Battle of The Western Slope
The Mavericks return to conference play this weekend in the Battle of the Western Slope. Colorado Mesa will face off against the Mountaineers of Western Colorado University. Kickoff is set for 7pm at Ralph Stocker stadium. The theme of the game will be a Blackout sponsored by the Maverick Store. Maverick Fans are encouraged to stop by the Maverick Store to pick up gear for the game.
 
Colorado Mesa has played Western 47 times since 1975, winning 26 of those matchups. Making the overall record between their Western Slope rivals 26-19. The Mavericks have defeated the Mountaineers five times in the last five years, and this weekend they are looking to do it again.
 
Both the Mavericks and the Mountaineers are 1-0 in conference play, and 1-1 overall. The two teams have defeated the same RMAC opponent, South Dakota School of Mines, in early season matchups.  The Mavericks took on the Hardrockers in week one and escaped the game with a 37-33 road win. The next week, Western faced off against the Hardrockers at home and won 27-7. 

Tough Loss
This past weekend the Mavericks suffered a tough loss in their home opener. Colorado Mesa hosted the Greyhounds of Eastern New Mexico University, and lost in overtime 37-44.
 
The Mavericks took an early lead in the first quarter at 7-3, and then fell behind at the half 7-10. Both teams came out for the second half ready to play, resulting in an explosive third and fourth quarter. The third quarter saw four scores from Eastern New Mexico and three scores from the Mavericks. One of the biggest plays by the Mavericks came in the third quarter, on a blocked punt that was recovered by Naijiel Hale, who then ran it in for a touchdown. The quarter ended 37-24 in favor of the Greyhounds. The Mavericks then went on to have 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, sending them into overtime 37-37.
 
Eastern New Mexico opened overtime, and scored a touchdown on their first drive. Once the Mavericks got the ball, they were unable to convert to get a first down. With the Mavericks unable to score, the game ended 37-44.  The loss was the first of the season for Colorado Mesa.

Key players
Aaron Howard took the majority of the snaps at quarterback for the Mavericks, and topped off the day 21-of-33 for 188 yards, three scores, and one interception. The sophomore is slated to make his second consecutive start after stepping in for Hayden Bollinger at the last minute due to an illness.
 
On special teams, Isaac Salazar had four returns for 133 yards. The redshirt freshman had two long returns before the Greyhounds started kicking short where Dagan Rienks took most of those and had a big return night as well.
 
Nick Ciccio, last week's RMAC Defensive Player of the week, had a game-high for tackles, finishing the night with 14.

The Mountaineers
Like the Mavericks, the Western Colorado football team is 1-1 overall, and 1-0 in conference play. Headed into the Battle of the Western Slope both teams are fighting to remain undefeated in conference play.
 
In week one the Mountaineers started the season against a non-conference opponent, Idaho State University. The Mountaineers put up a fight throughout the game, but never took the lead, and ended up falling to their Division I opponent 38-13. 
 
In their home opener, Western returned to RMAC play, to take on South Dakota School of Mines. The Mountaineers had a dominating performance in week two; they maintained possession for nearly three quarters of the game, had 257 more yards of offense than the Hardrockers, and did not allow for any offensive touchdowns. At the conclusion of the game, the Mountaineers won 27-7.
 
Moving Forward
The Mavericks have an opportunity to bounce back this weekend against the Mountaineers of Western Colorado University. While the Mavericks have suffered a loss, they still have the opportunity to win an RMAC championship if they continue to be successful in conference play.
 
Once again, this weekend's game will start at 7pm and it will be a blackout. If you're in need of some gear to support your Mavericks, stop by the Maverick Store to stock up on apparel and accessories for this week's game.
 
Next Week
Next Saturday Colorado Mesa will be on the road. The Mavericks are set to take on Chadron State College at 1pm at Elliot Field in Chadron, Nebraska.