GUNNISON, Colo. - Western Colorado University hosts Colorado State University - Pueblo on Saturday for the Mountaineers' final game of 2018. Western will honor 13 seniors playing their final collegiate games prior to kickoff at noon in Mountaineer Bowl.

After winning two-straight, Western (2-9, 2-8 RMAC) suffered a loss against New Mexico Highlands University last weekend on the road. The Mountaineers will be looking to end the 2018 season on a positive note against the Thunderwolves.

Saturday's game against the 10th-ranked CSU-Pueblo Thunderwolves looks to be a defensive battle. CSU-Pueblo's defense is ranked first in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, holding opponents to 12.8 points per game, while Western's defense is ranked third in the RMAC, holding opponents to 30.9 points per game.

The Mountaineer defense is highlighted by lineman and senior Mark Zavala. Zavala is tied for second in the conference with 7.5 sacks and is third in tackles for a loss at 15.

Offensively, senior running back Isaac Fuqua is averaging 109.1 yards rushing per game, which ranks third best in the RMAC. Fuqua has also found the end zone on the ground seven times.

CSU-Pueblo will be playing for at least a share of the conference title. The Thunderwolves and Colorado School of Mines Orediggers are tied for first place with one loss.

Saturday will feature a heavy dose of the run game from CSU-Pueblo. The Thunderwolves feature four running backs averaging 40 or more yards per game. Austin Micci is the team's leading rusher with 809 yards and eight scores.

Defensively, CSU-Pueblo's Michael Wristen is the conference leader with eight sacks recorded.

A reminder to fans planning on attending Saturday's game, tickets are required to enter all home football games. Mountaineer Athletic Association members should have received 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 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.

For more information on tailgating and the Mountaineer Bowl game day experience, please click the corresponding links.

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

GAME NOTES

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will mark the 26th meeting between Western and CSU-Pueblo. Western trails in the series 9-16, and the Thunderwolves have won the last 10 matchups.
 
Western has yet to defeat CSU-Pueblo since the Thunderwolves' program was reinstated in 2008.
 
At home against the Thunderwolves, Western is 5-7. The last Mountaineer win against CSU-Pueblo at home came in 1984.
 
THE BAINS REIGN
With a win in week eight against Fort Lewis, Western Head Coach Jas Bains moved past Paul Wright (1935-47) for the sixth most wins by a Mountaineer football coach.
 
A win in week nine against Black Hills State University has coach Bains at 22 wins at Western, which ties Jeff Zenisek (2001-05) for the fifth most wins by a coach in program history.
 
Bains, in his eighth season, has coached the third most games for the Mountaineers at 86.
 
Carl "Duke" Iverson (1988-2000) holds the second most games coached at Western with 127.
 
VERY TRENDY
The Mountaineer offense has recorded over 300 yards of total offense in six of the last nine weeks.
 
Mountaineer quarterbacks have been distributing the ball well, connecting with six or more receivers in all 10 games this season. Western quarterbacks have connected and with seven receivers or more in seven games.
 
In four games, the Mountaineer defense has held opponents scoreless in the fourth quarter.
 
Western has recorded four or more sacks in four of the last nine games.
 
Western's defense has had a player record two interceptions in two of the last three games, and have forced at least one turnover in three straight games.
 
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Since 2015, Western is 2-7 against ranked opponents. This season the Mountaineers are 0-2.
 
CMU entered week three ranked 19th in the AFCA Poll. The Mountaineers fell to the Mavericks in a close 20-24 battle.
 
Against then 12th-ranked Colorado School of Mine in week six, Western fell 16-44.
 
CSU-Pueblo enters week 11 ranked 10th in the AFCA Poll.
 
Last season, the Mountaineers were 0-3 against ranked opponents.
 
AGAINST THE ENCHANTED STATE
Following last Saturday's game against New Mexico Highlands University, Western has played 121 games against seven schools from the state of New Mexico. The Mountaineers are 66-55 in those games all-time.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
Following Western's 40-20 win in week eight, the winner of the last nine games played between Western and Fort Lewis has been the away team.
 
This streak dates back to 2010 when the Mountaineers won 27-24 in Durango.
 
In the last 16 games played in Durango, the Mountaineers have won 14. FLC is 6-1 in the last seven games played in Gunnison.
 
IN THE BEEHIVE STATE
Western has now played 77 games against teams from Utah. The Mountaineers have 31-46 record against teams from the Beehive State and a 14-32 record on Utah soil.
 
Prior to the 2016 game at Dixie, 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 was in 1979 against Southern Utah. The Mountaineers won 56-14.
 
HOMECOMING
Week six against Mines was Western's 2018 Homecoming Game.
 
Following a 16-44 loss to the Orediggers, the Mountaineers have won 36.4 percent (4-of-11) of Homecoming games since 2008.
 
Also since 2008, Western has a 4-6 record against RMAC opponents on homecoming.
 
The last Mountaineer homecoming victory came against CSM in 2016. Western won the game, 45-31 against the then ranked No. 23 Orediggers.
 
IN THE CORNHUSKER STATE
Following week five's loss to Chadron State College, Western's record is 20-33-1 against teams from Nebraska.
 
The Mountaineers have played 27 games within the Nebraska state lines and have a record of 9-18 in those games.
 
COLORADO CLASSIC
The rivalry between Adams State University and Western 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 resides at Adams after the Grizzlies won this season's game, 55-52 in overtime.
 
Western holds the all-time series record, 40-32
 
The longest continual rivalry in Colorado is between Western and Colorado School of Mines. The two schools have played 92 games, dating back to 1925. The Mountaineers and Orediggers have played each other every season for the last 76 years, dating back to 1946.
 
HALL OF FAME
Week three's game against CMU was Western's Hall of Fame Game. On Friday night before the game, Western Athletics will induct former runner Sheila Winegardner (Barrett), the 1966-68 men's swim teams, former football player and coach Casey Coons, and former football player T.W. Stites into the Mountaineer Sports Hall of Fame. The class of 2018 is the 24th to enter the MSHOF.
 
After falling to CMU 20-24, Western is 3-6 in Hall of Fame games since 2010. The last Mountaineer win during Hall of Fame came against Adams State University in 2016.
 
RMAC OPENERS
The Mountaineers have struggled winning the conference opener recently. Over the past 14 seasons, Western has a 1-13 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 this year's RMAC opener to South Dakota Mines on the road in week two, 21-38.
 
AGAINST TEAMS FROM SOUTH DAKOTA
Following week two's game against South Dakota Mines, Western has a 4-7 record against teams from South Dakota.
 
The Mountaineers have played six games in the Mount Rushmore state. Western has a record of 2-4. All but one of those games has been played in the last five years - 1973 at the South Dakota State University, losing 28-53.
 
The last win for Western in South Dakota was a 42-7 win at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in the final game of the 2016 season.
 
RMAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Following a career-best game against Idaho State in week one, Western punter Garrett Boyd was named the RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week for week one of the season.
 
Boyd recorded a career-high 495 punting yard in Western's first game of the season. The junior from Mesa, Arizona averaged 45 yards per punt on 11 attempts against the Bengals, kicking three over 50 yards. It was the sixth time in his career Boyd has netted over 300 yards punting.
 
Boyd led all of Division II in punt yards after the first week of play.
 
ALONE ATOP THE MOUNTAIN
Western kick returner Rodray Perkins entered the season needing 99 yards to become the school's all-time leader in kick return yards. Perkins surpassed Jimmy Evans' previous record of 1,393 in week one against Idaho State, recording 160 yards on eight attempts.
 
Perkins has 1,523 career kick return yards and has now gained 100 or more kickoff return yards in six games during his career.