ALAMOSA, Colo. – The Cowboys battled to a 17-3 and 34-31 advantages, but the Grizzlies put a field goal and pick six together in the final minutes as New Mexico Highlands (3-5, 3-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) lost to Adams State (3-5, 2-4 RMAC) 41-34 Saturday afternoon (Oct. 25) in Alamosa, Colorado.
The Cowboys stared the game off quickly with 14-0 and 7-3 leads. After forcing a Grizzlies punt in the first minute, sophomore
Vincent Venegas rushed for 32 yards in four attempts while senior
Lance Orender completed 5-of-6 passes to put the Cowboys on the board first. Sitting 28 yards from pay dirt, Orender threw a pass that junior
Kirt Terry-Springs laid out for and grabbed near the left sideline for the score.
For the day, Orender finished the day 29-43 with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Venegas narrowly missed his third consecutive 100-yard rushing day, finishing the game with 99 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown.
Both teams had a pair of possesions that produced no scores until the defense came up big. Adams State made a crucial fourth down stop on its own 23. On the very next play, Grizzlies' quarterback Auston Hillman – who finished the day 11-20 with 180 yards and one touchdown – threw his only interception of the day. Unfortuntely for Adams State, it was to senior
Jared Koster. He returned it the 30 yards to the end zone to put the Cowboys up 14-0. Koster finished with 14 tackles, including a sack and tied a season-best with 13 solo tackles.
Both teams traded field goals before big plays helped the Grizzlies tie the game right before half. The first came right after the field goal when senior
Zach Tapia saw his kickoff returned 68 yards to the Highlands 32. Four plays later, Jabari Garvin rumbled in from three yards out for his only score of the day to cut the deficit in half. Garvin finished with 86 yards rushing out 21 carries. After Adams State missed a field goal in their next possesion, Hillman hit J.R. Watters to get the home team into Highlands territory and a 30-yard grab by Phil Romero tied the game before half.
The Grizzles took their first lead of the ballgame on their first possesion of the second half and led 24-17 at the end of three. However, the Cowboys were driving. On the first play of the fourth, Orender hit senior
Tyler Slavin for 17 yards. Venegas punctuated the drive with his only rushing touchdown of the day to knot the score at 24.
Adams State answered quickly with a 79 yard passing touchdown in the next possesion, but the Cowboys quickly tied the game again when Terry-Springs made a 66-yard grab. The two teams combined for 21 points in 3:35 to begin the fourth. Adams State went three and out on its next possesion before the teams traded field goals.
However, the Grizzlies tallied the winning score on the next Highlands possesion. After a pair of rushes, Orender threw an interception to Ryan Holland. Holland returned it 57 yards for the pick six and what proved to be the winning score. Orender threw an interception and Adams State ran out the clock for the win.
The Cowboys return to action next Saturday (Nov. 1) when they celebrate senior day against Chadron State. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
