CHADRON, Neb. – After a 69-point win snapped Chadron State's conference season-opening four-game losing streak, the Eagle football team will seek to maintain that momentum when they travel on the road to face New Mexico Highlands.
Chadron State (2-5, 1-4 RMAC) has not faced New Mexico Highlands (3-4, 1-4 RMAC) in Las Vegas since a 33-30 loss in the 2024 season, a defeat that broke what had been a seven-game win streak for CSC in the series. The Eagles got back to winning ways over the Cowboys last season with a 37-20 win in Chadron.
Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 12 p.m. from Sanchez Family Stadium.
Numbers to know
- 7: RMAC Defensive Player of the Week winners for CSC in 2025-26 (including reigning winner Liam Blaser).
- 33: Total penalties called on CSC this season, fewest in the RMAC.
- 33.1: Yards per kick return this season by Chase Nelson, ranking fourth in Division II.
- 100: Yards on the kick return touchdown to open last Saturday's game by Nelson, the longest return in CSC history.
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How to tune in
Saturday's game, along with every CSC football game for the remainder of the regular season, will be livestreamed on the RMAC Network.
Fans can purchase monthly subscriptions to the RMAC Network for $25 or annual passes for $130. Those prices are both unchanged from the 2025-26 season, which was the first for the RMAC Network's pay-per-view model.
PURCHASE: RMAC NETWORK
A radio stream of the game will take place on Double Q Country 97.5/105.9 FM and doubleqcountry.com, with Dave Collins on the call. Finally, Eagle fans can follow along via live stats for free or keep track on social media (@cscfootball on X/Twitter and Instagram) for updates.
Looking back
Chadron State won its first RMAC game of the season in dominant fashion, scoring 45 points in the first half and 66 in the first three quarters to defeat Adams State, 69-0.
The 69-0 point spread is CSC's fourth-largest in 60 years. After punting on its first possession, the Eagle offense scored on nine straight drives before kneeling out to end the game, while Chadron State's special teams and defense also scored touchdowns.
Chadron State out-rushed Adams State 220-131 and out-passed the Grizzlies 319-110. Chadron State's defense forced four turnovers – two interceptions and two fumbles – on consecutive drives spanning the second and third quarter.
Player of the week
Liam Blaser earned an RMAC Defensive Player of the Week award after his performance against Adams State, becoming CSC's second defensive weekly winner of 2026.
Blaser made six tackles, including three solo tackles, and contributed to two of Chadron State's four turnovers. Blaser snared his first career interception and ran it back 40 yards for a touchdown to give CSC a 45-0 lead 34 seconds before halftime. Blaser, a Duncan, Nebraska, native, also recovered a fumble in the second half.
Blaser's win is the first RMAC Player of the Week for Chadron State since Jarred Marquez (defense) and Triston Hite (special teams) both won in Week 1 after CSC's win over Nebraska-Kearney. Hite also was the D2Football.com National Special Teams Player of the Week that week.
The Eagles had eight winners last season (2025) – one offensive (Aidan Thompson), five defensive (four by Logan O'Brien, one by Aiden Kuester) and two special teams (Wilson Yee, Chase Nelson). With Yee and Nelson winning the award in the last two weeks of the 2025 season, Chadron State has now won three of the past four awards dating back to last year.
Run it back
Chadron State couldn't have had a better opening to last Saturday's game when Chase Nelson, a senior from Castle Rock, Colorado, took the opening kickoff back 100 yards for a touchdown, becoming the longest return runback in Chadron State program history.
Chadron State now has 12 recorded returns of 90-plus yards for touchdowns, and Nelson is the first player with multiple on the list.
CSC's kickoff returns 90-plus yards for touchdowns:
1948 — Jack Barker, 93 yards vs. Hastings College.
1962 — Charlie Rector, 97 yards vs. Hastings College.
1977 — Mark Sholtz, 98 yards vs. Minot State*.
