A fourth-quarter scoring swing was all it took for the Fort Lewis College football team to get back in the win column.

After three consecutive lopsided losses, the Skyhawks turned the tide with a 10-9 victory over Western State on Saturday in Gunnison.

Kipp Castanha finally got FLC on the board early in the fourth quarter with a 23-yard field goal to cut the Mountaineers’ lead to 9-3. Four minutes later, Jordan Doyle hit Nova Hardy for an 8-yard touchdown pass to give FLC a 10-9 lead with 8 minutes, 46 seconds to play, and the Skyhawks’ defense made it stand up.

Doyle hopped back into the starting lineup after a thumb injury opened the door for Max Baiz. The lefty signal caller completed 21-of-37 passes for 190 yards and the touchdown to Hardy. Hardy was the main beneficiary of Doyle’s passes, catching nine of them for 85 yards and a score.

The Skyhawks (3-5, 2-4 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) ran for 101 gross yards, but the net total was far less impressive because Doyle was sacked six times for 58 yards, including once in the third quarter by Lane Stuht, who had four sacks, that resulted in a safety and a 9-0 lead for Western State.

Austin Ekeler ran for 105 yards for the Mountaineers, including a 22-yard touchdown run to open the scoring. Brett Arrivey was 21-of-37 for 119 yards for Western State.

Each team had exactly 218 yards of total offense. FLC was penalized 12 times for 111 yards, and the Mountaineers (1-6, 1-4 RMAC) were set back six times for 48 yards.

FLC punter Scottie Gallardo, the national leader in punting, had 10 kicks for 487 yards for an average of 48.7 yards per punt.

Joey Alvarez led the Skyhawks with 12 tackles, including a sack, and Jamal Campbell and Kenneth Banks recovered fumbles. Drew Smith and Thaddeus Brown each picked off Arrivey once for the Skyhawks. Brandarius Johnson also added a sack for Fort Lewis.

FLC will return home for its annual Musket Game against Adams State at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ray Dennison Memorial Field before finishing the season with a game at Chadron State and a home game against Black Hills State.

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Colorado Mines sours Colorado Mesa’s homecoming

GRAND JUNCTION – A 27-point fourth quarter was the difference as Colorado Mines rallied past Colorado Mesa 27-10 on Saturday.
Four touchdowns in the span of 11 minutes, 3 seconds provided all the scoring for the Orediggers (5-3, 4-2 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference). Justin Dvorak ran for 62 yards and two scores and threw for 356 yards and another score to Tevin Champagne. Dan Palmer added a touchdown run for Mines, and Ty Young had 162 receiving yards.
The Mavericks (5-3, 4-2 RMAC) were held to just 100 total rushing yards, while Aric Kaiser threw for 210 yards and a touchdown. But Kaiser also was intercepted three times in the loss.
CSU-Pueblo 51, Black Hills State 17
SPEARFISH, S.D. – Chris Bonner threw for 345 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 3 CSU-Pueblo over winless Black Hills State, and the ThunderWolves set a league record with their 28th-consecutive RMAC win.
Chris Ashe added 140 yards rushing and two touchdowns for the ThunderWolves (8-0, 6-0 RMAC), and Josh Sandoval caught two touchdowns and had 162 yards receiving.
Ward Anderson had 296 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Luke Whalen had 110 receiving yards and a score for the Yellow Jackets (0-7, 0-4 RMAC), who were outgained 638-456.
Chadron State 31, N.M. Highlands 24
CHADRON, Neb. – Glen Clinton’s 58-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes, 40 seconds to play put Chadron State past New Mexico Highlands.
Clinton ran for 157 yards and two scores for the Eagles (6-3, 5-1 RMAC), who lost a 24-14 lead in the fourth quarter before scoring late to pull out the victory. Cody Ross had 89 receiving yards and a touchdown for Chadron State.
Dominique Ferrell ran for 168 yards and a touchdown for the Cowboys (2-6, 1-5 RMAC), and Emmanuel Lewis threw for 221 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Adams State 41, Western N.M. 20
ALAMOSA – Adams State won its third game in a row in a rout of Western New Mexico.
The Grizzlies improved to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the RMAC, while the Mustangs dropped to 2-5 and 2-4 in the RMAC.
Adams State will head to Durango on Saturday to take on Fort Lewis College in the schools’ annual Musket Game. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Ray Dennison Memorial Field.
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