By: Con Marshall
CSC Sports Information
PUEBLO, Colo. – In an instant classic befitting a title decider, the CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves scored touchdowns on both of their overtime possessions to defeat Chadron State 30-27 in double overtime on Saturday in Pueblo.
After both teams squeezed out wins in overtime the previous Saturday to remain undefeated in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and set up Saturday's winner-take-all showdown, Chadron State (now 8-3, 8-1 RMAC) and CSU Pueblo (now 10-1, 9-0 RMAC) battled tooth and nail to decide the conference championship during the regular season finale.
With the win, Pueblo wins its second straight conference championship and automatically advances to the NCAA Division II playoffs, but the Eagles are convinced that after reeling off wins in eight consecutive conference games and battling the champions to nearly a draw, they also deserve the privilege of being selected for the postseason. They will find out if their wishes come true Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. Mountain time.
CSU Pueblo came into the game averaging 40 points a game, but managed only 17 through the first four quarters against the stingy Eagles defense, which forced two turnovers. Wilson Yee, the hero last Saturday against Western Colorado, made two more field goals, including a season-long 58-yarder that was the senior's longest kick since setting a school record with a 61-yarder back in 2023.
The game featured gobs of exceptional plays and suspense. In some ways, the ThunderWolves dominated – they ran 109 plays compared to Chadron State's 60 and outgained the Eagles 541 to 242 from the line of scrimmage – but time and time again, the Eagles came up with huge plays to halt the ThunderWolves' momentum.
Sophomore Chase Nelson turned in the game's biggest play by racing 92 yards with a kickoff return through the middle of the field for the game's opening touchdown. The Eagles' cause also benefited when Pueblo missed three of its four field goal attempts, none of them more than 36 yards long.
With the score tied and time winding down in regulation, the ThunderWolves had the ball at the Eagles' 29-yard line and pushed a throw towards the end zone with eight seconds remaining, only for cornerback AJ Scurlock to make his first interception of the season at the goal line to send the time to overtime.
The score was knotted at 17-17 at the end of regulation. Each team scored a touchdown and added the extra point in the first overtime. The Eagles had the ball first in the second extra session and settled for Wilson Yee's 40-yard field goal. A pass interference call against the Eagles helped keep Pueblo's ensuing possession alive and on third down quarterback Roman Fuller hit wide receiver Marcellius Honeycut with a 19-yard pass for the touchdown and the three-point victory.
More than three hours earlier when the game kicked off, Pueblo scored first when kicker Jackson Smith, who struggled the rest of the day, hit a 32-yard field goal late in the opening quarter. Nelson responded immediately with his dynamic 92-yard gallop that put the Eagles ahead 7-3 after Yee added the extra point.
It was only the 11th time an Eagle has romped 90 or more yards with a kickoff for a touchdown.
The Eagles went ahead 14-3 with 3:32 left in the second quarter by putting together a 15-play, 80-yard drive that lasted 8 minutes and 38 seconds and netted five of CSC's 12 first downs. The march's longest play was a 29-yard pass from Ralph to wide receiver Rollin George III, which saw the Eagles beat a Pueblo blitz with a perfectly-timed screen pass. It also included a fourth-down conversion on a fullback handoff to 300-pound nose tackle Tanner True before alternate quarterback Wyatt Sprague went the final three yards on a quarterback draw to the goal line for the touchdown..
Pueblo answered back in short order by going 75 yards in nine plays in just two-and-a-half minutes and scoring on a 10-yard pass from Fuller to reigning RMAC Player of the Year Reggie Retzlaff to cut CSC's halftime lead to 14-10.
The ThunderWolves moved ahead 17-14 by scoring the only points in the third period by going a 70 yards in 13 plays that concluded on running back Kiahn Martinez's one-yard plunge. The Eagles tied the count at 17 just 73 seconds into the fourth period when Yee booted his 58-yarder, which used the wind to hook inside the right upright.
Aided by both roughing the passer and pass interference penalties against the Eagles, Pueblo threatened to score on their ensuing possession, but the ThunderWolves went for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, only for the ball carrier to be stuffed by True and linebacker Jarred Marquez.
Personal foul and face mask penalties against Pueblo helped the Eagles get away from their own goal line and cross midfield, but Ralph was intercepted by CSUP safety Peyton Shaw. Again, the Eagle defense answered the bell, sacking Fuller on back-to-back plays to force a punt.
Chadron State also had to punt with just 1:45 left to play. Senior standout Brodie Eisenbraun boomed a 55-yarder that the Pack returner muffed while attempting an over-the-shoulder catch running backwards, but a Pueblo teammate recovered it at the CSUP 16-yard line before the Eagles could claim it.
The ThunderWolves quickly picked up a pair of first downs and Fuller connected on a 30-yard toss that Zack Rakowsky caught at the Eagles' 29. But on the next play, Fuller's pass towards the end zone was intercepted by Scurlock, who returned it 24 yards as the fourth period was ending.
Pueblo's first overtime score came on a one-yard pass to from Fuller to Retzlaff. Chadron State responded on a five-yard run burst by Jake Marschall after quarterback DJ Ralph had raced 20 yards on the Eagles' first snap in OT.
The Eagles couldn't pick up a first down in the second overtime period and got three points from Yee, opening the door for Pueblo to win with a touchdown. Facing 3rd-and-4 from the 14-yard line, Pueblo appeared to have made a signifcant mistake by taking a delay of game penalty that backed the Pack up to the 19, but Fuller found Honeycutt on a slant over the middle for the walk-off score.
Counting overtime, Fuller completed 40 of 66 passes for 442 yards. Retzlaff caught 14 passes for 166 yards while Zack Rakowsky grabbed 11 for 118 yards and Honeycutt four for 81.
Martinez led the hosts with 23 carries for 73 yards while Marschall paced the Eagles with 18 rushes for 66 yards.
Because of injuries, the Eagles were forced to play without Aidan Thompson, their starting quarterback during five straight victories in the middle of the season, their two leading running backs, Quincey Ryker and Daytuawn Pearson, safety Tucker Peterson and also lost another standout safety, Dax Yeradi, in the first quarter.
During the postgame radio show, Head Coach Jay Long said he was "super proud" of how the Eagles took up the slack while filling in for the missing players and made so many crucial plays. He insisted that the Eagles definitely deserve to be among the playoff teams,
Linebackers Cooper Walton and O'Brien paced the Eagles in tackles with 10 and nine while Stemler made eight and Jadon Bowen and Liam Blaser seven apiece. Stemler forced a fumble in the first half which O'Brien recovered.
DJ Ralph completed 6 of 19 passes for 91 yards for Chadron State. Tommy Thomas had a season-low two receptions, which went for 50 yards.
The Eagles will learn their playoff fate on Sunday afternoon. If they are selected, the Eagles will have a game this upcoming weekend.