GUNNISON, Colo. Fifth-ranked Western Colorado broke free from visiting Colorado School of Mines in the second half Saturday, taking a 41-20 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference decision over the Orediggers in the 101st meeting between the two programs, the longest running football rivalry in the state of Colorado.
JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Mines, 41-20
Records: Western 10-0 overall (8-0 RMAC), Mines 6-3 (6-2)
Location: Mojo Field in Mountaineer Bowl at The Rady Family Sports Complex, Gunnison, Colo.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Western found itself trailing twice in the first half but managed to head into the halftime break knotted at 17-17 after JT Miller's 53-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter.
- The Mountaineer defense rose up after the break, though, keeping the Orediggers out of the end zone and after allowing the Mines offense 262 first-half yards, limiting it to just 113 yards in the second half.
- Both of Western's touchdown drives in the first half were lengthy, but one took only three plays and other just four.
- The key play on the first drive was an 84-yard catch and run by senior Caden Measner from senior Josiah Roy, and the score came on a 5-yard rush on a jet sweep by senior DJ Allen Jr.
- Isaiah Jones provided the key play on the next scoring drive, ripping off a 55-yard 1st down gallop down the left sideline, with Roy finishing the drive with a short pass to Ramon Ruiz.
- It was in the third quarter when Western took command of the game, generating a 10-play, 92-yard scoring drive to break the halftime deadlock, then marching downfield on a 10-play 75-yard scoring drive that spanned the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter.
- Jones closed out the longer of the drives with a 2-yard punch into the end zone, and Measner collected a toss in the back of the end zone from Roy to finish the second of the drives.
- The clincher was a 25-yard pick-six by linebacker Ian Loomis, stepping in front of a pass to the left from Mines quarterback Joseph Capra then racing untouched down the right sideline for the final score of the game.
MOJO TURF NOTES
- Mines running back Max Barnes entered the game as the second-leading rusher in the RMAC, but he totaled just 21 yards on the ground as the Mountaineers held the Orediggers' ground attack to only 65 yards.
- Conversely, Western picked up 204 yards from 10 different rushers, led by Jones' 80 yards and Damien Nevil's 40 yards.
- Roy eclipsed the 300-yard mark through the air for the third time this season, throwing for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns on a 21-for-30 (70%) afternoon.
- Measner rang up 136 yards receiving on the day, his first 100+ yard game of the season.
- Loomis and Caden Campuzano led Western's defense, each finishing with six solo stops and one tackle assist, while Loomis had one sack and the pick-six and Campuzano had one sack and two tackles for loss.
SENIOR DAY
The Mountaineers honored 20 graduating seniors during pre-game activities:
DJ Allen Jr.;
Yasir Berry;
Jaylen Clark;
Johnavon Fenger;
Will Geiman;
Lucas Hill;
Antwuan Jackson;
Lamonte James;
Blake Kramer;
Ian Loomis;
Caden Measner;
Nicolas Mendez;
Taylor Nichols;
Alex Ranslem;
Josiah Roy;
Nate Scharnhorst;
Joseph Shepardson;
Zayne Stam;
Jack Ward;
Jaxon Young. Also honored was long-time equipment manager
Alena Perez.
THEY SAID IT
UP NEXT
Western heads to Pueblo, Colo., next, for a national top-5 matchup against host and third-ranked Colorado State Pueblo on Saturday, November 14, the winner of the two unbeatens taking home the RMAC title.
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