As the football season winds down, the trend of either huge wins or huge losses continues for Colorado Mesa University (CMU). The Mavericks beat Adams State University 42-7 for their homecoming game before getting routed by rival Colorado State University-Pueblo (CSU-P) 59-20 last weekend.
The good news, at 4-5, head coach Miles Kochevar and the Mavs have two very respectable wins, as well as two blowout victories. Additionally, four of the five losses came to teams that will be in the NCAA playoffs or have just missed out, including two teams ranked top 10 nationally. They also pass the eye test, matching up athletically as a young team against some of the nations best.
The bad news, they have lost by an average of 36 points in four of the five losses, only scoring an average of just over 10 points-per-game in those games. They have been able to win big like the conferences best, but haven’t been able to compete offensively when they match up against them.
On the road against the CSU-P Thunderwolves, the rivalry continued from last year’s drama filled game. Kochevar and a couple members of his staff came over from CSU-P when he was hired early in 2022, while the Thunderwolves head coach Phillip Vigil played quarterback at CMU from 2004-2008.
While the game turned out to be a lopsided result, it was close until the 5:00 mark in the second quarter. CMU’s quarterback Gavin Herberg was making plays outside of the pocket, and went on to scramble for a 29 yard touchdown to bring the Mavericks within six at 10-16, before the game turned.
CSU-P then scored a touchdown and CMU responded with a field goal, but their following kick was returned for another touchdown. Herberg then fumbled on the next offensive play, giving CSU-P a short field for a quick touchdown, during a 21-3 run in under five minutes which clinched the game.
Against 3-6 Adams State, the Mavericks were finally able to play one of the bottom teams in the RMAC at home, giving fans a show for the homecoming finale. In a game where Herberg was off, throwing for only 129 yards and three interceptions, the rest of the team stepped up.
The offensive line won the line of scrimmage, allowing no sacks while producing 307 rushing yards on just 15 attempts. Running backs Marvin Jones, Myles Newble and Keyshawn Ashford were able to get out into space, all going for rushes of 25+ yards.
Led by linebackers Levi Krebs and Colin Stuhr, the defense played excellent. Returning from an injury, Krebs made his presence felt playing the middle linebacker position and stopping the run. In the backfield, Stuhr was constantly near the quarterback and had two tackles for losses and a strip sack that was returned for a touchdown.
CMU’s next game is senior day at Stocker Stadium this Saturday, Nov. 4th, against 4-5 Chadron State University at 1:00. They then go on the road against 2-7 New Mexico Highlands University, giving the Mavs a good chance to finish the season with a winning record.
