On Saturday morning, the Colorado Mesa University football team walked around the field of Stocker Stadium three times… to reclaim their home field. After three consecutive home losses to start the 2019 season, that is exactly what they did on Saturday night in the 17-10 win against Fort Lewis College (FLC).
“You know what we played well on the road and not so well at home. So we gotta understand that regardless of what it takes, we gotta reclaim it,” CMU Head Coach Russ Martin said. “There was a time where I had the offense walk one way and the defense walk the other way. I said ‘There’s times where you’re gonna be facing each other and when that happens you gotta know that you have to be accountable to every guy that you see.”
It took three tries and three heartbreaking losses before the Mavericks (3-3) were able to give a “hip hip hooray” in the post-game huddle…but it was worth the wait. With all the adversity CMU has been through this year and even all the adversity from penalties and turnovers in the game on Saturday, the dub was well earned.
CMU accumulated a total of 13 penalties for 100 yards compared to FLC’s (3-3) five penalties for 26 yards. The defense was the most prominent highlight for the Mavericks. Grayson Matalus intercepted Erik Ornduff at the CMU 40 with 44 seconds remaining to seal the first home victory.
Matalus also led the team with 13 total tackles and one pass break up. Ricky Hayes and Reed Rowan combined for a total of four sacks. Mason Newton also led the defensive line with four tackles for loss.
“In life, you’re gonna get knocked down, are you gonna stand back up or lay there in the ditch,” Mason Newton said, “I know it’s cliche as all hell but that’s what we had to do today..how I worded it to the defense is if they can’t score then they can’t win the game and we did our best do it.”
The first half proved to be lackluster for both teams as both CMU and Fort Lewis struggled to get the ball moving thanks to dropped passes and penalties. The Mavericks had two drives and 51 yards of total offense in the first quarter but had their two possessions both end in punts.
In the second quarter, both the Mavericks and the Skyhawks would exchange a couple of series ending in punts. FLC would eventually give the ball to CMU inside their own 35 but Aaron Howard and Maverick offense were unable to capitalize on the good field position. After a crucial sack by Skyhawk linebacker Ka’Lonn Milton for a loss of 12 yards, Lucas Ruiz Diaz would miss a crucial 41-yard field goal to keep the scoreboard empty.
The Skyhawk passing attack was the only vital use of offense efficiency in the first half. Erik Orduff completed 16 passes for 102 yards that helped FLC accumulate their eight first downs. For CMU, they have more penalties than first downs. The Mavericks racked up eight penalties for 49 yards and only five first downs in the first half. The last one of the half came when CMU committed a personal foul off a punt to allow FLC to kick a 44-yard field goal to go into halftime up 3-0.
“We had a lot of mistakes, we had a lot of penalties called on us. I don’t think the penalties were that much out of realm,” Russ Martin said. “Anyways, our guys kept battling and found a way to win the game.”
CMU needed a change of pace. Enter Hayden Bollinger. The other redshirt sophomore replaced Aaron Howard in the third quarter to take the Mavericks on a 10-play, 60-yard drive. Bollinger capped the drive with a 2-yard tumble to the endzone to allow the Mavericks to take the 7-3 lead.
“No one wants to come and watch a team lose,” Bollinger said. “This team pulled through today…we know how good we can be but coming out here every Saturday we gotta continue to know and we gotta execute.”
The following drive, consequently. Fort Lewis once again capitalized on CMU’s penalties and drove 90 yards in six plays to regain the lead. Ornduff found Zach Russell on third and goal via a 9-yard touchdown pass and catch to regain the 10-7 lead.
The Mavericks would eventually go on to score 10 unanswered points via a Ruiz-Diaz field goal to tie the game up before Isaac Maestas exploded out of the backfield for a 48-yard dash to take the 17-10 lead. It was CMU’s second-longest touchdown run on the year and their biggest run of the game.
Maestas racked up his second 100-yard game on the year after finishing the night with 110 yards and the touchdown off of 11 carries.
Bollinger would throw two picks in the second half and finished the game completing five passes for 62 yards along with his lone rushing touchdown. Howard went 6-15 for 55 yards. Tight end Dagan Reinks led the team in receiving with four receptions for 63 yards.
Now that they Mavericks are back at .500, they will take their undefeated 2-0 away record to Pueblo when they take on the Thunderwolves of CSU-Pueblo. That game will be on Oct. 19 with a 2 p.m. kickoff scheduled.
