Box Score SILVER CITY, N.M. --- The Western Colorado football team left little doubt early on as the Mountaineers jumped out to a 35-0 halftime lead and cruised to a 49-14 victory over Western New Mexico on Saturday at Ben Altamirano Field.
The win moves Western Colorado to 2-0 for the first time since the 1980 team started the season 4-0.
The Mountaineers scored five first-half touchdowns with quarterback
Connor Desch tossing three touchdown passes - a 1-yard pass to
Cole Riters, an 84-yard pass to
Deyvon Butler and a 70-yard to
Cameron Colangelo - while
Josh Cummings ran for more than 100 yards in the first half thanks to a 47-yard touchdown run and a 30-yard scoring scamper to take a 35-0 lead at the break.
The Mountaineers scored two more times in the second half, a 10-yard touchdown pass to Colangelo and a 23-yard touchdown run by Butler.
Overall, the Mountaineers racked up 468 yards of offense. Desch finished 17-for-29 for 268 yards and a career-high four touchdowns (tied for seventh-most in Western history). Butler had two receptions for 92 yards, Colangelo had the two touchdown receptions for 80 yards and Riters had two catches and the touchdown.
On the ground, Cummings finished with 124 yards and two scores on 14 carries, Butler had 40 yards rushing and a touchdown and
Braeden Hogan had nine carries for 39 yards and a score.
The defense for the second straight week shined for Western Colorado, allowing 341 yards and 14 points (including only 107 yards and no points in the first half). The run defense again stood out, allowing 78 yards at 2.6 yards per carry.
Lane Farris had five tackles (four for a loss) and one sack with three quarterback hurries.
Carson Mandrell,
Bryce Lucas and
Andrew Arterburn had four tackles each with Arterburn adding an interception. Also picking up interceptions was
Robert Garlock and
Jack Jones while
Will Lydle,
Vincent Lovett and
Cale Scranton had a sack apiece.
The Mountaineers hit the road again next week as they face Adams State in the Colorado Classic 7 p.m. Saturday in Alamosa.
