CHADRON – After pulling out a 31-24 victory over New Mexico Highlands on Saturday, the Chadron State College football team will tangle with the other New Mexico team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference this Saturday by making the 980-mile trip to Silver City. Kickoff is set for noon.
 
The Western New Mexico Mustangs caught the attention of football pundits throughout the RMAC when it upset Colorado Mines 25-23 on Oct. 5 in Silver City. Western won the game primarily because it limited the Orediggers to 218 yards passing. Through eight games this fall, Mines is averaging 350.5 yards through the air, the most in the RMAC and seventh best nationally in NCAA Division II this fall.
 
Despite springing the biggest upset in the conference so far this fall, the Mustangs have won just one other game during its 2-5 season. That was a 42-34 decision over Western State two weeks ago. This past Saturday, Adams State corralled the Mustangs 41-20.
 
Adams State, which managed just 265 yards in total offense during CSC's 31-0 victory over the Grizzlies this fall, piled up 486 yards against the Mustangs on Saturday.
 
"Western New Mexico is kind of a tricky team," said Chadron State coach Jay Long.  "They have some talented players and have won some games they weren't expected to win."
 
The Mustangs raised a few eyebrows during their season opener. They lost by just a 38-35 score to the University of San Diego. The California team currently is 5-3 for the season and 4-1 in the Pioneer Football League. Its only conference loss was a 45-38 decision in double overtime to the Dayton Flyers.
 
The game with San Diego was the only non-conference contest on the Mustangs' schedule. Western had lost 44-7 to CSU-Pueblo and 38-28 to Fort Lewis before surprising Mines, then fell to Colorado Mesa 27-17 before beating Western State and losing to Adams State.
 
The Mustangs' leaders include quarterback Mitch Glasmann and wide receiver Ronnel Pompey.
 
Glasmann was the RMAC's Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2012, when he passed for 3,139 yards and 27 touchdowns. His yardage figure was third best in the RMAC. So far this year, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound sophomore has completed 150 of 286 passes for 2,092 yards and 19 touchdowns.  He has thrown just six interceptions.
 
Pompey, a 5-11, 175-pound senior, leads the RMAC in receiving yards after catching 47 of Glasmann's tosses for 929 yards and eight touchdowns. One of their hookups was a 93-yarder against Colorado Mines.
 
Another busy receiver for Western is Donald Bryd, a 5-10, 180-pound junior who has 40 catches for 456 yards. He caught nine passes for 90 yards against the Eagles last fall.
 
The Mustangs' leading rusher is Abe Macias, a 5-7, 185-pound senior who has carried 125 times for 528 yards and two TDs this fall.
 
Although tailback Glen Clinton rushed 24 times for 245 yards and the Eagles rolled up 539 yards in total defense against Western New Mexico last year in Chadron, CSC trailed 23-20 entering the fourth period. The Eagles scored three touchdowns in the final frame to pull out a 41-23 victory. Two of the late TDs came on runs of 11 and 38 yards by Michael Madkins and the other was on a 32-yard pass from quarterback Jonn McLain to wideout Nathan Ross.