PUEBLO, Colo. – No. 5 ranked Colorado State University Pueblo football returns to the road for the first time in 16 days on Saturday, Sept. 19 as the ThunderWolves travel to Chadron, Neb., for a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contest against Chadron State College at Elliott Field at Don Beebe Stadium.

Kickoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. MT.

CSU Pueblo, which is ranked No. 5 in this week's AFCA Division II Coaches Poll presented by Gorout Gridiron and No. 7 in the latest D2Football.com poll, enters Saturday's contest with a 3-0 overall record and a 1-0 mark in RMAC play, while Chadron State is 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference action.

The ThunderWolves come into Saturday's game riding a 12-game regular-season winning streak, an NCAA Division II-leading 26-game RMAC winning streak and an NCAA Division II-leading 16-game road winning streak.

CSU Pueblo opened RMAC play last Saturday with an impressive 45-17 home victory over Colorado School of Mines. The victory was the Pack's third consecutive win over the Orediggers and extended its conference winning streak to 26 straight games.

The Pack finished the game with a season-high 588 yards of total offense, including 430 yards through the air and 158 yards on the ground. CSU Pueblo recorded 30 first downs, converted 9-of-12 third-down opportunities and controlled the football for 35 minutes, 33 seconds.

"I thought our offense, defense and special teams all played really well on Saturday against a really quality opponent," CSU Pueblo head coach Philip Vigil said. "The thing that we kept stressing with the team all week long was that practice is for performance. For us to play the way we want to play, we really have to attack practice in a meaningful way to get better, and I thought they did that all week long last week. It was probably our best week of practice that we've had this year."

Sophomore quarterback Navi Bruzon (Peoria, Ariz./Highland CC), who was named this week's RMAC Offensive Player of the Week and the NFF Colorado Chapter Player of the Week, turned in a career performance against the Orediggers as he completed 22-of-27 passes for a career-high 421 yards and four touchdowns. His 421 passing yards were the fourth-most in a single game in school history.

Bruzon threw touchdown passes of 75 yards to junior receiver Marcellus Honeycutt, Jr. (Aurora, Colo./Eastern Washington), 66 yards to senior receiver Nate Gravagno (Englewood, Colo./Englewood), 24 yards to Honeycutt and 38 yards to redshirt freshman receiver Sean Conway (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista). Honeycutt finished with seven receptions for 156 yards and two touchdowns, while senior receiver Dedrek Taylor-Akins (Fontana, Calif./Northeastern State) added six catches for 89 yards.

The Pack wasted little time responding after Mines opened the game with a field goal as Bruzon connected with Honeycutt for a 75-yard touchdown on CSU Pueblo's first offensive play. The 75-yard passing play was the second-longest offensive play of the season for the Pack.

"They (Mines) came out and had a really nice drive on their first possession, and we were able to hold them to three points," Vigil said. "Then our offense comes out there and on the very first play of the game we throw a 75-yard touchdown to Marcellus. That really kind of got the jump start going for us, and we really didn't look back from that point on."

The ThunderWolves took control of the game after halftime as they outscored Mines 24-7 over the final two quarters. CSU Pueblo dominated the third quarter by possessing the football for 12:59, running 25 plays to Mines' six and outgaining the Orediggers 158-11. The Pack scored 10 unanswered points in the period to take a 31-10 lead into the fourth quarter.

CSU Pueblo's defense also turned in another strong performance as the Pack held Mines to 312 yards of total offense and just 14 first downs. The Orediggers converted only 3-of-12 third downs and rushed for 128 yards, with 71 of those yards coming on one play. Sophomore linebacker Carter Daniels (Centennial, Colo./Mountain Vista) led the Pack with eight tackles, while junior defensive tackle Mario Rivas, Jr. (Long Beach, Calif./Bakersfield College) recorded 1.5 sacks.

"We had a really good plan for what they wanted to do offensively, and Coach B (Neema Behbahani) put our guys in a great position to go out and make plays," Vigil said. "The thing that helps you on third downs is making sure that they're not third-and-medium and third-and-short. When you can do that, it puts you in a good situation to be able to get them off the field.

