HAYS, Kan. – Fifth-ranked Colorado State University Pueblo football used a balanced offensive attack and a strong defensive performance here Thursday evening to collect a 35-17 road non-conference victory over 25th-ranked Fort Hays State at Lewis Field Stadium.
Thursday's road victory extended the Pack's NCAA Division II-leading road win streak to 16 consecutive wins and helped the Pack open the season 2-0 for the first time since the 2024 season. The Pack hasn't lost a road game since suffering a 57-49 double-overtime loss at Grand Valley State on Sept. 9, 2023. Fort Hays State fell to 1-1 on the season with the loss.
The Pack offense finished the night with 539 yards of total offense as it rushed for 259 yards and passed for another 280 yards. CSU Pueblo held Fort Hays State to 357 yards of offense, including just 132 yards on the ground. The ThunderWolves also finished with 27 first downs, converted 7-of-12 third downs and held the ball for nearly 33 minutes.
"I am really proud of this group. I am proud of their grit. This isn't an easy place to play and we talked all week long about chasing the storm, and coming in here and knowing who we are, knowing the work we put in and playing free and I thought our guys did a really good job of that tonight against a really good opponent," said CSU Pueblo head football coach
Philip Vigil following his 30th win as the Pack's coach.
Sophomore quarterback
Navi Bruzon (Peoria, Ariz./Highland CC), who was the two-time Gatorade Arizona High School Player of the Year, turned in strong all-around performance as he finished with 322 yards of total offense as he completed 21-of-31 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns, while adding 42 yards and another score on the ground. Bruzon's three touchdown passes went to senior receiver
Dedrek Taylor-Akins (Fontana, Calif./Northeastern State), senior receiver
Nate Gravagno (Englewood, Colo./Englewood) and sophomore receiver
Nyir Jones (Camden, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas).
Taylor-Akins led the Pack receivers with four catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, while junior Marcellus Honeycutt Jr. (Aurora, Colo./Eastern Washington) added four receptions for 54 yards and Jones caught two passes for 39 yards and a score in the victory.
Through two games this season, Taylor-Akins has caught 13 passes for 303 yards and has had four touchdown catches.
On the ground, sophomore running back
Russell Patton (Denver, Colo./Dr. MLK Jr. Early College) led a deep Pack rushing attack with 80 yards on 14 carries, while sophomore
Jaedon Matthews (Goodyear, Ariz./Cal Poly) rushed for 52 yards on eight carries. Nine different ThunderWolves recorded a rushing attempt as the Pack averaged 5.9 yards per carry on the night.
CSU Pueblo wasted little time finding the end zone as the Pack marched 97 yards on eight plays on its first possession. Bruzon capped the drive by connecting with Taylor-Akins on a 42-yard touchdown pass to give the Pack a 7-0 lead with 9:05 remaining in the opening quarter. The drive started at the CSU Pueblo 3-yard line and included a 26-yard Bruzon completion to Honeycutt and a 12-yard completion to Taylor-Akins before the touchdown strike.
Fort Hays answered on its ensuing possession as the Tigers drove 76 yards in nine plays and tied the game at 7-all on a one-yard touchdown run by Taderian Partee with 4:24 left in the opening quarter.
The Tigers appeared poised to take their first lead after recovering a Bruzon fumble at the CSU Pueblo 46-yard line late in the first quarter. Fort Hays drove to the Pack 15, but David Arriaga missed a 32-yard field goal early in the second quarter to keep the score tied.
CSU Pueblo responded to the missed field goal by taking control of the contest.
The Pack drove 80 yards in 10 plays, with Bruzon finishing the drive on a 20-yard touchdown run to give CSU Pueblo a 14-7 advantage with 9:12 remaining in the second quarter. The ThunderWolves then stretched the lead to 21-7 when sophomore quarterback
Evan Powell (San Bernardino, Calif./Chaffey College) scored on a one-yard run with 2:40 left in the half. That score capped a 12-play, 76-yard drive that took 5:21 off the clock.
Fort Hays closed the half with Arriaga's 35-yard field goal with 1:21 remaining to send the Pack into halftime holding a 21-10 advantage.
CSU Pueblo controlled the second quarter as it outgained the Tigers 185-72, including a 120-52 advantage on the ground, and held the ball for 10:19. The Pack also recorded 11 first downs in the quarter compared to three for Fort Hays.
The ThunderWolves carried that momentum into the second half as they took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in seven plays to push their lead to 28-10. Bruzon capped the drive with a five-yard touchdown pass to Gravagno with 12:19 left in the third quarter. The touchdown reception by Gravagno was his fourth of his career and first since the 2023 season.
While the offense continued to move the ball, the Pack defense took over in the third quarter. Fort Hays managed just 37 yards of offense in the period, including only one rushing yard, as CSU Pueblo held the Tigers scoreless.
Fort Hays had an opportunity to cut into the Pack's lead late in the third quarter after Eli Moulton intercepted Bruzon and returned the ball 27 yards to the Tigers' 39-yard line. The Tigers drove into CSU Pueblo territory before junior cornerback
Oliver Welch (Los Angeles, Calif./Venice) intercepted Major Cantrell at the Pack 12-yard line and returned it eight yards, ending the scoring threat.
CSU Pueblo put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter when Bruzon connected with Jones on a seven-yard touchdown pass with 8:34 remaining. The touchdown completed a six-play, 57-yard drive and extended the Pack's lead to 35-10.
Fort Hays added its final touchdown on a one-yard run by AG Floyd with 4:58 remaining, but the Tigers would get no closer as the Pack closed out its second consecutive victory to begin the season.
Defensively, sophomore linebacker
Carter Daniels (Centennial, Colo./Mountain Vista) followed his 16-tackle performance in the season opener by leading the ThunderWolves with seven tackles, including a sack and two tackles for loss. Redshirt junior cornerback
David Houston III (Austin, Texas/South Alabama), Welch and senior safety
Kahden Rullo (Denver, Colo./Grandview) each finished with five tackles, while Welch added the Pack's lone interception. Redshirt freshman defensive end
Damien Tiumalu (Belton, Texas/Belton) also recorded a sack as the Pack finished with five tackles for loss and two sacks.
Fort Hays quarterback Major Cantrell completed 18-of-34 passes for 225 yards with an interception and was also the Tigers' leading rusher with 95 yards on 11 carries. Keyshawn Dooley caught six passes for 78 yards.
The Pack will return to action next Saturday, Sept. 12 as they open RMAC play against Colorado School of Mines (0-1, 0-0) with a 2 p.m. Throw Back Game at the CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl.
