GUNNISON, Colo. - Western State Colorado University football will welcome Dixie State University into the friendly confines of Mountaineer Bowl on Saturday for the annual Western Homecoming game. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matchup is scheduled to begin a 1 p.m.

Western (0-4, 0-4 RMAC) will be searching for their first win of the season against Dixie State (1-3, 1-2 RMAC). The Mountaineers are coming off a 45-7 loss on the road to Colorado School of Mines last weekend.

Dylan Jacob has started all four games for the Mountaineers at quarterback this season. Jacob ranks eighth in the RMAC for average total offensive yards per game at 176.0.

On defense for Western, lineman Tanner Geiger is averaging 0.5 sacks per game, which ranks tied for seventh best in the conference.

The Trailblazers enter Saturday's game after a 58-40 loss to No. 20 Central Washington University at home.

DSU's quarterback, Malik Watson, has thrown for the third most yards this season in the RMAC at 1,146. The Dixie defense has been opportunistic this season and is tied for the second most interceptions in the conference with five as a team.

A reminder to fans planning on attending Saturday's game, tickets will now be required to enter all home football games. Mountaineer Athletic Association members will receive their season tickets in the mail. MAA All-Sport passes will be required for all other athletic competitions besides football.

Fans can purchase single game and season tickets by visiting www.GoMountaineers.com/tickets.
 
Tickets will also be available for purchase before the start of every home game at the main entrance of Mountaineer Bowl.
 
Single game tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens and $5 for students – other than Western and Gunnison Watershed School District students.
 
A new partnership between Western Athletics and the Gunnison Watershed School District allows all students from the Gunnison Valley, including Crested Butte, to enter free of charge at any of Western's home events, across all sports, during the 2017-18 school year.
 
Like past years, all Western students with get into all regular season home events free of charge with a student ID.
 
Fans now have the option to purchase tickets online and either print them at home, obtain tickets at will call before the game, or have tickets sent over the mail.

Those unable to attend Saturday's Homecoming game, can follow all the action live over the internet (live stats, live video) and on social media (@WSCUMountaineer, @MountaineerFB). The game will also be broadcasted in the Gunnison Valley over the air waves on 98.3 FM The Edge.

GAME NOTES

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will be just the second meeting between Western and Dixie State University. The two programs met for the first time last season and the Trailblazers came away victorious, 28-20.
 
Dixie State is 0-2 in road games this season, while Western is 0-1 in home competitions.
 
DIXIE HISTORY
Located in St. George, Utah, DSU became a member of the NCAA in 2006 and joined the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as an affiliate member for football on July 1, 2016.
 
In their first season as members of the RMAC, Dixie State finished with a 6-4 conference record, one game behind the Mountaineers.
 
The Trailblazers had previously played in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), recording an all-time GNAC record of 16-46.
 
AGAINST TEAMS FROM UTAH
Western has played 75 games against teams from Utah. The Mountaineers have 31-44 record against teams from the Beehive State, but are 17-14 against those teams in Gunnison.
 
The last team Western hosted in Mountaineer Bowl was Southern Utah University on Sept. 9, 2006. The Mountaineers fell, 55-3.
 
The last Western win in Gunnison against a team from Utah came against Southern Utah in 1995. The Mountaineers took the game, 36-8.
 
LAST WEEK
WESTERN - The Mountaineers lost to the Colorado School of Mines 45-7 on the road last week. Zach Manchester led the Mountaineer offense, making eight catches for a game-high 71 yards receiving and one touchdown. Lane Farris recorded a game-high 10 tackles for Western. Farris also had 2.5 tackles for a loss and a half sack.
 
DSU - The Trailblazers scored a season-high 40 points in a 58-40 decision to No. 20 Central Washington University at home. Malik Watson threw for 284 yards and four touchdowns on 45 attempts for Dixie State. Watson is third in the RMAC for total passing yards this season (1,146). The Trailblazer defense recorded two forced fumbles and two interceptions against CWU.
 
