Fort Lewis College fought back to make it close, but the Colorado Mesa University Mavericks were never in real danger Saturday despite having to use four quarterbacks in Durango.

The Mavericks dropped out of NCAA Division II’s top-25 rankings after consecutive losses going into Saturday’s game at Ray Dennison Memorial Field on the FLC campus. But the team showed its resolve in a 31-24 road win on the host Skyhawks’ homecoming game.

Colorado Mesa (4-2, 3-2 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) went up 24-7 in the second quarter when starting quarterback Eystin Salum was knocked out of the game with a possible dislocated rib. The Mavericks struggled to complete drives the rest of the way, but FLC’s offensive struggles far outweighed those of the Mavericks, as FLC had only 28 rushing yards and 11 first downs in the game. The Skyhawks (1-5, 1-5 RMAC) already entered the game ranked last in the conference in rushing yards per game.

“Well you gotta get a run game going,” FLC head coach Joe Morris said. “It helps out these guys on the perimeter and gives them some one-on-one opportunities. If we are not able to establish a run game, then of course they can double up these guys outside and makes it tough.”

Salum did not enough damage while he was in the game. He passed for 184 yards and two touchdowns on 13-of-23 passing. He was intercepted once by Donell Pleasant III that set up the game-opening score, as FLC quarterback Nick McNamee hit wide receiver Tajon Mondy-Smith on an 8-yard pass in the end zone to give the Skyhawks a 7-0 lead with 9 minutes, 55 seconds to go in the first quarter.

But Salum marched the Mavericks down the field and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Alexander Powell one play after he connected with Marcus Hines on a 38-yard pass down the Mavericks sideline, as Hines fought off a defender and hauled in a one-handed catch as he dove to make the play.

“That was a phenomenal catch,” Colorado Mesa head coach Russ Martin said of Hines’ grab. “There’s a point where they’re jousting each other a bit 10 yards before he got to the football. I didn’t think he was gonna get to the thing, but that was a tremendous catch; just a great play.”

The touchdown to Powell tied the game at 7-7 with 7:27 to go in the first quarter. Later in the quarter, dangerous punt returner KJ Sapp returned a Max Peets punt 78 yards for another Mavericks touchdown. FLC appeared to have Sapp bottled up for a short return, but he broke free and weaved through FLC’s coverage team for a go-ahead score with4 3 seconds to go in the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, Colorado Mesa continued to roll, and Salum threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Andy Ritter to cap a 14-play, 80-yard drive to make it 21-7 with 10:23 to go in the first half.

But Salum would exit the game with the injury in the second quarter, and the Mavericks turned to Rope Ruel, Brevinn Tyler and Aaron Howard in a committee the rest of the way. Ruel had the most success, as he went 5-of-9 for 72 yards, including a few big passes during Colorado Mesa’s final scoring drive early in the fourth quarter. Martin said the team has carried all four quarterbacks on road trips this year because all can play multiple positions and provide leadership.

With Salum sidelined, the Mavericks turned to big senior running back Jonathan Beverly. He rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown, as his fourth-quarter score gave the Mavericks a 31-14 lead with 10:49 to play in the game. Beverly carried the load with talented freshman Pailate Makakona sidelined with an injury. Makakona warmed up with the team but was unable to play Saturday.

[image;3]“John Beverly is an outstanding running back,” Martin said. “He’s been behind David Tann the last couple of years, who was a phenomenal running back, and we got another freshman who was out today. So, we told John we were carrying the load on his shoulders. John, the more carries he gets, the better he gets, and he did a great job for us today.”

Morris said he felt like Beverly carried the ball 50 to 100 times. He finished with 33 carries.

McNamee was roughed up all day at quarterback for the Skyhawks, but he hung tough and kept getting up. He finished 25-of-47 passing for three touchdowns and 277 yards. He was intercepted three times, with the last coming on a Hail Mary attempt with 17 seconds to play in the game.

“The turnovers were huge today,” Martin said. “I think they were huge both ways. We had the one and they converted on it. We got three, two and the last one a desperation deal, but the others set us up in field position. Turnovers were very big today.”

In the third quarter, McNamee hit a 78-yard touchdown pass to Parker Strahler, who ran the length of the FLC sideline for the score, aided by a big block by Arealous Hughes. That cut the Mavericks lead to 24-14 with 1:58 to play in the third quarter.

After Beverly answered with a touchdown, FLC struck again when McNamee hit back-to-back big passes to Mondy-Smith, including a 24-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone to cut it to 31-21 with 7:04 to play.

“It was good. We needed it,” Mondy-Smith said. “We got the energy on our side, and it was all positive from there.”

FLC had momentum, and Trevor David recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff to set FLC up deep in Mesa territory. Four plays later, freshman kicker Beau McCannon, who missed a second-quarter field goal with the wind in his face, made a 39-yard field goal with the wind at his back to make it a one-score game with 6:00 to play in the fourth. But FLC’s tired defense couldn’t get off the field, as Beverly iced the game with big runs.

FLC lost Pleasant to an injury in the second quarter, too, as one of the team’s best playmakers was unable to return from a lower left leg injury.

“It’s always a big blow,” Morris said of the injuries. “We’ve been banged up all year, the entire football team. It’s the way it goes sometimes. I love Donell to death and we’re not the same team without him, but, at the end of the day, the next guy has to get ready to play.

Now, the Skyhawks will prepare to host No. 12 Colorado School of Mines, which beat the same Mavericks team 72-42 behind 797 yards of offense a week ago. FLC will host the Orediggers (6-0, 6-0 RMAC) at noon Saturday.

In FLC’s last 17 games, the team has lost five games by seven points or fewer and seven by 10 points or less while they have gone 6-11 during that span.

“I’d rather have it tough in close games than getting our (butt) kicked, I’ll put it that way,” Morris said. “We’re gonna continue to fight. We just go out and try to get better one play at a time. That’s all we can do.”

jlivingston@durangoherald.com