GUNNISON, Colo. - Western State Colorado University football will be looking to clinch a winning record when they face New Mexico Highlands University on Saturday. The Mountaineers and Cowboys will kick off in Las Vegas, N.M. at high noon.

Western (5-2, 5-2 RMAC) is coming off a 27-0 win over Black Hills State University last Saturday. With the win, the Mountaineers have moved into a three-way tie for first place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Colorado Mesa University, BHSU and Western each have a 5-2 conference record.

The Mountaineers' shutout victory last weekend was the first shutout win in 15 years, dating back to 2001 when Western defeated Oklahoma Panhandle State University 79-0.

NMHU (0-7, 0-6) will be searching for their first win of the season on Saturday. The Cowboys are the only team in the RMAC without a win. NMHU lost to Chadron State College 73-0 last weekend on the road.

Last year, Western defeated NMHU 56-7 in Gunnison. The Cowboys also entered that week seven matchup winless.

Fans unable to make Saturday's game will be able to follow all the action live over the internet (live stats, live video) and social media (@WSCUMountaineer, @MountaineerFB).

GAME NOTES

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will mark the 52nd meeting between the two programs. Western holds a 32-19 edge over New Mexico Highlands University. Western won the last meeting 56-7 in Gunnison, Colo. last season.
 
However, in Las Vegas, N.M., the Mountaineers have a 14-12 record. Western has lost the last three games at NMHU. The last win against the Cowboys on the road came eight years ago in 2008. Western won that game 34-31.
 
CHASING A CHAMPIONSHIP
Last week, Western defeated then first place Black Hills State University 27-0. Dixie State University also defeated then first place No. 23 Colorado Mesa University 38-31.
 
These wins moved the Mountaineers into a three-way tie for first place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with BHSU and CMU, each with a record of 5-2.
 
Four other teams are tied for second place in the RMAC with a record of 4-2 (Colorado School of Mines, South Dakota Mines, CSU-Pueblo, and Dixie State).
 
Western can clinch a share of the conference title with wins over NMHU, CSU-Pueblo and S.D. Mines in the final RMAC games of the season.
 
The last time Western won an RMAC title was in 1998.
 
CLINCHING A WINNING RECORD
Western will be guaranteed a winning season for the first time in 14 years with a win over NMHU on Saturday. The last winning season was in 2002 when the Mountaineers finished with a 6-5 record.
 
A win over the Cowboys on Saturday will also clinch a winning RMAC record for Western for the first time in 15 years. The Mountaineers went 5-3 in conference play during the 2001 season.
 
EARNING WINS
Defeating then ranked No. 23 Colorado School of Mines in week four, 45-31, gave the Mountaineers three straight wins. The last time Western earned three consecutive wins was in 2009. A win over NMHU will again give Western three consecutive wins.
 
The win against CSM also propelled Western to a 3-1 record. The last time Western started a season with three wins in four games was in 1997. That year the Mountaineers won an RMAC title and started the season 5-1.
 
Since 1997, Western has won three straight in five other seasons (1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, and 2009).
 
The last time Western began the season with a record of 5-2 through the first seven games was in 1997. The 1997 Mountaineers finished the season with a 9-3 record, winning the RMAC title with a 7-1 record. 1997 was also the last time Western made the playoffs.
 
At 5-2 heading into week eight, the Mountaineers have matched the most program wins since 2003. The five RMAC wins is the most since 2001.

HARLON HILL CALLING
After being a candidate last season for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the Heisman Trophy of Division II, Austin Ekeler is not only putting up top numbers in DII, but across all NCAA divisions.
 
Ekeler is the NCAA leader in rushing yards (1,227), is third in rushing yards per game (175.3) and is second in all-purpose yards with 1,396.
 
The senior running back is also the NCAA active career leader across all divisions in rushing yards (5,589) and second in rushing yards per game (151.1).
 
STARTING AND ENDING WITH A BANG
Through the first seven weeks of the season, Western has outscored opponents 59-17 in the first quarter. Only two teams have scored on the Mountaineers in the first quarter of play this season (Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines). The Mavericks and Mountaineers were tied 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, while score was 14-10 against Mines.
 
In the last six games, Western has outscored opponents 52-10 in the first quarter.
 
To finish the game, Western has outscored opponents 54-26 in the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers have held three teams scoreless in the final 15 minutes this season (CSM, Fort Lewis and Black Hills State).
 
TACKLES FOR TWINS
Twin brothers Cade and Carter Wasser are currently leading the Mountaineer defense in tackles. Linebacker Carter leads the team with 59 tackles, while defensive back Cade is second with 56. Carter also leads the team with 9.0 tackles for loss and is second with 3.0 sacks.
 
SHUTDOWN AND SHUTOUT
With a 27-0 victory over Black Hills State University in week seven, Western earned the first shutout win in 15 years. The last shutout victory came in 2001 when the Mountaineers defeated Oklahoma Panhandle State in Goodwell, Okla.
 
Prior to the win over BHSU, the last Western shutout victory in Gunnison also came against Oklahoma Panhandle State in 2000. The Mountaineers won that game 83-0.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
After Western defeated Fort Lewis on Oct. 8, the away team has been the victor over the past seven games played between the two programs
 
This streak dates back to 2010 when the Mountaineers won 27-24 in Durango.
 
In the last 15 games played in Durango, the Mountaineers have won 13. FLC is 6-2 in the last eight games played in Gunnison. In Durango, the Mountaineers have a record of 23-7.
 