1990 — J.D. Hill, 99 yards vs. Midland Lutheran.
1982 — Andy Callahan, 97 yards vs. Jamestown College.
2001 — Beau Sheets, 90 yards vs. Mesa State.
2002 — Marvin Jackson, 93 vs. Western State*.
2008 — Maurice Threatts, 98 yards vs. Mesa State.
2011 — Nathan Ross, 94 yards vs. Angelo State.
2017 — Stevann Brown, 95 yards vs. Adams State.
2025 — Chase Nelson, 92 yards vs. CSU-Pueblo.
2026 — Chase Nelson, 100 yards vs. Adams State*.
*Opening kickoff
Nelson added 50 punt return yards and an offensive rushing touchdown during his highlight-reel game on Saturday.
Nelson currently ranks fourth in Division II and leads the RMAC by averaging 33.1 yards per kick return. Nelson's 9.9 yards per punt return ranks 18th in Division II and is third in the RMAC.
Fresh faces
The game against Adams State saw plenty of milestones for CSC's true freshmen on the roster. While the last couple of years have seen true freshmen eligible to play four games without burning a redshirt, the new passage of the NCAA's 5-for-5 rule means true freshmen no longer need to worry about redshirt seasons.
Kelian Allen, a freshman running back from College Park, Georgia, made his collegiate debut against the Grizzlies and ended up leading Chadron State in both rushing attempts (eight) and rushing yards (50) despite all of his carries coming in the fourth quarter. With running back Daytuawn Pearson not traveling this weekend, Allen could remain a secondary rushing option beyond Devon Rivers and Jake Marschall.
Wide receiver Ethan Latta, a true freshman from Stratton, Nebraska, had suited up in three games for the Eagles, even finding his way in the starting lineup once, and had two rushing carries on jet sweeps for 17 yards entering Saturday. Despite the experience, Latta didn't have a college reception prior to last weekend but caught three passes for 55 yards and a touchdown against the Grizzlies.
Stat selections
- Chadron State's defense ranks fifth in scoring (24.6 points allowed per game) and sixth in total defense (372.9 yards allowed per game) in the RMAC.
- CSC's offense ranks eighth in scoring (22.4) and total (323.0). The Eagles rank ninth in the league in rushing yards (120.0) and fifth in passing yards (203.0).
- CSC's defense ranks third against the pass, allowing only 187.9 passing yards per game to opponents.
- Shay Prichard ranks seventh in the RMAC in scoring, averaging 7.0 points per game. Prichard is averaging 1.6 field goals per game, seventh in Division II but fourth in the RMAC.
- CSC has not been a highly penalized team. The Eagles have the fewest penalties (33, 10th in Division II) and penalty yards (293, 12th in Division II) in the RMAC.
- Devon Sundgren is averaging 19.3 yards per catch, which ranks tied for fifth in the RMAC.
- The 88-yard pass completion from Aidan Thompson to Devon Sundgren from Week 1 against Nebraska-Kearney remains the longest play from scrimmage in the RMAC so far this season.
- Aiden Kuester ranks fourth in the RMAC with 28 solo tackles while Jarred Marquez is sixth with 25 solo tackles.
- Three of the top 12 tacklers in the RMAC reside on the Chadron State defense – Cooper Walton (tied for fourth, 57 total tackles), Jarred Marquez (sixth, 56) and Reese Jacobs (12th, 49).
- Marquez is tied for the RMAC lead in both forced fumbles (3) and recovered fumbles (2).
- William Stemler ranks tied for fourth in the RMAC with four sacks while Ryder True is 11th with three.
- Chase Nelson leads the conference by averaging 33.1 yards per kickoff return and ranks third by averaging 9.9 yards per punt return.
- Triston Hite has placed 19 punts inside the 20, seven more than any other RMAC punter. Half of Hite's league-leading 38 punts have gone inside the 20.