"We were able to stop the run, which was big for us. Outside of really one explosive run, we held them in check pretty much the entire game. I was really pleased with the way our defense was able to get off the field and get our offense back on the field."

The Pack's ability to sustain drives has been one of the keys to its offensive success through the opening three games. CSU Pueblo converted 75 percent of its third downs against Mines and has converted 24-of-39 third-down opportunities on the season, which leads the RMAC and is fourth nationally in Division II.

"I think the biggest difference with possessing the ball for us this year compared to last year is our third-down percentage," Vigil said. "On Saturday we were 9-of-12, which is 75 percent. If you're able to get those conversions, you're going to be able to be on the field a lot longer."

Through three games, the Pack offense is averaging 524.0 yards per game and has scored 124 points, an average of 41.3 points per game. CSU Pueblo also ranks fifth nationally in passing offense at 343.7 yards per game and sixth nationally in total offense.

Bruzon has completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 1,022 yards and an NCAA Division II-leading 11 touchdowns through three games. He ranks second nationally in passing yards and passing efficiency (205.9 efficiency) and fifth in total offense (360.3).

"Navi just continues to get better and better and I think the beautiful thing about what you're seeing with him is the longer he's been out there, the more comfortable he looks. I'm excited for Navi to continue to grow and progress," said Vigil, who improved to 31-7 as the Pack's coach.

Taylor-Akins has caught four touchdown passes and has a team-leading 392 receiving yards, while Honeycutt has 267 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

The Pack defense has recorded nine sacks, 20 tackles for loss, 18 pass breakups and three interceptions through the opening three games.

CSU Pueblo now turns its attention to a Chadron State program that has played a significant role in the history of the Pack football program since it was restarted in 2008.

"You talk to (former) Coach (John) Wristen and he talks about when they started this program, the team that ran this league was Chadron State," Vigil said. "Chadron was the team to beat. They wanted to get to a point as a program where they were competing with Chadron. This game has always been special internally because of the history of it and what it means."

Saturday's game will mark the 18th all-time meeting between the two schools. The Pack holds a 16-1 advantage in the series and has won 16 consecutive meetings since Chadron State won the inaugural matchup 32-0 at the ThunderBowl in 2008. CSU Pueblo is a perfect 9-0 all-time against the Eagles in Chadron, including coming back from a 21-7 halftime deficit in 2024 to collect a 38-21 victory in Chadron to capture its first RMAC regular season title since 2018.

The most recent meeting between the programs was one of the closest in series history as the Pack earned a 30-27 double-overtime victory over Chadron State last November at the ThunderBowl. The Eagles finished the 2025 season with an 8-4 overall record and an 8-1 mark in RMAC play, with their only conference loss coming against CSU Pueblo and advanced to the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

"They gave us everything we wanted here at home for the RMAC Championship last season," Vigil said. "They only lost one RMAC game last year and that was to us in double overtime. I know they're going to come out with guns loaded and throw everything that they possibly can at us."

CSU Pueblo will also be looking to extend its NCAA Division II-leading road winning streak to 17 consecutive games. The ThunderWolves haven't lost on the road since suffering a 57-49 double-overtime setback at Grand Valley State on Sept. 9, 2023.

Vigil said his team understands that its recent success means the ThunderWolves will continue to receive the best effort from their opponents each week.

"We feel like we get everybody's best game," Vigil said. "Everybody plays their best against us, and we wouldn't want it any other way. We want everybody's best."

Offensively, CSU Pueblo will face a Chadron State defense that Vigil expects to present numerous fronts and bring pressure from several different areas.

"Chadron's defense has always been one of the tops in the league every single year, year in and year out," Vigil said. "They're going to do a lot from a front structure. They're going to be in odd, they're going to be in even and they're going to blitz a lot. They're blitzing more than any team we've seen so far.

"They've got talented guys in the front. They've got talented guys in the back end. Their linebackers are really savvy as well and their coordinator does a really good job of putting them in a good position to go and make plays."

On the other side of the ball, the Pack defense will face a Chadron State offense led by junior quarterback Aidan Thompson. Through three games, Thompson has completed 28-of-51 passes for 366 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception. He has also rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown.

