GUNNISON, Colo. - College football returns to Gunnison, Colorado Saturday afternoon. Western State Colorado University hosts 19th-ranked Colorado Mesa University at 1 p.m. in Mountaineer Bowl for Western's home opener.

Western (0-2, 0-1 RMAC) will be searching for their first conference win of the season after falling in a tightly contested battle against South Dakota School of Mines & Technology last Saturday. 

The start to the season has been highlighted by the play of the Mountaineer defense. Western linebackers Desmond Marfizo and Lane Farris are tied for the conference lead in total tackles at 25. Lineman Mark Zavala leads the team in tackles for loss at 4.0, which also ranks tied for second best in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

CMU (2-0, 1-0 RMAC) was able to make it into the national rankings this week after defeating SDSMT in week one at home and non-conference opponent Eastern New Mexcio University last week on the road.

The Mavericks boast the RMAC's third best rushing offense through two weeks of play, averaging 243 yards on the ground. 

Leading that rushing game for CMU is senior quarterback Eystin Salum. Salum has recorded 194 yards on the ground, averaging 97 yards per game and 6.3 yards per carry.

Saturday's game is the first of two consecutive home games for Western. The Mountaineers host Adams State University the following Saturday in the 72nd Colorado Classic.

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 on the road 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, and online through KWSB.org. 

GAME NOTES

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game will be the 45th meeting between Western and Colorado Mesa University. The two teams met in the season opener last year. CMU won last year's game 49-23 in Grand Junction, Colorado.
 
CMU has won the last four games and the last 12-of-13 meetings.
 
The two teams each have 11 wins in Mountaineer Bowl. Western's last win at home against the Mavericks came on Nov. 9, 2013 when Western won 31-7.
 
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
CMU enters week three ranked 19th in the AFCA Poll. Since 2015, Western is 2-5 against ranked opponents.
 
Last season, the Mountaineers were 0-3 against ranked opponents.
 
HALL OF FAME
Saturday's game against CMU is 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 Fort Lewis 13-14 in 2017, Western is 3-5 in Hall of Fame games since 2010. The Mountaineers had 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, losing 31-24 to Chadron State College in 2015 and beating Adams State University 56-25 in 2016.
 
THE BAINS REIGN
Entering the 2018 season, Western Head Coach Jas Bains is tied with Paul Wright (1935-47) for the sixth most wins by a Mountaineer football coach at 20.
 
Bains is two wins away from tying Jeff Zenisek (2001-05) for the fifth most wins by a coach in program history at 22.
 
Bains, entering his eighth season, has coached the third most games for the Mountaineers at 79.
 
Carl "Duke" Iverson (1988-2000) holds the second most games coached at Western with 127.
 
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.
 
SEASON OPENERS
Western is 32-61 all-time in season openers. Since 1995, the Mountaineers are 1-23 in season openers. This year, Western lost to Idaho State University 45-10 in the season opener.
 
The last opening day win for the Mountaineers 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 percent) and won the conference title 12 times (37.5 percent).
 
AGAINST TEAMS FROM IDAHO
After the season opening game against Idaho State, the Mountaineers have a 9-22-1 record against all teams from Idaho.
 
Western has played the College of Idaho and Southern Idaho twice, splitting both games.
 
Against Idaho State, the Bengals hold a 20-7-1 edge.
 
In the state of Idaho, the Mountaineers have a 3-16 record.
 
LOST AND RETURNED
Offensive Starters Returning (7)
OL Andrew Berrier (10 GS), OL Oreva Koka (7 GS), OL Stephan Land (4 GS), QB Dylan Jacob (111-207-10, 1,046 yds, 5 TD), RB Ty Leyba ( 79 att, 266 yds), WR Rodray Perkins (45 rec, 396 yds, 1 TD), WR Zach Manchester (20 rec, 150 yds, 1 TD)
 
Offensive Starters Lost (4)
OL Andy Armstrong (10 GS), OL Tim Dolan (10 GS), WR Anthony Fletcher (6 rec, 101 yds), TE Steve D'Epagnier (10 rec, 71 yds, 1 TD)
 
Defensive Starters Returning (9)
DL Will Lydle (25 TT, 1.0 TFL), DE Jonah Mitchell (44 TT, 11.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 1 FF), DE Mark Zavala (37 TT, 10.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 2 FF), LB Desmond Marfizo (65 TT, 6.0 TFL), LB Lane Farris (81 TT, 11.0 TFL, 2.5 sacks), LB Joey Dill (39 TT, 2.0 TFL, 1.0 sacks), DB Kyree Goodman (30 TT, 1.0 TFL, 6 PBr), DB David Velazquez (42 TT, 0.5 TFL, 1 FF), DB Mason Bode (24 TT, 1 INT, 8 PBr)
 
Defensive Starters Lost (2)
DL Victor Alvarez (46 TT, 4.5 TFL, 1.0 sacks), DB Will Halligan (35 TT, 1.5 TFL, 1.0 sacks, 1 INT)
 
Specialists Returning (3)
P Garrett Boyd (70 att, 2,798 yds, 39.97 avg, 5 50+, 13 I20), PR/KR Rodray Perkins (16 PRatt, 143 PRyds, 8.94 PRavg, 20 KRatt, 419 KRyds, 20.95 KRavg), LS Kacin Nowlin (10 GP)
 
Specialists Lost (1)
K Max Smith (17 FGA, 8 FGM, 10 XP)

RECORD WATCH
These Mountaineers have reached the peak or are climbing the
Western all-time lists.
 
CAREER KICK RETURN YARDS
1. Rodray Perkins   2015-          1,523
2. Jimmy Evans      1997-00        1,393
 
GAME PUNT YARDS
1. Ryan Corn vs. Chadron State                                          
                10/13/01                 502
2. Garrett Boyd at Idaho State
                 8/31/18                 495
 
GAME KICKOFF RETURNS
1. Alex Gallegos vs. Chadron State                                     
                09/01/90                 8
- Rodray Perkins at Idaho State
                 8/31/18                  8