is 5-for-9 on field goals and is 3-for-3 on extra points, while Smith is a perfect 11-for-11 on extra points and has missed his two field goal attempts.

After opening the season with consecutive Thursday night games, Saturday will mark the Pack's return to a traditional weekly schedule for the remainder of the regular season.

"I think the guys are probably somewhat relieved that we're on a normal Saturday schedule, and I know I'm excited to be on a normal schedule as well," Vigil said.

Saturday will also give the Pack its first opportunity in more than two weeks to play in front of its home crowd.

"Playing at home, playing in the ThunderBowl, sleeping in your own bed, those things are special things," Vigil said. "Whenever you have an opportunity to protect your home turf, you want to be able to do that, and you want to be able to play your best football in front of your home crowd. We have an opportunity to do that against a really quality opponent on Saturday."

Following Saturday's game, the Pack will return to the road as they open RMAC road action with a 1 p.m. game in Chadron, Neb., against Chadron State (1-1 overall, 0-0 RMAC). The Pack closed out the 2025 regular season with a 30-27 double-overtime win over the Eagles to claim its second straight outright RMAC title and finish its second consecutive undefeated season in league play.

ABOUT MINES
Mines comes into Saturday's game still seeking its first win of the season as the Orediggers are 0-1-1 overall after opening the season with a 22-20 home loss to then 22nd-ranked Western Oregon and then had a 16-16 weather-halted tie at Washburn. The game was headed to overtime when it was stopped by the MIAA's extreme-heat rules at around 11:30 a.m. local time, after the kickoff of the game was moved to 9 a.m. due to triple-digit temperatures in Topeka, Kan.

Through its first two games, Mines is averaging 18.0 points and 317.0 yards of total offense per game. The Orediggers are averaging 223.0 passing yards and 94.0 rushing yards per game. Defensively, Mines is allowing 19.0 points and 345.5 yards of total offense per contest, including 137.5 rushing yards and 208.0 passing yards per game.

Leading the way for Mines offensively is redshirt junior quarterback Joseph Capra. Capra is 51-for-82 passing for 446 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception, has rushed for 54 yards on 20 carries, and is averaging 250.0 yards of total offense per game.

Mines' ground game is paced by the running of redshirt junior Max Barnes, who has rushed for 99 yards on 30 carries and is averaging 3.3 yards per carry and 49.5 yards per game. The other running back for the Orediggers is redshirt senior Braelon Tate, who has gained 42 yards on 12 carries.

Redshirt junior Pierce Richards and redshirt senior Nick Stone are Capra's top targets in the passing game, as Richards has caught a league-leading 23 passes for 196 yards and has had one touchdown reception, while Stone has caught 10 passes for 129 yards and one touchdown. Richards is averaging 98 yards per game, and Stone is averaging 64.5 yards per game and 12.9 yards per reception.

Defensively, the Orediggers have recorded 10 tackles for a loss, two sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Redshirt sophomore linebacker Mo Russolillo leads Mines with 19 tackles and has added two tackles for loss, while redshirt sophomore linebacker Luke Johnson has recorded 13 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, and redshirt senior cornerback Devyn Lauer-Duarte has had 11 tackles and two pass breakups.

Mines is coming off a 2025 campaign in which it finished 7-4 overall and 5-4 in RMAC play. The Orediggers have won five of the last seven RMAC championships and have posted a 56-9 record in conference play since the beginning of the 2018 season.

Stitt has compiled a 113-67-1 record in 17 seasons at Mines during two stints from 2000-14 and 2025-present. He owns a 136-81-1 career collegiate coaching record after also spending three seasons as the head coach at Montana. During his first stint in Golden, Stitt led Mines to RMAC championships in 2004, 2010 and 2014 and three NCAA Division II Playoff appearances.

PACK FOOTBALL NOTES

• The Pack Football Show will once again be held at ThunderZone Pizza & Tap House, located across the street from the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl. After airing on Tuesdays for the first two weeks of the season, the show moved to its regular Wednesday night schedule on Sept. 9. The show airs live from 6-7 p.m. on REV 89.5 FM.
• In the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll, the Pack, which has won two straight RMAC titles in football, was tabbed to finish first as the ThunderWolves earned 80 out of a possible 81 points and eight of nine first-place votes.
• The Pack's new radio home for football and men's and women's basketball games this season is the REV 89.5 The Revolution (KTSC 89.5 FM). CSU Pueblo Athletics Class of 2025 Hall of Famer Jim Brooks teams up again this season with Joe Cervi on the radio call. The broadcasts begin with a pregame show 30 minutes before kickoff. Saturday's pregame show against Mines will begin at 1:30 p.m.
• For fans outside the Pueblo area, REV 89.5 offers an online audio stream of all Pack radio broadcasts this season. The stream is available through the REV 89.5 online player at https://player.amperwave.net/3579.
• MXV Rail and Canvas Credit Union are the game sponsors for Saturday's RMAC opener against Colorado School of Mines.
• The RMAC Network will continue its pay-per-view model for both the 2026-27 regular season and postseason. Viewers can purchase access through single-game, monthly, and yearly passes. A monthly subscription costs $25, while an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $12.50 and grant access to a single game for 24 hours.
• The Hospitality Tailgate, formerly known as the Alumni Tailgate, will once again be held on the Leomiti Warrior Center rooftop beginning two hours before kickoff and concluding at the start of the game. The space is reserved for Pack Club members, corporate sponsors, and special guests. Dickey's Bar-B-Que will provide the food at Saturday's tailgate.
• Fans attending Saturday's game are reminded that no outside food or drinks will be allowed inside the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl.
• For fans attending Saturday's game, parking will be available in two different lots, as parking in the ThunderBowl is $10 per vehicle, while the east campus lots near the Student Recreation Center cost $5 per vehicle. CSU Pueblo faculty, staff and students with valid parking permits may park for free in the east lots. Golf carts and pedi-cabs will be available to transport fans to and from the ThunderBowl to the east campus and ThunderBowl parking lots. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and plan for parking and transportation.
• The Pack owns a 65.8 winning percentage since becoming a four-year program in 1963. CSU Pueblo has posted a 277-143-4 record in football since 1963.