"He's very athletic. He can throw the ball well," Vigil said of Thompson. "He's a big kid. He's 6-foot-5, 220. They do a lot of quarterback read game with him and zone read and quarterback run game, and then also he can throw it. They've got some talented receivers out there that can go and make plays. We're going to have our hands full offensively and defensively."
 
Vigil said taking care of the football, establishing the running game and preventing the Eagles from getting their own ground attack established will be among the Pack's biggest keys Saturday.

"Offensively, it's about being able to protect the football. It's about being able to establish a run game and make them decide on what they want to do," Vigil said. "We've got to find ways to get the ball to our playmakers on the edges and get them one-on-one opportunities."

"Defensively, we have to stop the run. They've done a really good job in the run game, especially being able to add an extra hat in the run game with their quarterback," Vigil said. "That means that we're going to have to be able to make one-on-one tackles. In the secondary, we've got to be able to cover. Their quarterback will extend plays with his legs and find open receivers down the field."

Following Saturday's game, the Pack will return home to the ThunderBowl next Saturday, Sept. 26 as they host Colorado Mesa (2-1 overall, 1-0) for a 2 p.m. Band Day game. Colorado Mesa hosts eighth-ranked Western Colorado for a 6 p.m. game in Grand Junction, Colo.

ABOUT CHADRON STATE

Chadron State enters Saturday's RMAC home opener with a 1-2 overall record and an 0-1 mark in league play under 15th-year head coach Jay Long. The Eagles opened the season with a 42-17 road loss at Northern State before earning a 24-21 home victory over Nebraska-Kearney. Chadron State opened RMAC play last Saturday with a 30-9 road loss at No. 8 Western Colorado.

The Eagles finished the 2025 season with an 8-4 overall record and an 8-1 mark in the RMAC and finished second in the league standings. Their lone conference loss came in the double-overtime setback at CSU Pueblo in the regular-season finale.

Chadron State has also won five consecutive games at Elliott Field at Don Beebe Stadium since suffering a 38-21 loss to CSU Pueblo to close the 2024 regular season.

Long, a 2001 Chadron State graduate, has compiled a 71-70 overall record and a 58-52 mark in RMAC play during his 15 seasons leading his alma mater. He has guided the Eagles to seven winning seasons and has coached 14 All-Americans, 13 CSC Academic All-Americans and one Harlon Hill Trophy finalist.

Offensively, the Eagles are averaging 281.0 yards and 16.7 points per game through three contests. Chadron State is averaging 122.3 yards per game on the ground and 158.7 yards through the air.
Thompson has accounted for 444 yards of total offense as he has passed for 366 yards and rushed for another 78 yards. Backup quarterback, junior Wyatt Sprague, who is the brother of Pack senior linebacker Miles Sprague (Holyoke, Colo./Holyoke), has completed 10-of-19 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown and has added 48 rushing yards. Neither Chadron State quarterback has thrown an interception this season.

Junior running back Devon Rivers leads the Eagles' ground attack with 123 yards and one touchdown on 35 carries, while senior Daytuawn Pearson has rushed for 79 yards and a score.

In the passing game, junior receiver Devon Sundgren has caught five passes for a team-high 160 yards and two touchdowns, including an 88-yard reception, while senior receiver Garet Schlabs leads the team with 10 receptions for 71 yards.

Defensively, Chadron State is allowing 404.0 yards and 31.0 points per game. The Eagles have recorded 10 tackles for loss, two sacks and two interceptions while forcing four fumbles and recovering two through their opening three games.

Senor safety Aiden Kuester leads the Eagles with 26 tackles and has added an interception, while junior linebacker Jarred Marquez, who was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 7, has recorded 23 tackles, two pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Fifth-year senior linebacker Cooper Walton has added 21 tackles and two tackles for loss, while fifth-year senior edge rusher William Stemler has recorded two sacks.

The Eagles also feature a strong kicking game as redshirt sophomore kicker Shay Prichard is a perfect 5-for-5 on field goals this season, including a long of 50 yards, and is 5-for-5 on extra points, while punter Triston Hite, who was the RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week and D2Football.com Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 7, is averaging 42.3 yards on 22 punts with 12 of his kicks being downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. In the return game, redshirt junior running back Chase Nelson is averaging 18.5 yards per kickoff return and 11.0 yards per punt return.

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