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GUNNISON, Colo. - A total of 15 Western State Colorado University football players will take Mountaineer Bowl's field for a final time on Saturday. Western hosts Colorado School of Mines for the final home game of the 2014 season on Saturday at 1 p.m. from Mountaineer Bowl. The 90th meeting between the two schools is the longest continuous rivalry in the state of Colorado.
Western (4-5, 3-4 RMAC) enters the game having defeated Fort Lewis College by one point a week ago. The 27-26 victory put the Mountaineers in a tie for fifth place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings.
CSM (8-1, 6-1 RMAC) is currently ranked 19th in the latest American Football Coaches Association poll. The Orediggers are tied for first place in the RMAC, with their only loss coming against CSU-Pueblo. CSM is coming off a 37-23 win over Colorado Mesa University a week ago.
The Orediggers boast the second best offense in Division II and quarterback Justin Dvorak is second in nearly every passing category.
In 90 meetings between the two schools, Western has won 51. However, the Orediggers have won the past nine meetings.
The 15 Western football players playing their final game in Gunnison are:
Vince Delmonico,
Ron Dickerson,
Colton Emich,
Bradey Gasaway,
Cody Huebner,
Mark Jones,
Dylan Markley,
Arius Norris,
Zac Stansberry,
Jaden Terry,
Cole Wadsworth,
Cole Waliczek,
Kalvin Winter,
Kendall Worth, and
Chase Yaeger.
Game 10 Notes:Longest Running Rivalry...Colorado's longest running rivalry continues on Saturday, as Western State and Colorado Mines meet for the 90th time.
The first game was played in 1925 and Western came away with a 15-6 victory.
Third Time is a Charm...Western State is 2-0 this season after losing the previous two games.
Start of Something Good...The Mountaineers began the season 2-2 for the first time since 2008.
Western has already surpassed last season's win total of two 2013.
The last time Western had three wins in a season was 2009 and the last time Western had four wins was in 2003.
If Western defeats Mines it will be the first time the Mountaineers reach five wins in a season since 2003 when the team went 5-6.
High Noon Woes...Last Saturday's game against Fort Lewis College was the first time since at least 2006 the Mountaineers won when the game started at noon.
Since 2006, Western is 1-13 when games begin at 12 p.m.
RMAC Academic Player of the Year...Austin Ekeler, a sophomore running back, maintains a 3.49 grade-point average as a business administration major. While Ekeler has been excelling in the classroom, his performance on the football field has been nothing short of stellar in 2014. Currently, Ekeler ranks first in the RMAC in total rushing yards, average rushing yards per game, touchdowns, longest run, total all-purpose yards, and average all-purpose yards per game. At the national level, Ekeler ranks seventh in Division II for average rushing yards per game, fifth for total rushing yards, and seventh for average all-purpose yards per game.
Last season, Ekeler was selected to the 2013 Don Hansen All-Super Region IV Offensive First Team and was named the 2013 Don Hansen All-Super Region IV Freshman of the Year. Prior to those honors, Ekeler was named a 2013 RMAC Offensive First Team selection and was named the 2013 RMAC Offensive Freshman of the Year.
Joining Ekeler on the 2014 RMAC All-Academic First Team was defensive back
Cole Waliczek (Sr. Thornton, Colorado). Waliczek, a double major in sport and exercise science and psychology, maintains a 3.54 GPA. Currently, Waliczek is second on the team in total tackles with 59 and leads the team in solo tackles with 41. Waliczek ranks sixth in the RMAC for solo tackles and 12th for total tackles.
Waliczek was garnered RMAC All-Academic First Team honors in 2012 and was selected to the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll in 2013.
A total of 18 other Mountaineers were named to the 2014 RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll.
Connect Two...Western will be looking to win their second consecutive game of the season against Colorado School of Mines on Saturday. If the Mountaineers win, it will be the first time since 2009 Western has won back to back games.
Passing History...In just his second season as Western's play caller, quarterback
Brett Arrivey is moving up Western's career passing records.
Arrivey became Western's all-time leader in pass completions after week eight against Western New Mexico University, surpassing Jason Davis who completed 418 passes from 1993-96. Arrivey has 444 completions in his career.
Arrivey currently sits second all-time in career passing attempts at Western with 747. He needs 80 more attempts to pull even with Jason Davis who attempted 827 from 1993-96.
Arrivey is fifth for most pass attempts in a season in 2014 with 328 and third in season passing completions with 196.
Tackling to the Top...Linebacker
Jaden Terry moved into the Western career record books after the week four matchup against Adams State University, and continues to move up the list.
Terry has 334 career tackles which is eight all-time. To move into seventh place, Terry will need three more tackles to pass Chip Gaber's 336 tackles from 1981-84.
Break On Through...In just his sophomore season, running back
Austin Ekeler rushed into the Western record book. Ekeler has compiled 2,479 yards rushing in his first two years at Western, which ranks sixth all-time.
Ekeler sits 163 yards away from surpassing Jim Arcieri in fifth place. Arcieri rushed for 2,642 yards from 1971-74.
