Fort Lewis College football has done the unbelievable. The unthinkable.
Trailing 22-17 to No. 2-ranked CSU-Pueblo late in the fourth quarter and facing fourth-and-goal from the 3-yard line, the FLC Skyhawks (2-4, 1-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) turned to Durango hero Jordan Gillen, a wide receiver but former quarterback at Durango High School, to deliver the game-deciding pass.
Gillen was split out wide right and went in motion behind the quarterback and running back before he received a pitch from FLC junior quarterback Jordan Doyle. Gillen had one man to beat if he wanted to run toward the endzone, but he placed a perfect pass to a wide-open Juquelle Thompson for the go-ahead score that gave FLC a 23-22 lead with 3 minutes, 46 seconds to play.
The win snapped a 42-game regular-season winning streak for the CSU-Pueblo ThunderWolves (5-1, 3-1 RMAC), who had gone 11-0 in three consecutive seasons before losing each year in the playoffs.
The FLC defense came up with two big stops in the final 3 minutes, and the Skyhawks completed their biggest win in memory.
“That was special. ... I’ve been to Notre Dame’s stadium and beat them there, and I’ve been a lot of places, a lot of bowl games. I’ve beaten No. 1 UCLA in the Rose Bowl, and this is as big as it’s ever been in my career,” said second-year FLC head coach John L. Smith, who’s résumé includes stops at six Division I schools, including Arkansas, Louisville and Michigan State. “I can’t be more proud of these guys than I am. They hung in there and fought from the bottom of their heart.”
Gillen said the team spent all week practicing the wide receiver pass that resulted in the game-winning score. Smith said the team planned to run it on third-and-goal a play earlier, but the ball was spotted on the left hash, which didn’t give them enough room to complete the end-around play. With the ball set up in the middle of the field for the fourth-down play, everything was set up perfectly for the trick play, especially after FLC had faked the end-around to Gillen several times earlier in the game while handing the ball off to a running back instead.
“We repped it all week in practice, and I was ready for it. I kept wanting coach to call it all game,” said Gillen, son of DeRon and Jill Gillen. “I kept waiting for it, and we had run the ball hard enough before, and we had run plays that were similar to that, and we blocked good on it. They thought we were just going to run it again, so they all bit on it. Everybody bit, and Juquelle was wide open.”
The game-winning drive was set up by the second CSU-Pueblo fumble on a punt return of the day. FLC punter Kipp Castanha directed a rugby style kick toward a ThunderWolves kick coverage man, and the ball hit the CSU-Pueblo player in the back before the Skyhawks jumped on it to set up FLC on the CSU-Pueblo 26-yard line. Carl Cox recovered the first, and Austin Nelson recovered the second fumble by CSU-Pueblo on the punt plays.
“There is design in that. When we first started rugby years and years ago, that was part of it. All these people running these returns and running guys with guys down the field, your chance of hitting one of them is as great as anything,” Smith said of directing the punt at opposing players with their back’s turned. “That’s part of it. We don’t do that. When people run rugby against us, we get the heck out of the way.”
CSU-Pueblo head coach John Wristen said the two fumbles were just a part of the “weird day” in Durango, which included a severe weather delay that led to a halftime lasting more than two hours.
“It was just really freakish,” Wristen said. “It was awkward from the start of the game, and I’ve never seen two (fumbles) like that ever happen in a game. Just a weird day.”
Everything seemed to turn around for FLC after the Skyhawks entered the game at 1-4 and winless in the RMAC. An offense that struggled all season got on its feet early with a game-opening 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped with a touchdown pass from Doyle to Gillen on third-and-goal from the 19-yard line. Doyle scrambled to avoid a pass rush, and Gillen found a way to get open to give FLC an early 7-0 lead.
Also finding its feet was the FLC running game. The Skyhawks hadn’t had a running back rush for more than 50 yards in a game all season, but redshirt freshman PJ Hall broke free for 174 yards on 28 carries for FLC. Perhaps none of his yards were as big as a 41-yard run when FLC faced third down on its own 5-yard line late in the third quarter. FLC didn’t score on the drive, but the change of field position proved monumental.
“The o-line was blocking phenomenal. They got to the linebackers, and, as soon as I saw the hole, I went,” Hall said. “I went hard, and it was one-on-one with me and the safety the entire time.”
