Eighth-ranked Western Colorado “sacked” tenth-ranked and host Colorado Mines 38-28 to keep the Mountaineers unbeaten this season and tying CSU Pueblo for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference leadership with 6-0 marks.

With seven quarterback sacks aiding the cause, Western Colorado snapped a six-game losing streak versus the Orediggers.  The Mountaineers host CSU Pueblo next week in Gunnison for the RMAC leaders, as the ThunderWolves were idle this weekend.  Mines is now 4-2 in conference play and 6-2 overall.

Mountaineer quarterback Drew Nash accounts for 297 total yards and three scores.  He completed 17 of 24 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns.  He also rushed for 88 yards on 14 carries and one score.

The visiting team never trailed in the game as Western Colorado jumped to a 14-0 lead with two second-quarter scores highlighted by a 32-yard TD pass from Nash to Elias Zarate, followed by a 53-yard scoring run on the next drive by Braeden Hogan, who finished the game 148 yards and two touchdowns.

After Western Colorado increased it lead to 31-7 after a 30-yard scoring run by Nash with 14:53 left in the game, Mines scored 21 of the next 28 points in the contest as Oredigger quarterback Evan Foster hit on three scoring passes of 42, 43 and 85 yards in the final period.

The national runner-up for the past two seasons in the NCAA Division II Championships, Colorado Mines, plays at New Mexico Highlands next Saturday before hosting CSU Pueblo the following week.  The 4-2 Orediggers are behind Colorado Mesa in the RMAC standings as the 5-1 Mavericks defeated Colorado Mines earlier this season 14-13 in Grand Junction.  WESTERN COLORADO RECAP / COLORADO MINES RECAP

at Colorado State 17, New Mexico 6 – The Rams bent on defense but did not break as Colorado State posted its third straight win to maintain its leadership position in the Mountain West Conference with 17th-ranked Boise State.  The Lobos out-gained CSU on offense 453 yards to 334, but the Rams had two interceptions and recovered two fumbles to stop potential Lobo scoring drives.  New Mexico entered Saturday’s game after scoring 50-plus points in its last three games, which resulted in Lobo victories. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi had 142 yards passing with a 62-yard scoring pass to Caleb Goodie in the second quarter, which proved to be the winning score for the Rams.  CSU also had an 82-yard punt return for a score by Kobe Johnson in the second 17-point second quarter and a 47-yard field goal by Jordan Noyes.  CSU, 5-3 overall and 3-0 in the Mountain West, plays at Nevada next Saturday.  READ MORE

at Colorado 34, Cincinnati 23 – The Buffs are bowl eligible, secured their most wins in a season since 2016, and remain in contention for a spot in the Big XII championship game with their sixth win Saturday in Boulder against the Bearcats. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 25 of 30 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns and ran four yards for a score to lead the winning offense.  Travis Hunter had a pair of touchdown receptions, two tackles,  three pass breakups, and nine receptions (153 yards) for the Buffs.  Isaiah Augustave rushed for a season-high 91 yards and a touchdown.  CU is idle next weekend before playing at Texas Tech on November 9.   READ MORE

Colorado Mesa 49, at Fort Lewis 0 – Quarterback Liu Aumavae completed 16 of 18 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Mavericks to their fifth-straight win this season.  It was CMU’s ninth straight victory over Fort Lewis. It gave the Mavericks a 3-1 record against in-state teams with one crucial Colorado game remaining against No. 8 Western Colorado in the regular-season finale on November 16 in Grand Junction. The victory moved CMU into third place in the RMAC after Colorado School of Mines lost 38-28 to RMAC co-leader Western Colorado (6-0).  Trek Keyworth had three receptions for 56 yards and two touchdowns.  Led by Aiden Taylor and Sean Kidd, four Mav running backs combined for 315 rushing yards and three scores. Taylor had 101 yards on 14 carries, Kidd gained 100 yards on 11 rushes and one score, and Brandon Belgrave had 87 yards on 14 carries and one score.  Colorado Mesa hosts Black Hills State next Saturday in Grand Junction, with Fort Lewis played at Adams State in Alamosa.  COLORADO MESA RECAP / FORT LEWS RECAP

Montana 24, at Northern Colorado 0 – Ninth-ranked Montana took advantage of three Northern Colorado turnovers to shut out the Bears in Greeley.  Montana had 395 yards on offense and controlled the ball for 38 minutes.  Host UNC had 218 total yards with only two primary scoring drives that ended with an interception and on downs.  Kia’i Keone completed 15 passes for 153 yards for the Bears but had three interceptions.  UNC, 1-3 in the Big Sky and 1-7 overall, plays at Cal Davis next Saturday.  UNC RECAP

at New Mexico Highlands 44, Adams State 27 – The Cowboys broke from a 10-7 edge to score 34 points in the second half to secure their second win while the Grizzlies remain winless in eight games. New Mexico Highlands controlled the ball for over 40 minutes and outgained the visitors 427 yards to 266. Chase Nelson placed the Adams attack with 187 yards passing and 45 yards rushing with two scoring runs of 24 and 12 yards. Adams State returns home to host Fort Lewis next weekend as the two winless schools in the RMAC battle to avoid the league basement. NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS READ MORE

 Air Force and CSU Pueblo did not play this week.  The 1-6 Falcons play at Army West Point next week.  On Saturday, the 7-1 CSU Pueblo eleven plays at Western Colorado for the RMAC leadership.