GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado football team used key plays on defense, offense and special teams to overcome missing two key starters and shut out Fort Lewis 31-0 on Saturday at Mountaineer Bowl.

It's the first shutout for the Mountaineers (4-4 Overall, 4-3 RMAC) since shutting out New Mexico Highlands 58-0 on the road Oct. 22, 2016, and their first home shutout since blanking Black Hills State 27-0 on Oct. 15, 2016.

The defense, playing without starting middle linebacker and leading tackler Lane Farris due to injury, held Fort Lewis (3-5, 3-5) to 224 yards of offense - including 65 yards rushing - and to 3 of 14 on third down.

The offense, playing without starting quarterback Connor Desch due to injury, was able to move the ball at key times to set up scoring opportunities behind back-up quarterback Luke Nethercot, who went 8-for-15 for 128 yards and a touchdown.

On special teams, kicker Chandler Davis went 4-for-5 on field goals (including 48- and 49-yard field goals) while the Mountaineers blocked a field goal and a punt (returning the blocked punt for a touchdown).

The Mountaineers got on the board first on their first possession as a 12-play, 6-minute, 51-yard drive set up a Davis 25-yard field goal to make it 3-0. In the second quarter, a Nethercot 34-yard pass to Chase Starman set up WCU in FLC territory as Davis eventually drilled a 49-yard field goal to make it 6-0, which was the score at the half.

It was the defense that set up the first score of the third quarter for WCU as Josh Nelson picked off a Skyhawk pass and returned it 28 yards down to the Fort Lewis 24. It led to a Davis 32-yard field goal to make it 9-0.

WCU special teams took its turn to impact the contest and score the first touchdown of the game as Darrious Gaines blocked a punt deep in FLC territory and Andrew Arterburn was there to scoop it up at the Skyhawk 10 and run it in for a score to make it 15-0 (the extra point was blocked). Davis added his fourth field goal of the contest later in the third to make it 18-0 Mountaineers before Nethercot hit Xander Witt wide open over the middle for a 60-yard touchdown pass to give WCU a 25-0 lead heading into the fourth.

The Mountaineers capped off the scoring late in the fourth quarter as David Wilson rushed six consecutive times for 39 yards - finished with a 2-yard scoring run - to make the final score 31-0 WCU.

Ty Leyba led the ground game for the Mountaineers with 60 yards on 14 carries while Wilson had 39 and Josh Cummings finished with 24. Deyvon Butler led the team with three catches while Witt had a team-best 40 receiving yards.

Defensively, Desmond Marfizo had a huge game with nine tackles, including five for a loss and two sacks, to go along with a pass breakup and a blocked kick. Bradley Taylor had eight tackles while Gaines finished with four tackles, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and a blocked punt.

The Mountaineers return to action next Saturday on the road at Black Hills State.