This past weekend, the No. 8 Mountaineers took on one of their biggest rivals, Colorado School of Mines. For the first time in six seasons, Western was victorious over Mines, winning 38-28. The win maintains the Mountaineers undefeated streak, propelling the team to 8-0 record and solidifying its position in the Top 10. WCU now has a good chance to be this season’s RMAC champions and possibly make a post-season playoff appearance. The Mountaineers have their work cut out for them this weekend as they have another Top 10 match-up with the CSU Pueblo Thunderwolves, who are ranked two spots behind us at #10.
Mines has been a powerhouse, but is not in the top 10 this season. This is one of the longest rivalries in Colorado football history, with the two teams meeting for the first time in 1925, when Western won, 15-6. After almost 100 years of these teams fighting for victory against each other, Western leads the series with 53 wins over Mines with 44 losses and two ties. For Mines, Saturday’s loss mared the end of Mine’s 19-game home winning streak.
The Mountaineers hoped to avenge their loss from last year. The game started with no scores in the first quarter and most of the second quarter, until the last few minutes of the half. Quarterback Drew Nash connected with Elias Zarate for a 32-yard touchdown pass. This was followed by a 53-yard run by Braeden Hogan, making it 14-0 with 2:41 left on the clock. Mines managed a touchdown with 33 seconds left in the quarter, but Western kicker Adam Tasei sealed the first half with a 49-yard field goal, for a 17-7 lead at the break.
No one scored until 9:46 left in the third quarter with a 6-yard pass from Drew Nash to Daniel Parsek for a Western touchdown. The score at the top of the fourth quarter was 24-7. Nash was ran for a 30-yard another touchdown, stretching the lead to 31-7. Mines was able to make a comeback, scoring two touchdowns in a row, bringing the score at 8:04, 31-21. Later in the half, the Mountaineers were able to score again, thanks to Hogan’s 21-yard run into the end zone, giving the Mountaineers a nice cushion of 38-21. With only a few minutes left in the game, Mines scored one last touchdown in an attempt to tie the score. After the touchdown, Jaydon Foster caused the Mines quarterback to fumble the ball, ending the game for a 38-28, a Western win.
As the clock hit zero, the team stormed the field. The Mountaineers celebrated a hard-fought and well-deserved victory, a new notch on the belt of the almost 100-year rivalry. The team’s focus now shifts to their upcoming battle against the No. 10 CSU Pueblo Thunderwolves, promising yet another thrilling chapter in their undefeated season, the journey toward a championship title, and a potential post-season playoff spot coming to an end very soon. Make sure to tune into the rest of the season to see where the Mountaineers go next.