RMAC update
After Chadron State defeated Adams State, the Grizzlies are now the only winless team remaining in the conference. Two schools remain undefeated in CSU Pueblo and Western Colorado – they don't meet until the final week of the regular season.
Notably in last week's results, Black Hills State defeated South Dakota Mines in the Black Hills Brawl after the Hardrockers had been receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll for the first time ever. Colorado School of Mines also defeated Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction, moving the Orediggers into third place in the league standings.
While the standard is for RMAC teams to have two nonconference games in addition to their nine conference contests, that won't work out perfectly this year. Fort Lewis had a nonconference game against William Jewell ended prematurely and canceled due to a medical emergency, giving the Skyhawks just one nonconference game, while Colorado School of Mines had a nonconference game against Washburn end in a tie due to unplayable heat index and turf temperatures at the start of overtime.
Here is a look at the current RMAC standings:
Team – RMAC record – overall record
#4/#5 CSU Pueblo – 5-0, 7-0
#6/#6 Western Colorado – 5-0, 7-0
(RV) Colorado School of Mines – 4-1, 4-2-1
Black Hills State – 3-2, 5-2
South Dakota Mines – 3-2, 5-2
Colorado Mesa – 2-3, 3-4
New Mexico Highlands – 1-4, 3-4
Fort Lewis – 1-4, 2-4
Chadron State – 1-4, 2-5
Adams State – 0-5, 0-7
*For ranked teams: first # = ranking in AFCA Coaches Poll, second # = ranking in D2Football.com poll; RV = "receiving votes" in top 25; NR = "not ranked".
RMAC weekly matchups:
CSU Pueblo at Fort Lewis
South Dakota Mines at Colorado School of Mines
Colorado Mesa at Adams State
Western Colorado at Black Hills State
RMAC championships (most recent):
Western Colorado (19, 2021)
Colorado School of Mines (16, 2023)
Colorado Mesa (12, 2017)
CSU Pueblo (10, 2025)
Chadron State (8, 2008)
Adams State (7, 1989)
New Mexico Highlands (2, 1999)
Fort Lewis (1, 1984)
Black Hills State/South Dakota Mines (0)
Scouting the Cowboys
The Cowboys opened this season by showing they were the best Division II team in their state, nipping Eastern New Mexico 35-34 and downing Western New Mexico 55-32.
Since then, Highlands has won one of its five Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games. Fort Lewis kicked a field goal in overtime to win 31-28, before the Cowboys cashed in three long drives in the second quarter to build a 30-14 halftime lead en route to handing Black Hills State its first loss, 44-37.
Three setbacks have followed. South Dakota Mines won over NMHU 34-24, then the Cowboys lost to Western Colorado 52-24 despite taking an early 17-0 lead. This past Saturday, CSU Pueblo gained 651 yards during its 77-17 verdict over the Cowboys.
This will be Chadron State's third trip to Las Vegas in the past four seasons. The teams traded three-point decisions the last two times they played in New Mexico. The Eagles won 23-20 in 2023 by passing for a touchdown with 71 seconds remaining. But Highlands won 33-30 the next year, when the teams combined for 961 yards of offense and there were four lead changes in the second half.
A year ago, while playing the Eagles at Elliott Field, Highlands featured Jeffery Jones, who had set a Division II freshman record by rushing for 387 yards against Western New Mexico early in the 2025 season. Jones also raced 74 yards on the second play of the game against the Eagles and also ran 36 yards for another touchdown late in the first quarter to put his team ahead 14-3. But after getting better acquainted with the CSC defense, Jones gained only 16 yards in the second half and the Eagles won 37-20.
Jones didn't remain at Highlands and is now the leading rusher for undefeated Stephen F. Austin with 429 yards on 58 carries.
