It was definitely not the same 69-7 victory over South Dakota Mines (SDMT) from last year. Nor was it the 49-23 season opener route of Western State from the same season.
All in all, this is not the Colorado Mesa University football team we know from years’ past.
The Mavericks had only six returning starters both offensively and defensively and when it came down to it, this game was decided by a couple freshmen stepping up and making the substantial difference.
Lake Makakona, a freshman running back from West Valley City, UT, was the final spark in the engine to give CMU the lead and eventually the 36-33 win.
Two impressive touchdown runs in the fourth quarter would complete the comeback win and give the Mavericks their sixth consecutive opening day victory. Makakona came into Saturday listed as the third-string running back. But after Saturday, he is the saving grace for the season opener.
“He is an outstanding player and he is going to be phenomenal,” Head Coach Russ Martin said. “He is tough, fast, physical player and he’s a fast learner.”
It was an exciting ending, however, CMU experienced the most adversity in a season-opening game than they have the previous five years. Right from the very first drive, the Mavericks were fighting from behind.
“Early in the game we did not play well in any phase,” Martin said. “We gave them some easy plays and penalties kept their drives alive.”
The Hardrockers received the first kickoff of the 2018-19 season and capitalized on the opportunity to get ahead early.
Starting SDMT quarterback Jake Sullivan drove the Hardrockers down the field on the opening drive to finish with a five-yard touchdown run. Sullivan would then go on to score again ten minutes later with another touchdown run to give SDMT the 14-0 lead at the end of the first.
CMU would simply not find any rhythm for the entire first quarter. The Mavericks had only nine positive rushing yards, 73 passing yards and converted on only one third down.
An SDMT field goal in the second would leave the Mavericks down 17-0. Being down three scores to a team they defeated by 62 points the year before was not the ideal situation the Mavericks wanted to find themselves in. The new look and inexperienced CMU team showed in times on Saturday.
“Young guys this year gotta keep reminding them that it’s not the end of the world every play,” Senior Tommy Saager said. “You have another play…keep on playing and keep on going, and they did and I am proud of them.”
The 17-point deficit would finally diminish when Eystin Salum found Peter Anderson for a four-yard touchdown pass after getting the ball on the Hardrockers’ 21 due to a bad punt. CMU would go into halftime down 17-7.
Salum would end up going 22-42 for 257 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
The only receiver to catch for over 50 yards was Corbin Covey. The 23-year old continued his trend of making amazing catches in key situations for the Mavericks.
“Virnel Moon was on the sideline and he started calling me Ole Reliable,” Covey said. “I’m older than some of these kids but everybody has their role and I feel like I can be that guy to come up with clutch catches.”
Covey ended the day with four receptions for 58 yards.
In the third, CMU tried to find a sense of momentum and it came in the form of a fumble the play after the SDMT stripped the ball from Eystin Salum. After the fumble, Salum drove the offense down the field to cut the deficit down to three with a five-yard touchdown run.
The Hardrockers and the Mavericks would exchange scoring drives for the remaining of the third quarter. By 2:26 remaining in the third quarter, The Mavericks did manage to cut the lead down to 23-21.
Yet, the Hardrockers would bring the lead back up to nine again with a Jake Sullivan touchdown pass and in the fourth, SDMT would extend the lead to 33-21 after a field goal.
Makakona then made his debut. The freshman scored his first of two touchdowns with a 13-yard dash to the end zone to cap the 75-yard drive.
Down 33-28 now, Russ Martin decided to call for a shallow pooch kick on the kickoff. The ball ended up on the ground and it was the Mavericks who came up with it on the Hardrockers’ 36-yard line.
Makakona would get the ball three times in a row and eventually give the Mavericks their first lead of the game. Salum would then complete the two-point conversion after an impressive catch by freshman wide receiver, KJ Sapp.
CMU would hold the lead for the remaining of the fourth quarter and the game would end on an Antonio Clark interception to seal the first win of the 2018-19 season.
The Mavericks will play their first road game at Eastern New Mexico in a non-conference matchup.
