Another impressive effort from the Fort Lewis College defense didn’t lead to a victory Saturday night in Grand Junction.
The FLC football team carried a 3-0 lead into halftime after Beau McCannon nailed a 44-yard field goal with one second to go in the second quarter. But Colorado Mesa University changed quarterbacks at halftime and committed to the run game, which proved to be the difference in the second half, as the host Mavericks claimed a 17-10 victory against the Skyhawks.
Down 17-10, Fort Lewis College got the ball back on offense on its own 48-yard line with 2 minutes, 1 second to play. FLC had wide receiver Markez Boykin open for a game-tying touchdown, but the pass from Erik Ornduff sailed a few yards long of Boykin. After a big first-down completion to tight end Zach Russell, Ornduff was then intercepted by Greyson Matalus with 44 seconds to play to effectively end the game.
“We missed some shots down the field that would have put us in position to win the game,” FLC head coach Brandon Crosby said. “I repeat myself over and over again with the offense not matching our defense. We had (Boykin) near the end wide open. Quarterback is a very hard position to play. I thought he did a decent job understanding what we’re trying to get accomplished. A couple inches here or there, a batter ball, whatever, and the outcome is different. That’s why it’s such a great game.”
After FLC had a 3-0 lead, Colorado Mesa answered on a 2-yard TD run by quarterback Hayden Bollinger with 7:27 to play in the third quarter to take a 7-3 lead.
The Skyhawks (3-3, 3-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) then reclaimed the lead at 10-7 with 3:53 to go in the third quarter on a 9-yard TD pass from Ornduff to Russell.
But the Mavericks (3-3, 3-2 RMAC) took control from there, as Lucas Ruiz Diaz made a 37-yard field goal with 12:46 to go in the fourth quarter to tie the game. That came after he had missed a 41-yard field goal in the first half.
With 8:01 to play in the game, Isaac Maestas broke a counter run off the left side of the offensive line for a 48-yard touchdown down the left sideline. That proved to be the game0winning score, as FLC would punt on its next possession.
In the first half, Colorado Mesa used quarterback Aaron Howard, who completed only 6-of-13 passes for 55 yards, and he was sacked twice, including once by FLC corner back Ka’Lonn Milton that led to the long field goal miss by Ruiz Diaz in the first half.
Bollinger was intercepted twice, with the first coming by FLC’s Shane Wetzel, but he was the QB who led the Mavericks to victory. He was only 5-of-11 passing for 62 yards. Maestas finished with 110 rushing yards on 11 carries to change the course of the game.
Ornduff was 23-of-42 passing for 212 yards and one interception and one TD for FLC. Parker Strahler was his go-to receiver with 100 receiving yards on eight catches. Russell came up big at tight end with his 61 yards and a TD on seven receptions. FLC struggled to run the ball, as Hansen was held to 40 yards on 18 carries.
“They had a really good game plan for us,” Crosby said. “We had some concepts ready, but we just couldn’t connect. Mesa is very talented and athletic. We had some giant learning mistakes that we need to work on after this and, hopefully, get better.”
The road won’t get easier for FLC on a key three-game road swing as No. 13 Colorado School of Mines looms next Saturday in Golden. Mines pummeled Western Colorado 28-0 on Saturday to improve to 6-0 overall and in conference play.
“Our defense is top in the conference in pretty much everything,” Crosby said. “That’s the main reason we are getting a chance to stay in games and compete and potentially win these games. We will come out with a game plan and give them fits.
“Offensively, we have to be able to make plays that we’re calling and hit the guys who are open. We have to come up with timely plays to get us over the hump. Playing against Mines, it’s a great opportunity for the kids to play someone ranked and show what we are about.”
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