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
After defeating then ranked No. 23 Colorado School of Mines 45-31 in week four, Western has won the past two games against ranked opponents. The Mountaineers defeated No. 21 Mines in week 10 last season.
 
BHSU was receiving votes in the week seven AFCA Poll a week after defeating then ranked No. 13 Colorado Mesa. Western defeated BHSU 27-0.
 
The Mountaineers were receiving votes after the win over CSM.

RMAC ALL-ACADEMIC
The RMAC announced the annual RMAC Football Academic awards on Oct. 17. For the second time in his career, Western running back Austin Ekeler was named an RMAC Football Academic Player of the Year. A total of 12 Mountaineers were named to RMAC All-Academic teams.
 
Ekeler was named the 2016 RMAC Football Academic Offensive Player of the Year and was a First Team Offensive All-Academic selection. Teammate Austin Yurko was the only other Mountaineer to make a first team. The defensive lineman was named to the First Team Defensive All-Academic team.
 
Honor roll selections: Quincy Campbell, Vince Grasso, Brett Arrivey, Steve D'Epagnier, Billy Marr, Cody Powers, Reeve Sanders, Eddie Schroder, Alex Weber, and David Wilson.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
After upsetting No. 23 Colorado School of Mines in week four, the Mountaineer offense and defense were rewarded with a pair of player of the week honors.
 
On offense, Austin Ekeler rushed for 316 yards and recorded five touchdowns in Western State's 45-31 upset of Mines. He rushed for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including a career long run of 88-yards while scoring touchdowns on both of his receptions in the game. Already the school all-time leader in rushing yards, he became the leader in rushing attempts and career scoring on Saturday.
 
On defense, Carter Wasser tied a game-high 10 tackles, all of which were solo. He also had two sacks and three tackles for loss in the win. He is currently tied for third in the conference for sacks (3), as well as in tackles for loss (5).
It was the second week in-a-row Ekeler has been named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week. Ekeler was also named the NFFCC Player of the Week in week three.
 
Ekeler ran for the second most yards in his career on week three. The senior accounted for 283 yards on the ground, which also ranks as the seventh most single game rushing yards in school history.
 
STOPPING THE RUN
Western's defense has been good against the run all season long, holding opponents to less than 125 yards in four of seven games played this season.
 
Twice they have held opponents to less than 100 yards rushing (Adams State - 71, Colorado Mines - 93).
 
RMAC RECORD SETTER
Western running back is climbing the RMAC's all-time records list. With 5,589 career rushing yards Ekeler is 373 yards from moving into second place all-time behind Danny Woodhead (7,962).
 
His 53 career rushing touchdowns is currently the fourth most in RMAC history, needing four more to move into second, also behind Woodhead's 101 career rushing touchdowns.
 
ENDING THE STREAK
On week three, Western defeated Chadron State 24-15 on the road. It was the first time since 1997 the Mountaineers defeated the Eagles and the first time since 1995 Western won in Chadron.
 
The Mountaineers also won an RMAC title in 1995.
 
RMAC OPENERS
The Mountaineers have struggled winning the conference opener recently. Over the past 11 seasons, Western has a 1-11 record in their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference openers. The lone victory came against New Mexico Highlands University in 2006 on the road, with the Mountaineers winning 14-9.
 
After falling in week one against CMU 34-14, Western is 0-1 against the Mavericks in RMAC openers.
 
IN THE BEEHIVE STATE
Western's struggles in the state of Utah continued in week five. Despite it being the first game against Dixie State University in program history, Western had played 74 games against teams from Utah. The Mountaineers now have a 31-44 record against teams from the Beehive State and a 14-31 record on Utah soil.
 
Prior to week five, the last time Western played a team in Utah was during the 2005 season. The Mountaineers fell at Weber State 61-0. The last Western win in Utah came in 1979 against Southern Utah. The Mountaineers won 56-14.
 
HOMECOMING
With a 45-31 win over Colorado School of Mines on week four during Western's Homecoming, the Mountaineers have won 44.4 percent (4-of-9) of homecoming games since 2008. In last season's homecoming game, the Mountaineers lost to No. 12 Angelo State University 48-20. Since 2008, Western has a 4-4 record against RMAC opponents on homecoming.
 
The last Mountaineer homecoming victory before this season came against Adams State University (39-37) in 2014.
 
HALL OF FAME GAME
Sept. 10 was Western's Hall of Fame Game. The Friday night before, Western Athletics inducted former women's diver Mary Ann Anderson (Zeylmaker), football player James Hawkins, track and field athlete Jerry Hollingshead, distance runner Dennis Leck, and Ed Ali as the Lifetime Athletic Achievement Award Recipient into the Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame. The class of 2016 is the 22nd class to enter the MSHOF.
 
After defeating Adams State 56-25 in the 70th Colorado Classic, Western is 3-4 in Hall of Fame games since 2010. The Mountaineers have won the three of the past four, defeating New Mexico Highlands University in 2013 by a score of 33-27, Black Hills State University in 2014 by a score of 34-13, and losing 31-24 to Chadron State College last season.
 
SEASON OPENERS
Western is 32-59 in season openers. Since 1995, the Mountaineers are 1-21 in season openers. Last season, Western lost a close fought battle to Division I opponent the University of Northern Colorado 34-42 on the road in the season opener. The last opening day win came in 2014 against Wayland Baptist, 38-21, on the road. The last season opening win in Gunnison came against Northern Colorado in 1994, when the Mountaineers won 31-26 and went on to win the RMAC title.