CSU-Pueblo football’s strange season
After two outstanding seasons the Thunderwolves faced major obstacles this fall, but revealed a glimmer of hope for the future.
CSU-Pueblo’s football team was different in 2016. Every season brings a new team made up of new faces, new coaches, and new games, but this season was even more different. For the first time since 2010, the Thunderwolves did not make the playoffs, and the team finished with three losses; third most since the program restart in 2008. Head Coach John Wristen took the field for his 100th game as coach of CSU-Pueblo in a loss at home to West Texas A&M. The team played two first time RMAC opponents and beat them both. So maybe not everything was different, but it sure did feel like it.
Coach Wristen opened the season with sophomore quarterback AJ Thompson as the starter after he led the team to the playoffs last year and a fifth straight RMAC Championship. However, backup Rex Dausin split reps with AJ through the first two weeks, and after two early losses, Dausin was named the team’s new starter. He led the team to a 7–1 record through the rest of the regular season, and had them ready to compete for a sixth* straight RMAC Championship. After a lackluster performance to start the season finale, Dausin was pulled from the game in favor of AJ Thompson once more. AJ played arguably his best game as a Thunderwolf, and CSU-Pueblo took home another title. Even after the game there was a different feeling than from years past.
CSU-Pueblo is two years removed from a National Championship and one year removed from a season which ended one game shy of another trip to Kansas City, but the atmosphere after the 2016 season showed no sign of such recent success. Players voiced frustration regarding a game earlier in the season which ended in in two controversial calls. The loss eventually proved to be the difference between sole possession of the RMAC Championship and the subsequent three-team tie. It also proved to be the loss which cost CSU-Pueblo a sixth straight trip to the playoffs. Defensive Coordinator Hunter Hughes voiced his concern in the form of a shirt which referenced RMAC officials and the controversy surrounding the team’s relationship with the officials.
Not everything different is necessarily bad, though. CSU-Pueblo unveiled a brand new training facility and fieldhouse addition, as well as a new deck located above the facility. The deck is now home to alumni tailgates and overlooks the entire stadium. The “Leomiti Warrior Center” below features new workout equipment, additional space, and a first-class training experience for athletes from any sport.
The team also relied on contributions from young players more than ever before. Sophomore linebacker Brandon Payer led the team in tackles, and freshman running back Austin Micci led the team in touchdowns. Four true freshmen became regulars on the field, and a barrage of redshirt freshmen contributed on both sides of the ball. Whether due to injury or a lack of depth on the roster, Coach Wristen insisted the team took the “next man up” mentality to heart this season. The onslaught on talent from younger players is promising for CSU-Pueblo, but could have been a contributing factor to the team’s less than stellar season.
An RMAC Title may be simply a consolation prize for CSU-Pueblo this season after missing the playoffs, but it doesn’t go unnoticed by those who saw the team progress from week to week. Though the 2016 season featured heartache, frustration, and change for the Thunderwolves, it also brought forth a renewed sense of energy in the program and optimism for the future. Coach Wristen has instilled a new mindset in his players after facing such adversity and overcoming so many obstacles. The result may have been different, but the message stayed the same. 2016 was different for the Thunderwolves. but it may have been the reality check the program needed.
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