Hall said his 41-yard run came on a play that originally was slated to be a pass before Doyle checked into a running play at the line of scrimmage.
“Jordan checked it, and I was like, ‘Jordan, what are you doing? We gotta get out of here, man.’ As soon as I saw daylight, I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is amazing,” Hall said.
The FLC offensive line dominated one of the best defensive fronts in the country. Helped by the return of cancer survivor and Michigan State transfer Arthur Ray Jr. at left tackle, the Skyhawks produced a push for the running game and helped keep Doyle on his feet.
“You have to credit our offensive front,” Smith said.
CSU-Pueblo went ahead 10-7 after Doyle was sacked and stripped. ThunderWolves’ defensive end Josh Bredl scooped up the loose ball and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown that tied the game at 7 in the first quarter, Greg O’Donnell connected on a 30-yard field goal, his first of three made field goals, to give CSU-Pueblo a 10-7 lead after one quarter.
FLC reclaimed the lead when Doyle ran toward the goal line but again was stripped of the ball early in the second quarter. Luckily for FLC, tight end Austin Shaw was right there to fall on the ball for the touchdown.
Two more O’Donnell field goals made it 16-14 in favor of the ThunderWolves going into halftime, as rain began to fall hard at Ray Dennison Memorial Field. Hail eventually followed, as did severe lightning, bringing a delay to the game that lasted more than two hours.
“I have to credit our team and our coaches. What we did in that two-hour delay was we came in, we got some warm T-shirts on, and we ended up getting some fruit bars in the guys, and they end up hydrating to make sure we stayed focused,” Smith said. “What we did is went through our clap session, our pregame stuff we do as far as mental, making adjustments, how we’re moving. And then we went out, and we came in, and we did it all over again. We tried to keep our mental focus on what it is we had to do, and I think we proved that in the second half.”
When play finally resumed, FLC caught CSU-Pueblo off guard with an onside kick from backup kicker Joseph Cavale. Theo Chambers was there to scoop up the ball to give FLC possession, and the Skyhawks turned it into three points on a Castanha field goal that gave FLC a 17-14 lead.
It was a big momentum boost for FLC, and it was one of many big plays Chambers made in the game, as he also intercepted a pass in the endzone in the second quarter and also broke up a CSU-Pueblo 2-point conversion try with another interception in the fourth quarter.
“Honestly, to think about it, it was pretty scary to do an onside just right out of halftime with a delay like that,” Chambers said. “As soon as he kicked the ball and I caught it, to me, it wasn’t a big play. Once I got on the sideline, it donned on me that it was a big play for the team.”
Smith said the team practiced the onside kick all week, but he left it up to the team to decide when, or if, they should run it.
“We wanted to see exactly what they were going to give us,” Smith said. I asked the guys, we adjusted one thing on it at halftime, and then I asked these guys, ‘Do you want to start with it?’ They said, ‘Heck yeah, coach, we’ll get it.’ It was their decision.”
The FLC defense held RMAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Chris Bonner to just 14-of-31 passing for 152 yards and one interception. CSU-Pueblo running back Cameron McDondle rushed for 138 yards on 18 carries, and J.B. Matthews rushed for 12 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown that had given the ThunderWolves their 22-17 lead.
Doyle finished the game 18-of-30 passing for 177 yards, one touchdown and one interception. For Doyle, who has seen all the ups and downs of FLC football this season, the win came as sweet relief.
“We put so much time into it, getting up in the morning all of camp. When you lose games, you don’t get anything out of it, really,” Doyle said. “When you get a win like this, it makes it all worth it. To see everyone happy and all the coaches so excited, it is a great feeling.”
Ryan Ross, an FLC defensive lineman, finished with a game-high 11 tackles for FLC, and Derik Wetzel had one big sack.
The Skyhawks will need more of that great defensive play that showed up Saturday in their next game, a homecoming special at 6 p.m. Thursday night against No. 16 Colorado Mines (6-0, 4-0 RMAC) in a game that will be nationally televised on the CBS Sports Network.
