This time, they finished it.

After giving up a late score to lose to New Mexico Highlands last year in Grand Junction, the Colorado Mesa University football team made a goal-line stand to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on Saturday in Las Vegas, NM.

Led by senior linebacker Jake Edmiston, the Mavs stuffed Cowboys running back Brandon Johnson on foruth down on the 3-yard-line with time winding down to pick up a 22-17 victory and improve to 2-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Mavs moved to 3-2 overall, while Highlands falls to 2-3, 1-2 in the RMAC.

The Maverick offense was riddled with injuries throughout the day, but managed to drive down the field and set up placekicker Tanner Donahue for a 31-yard field goal with 4:12 left in the game. The field goal was huge because it pushed the lead to five points, which meant the Cowboys couldn’t rely on their kicker, Zach Tapia, who nailed a 56-yard field goal in the first half.

That was the good news. The bad news was Cowboys QB Emmanuel Lewis got another chance to work his late-game magic on the Mavericks. The senior threw for 427 yards and a touchdown on the day and moved Highlands down the field to the Maverick 10-yard line, earning the Cowboys a first and goal from the 10-yard-line with under a minute to play.

Lewis completed a short pass on first down, was stuffed on a QB draw on second down and then the Maverick defense swarmed Johnson on two consecutive runs to seal the victory.

The Maverick fans who made the drive were rewarded and appropriately went nuts on the final stop.

CMU returns to RMAC action next Saturday at Stocker Stadium as Western New Mexico comes to Grand Junction for a 1:00 kickoff. Pregame on 1230 KEXO starts at 12:30 p.m.

 

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