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Stone Walker at Black Hills State
Josh Hall
Stone Walker (7) looks downfield for his receivers against the Yellow Jackets at Lyle Hare Stadium (Sep. 21, 2024)

Fort Lewis to battle #16/14 CSU Pueblo in Pink Weekend showdown

10/11/2024 12:00:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement
Fort Lewis vs. No. 16/14 CSU Pueblo
Saturday, Oct. 12, 2 p.m. | Ray Dennison Memorial Field | Durango, Colo.
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | FLC Game Notes | CSUP Game Notes
 
DURANGO, Colo. – The Fort Lewis football team (1-4, 0-3 RMAC) is up against its second nationally-ranked opponent in as many weeks as the Skyhawks host No. 16-ranked CSU Pueblo (5-1, 4-0 RMAC) for a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matchup and its annual Pink Game presented by CommonSpirit, Alpine Bank, and The Wells Group Durango Team at 2 p.m. on Ray Dennison Memorial Field.
 
Comforts of Home
Just two weeks ago, despite falling 49-33 to South Dakota Mines (3-3, 2-2 RMAC), the Skyhawks offense had its most explosive outing in years, racking up 444 yards of offense and 33 points on the afternoon. Zachary Gaumont had a career-high performance with a pair of touchdowns and 117 yards on only three receptions. Freshman Orlando Guevara burst onto the scene as well, picking up 100 yards and one touchdown on four carries, including an 88-yard scamper that went for a score and stands as the RMAC's longest carry this season and Fort Lewis' longest rushing touchdown since at least 2013.
 
National Spotlight
Redshirt sophomore Jacob Penney continues to be a force on the defensive side of the ball through week six as the Sparks, Nevada, native and Spanish Springs High School graduate ranks fourth in NCAA DII with 62.0 total tackles this season including a fourth-best 12.4 tackles per game. Penney has thrice gone for 10+ tackles including a career-high and conference-high 18.0 tackles against Black Hills State (Sep. 21). Additionally, Penney owns three of the league's top five single-game tackling performances. He ranks tenth in total tackles among all NCAA Divisions (DIII, DII, FCS, FBS).
 
Durango Born
Fort Lewis has recruited championship-caliber players from right here in Durango, including 2020 Colorado 3A State Champion and Durango High School graduate Walter Stauffer. The Skyhawks six-foot-six defensive end has been a force on the edge as he leads the roster and ranks second in the RMAC with 7.5 tackles for 20 combined yards lost. Stauffer posted a career-high 4.0 tackles for loss against South Dakota Mines (Sep. 28), a mark that sits as the second-most TFLs by an RMAC player this season. In addition, Stauffer's 7.5 tackles for loss ranks 29th in NCAA DII.
 
The Vigil Era
CSU Pueblo has been on a surge over the past 24 months under the direction of second-year head coach Philip Vigil. The former two-time All-RMAC quarterback at Colorado Mesa (2005-08) has led the ThunderWolves to a 13-4 overall record and an appearance back in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 since his arrival in Pueblo, Colo. This season, the Pack are outscoring opponents 44.5 to 17.5 on the back of a conference-leading 509.2 yards per game. In addition, CSUP topped no. 21-ranked Texas Permian Basin (3-3, 2-2 LSC) 40-23 before dropping its only contest of the season by a 24-21 margin to no. 3-ranked Grand Valley State (5-0, 1-0 GLIAC).
 
Three-Headed Offense
Under center for CSU Pueblo is senior quarterback Devin Larsen. The Western New Mexico transfer has thrown for 117 completions in 187 attempts (62.6 percent) for 1,592 yards, 16 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Six of his touchdowns have been caught by senior wideout Reggie Retzlaff, who leads the RMAC and ranks third in DII with 641 yards this season. On the ground, senior Howard Russell V is averaging 7.8 yards per carry and 108.2 yards per game with eight touchdowns and 649 net yards this season, a mark that ranks him fourth in DII on total yards this year.
 
A Cornhusker Road Trip
Next week, the Skyhawks will head back out on its second-longest road trip of the season as Fort Lewis makes its way to Chadron, Nebraska, for a 1 p.m. kickoff at Chadron State () on Saturday, Oct. 19, on Elliot Field at Don Beebe Stadium.  
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