“We don’t have a lot of time to celebrate and think about this. We have to come out (Sunday) and actually start,” Smith said. “We will have to come to the field to play a real good football team that’s going to throw it around. And everybody gets to get their ugly mug on TV, so it is a great deal.”
jlivingston@ durangoherald.com
Colorado Mines assumes RMAC leadership
ARVADA – One of the top teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and in all of Division II football went down in a heap Saturday, and the other barely clung to a home victory.
Thanks to a 44-37 home win against Western New Mexico (2-4, 1-3 RMAC), No. 16 Colorado School of Mines (6-0, 4-0 RMAC) assumed the lead in the conference standings after No. 2 CSU-Pueblo (5-1, 3-1 RMAC) fell 23-22 on the road to last place Fort Lewis College in Durango.
Mines staved off an upset bid by the Mustangs thanks to a 19-yard touchdown pass from Justin Dvorak to Cole Spurgeon with 3 minutes, 2 seconds to play in the game. The score broke a 37-all tie and capped off an eight-play, 75-yard drive.
The Orediggers compiled 531 yards of offense as they battled back from four turnovers. The Orediggers forced four turnovers, too, led by two interceptions from Jalen Champagne.
Western N.M. quarterback Mitch Glassman finished with 377 passing yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions on a 35-of-63 passing day. Dvorak was 32-of-60 for 413 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions for Mines.
Tevin Champagne rushed for 103 yards and one touchdown for Mines, and Marques Rodgers went for 101 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Mustangs.
Donald Byrd caught 14 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns for Western N.M., and Spurgeon led Mines with 171 yards and a touchdown on 10 receptions.
Durango High School alumnus Avery Llewellyn was 3-for-5 on field goals with a long of 44 yards for Mines.
Western N.M. will head home to host Colorado Mesa (4-2, 3-1 RMAC) at noon Saturday.
Colorado Mines will have a short week to prepare for a nationally televised game at 6 p.m. Thursday at Fort Lewis College (2-4, 1-3 RMAC). The game will be televised on Altitude 2 and CBS Sports.
Colorado Mesa 31, New Mexico Highlands 19
GRAND JUNCTION – Andrew Cota rushed for 126 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 271 yards and two more touchdowns, as the Mavericks bulled their way past the Cowboys.
Colorado Mesa (4-2, 3-1 RMAC) led 17-0 at halftime and 31-6 going to the fourth quarter in an easy win. The Mavericks limited N.M. Highlands quarterback Lance Orender to just 155 yards on 21-of-35 passing, and Orender threw five interceptions in the game. Orender entered Saturday with the most passing yards in Division II.
Mesa will go on the road next week to face Western New Mexico (2-4, 1-3 RMAC) at noon Saturday. N.M. Highlands will head home to host Western State at 1 p.m. (3-3, 2-2 RMAC) Saturday.
Chadron State 45, Adams State 31
ALAMOSA – The Eagles stormed out of the gates with 21 points in the first quarter, and another 17 second-quarter points put the game away for good in Alamosa.
Chadron State had 575 yards of total offense, 307 of which came on the ground, and received four touchdown passes from John McLain in a game that wasn’t close.
Michael Madkins rushed for 217 yards and one touchdown on 30 carries to lead the Eagles’ rushing attack. Madkins also threw for a 74-yard touchdown in the win.
The Eagles will remain on the road to face an angry CSU-Pueblo (5-1, 3-1 RMAC) team at 2 p.m. Saturday. Adams State will hit the road to face Black Hills State (2-4, 1-3 RMAC) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Western State 34, Black Hills State 13
GUNNISON – The Mountaineers got back to .500 on Saturday with a strong second-half performance at home against the Yellow Jackets.
Western State led just 14-10 at halftime but outscored Black Hills State 20-3 in the second half to collect a comfortable win.
Austin Ekeler ran for 163 yards and two touchdowns for the Mountaineers, and quarterback Brett Arrivey threw for 278 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on a 26-of-36 passing day to lead Western State. Mountaineers wide receiver Travis Haney hauled in eight passes for 116 yards and one touchdown.
The Yellow Jackets will host Adams State (1-5, 0-4 RMAC) at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Mountaineers will hit the road to face New Mexico Highlands (2-4, 2-2 RMAC) at 1 p.m. Saturday.
heraldsports@durangoherald.com