However, the Cowboys have another capable running back. Brad Ashton, a 5-10, 180-pound sophomore, has carried the ball 69 times for 540 yards for a 7.8-yard average that includes a 76-yard scoring jaunt. Their primary quarterback is junior Kadyn Parr, who has completed 76 of 131 passes for 1,076 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Opponents have attacked the Highlands secondary, having completed 147 of 259 passes for 1,934 yards and 27 TDs. Through the same number of games, Chadron State's foes have completed 120 of 209 passes for 1,215 yards and seven TDs.
In the polls
In the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll, released July 22, Chadron State was picked to finish fourth out of 10 RMAC programs. The Eagles received one first-place vote, one second-place vote and three third-place votes in the poll.
CSU Pueblo finished in first place in the poll, with eight first-place votes, followed by Western Colorado (one first place vote), Colorado School of Mines and Chadron State. Chadron State faced the three teams picked ahead of them in the preseason standings in the first three weeks of the conference season.
Behind CSC, Colorado Mesa was fifth while New Mexico Highlands, South Dakota Mines, Black Hills State, Fort Lewis and Adams State rounded out the poll.
Last year, the Eagles were picked seventh in the preseason and went on to finish second in the conference standings.
The RMAC has two nationally ranked programs – CSU Pueblo, ranked No. 4 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 5 in the D2Football.com media poll, and Western Colorado, ranked No. 6 in both.
Preseason plaudits
The RMAC released a Preseason All-RMAC team alongside its preseason polls back on July 22, based on the leading vote-getters from last year's all-conference voting that return to the league.
Chadron State had four players honored, tied for the third-highest total in the RMAC – quarterback Aidan Thompson, offensive lineman Dominic Castanon, linebacker Cooper Walton and defensive end/edge rusher William Stemler. Stemler also made an appearance on the D2Football.com Elite 100 watchlist as a "squad" member of the defense, one of six RMAC honorees across the national 100-player listing.
Stemler's selection marks the fourth consecutive year that an Eagle defensive player has made the Elite 100 preseason list, joining alumni Dax Yeradi (2025) and Hunter O'Connor (2023, 2024).
5-for-5
Under a new eligibility ruling passed by the NCAA this summer, all NCAA student-athletes will have five years of eligibility while developmental redshirts and medical waivers that previously could grant another year of eligibility have been eliminated.
To accommodate this new system, Chadron State is changing how student-athletes are labeled on the football roster – using the term "freshman" for a player in their first year of college, "sophomore" for a player in their second, "junior," "senior" and "fifth-year," regardless of whether the player has previously received a redshirt year.
For example, a player now being referred to as a "junior" has been with Chadron State or another college football program for two seasons (regardless of if they played or not during those seasons) and has three years of eligibility remaining, including 2026.
Coaches' corner
Head coach Jay Long returns for his 15th season at the helm of CSC football in 2026. In his previous 14 seasons at Chadron State, Long boasts a 70-68 record. He is 85-83 overall in his 17-season head coaching career.
Notably, the Eagles' 8-4 record in 2025 was a substantial turnaround from a 3-8 record in 2024. Chadron State's eight wins in 2025 is tied officially for the most in a single season during Long's tenure, alongside eight-win seasons in 2013 and 2014.
For his efforts last season, Long was voted by his head coaching peers as both the RMAC Coach of the Year and the AFCA Region Five Coach of the Year, each for the first time in his career. Coach Long was one of only five AFCA award recipients in Division II and one of only 25 recipients among all levels of college football.
Chadron State's head coach (Jay Long) and all three coordinators – Micah Smith (offense), Clint Sasse (defense) and Mitch Collicott (special teams) – are all Chadron State football alumni.
Quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator Tommy Wilson also returns for a fourth season at CSC, while coaching assistant for defensive backs Deunte Moody returns for a second season.
In year one on the CSC staff are coaching assistants Cole Cartwright (running backs), Reed Henkel (linebackers), Abe Hestdalen (defensive line), Seth Moore (offensive line) and Fred Pillivant (wide receivers). Henkel makes a move to the coaching staff after playing for the Eagles from 2022-25.
