GUNNISON, Colo --- The Western Colorado football team looks to keep its undefeated start to the season rolling as the Mountaineers travel to take on rival Adams State in the 74th Colorado Classic 7 p.m. Saturday at Rex Stadium in Alamosa.

THE MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | 2021 SEASON STATS
Western Colorado moved to 2-0 for the first time since 1980 (that team started 4-0) by defeating Western New Mexico 49-14 last Saturday. The Mountaineers dominated from the get go, taking a 21-0 lead after the first quarter, a 35-0 lead at the half and a 49-0 lead early in the fourth quarter before allowing two late touchdowns.

Western Colorado outgained the Mustangs 468-361 - including allowing just more than 100 yards of offense in the first half. Connor Desch finished 17-for-29 for 268 yards and four touchdowns, Josh Cummings earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week after rushing for 124 yards and two scores on 14 carries (8.9 yards per carry) while Deyvon Butler had two catches for 92 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 40 yards and another score. Defensively, Lane Farris led the way with five tackles, four tackles for a loss, one sack and three quarterback hurries while Andrew Arterburn, Robert Garlock and Jack Jones each had an interception.

On the season, Desch is competing 64.1 percent of his passes for 499 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. Cole Riters is the team's top receiver with eight catches for 145 yards and a touchdown. Damian Macias has seven receptions for 42 yards and a touchdown while Butler had five catches for 127 yards and a score. Cummings leads the team in rushing with 164 yards and two scores while Butler is second on the team at 63 yards.

Farris leads the team in tackles with 14 (five for a loss) while Garlock is second on the team with 13 tackles and Wyatt Buhr and Will Lydle each have 10 tackles. Jack Anderson leads the team with two sacks.

ADAMS STATE HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | 2021 STATISTICS
The Grizzlies head into this week 0-2 on the season, losing 42-14 last week at Eastern New Mexico and opened the season with a 35-17 loss at home to Western New Mexico.

Lincoln Labrum has thrown for 247 yards, a touchdown and an interception for Adams State. On the ground, Tyreik Campbell leads the team with 121 yards rushing and a score. Elijah Harper leads the team with 10 receptions, 91 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, Bryce Hampton leads the team with 18 tackles, Angelo Ramirez has 17 tackles (3.5 for a loss) and a sack while Brafi Benedict has 13 tackles.
  SERIES HISTORY VS. ADAMS STATE
The Mountaineers are 40-32 all-time against the Grizzlies, but have lost three straight to Adams State - last winning Sept. 10, 2016, in Gunnison (56-25). Western Colorado hasn't won in Alamosa since Oct. 21, 2000 - a 25-13 victory for the Mountaineers and a stretch of eight straight losses in Alamosa.

'CUMMINGS NAMED THE RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (SEPT. 13)
Western Colorado's Josh Cummings big day on the ground led to him in a win over Western New Mexico led him to being named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. The redshirt sophomore rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries - averaging 8.9 yards per carry. This includes a 47-yard touchdown run by Cummings in the first quarter to get the scoring going for the Mountaineers in the 49-14 win over the Mustangs in Silver City.

'NEERS OFF TO FIRST FOR FIRST 2-0 START SINCE 1980
Western Colorado is off to its first 2-0 since the 1980 team started the year 4-0 after defeating Western New Mexico. A key reason for a lack of 2-0 starts for a program that has seen high success - particularly in the 1980s and 1990s? The Mountaineers often schedule a non-conference NCAA Division-I team or a challenging Division II team in its first two weeks of the season for one of its non-RMAC contests.

SEASON OPENERS
Western Colorado after its 2021-opening win is 33-63 all-time in season openers. Before this season, the last season-opening win for the Mountaineers came in 2014 against Wayland Baptist, 38-21, on the road. Of their 32 previous season opening wins, the Mountaineers have finished those seasons with a winning record 19 times (59.4 percent) and won the conference title 12 times (37.5 percent).

BAINS REACHES GAME NO. 100 FOR WESTERN AGAINST STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Western coach Jas Bains enters his 11th season as head coach of the Mountaineers and last season's lone contest against SFA marked his 100th game as head coach. He's just the third coach in Western history to reach the 100-game mark - joining Bill Noxon (133 from 1971-84) and Carl Iverson (127 from 1988-2000).

MOUNTAINEER ALUM EKELER CONTINUES TO SHINE IN NFL
Western Colorado alum Austin Ekeler started his fifth NFL season with the Los Angeles Chargers and continues to make a mark.

Ekeler, an undrafted free agent signee out of Western in 2017 who signed a four-year, $24.5 million extension prior to the 2020 season, in his season opener against Washington racked up 57 yards and a touchdown rushing in the team's win.

The 26-year-old who came to Western out of Eaton High School in Colorado owns the Mountaineers' single-game (344), single-season (1,676 - also owns the No. 2 and No. 4 spots) and career (5,857) rushing yard records as well as the single-game (5), single-season (19) and career (55) rushing touchdown records. He also owns the single-season (126) and career (378) scoring records at Western.