CMU Football aims to avoid let down following huge win

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. ( KREX ) — This week, we got a chance to hear from the Colorado Mesa football team following a massive 14-13 upset win over #4 Colorado School of Mines.

“It was just a program changer,” said freshman defensive lineman O’Marius Dimry-Lockhart, who mentioned that his older teammates explained how big the game was during the week. “This is how you turn it around and start winning some games and do what we’re supposed to be doing.”

“Beating a team that’s been successful and went to back-to-back national championships, that helps us as coaches and players building confidence,” said CMU defensive coordinator Trent Matthews. “It shows that what you did worked. And I think that’s truly a blessing and I think it’s good for the players to be able to see that.”

Snapping a 23-game RMAC win streak is certainly no easy task. It’s worth celebrating and shows how much progress this team has made now in year three under head coach Miles Kochevar – taking down a team that beat them 52-0 a year ago. Without question, it’s been about Mesa’s defense, that’s allowing just 19 points per game and under 10 points a game in their three wins.

But now we switch ahead to this week. And it’s a game that poses a far different challenge: not allowing yourself to be upset. CMU will be in Alomosa Saturday to battle the bottom dwellers of the RMAC: the 0-5 Adams State Grizzlies.

“They play hard, they don’t got nothing to lose,” said Matthews. “We’ve got to go in there and go 1-0. Not looking over them and really focusing on us, and making sure we do the little things right… in all three phases of the game and we actually put together a full team win. That’s what we’re looking to do and I think that’s the point of emphasis this week.”

And Matthews mentioned that he’s been reminding his players about what happened last week to the Alabama Crimson Tide. One week after taking down #2 Georgia in a wild, emotional win, Alabama was stunned by 2-2 Vanderbilt, the Commodore’s first win over the Tide in 40 years.

“So that [Alabama loss] gave you food for thought so right now we’re just focusing on us and making sure we’re doing our job to the best of our abilities.”

It’s a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday between Colorado Mesa and Adams State at Rex Stadium in Alamosa.

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