CSU Pueblo reaches No. 3 after holding off Black Hills State

CSU Pueblo moved up to No. 3 in the national football rankings following a 38-31 win over Black Hills State. The victory came despite three offensive turnovers and a stretch of 21 consecutive points by Black Hills State that put the ThunderWolves under pressure.

Head coach Philip Vigil said Black Hills State's offensive approach helped create difficulties for his team. He credited the opponent with executing a plan designed to limit CSU Pueblo's opportunities with the ball. Black Hills State sustained its offense through an aggressive approach, converting on fourth down five or six times, according to Vigil.

The coach also identified tackling as a problem during the game. He said CSU Pueblo's defenders at times failed to wrap up the opposing quarterback, describing those lapses as uncharacteristic of the unit. At the same time, he credited the Black Hills State quarterback's ability to make plays as a factor in the defense's struggles.

Turnovers further affected the balance of possession, Vigil said. CSU Pueblo gave the ball away three times on offense, including two interceptions thrown by quarterback Navi. Before the matchup, Navi had thrown only three interceptions. Those mistakes contributed to the disparity in time of possession and added to the challenges posed by Black Hills State's offensive execution.

Vigil said the response to Black Hills State's scoring run was an important part of the victory. CSU Pueblo answered with 14 consecutive points of its own, finding the offensive production and defensive stop it needed after momentum had shifted toward its opponent.

He described a sequence in which the ThunderWolves scored, made a defensive stop and then scored again after regaining possession. "Our offense when we needed it went down and scored," Vigil said. "Our defense when we needed to stop, got the stop."

Asked whether the schedule had prepared CSU Pueblo for a possible postseason run, Vigil kept his attention on the work still ahead. He emphasized that a playoff appearance was not assured and urged the team to continue the habits that had brought it to this point, with daily improvement remaining the priority.

CSU Pueblo is scheduled to face South Dakota Mines next. Despite the higher national ranking, Vigil cautioned against allowing thoughts of the postseason to distract from the team's immediate responsibilities.