GUNNISON, Colo.  Though it's only week two of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule, Saturday brings a battle of two unbeaten teams to the Mountaineer Bowl as fifth-ranked Western Colorado takes on visiting New Mexico Highlands and the number one rusher in the country.

WESTERN COLORADO HEADING INTO THE GAME | 2025 Stats

• The Mountaineers (3-0, 1-0 RMAC) remained at No. 5 in the D2Football.com poll and at No. 7 in the American Football Coaches Association rankings, as the top 16 teams in both went unchanged.
• Western is coming off a 45-6 win over host Adams State in the 78th Colorado Classic, limiting the Grizzlies to just a pair of field goals and 173 total yards.
• The Mountaineers piled up 478 total yards of offense in the game, getting 263 yards and 5 touchdown passes in the air from quarterback Drew Nash. Isaiah Jones led all rushers in the game, grinding out 110 of Western's 215 yards on the ground.
• The Mountaineers rank 14th nationally in total offense at 444 yards per game, third in the country in third-down conversions with a 57 percent rate and sixth in time of possession (34:36).
• On the defensive side of the ball, Western is fifth in the country with 30 tackles for loss, eighth in rush defense allowing 59 yards per game, and 23rd in total defense (291 YPG).
• Linebacker Kade Musser's five TFLs is 15th among NCAA Division II defenders.
• Nash ranks third nationally in points responsible for (90).
• Western has won the last four meetings against the Cowboys as well as seven of the last nine contests.

N.M. HIGHLANDS ENTERING THE GAME | 2025 Stats

• The Cowboys (3-0, 1-0 RMAC) have already won more games this season than they did in 2024 and 2023 when they finished 2-9 in both seasons.
• A big part of Highlands' resurgence has been the rushing of Jeffery Jones and the quarterbacking of Ike Udengwu. The two have combined to lead an offense that is first in the country in total yards per game (565).
• Jones leads the nation in rushing yards (836), all-purpose yards per game (283), and yards per carry (13.5).
• Udengwu has thrown for seven touchdowns against just one interception, is hitting on 52 percent of his throws but averages 164 yards per game and touts a 187.7 quarterback rating.
• With Jones leading the way, the Cowboys' rushing attack is second nationally at 402 YPG.
• Averaging 50 points a game, NMHU put up 69 in a win over Western New Mexico, and 48 in an overtime win last weekend against visiting S.D. Mines in both team's RMAC opener.
• The Cowboys' defense is surrendering almost 42 points a game, though, and 518 yards to opponents' offenses.

UP NEXT
Western will hit the road for its next game, an RMAC contest at Fort Lewis College on Oct. 4.