ALAMOSA – In a good ole western shootout, Adams State University football team held off South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Saturday afternoon in Alamosa, 52-44. The game featured more than 1,100 yards of total offense in the nearly 100 point affair.
 
The game came down to a possible single yard battle, as S.D. Mines drove down to the Adams goal line on a 38 yard pass from Jake Sullivan to Brandon Labrie. The defense made a key tackle, forcing the receiver to his knee just inches from scoring what could've been the game-tying play. On the very next play, Labrie took the ball up the middle, and on extending the ball the Grizzlies knocked the ball out of the carrier's hands. Keaton Drummer landed on the ball in the end zone, securing the win for Adams with only 30 second remaining on the clock.
 
Despite completing less than half of his passes, Nick Rooney dominated the Hardrocker's defense with five touchdown passes, the second such game in his career. Chad Hovasse was the largest beneficiary of the game, catching eight passes for 106 yards and a pair of touchdowns. With the pair of catches in the endzone, Hovasse moves to sixth all-time in career touchdown receptions for Adams State.
 
The other two-thirds of the Grizzly receiving core, Jimmy Holtrop and Marquese Surrell, came together for eight catches, 95 yards and three touchdowns.
 
For the first time this season, the ground game out-maneuvered the air attack. Corey Brown accounted for 150 yards on the ground, never conceding a yard behind the line of scrimmage. He averaged nearly six yards per carry and found pay dirt once with an 18-yard touchdown run in the first half.
 
Also joining the rushing was Rooney, who had a season-high 70 yards on the ground. Isaiah Morris also broke loose for a large gain, carrying the ball twice for 47 yards with a long of 45 yards.
 
Turnovers were the difference between a win and loss, as the Grizzlies never coughed up the ball, but forced four turnovers. Brandon Baker forced a fumble, while Ashton Lawson and Evan Ford each picked off Sullivan. Nick Bundy picked up the slack for the missing Garrett Jackson, as he has 11 solo tackles, 14 total tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss.
 
The unsung heroes of the game turned out to be Montana Gomez at kicker and Kane Bowen at punter. Bowen and the punt coverage team averaged more than 40 yards per punt, including three inside the 20. Gomez was 7-7 on PATs and connected on a 25-yard field goal. He also had nine kickoffs with an average of 57 yards per kick.

Another group of individuals deserving praise are the offensive linemen. The big men up front accounted for more than 280 yards on the ground and allowed just one sack and no tackles for loss. 
 
Lightning delay delayed the game, and looked to slow down the Grizzlies as the team allowed Mines on its opening drive. The teams flip-flopped scored throughout the first half and into the second, then jumped out with a pair of touchdowns and a field goal in the third. The final score came in the fourth, the first points scored this season by the Grizzlies in the fourth quarter.
 
Adams heads on to one of the toughest road stretches in the nation next weekend. The team begins at No.17-ranked CSU-Pueblo, who topped No.8-ranked Colorado Mesa today. Following that the team travels to Canyon, Texas, to take on West Texas A&M, the lone team to topple CSU-Pueblo this season. After that the team returns home for homecoming against Colorado Mesa.