D2-CFB Game Preview: CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves (2-1) vs. Colorado Mesa Mavericks (2-1)

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Kickoff: 2:00 PM MT (4:00 PM ET)
Venue: Ralph Stocker Stadium, Grand Junction, Colorado (Capacity: ~8,000)
Broadcast: RMAC Network / ESPN+

Weather Forecast (Grand Junction, CO)

Temperature: ~81°F (27°C) at kickoff, cooling into the low 70s by evening

Conditions: Mostly sunny, light winds (5–8 mph)

Impact: Ideal conditions for a high-tempo RMAC matchup; no weather disruptions expected.

Injury Report

CSU Pueblo (2–1, 1–0 RMAC, ranked #12 nationally):

QB Roman Fuller – Healthy; threw for 250 yards and 2 TDs in comeback win vs. Central Missouri.

RB committee – Healthy; rushed for 123 yards last week.

WR top unit – Healthy, multiple deep threats.

Defense – No major injuries reported; unit forced 3 INTs last week.

Colorado Mesa (2–1, 0–0 RMAC):

QB Karst Hunter – Healthy; dual-threat ability, averaging 200+ total yards per game.

RB Jaden Williams – Healthy, 2 rushing TDs this season.

WR top target group – Healthy; Mavericks rank 2nd in RMAC in pass defense, but offense has been inconsistent.

Defense – Secondary fully healthy, allowing just 149 passing yards per game (2nd in RMAC).

Key Player Matchups

QB Roman Fuller (CSUP) vs. CMU Secondary

Pueblo ranks 2nd in RMAC in passing offense (286 YPG), while Mesa’s secondary is 2nd in pass defense (149 YPG). A true strength-on-strength battle.

RB Jaden Williams (CMU) vs. CSUP Run Defense

Pueblo allows fewer than 92 rushing yards per game; Williams must find ways to keep the Mavericks balanced.

WR Corps (CSUP) vs. CMU Corners

Pueblo’s deep passing attack will test Mesa’s discipline and coverage communication.

LB Corps (CSUP) vs. QB Karst Hunter (CMU)

Hunter’s mobility could be the X-factor if Pueblo’s front seven overcommits to the pass rush.

Recent Team Form

CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves (2–1, 1–0 RMAC)

9/13: W 29–24 @ Central Missouri

9/6: W 38–21 vs. Western Colorado

8/30: L 26–23 vs. Minnesota State (Top 10 team)

Trend: Winners of 17 straight RMAC games dating back to 2023; longest active road win streak in DII (10 games).

Colorado Mesa Mavericks (2–1, 0–0 RMAC)

9/13: W 28–14 vs. Adams State

9/6: L 17–14 @ South Dakota Mines

8/30: W 35–10 vs. Western New Mexico

Trend: Defense strong against the pass, but offense inconsistent; chasing program’s 500th all-time win.

Series History

All-time series: CSU Pueblo leads 15–5.

Last meeting (2024): CSU Pueblo won 28–13.

Pueblo has won 9 of the last 10 meetings.

Mesa’s last win came in 2016.

Betting Trends

CSU Pueblo:

4–1 SU in last 5 games.

3–2 ATS in last 5.

Unders hit in 3 of last 5.

Colorado Mesa:

2–3 SU in last 5 games.

2–3 ATS in last 5.

Unders hit in 3 of last 5.

Head-to-Head: Pueblo has covered in 6 of the last 8 meetings.

Historical Betting Results

CSU Pueblo: Profitable ATS as a road favorite; unders common when defense dominates.

Colorado Mesa: Struggles ATS against ranked RMAC opponents; overs more frequent when defense falters.

RMAC Trends: Ranked road favorites cover ~61% of the time in September conference games.

Game Odds

CSU Pueblo ThunderWolves       – 9.5

Colorado Mesa Mavericks           49

Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025