Mesa State rolls at home in win over CSU-Pueblo

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By ALLEN GEMAEHLICH

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Make it 2 for 2 in the old-school uniforms.

The Mesa State College football team wore the maroon and yellow uniforms of the late 1970s and early 1980s for the second time this season Saturday night and won for the second time in them. This time, the Mavericks defeated CSU-Pueblo 26-3 in an RMAC game at Stocker Stadium.

“I felt we controlled the game, but we left some points on the field,” Mesa State coach Joe Ramunno said. “Penalties again stopped (us). We’re fortunate we have a great kicker and a good field goal team.”

The Mavericks (5-2, 5-0 RMAC) piled up 454 yards in total offense, including 304 on the ground, but reached the end zone only twice, thanks in part to 10 penalties for 88 yards. Mesa State senior kicker Jared Keating had a school-record four field goals, including a 41-yarder.

Mesa junior running back Bobby Coy ran for a season-high 237 yards to put him over the 1,000-yard mark for the season (1,111). It was the fifth consecutive game Coy rushed for more than 100 yards.

“We adjusted well to their scheme,” Coy said. “I have to give credit to the offensive line. They do it for me. They played well against a talented front.”

About the only thing Coy didn’t do was score a touchdown. Senior tight end Maurice Manley scored both TDs for the Mavs.

Manley caught a 15-yard pass from Phil Vigil in the second quarter for a 7-0 lead and a 14-yard pass from Vigil in the fourth quarter for a 23-3 cushion. Manley had four receptions for 52 yards. Vigil completed 13 of 27 passes for 150 yards with one interception.

It was the Mavericks’ only turnover of the night.

The two touchdowns and four field goals were more than enough for the Mesa State defense, which allowed season-low of three points and a season-low of 204 yards in total offense.

The Mavericks held their fourth consecutive opponent under 100 rushing yards and haven’t allowed a running back to run for 100 yards or more since Abilene Christian’s Bernard Scott did in the 2007 Division II playoffs.

The defense did the job without senior defensive end Nic Pade, who is out with a knee injury, but is expected to return in two to three weeks.

Sophomore Tony Kelly started in place of Pade and made 3.5 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Kelly said. “I’ve worked hard in practice and felt I could step up. We have great coaches and great chemistry.”

Mesa’s defense picked off two passes.

Junior linebacker Spencer McAdoo had one on the ThunderWolves’ possession after Mesa’s second touchdown that put the Mavs up 23-3.

McAdoo, who dropped an interception earlier in the game, returned it 32 yards before going out of bounds.

“I’ve been having trouble with thumb injuries,” McAdoo said. “I’m basically walking with two casts on my arms. I was trying to figure out which hand I can hold the ball. I finally realized I’m not gripping this, so I ducked out of bounds.”

Keating’s 41-yard field goal on the Mavs’ next possession put the game out of reach.

The ThunderWolves (2-4, 1-4 RMAC) hung around behind their defense, keeping Mesa State off the scoreboard until the second quarter when Manley caught his first touchdown.

Coy went over the 1,000-yard mark on his first carry of the third quarter, but Pueblo’s Aaron Hernandez intercepted Vigil and returned it into Mesa territory. It led to a 48-yard field goal and a 13-3 Mesa lead.