On the season, Ekeler has ran for 1,473 yards, which ranks second all-time in a single season. Ekeler needs 70 yards to move into first place and surpass Chaumont Bouknight who ran for 1,543 yards in 2003.
Kicking Down Records...Kicker
Ryan Winke made five field goals against New Mexico Highlands University, giving him 15 field goals in 2014. This placed him in a tie for second most all-time in a season at Western.
Currently with 16 made field goals in 2014, Winke trails Travis Snyder who holds the Western record with 21 field goals made in 2003.
Chasing History...Defensive back
Gerald Coleman has five career interceptions as a Mountaineer. Colman needs just one more to tie for 10th all-time in Western history with four others who have accomplished the feat.
National Leaders...Below are Western players and where they rank at the Division II level after the ninth week of play:
Austin Ekeler - 199.89 all-purpose yards per game - 5th
Brett Arrivey - 21.78 passing completions per game - T-25th
Ryan Winke - .842 field goal percentage - 12th
Ryan Winke - 1.78 field goals per game - T-3rd
Kalvin Winter - 0.33 forced fumbles per game - T-20th
Kalvin Winter - 3 fumble recoveries - T-4th
Gerald Coleman - 0.4 interceptions per game - T-32nd
Gerald Coleman - 1.4 passes defended per game - T-24th
Dakota Swinehart - 43.1 average yards per punt - 7th
Austin Ekeler - 13 rushing touchdowns - T-12th
Austin Ekeler - 1,420 rushing yards - 3rd
Austin Ekeler - 157.8 rushing yards per game - 3rd
Austin Ekeler - 9.3 points per game - T-23rd
Cole Waliczek - 5.7 solo tackles per game - T-25th
Jaden Terry - 9.6 tackles per game - 49th
Offensive Output...Western's 39 points against Adams State in week four were the most points Western had scored in regulation since a 53-24 victory over Western New Mexico in 2008.
Western scored 43 points in week seven in a 43-46 loss to New Mexico Highlands University and has scored 34 or more points five times this season.
Last year, the Mountaineers scored 48 total points against Black Hills State University in three overtimes. Western scored 28 points in regulation.
Week 8 Record Breaking Performance...Austin Ekeler ran for 254 yards rushing against Western New Mexico University in week eight. This ranks as the fifth best single-game rushing performance in school history. This gives Ekeler the fifth, sixth and seventh most rushing yards in a game in Western's record book.
Ekeler scored on three of those runs, tying for 10th most in a single game.
Brett Arrivey's 46 passing attempts in week eight ties for 10th most in a single game in Western history. Completing 28 of those throws also ties for the sixth most in a single game.
The recipient of 10 of those passes was
Travis Haney who tied for eighth most receptions in a single game.
Week 6 Honors...Kicker
Ryan Winke was named the RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week after his performance against Black Hills State. Winke hit two field goals in Western's 34-13 Hall of Fame Game win. Winke made his first field goal from 25 yards out and the second from 30 yards away. Winke accounted for a total of nine points against the Yellow Jackets.
Prelude to Something Larger...Western State began the season with a 1-1 record for the first time since 1998. The Mountaineers went onto win their second straight RMAC Championship under Head Coach Duke Iverson.
For the first time since 1997, Western won the season opener. The 1997 team also went onto win the RMAC title.
The Mountaineers defeated Wayland Baptist 38-21 in the first game of the season and lost to Angelo State University 38-6 in the following week.
Week 1 Honors...After a convincing win and tremendous individual efforts, linebacker
Jaden Terry and running back
Austin Ekeler were named RMAC Athletes of the Week.
Ekeler ran for 247 yards on 31 carries, averaging 8.0 yards per carry. Ekeler also reached the end zone twice, one of which was a 48-yard scamper.
Terry, also named the NFFCC Player of the Week, recorded one interception and one fumble recovery, both of which were returned for touchdowns. Terry also tied for a team high eight tackles, three of which were for a loss, including one sack.
Week 1 Record Breaking Performances...The Mountaineers charged to victory and also into the record books after the week-one victory.
Austin Ekeler recorded the fifth most rushing yards in a game by a Mountaineer with 247 yards. His 31 carries also tied for 10th place all-time at Western.
Thomas Chavira tied a Western record, sacking the Wayland Baptist quarterback four times, three of which came in the first half.
Chavira also recorded five tackles for a loss which is good enough for second all-time by a Mountaineer.
Kicker
Ryan Winke hit a 51-yard field goal, tying Gary Savoren's attempt in 1976 for the 10th longest field goal all-time in Western history.
Gerald Coleman tied for second most all-time interceptions in a single game with two.
Familiar Territory...Western State began their season in the state of Texas for the third time in four years.
For the fourth consecutive season, the Mountaineers faced an opponent from the state of Texas in the season opener.
After beating Wayland Baptist 38-21, Western has gone 1-3 during that span.
Captain Oh Captain...Captains for the 2014 season are quarterback
Brett Arrivey, running back
Austin Ekeler, punter
Dakota Swinehart, and linebackers
Jaden Terry and
Kalvin Winter.
