GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado completed a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown on the final play of the first half to pull within 10 points of 10th-ranked Colorado State University Pueblo, but the visiting ThunderWolves were able to play even with the 8th-ranked Mountaineers in the second half to finish off a 44-34 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Saturday at the Mountaineer Bowl.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: CSU Pueblo def. Western, 44-34
Records: Western 8-1 overall (6-1 RMAC), CSU Pueblo 8-1 (7-0)
Location: Mojo Field at Mountaineer Bowl at The Rady Family Sports Complex, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The ThunderWolves scored on their opening series to take the lead, 7-0, added touchdowns on two other first-half drives after converting a 27-yard field goal on the prior drive, and were stopped on downs in Western territory and punted on their other two possessions.
• That punt, plus a Mountaineer penalty on the play, pushed the offense back to its own 12 yard line with 29 seconds left on the second-quarter clock.
• Western picked up yards on an 18-yard Braeden Hogan run and a 21-yard reception by Cole Riters who stepped out of bounds at the CSUP 49 to stop the clock with 12 seconds left.
• Two incompletions left 1 second on the clock, setting up no other choice but for a Hail Mary toss. Quarterback Drew Nash was flushed out of the pocket as the clock hit zeroes, briefly squared up and heaved it from his own 45 yard line toward the end zone.
• In the middle of five ThunderWolves defenders at the goal line rose Riters above the group, snaring the prayer and landing on his backside in the end zone that allowed the Mountaineers to head into the halftime break trailing only 24-14, this, after accumulating just 32 yards of offense in the first quarter.
• Needing to maintain the momentum in its opening drive of the second half, Western unfortunately went 3-and-out and the Pack responded with a two-play 76-yard drive to again open up its lead over the hosts.
• Another CSUP touchdown increased the gap to 37-14, but a 14-play, 92-yard touchdown drive followed by a 9-play, 80 yard touchdown drive once again drew Western to within 10 (37-27).
• A key play on the next CSUP series helped ice the game for the visitors, however. Stopped by the Mountaineer defense for a needed 3-and-out to force a punt, Western was offsides on the 4th and 4 play handing the ball back to the ThunderWolves who would finish the drive with one more touchdown to go up 44-27 with just 4:52 remaining.
• Nash would hook up with Josiah Ayon on a 43-yard touchdown play, but even with another 3-and out stop by the defense, the need to score twice in the final 1:53 was too much of a hurdle on this day.

MOJO TURF NOTES

• Western would actually accrue more first downs, 29-26, than did the CSUP offense. And the difference in passing yards – 435 for CSUP and 405 for Western – was negligible.
• However, the ThunderWolves forged a 158-40 edge in rushing, and recorded five sacks to Western's one.
• Nash would finish the day with four touchdowns on a 29-of-50 afternoon, while Riters would pile up 8 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns for the Mountaineers.
• Ayon had one touchdown reception and 91 yards, while Daniel Parsek had 61 yards receiving and 1 touchdown.
• The ThunderWolves' Reggie Retzlaff and Taylor Tosches finished with nearly identical yardages, Retzlaff with 138 and Tosches with 137. Retzlaff would catch three TD passes and Tosches 1 in their victory.

THEY SAID IT


UP NEXT
Western closed out its home schedule on November 9 with a visit from Chadron State College for a 1 p.m. Senior Day game at the Bowl.