By Thomas Thortvedt

Pack football wants the ThunderBowl full Saturday as they take on Colorado Mesa Saturday, Sept. 30, at the Neta & Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl at 2 p.m.

For the last 10 years, Pack football has won a Division II national championship and also have some hardware from their five Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships.

To recognize the success of the football team, the athletic department is looking to draw 10,000 fans to celebrate 10 years of Pack football.

Athletic director of Colorado State University-Pueblo, Joe Folda said that having 10,000 fans attend this Saturday’s game will be huge for the program. “10,000 would be fantastic,” Folda said. “And I compliment Haley Robinson, Director of Marketing and Promotions in athletics.” Folda went on to say that Robinson has done a great job establishing the goal and doing everything she can to fill the stadium.

The Pack managed to get through last week’s game against New Mexico Highlands unscathed injury-wise and moved up two spots to No. 17 in this week’s American Football Coaches Associations Top 25 poll.

Pack football will come into the contest with a 3-1 record as the No. 8 Colorado Mesa Mavericks come into the ThunderBowl with a perfect 4-0 record and with extra confidence after beating the Pack last year 20-19 on a goal-line stand.

Junior defensive back, Darius Williams said that going 1-0 each week is the goal. “Colorado Mesa always give us motivation,” Williams said. “But every week is extremely important and we’re just focused on going 1-0 each week and reaching our end goal. “

The end goal certainly is another Division II national championship and after the Pack had to hand over the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title to the Mavericks last year, the anticiptation for this game is big said Joe Folda.

“This game against Mesa is a big one,” said Folda. “The winner will have the inside track on the RMAC football championship and a berth in the NCAA playoffs.”

The Pack has drawn more than 10,000 fans just once in the past 10 years: On for a playoff game against West Texas A&M. They look to reel in the same number of fans this Saturday as they look to bounce back from last year’s tough defeat against the Mavericks.