CHADRON, Neb. - Chadron State drove 75 yards for a touchdown on its first possession and the defense made it stand up for a 7-6 victory over Mesa State in a crucial Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game on Saturday in Chadron.

The Eagles have now won 22 consecutive regular season games and 16 straight in the RMAC.

Both teams entered the game with 8-0 overall records and 5-0 marks in the conference.

Chadron State, which was playing without Danny Woodhead for the first time in 41 games, didn't miss a beat on its first drive by going 75 yards on nine plays to take an early 7-0 lead.

However, the rest of the game was a different story, as the Eagles managed only 128 yards and seven first downs on 11 possessions.

"Coming into this game, we knew Mesa was going to be tough," said CSC head coach Bill O'Boyle. "But we didn't think our offense would play as badly as it did. We had too many blown assignments and there were a lot of mental mistakes. Thankfully, our defense played lights out and they stepped up."

The Eagles, who entered the game ranked No. 2 in Division II in scoring defense, allowed two field goals. Jared Keating hit 47 and 37-yard shots in the second and third quarters for Mesa's only points. For the fourth time this season, Chadron State's defense didn't allow a touchdown.

Senior safety Paul Schweger and Austin Bailey led the Eagles with eight tackles apiece, but five others had at least five tackles. Schweger also forced a fumble and Bailey recorded a sack for a loss of nine yards.

Also for Chadron State, defensive tackle Aaron Ide finished with six tackles and 1.5 sacks. As a team, the Eagles sacked Mesa State quarterback Phil Vigil five times.

On the Eagles' only scoring drive, the big plays belonged to Joel Schommer. The junior H-back ran 14 yards on a reverse for a first down and he also caught a 30-yard pass from quarterback Joe McLain to set up the Eagles in the red zone. McLain then hit wide receiver Landon Ehlers with a 12-yard screen pass for a touchdown. Travis Atter booted the extra point.

The Eagles' only other scoring threat came in the second quarter when they mounted a 13-play, 68-yard drive, but Atter missed a 35-yard field goal attempt.

Later in the quarter, Chadron State's Eric Roth returned a fumble about 50 yards to the east endzone, but the play was nullified by a penalty.

Woodhead, college football's all-time leading rusher, did not play because of a foot injury that he suffered a week ago on the Eagles' first offensive play against Nebraska-Kearney. The Eagles managed just 66 yards on 27 rushing plays against Mesa State.

The Mavericks outyarded the Eagles 291-to-203 and dominated the time of possession. The Mavericks had the ball 34 minutes, 14 seconds, compared to the Eagles' 25:46.

Mesa State's final chance to score came with under three minutes to play, but the Eagles' defense once again stood tall by limiting the Mavericks to just three yards on four plays. On fourth down, Chadron State defensive lineman Barton Cron pressured Vigil and the quarterback's pass intended for Justin Murray sailed incomplete.

After the change of possession, McLain took a knee on the final three snaps to seal the win.

McLain, who moved to 23-2 as a starter, finished the game with 14 completions in 23 attempts for 137 yards. He has thrown 146 passes in the past five games without being intercepted.

Sophomore running back Bobby Coy led the Mavericks' offense with 87 yards on 29 carries. Vigil was 18-of-33 for 170 yards and rushed for 34 yards.

The Eagles will play at Western State in Gunnison, Colo., next Saturday.