GUNNISON, Colo. Western Colorado held the nation's top-ranked offense to nearly 300 yards below its season average and out of the end zone as the fifth-ranked Mountaineers rolled to a 30-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory over visiting New Mexico Highlands.

Western also set an attendance record for the Mountaineer Bowl as 3,286 fans watched the Mountaineers overpower the Cowboys.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. NMHU, 30-3
Records: Western 4-0 (2-0 RMAC), NMHU 3-1 (1-1)
Location: Mountaineer Bowl at The Rady Family Sports Complex, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cowboys entered the battle of unbeatens averaging 565 yards of offense, led by running back Jeffrey Jones, who came in leading the nation in rushing at 279 yards per game.
• After the Cowboys received the opening kickoff, Jones would carry the rock for a 36-yard gain on first down. He would finish the game with a total of 57 net rushing yards.
• Highlands threatened, without scoring, on its opening drive but on its second, got down to the Western 10 yard line before the Mountaineer defense forced a field goal that allowed the Cowboys to light the scoreboard for a 3-0 lead.
• The Mountaineers would trail until an Adam Tasei field goal in the second quarter, then just before the halftime break, they would get a 12-yard touchdown run from Quinn Bailey on a long, lateral to the right sideline for a 10-3 lead.
• The third quarter was dominated by Western, turning the close game into no contest.
• While the Mountaineers would get a nine-yard touchdown run by quarterback Drew Nash and an 18-yard scoring run from Bailey, the defense was stymying the vaunted Cowboys offense.
• Highlands' first three second-half possessions were each a three-and-out, for a net total of minus-3 yards. It began its fourth possession just before the end of the quarter, and on a second and 12 early in the fourth quarter, Ike Udengwu dropped back to pass but failed to see Western's Ian Loomis dropping back underneath his receiver's out route.
• Loomis reached up, snagged the pass from the air at the Western 45 and followed a convoy of teammates down the left sideline for a 55-yard pick six that pushed the lead to 30-3.
• The Cowboys went to backup Collin Stucki behind center after that, and though he sparked the offense with 55 yards rushing in less than a quarter's worth of action, the Mountaineer defense held firm to keep NMHU from the end zone.

TURF NOTES

• Bailey finished with 47 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while Nash would dash for 56 and a touchdown, and Isaiah Jones would lead all rushers in the game with 75 yards.
• Bailey would also rack up 39 receiving yards to top Western's receiving corp.
• Nash was 12-for-20 through the air for 129 yards without an interception, though the Cowboys were able to sack him three times.
• Linebacker Cameron Cooper led all defensive players with nine total tackles (two solo), including one of Western's two sacks. Loomis had the other sack, the pick six, and eight tackles (five solo).
• Jones came into the game averaging 13.4 yards per carry but ended Saturday's contest at 4.8 yards per carry.
• The Cowboys' offense generated 273 fewer yards in the game than their average, and the second-best rushing attack in Division II, at 402 YPG, ran for only 193 yards against Western's defense.
• Highlands was held without a touchdown, a far cry from the 50 points per game it had been averaging during its 3-0 start.

UP NEXT
The Mountaineers travel to Fort Lewis College for their next RMAC outing, taking on a 1-3 (0-2 RMAC) Skyhawks team that fell to South Dakota Mines on Saturday, 22-21, on a field goal with nine seconds left in the game.