THE BAINS REIGN
Western Head Coach Jas Bains is one win away from tying Paul Wright (1935-47) for the sixth most wins by a Mountaineer football coach at 20.
 
Bains is also two more games away from tying Wright for the fourth most games coached in Western program history at 72. By the end of the season, Bains should have the third most games coached with 77, moving past Wright at 72 and Pete Pederson (1953-60) at 74.
 
4TH QUARTER FIREWORKS
The Mountaineers have been winning the fourth quarter, this season and last. In two games this year, Western has shutout their opponents. Western outscored Colorado Mesa and Adams State 20-0 in the final quarter.
 
This year, Western is outscoring their opponents 20-17 in the final 15 minutes of play.
 
Since last season, Western has outscored opponents 95-50 in the fourth.
 
Last season, Western outscored opponents 75-33 in the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers held six teams scoreless in the final 15 minutes last season (Colorado Mines, Fort Lewis, Black Hills State, New Mexico Highlands, CSU-Pueblo, and S.D. Mines).
 
HOME OPENERS
Western is 44-46-2 in home openers. The last time Western won their home opening game of the season came on Sept. 19, 1998. The Mountaineers defeated Mesa State College, now Colorado Mesa University, 42-6.
 
The Mountaineers lost to Chadron State College 49-7 during this season's home opener. Western has hosted Chadron three other times in their home opening game of the season. The series is now 1-2-1.
 
COLORADO CLASSIC
The rivalry between Adams State University and Western State Colorado University is the second longest continual rivalry in the state of Colorado.
 
These two programs have been playing each other every year since 1950. The winner of the Colorado Classic earns the right to possess the Colorado Classic Trophy, which travels to the winning institution. The trophy currently now resides at Adams State after they took this year's matchup 51-14.
 
The longest continual rivalry in Colorado is between Western State and Colorado School of Mines. The two schools have played 92 games, dating back to 1925.
 
SEASON OPENERS
Western is 32-60 in season openers. Since 1995, the Mountaineers are 1-22 in season openers. This season, Western lost to CMU 49-23 in the season opener. The last opening day win came in 2014 against Wayland Baptist, 38-21, on the road.
 
Of their 32 season opening wins, Western has finished those seasons with a winning record 19 times (59.4%) and won the conference title 12 times (37.5%).
 
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
After defeating then ranked No. 23 Colorado School of Mines 45-31 in week four last season, and losing to No. 23 Colorado Mesa 49-23 this season, Western has won the past 2-of-3 games against ranked opponents. The Mountaineers defeated No. 21 Mines in week 10 of 2015.
 
RMAC OPENERS
The Mountaineers have struggled winning the conference opener recently. Over the past 13 seasons, Western has a 1-12 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.
 
Western lost the 2017 RMAC opener to Colorado Mesa 49-23.
 
NEW FACES WITH THE BALL
After four seasons with the same starting quarterback and running back, the Mountaineer offense will begin a new era. Quarterback Brett Arrivey and running back Austin Ekeler were a staple of the Western offense, each planting their names in the record book over the past four seasons. This season, there are eight quarterbacks on the roster vying for the starting spot and nine running backs.
 
LAST SEASON
Last season, the Mountaineers' seven overall wins and seven wins in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is the most for the program since the 1998 season. Western finished the season in fourth place. However, the Mountaineers were just one win away from earning a share of the conference title.
 
NEW PERSONNEL
Four new coaches were added to the Western staff before the 2017 season. On the offensive side, Robby Case (offensive coordinator), and Matt Kemp (tight ends) are both first-time Mountaineers. On the defensive side, the Mountaineers bring in a new defensive backs coach with Shane Zimmerman and a new linebackers coach in Jordan Mulloy.
 
RECORD WATCH
These Mountaineers have reached the peak or are climbing the
Western all-time lists.
 
CAREER KICK RETURN YARDS
1. Jimmy Evans      1997-00   1,393
2. Mark Jones          2011-14   1,020
3. Rodray Perkins   2015-          990