GUNNISON, Colo.  10th-ranked Western Colorado never trailed Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs, holding off No. 19 Central Washington for a 28-21 victory that advances the Mountaineers into the second round of the playoffs.

Quarterback Drew Nash was part of all four Western touchdowns, running to paydirt on the first score of the game before tossing one touchdown pass in each of the second, third and fourth quarters.

JUST THE FACTS
Event: NCAA DII Football Playoffs, Round 1
Final score: Western def. Central Washington, 28-21
Records: Western 11-1, Central Washington 8-4
Location: Mojo Field at Mountaineer Bowl at The Rady Family Sports Complex, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Mountaineers were forced to punt on their opening series, but the defense got the ball back on the Wildcats' fifth play from scrimmage as Drea Thompson sacked CWU quarterback Kennedy McGill, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Jaydon Young at the Wildcat 25 yard line.
• On the fifth play after the turnover Nash ran off right tackle for five yards and fought through tackles at the goal line for the opening score.
• Central Washington answered back with a 75-yard, six-play drive, keyed by a 37 yard run by McGill  who also finished the drive with a 1-yard plunge.
• Coming into the game the Mountaineers knew they would have to contain McGill, whose 1,093 rushing yards rank 12th in NCAA DII. Explosive plays from the quarterback have been a regularity for the Wildcats all season long, and his first one of the afternoon led to a CWU touchdown.
• Nash was McGill's equal if not better on the day, though. The first-team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference quarterback led Western to another scoring drive in the middle of the second quarter, completing a 10-yard pass to DJ Allen Jr. to put the Mountaineers ahead, 14-7, with a lead they would never relinquish.
• Central Washington booted a 32-yard field goal on the last play of the half to make it 14-10 at the break and received the opening kickoff in the third quarter with an opportunity to double-dip.
• The Mountaineer defense forced a 3-and-out on the series, putting the ball back in Nash's hands.
• The 8-play, 63-yard drive that ensued – capped by a 16-yard, one-handed touchdown catch by receiver Josiah Ayon in the right corner of the end zone – took the steam away from Central Washington's momentum.
• The bonked field goal attempt off the left upright late in the third quarter on CWU's following possession dug the Wildcats' hole a little deeper.
• CWU would put a field goal up on the scoreboard to narrow the gap with 8:18 to play, but Nash put the offense on his back to answer.
• He went right for 23 yards on the first play of the possession, broke through the middle for 17 more yards on the ground on the next play, then completed the 3-play, 75-yard drive with a 35-yard touchdown pass to Allen Jr. that extended Western's lead to 15, 28-13, with 6:31 remaining.
• McGill did his best to will the Wildcats downfield, and he was successful in those efforts, running back Tyler Flanagan crashing into the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown. The 2-point conversion was successful, making it a one score game for the Wildcats, trailing now only by seven, 28-21.
• The CWU defense forced a Mountaineer punt to give the ball back to its offense with 53 seconds left.
• Shades of 2023 likely crept through the home crowd. The same two teams met at the Bowl in the first round last year with the Wildcats pulling out a 16-13 overtime win.
• Coach Todd Auer's defense wasn't going to let that happen this time around.
• Young sacked McGill on first down and an incompletion put the Wildcats in 3rd-and-13 with 29 seconds on the clock. McGill's pass was complete to Flanagan for seven yards and he lateraled to receiver Marcus Cook attempting to extend the play.
• RMAC Defensive Freshman of the Year Cameron Cooper made perhaps the play of the game, forcing a Cook fumble that was pounced on ty Young at the CWU 24.
• One Nash kneel down ended the game while also advancing the Mountaineers into the second round of the playoffs.

MOJO TURF NOTES

• In the battle of the quarterbacks, Nash came out ahead on the day. He rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown, while throwing for 164 yards and three touchdowns. McGill ended with 113 rushing yards and a touchdown and 138 yards passing without a touchdown.
• Western's defense held the CWU offense, to 60 yards under its average (415.8 YPG), while the Mountaineer offense put up 317 total yards, 107 more yards than what the Wildcat defense has average surrendering this season (210.8 YPG).
• Cooper, RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Ricky Freymond and first-team All-RMAC lineback Kendall Lightfoot led the Mountaineer defense with 9, 8 and 7 total tackles, respectively. Cooper had a sack and the game-ending forced fumble, while Freymond had a sack and one other tackle for loss.
• The win Saturday is the 11th in the season for Western, a total that is unmatched in program history. Past Mountaineer teams have achieved 10-win seasons – in 1954, 1978, 2021 and 2023 – but no Western Colorado football team has ever posted an 11th win.

UP NEXT

• The Mountaineers will play visiting Bemidji State (Minn.) University in round 2 of the NCAA playoffs.
• The unranked Beavers (9-3) on Saturday went into 16th-ranked Angelo State (Texas) University's stadium and upset the host Rams, 24-14, to earn a trip to the Mountaineer Bowl on Sat., Nov. 30.
• Tickets to the general public will go on sale at 8 a.m., Mon., Nov. 25 at Western's Hometown Ticketing website.