After the exhilarating 39-38 come-from-behind win at Black Hills State last Saturday, the Chadron State football team is expected to be on guard Saturday when it meets another winless Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference opponent, New Mexico Highlands. Kickoff for the Hall of Fame game will be at noon. 

      Highlands is 0-8 this fall.  While the Cowboys have been outscored 323 to 91 this fall, two opponents have had to go down to the wire to win, including Adams State last Saturday.

     The Grizzlies drove 80 yards and scored with just 42 seconds remaining to edge the Cowboys 17-13.  

     On Sept. 19, Western New Mexico went 78 yards and scored with 39 seconds left to squeeze past Highlands 38-37.

    The Cowboys put up a good fight against Adams State despite having to go with a new quarterback.  Junior Keith Moore, who had completed 54.5 percent of his passes for 1,072 yards and eight touchdowns, left the game early the previous week against Western State. He did not play against Adams State and is not included on the depth chart that Highlands submitted for this week's game. 

    Freshman Trevor Swenson has taken over at quarterback and helped the Cowboys outgain Adams State 403 to 254 yards last Saturday.  Highlands also had possession of the ball 36 of the 60 minutes.

    Swenson completed 17 of 31 passes for 215 yards and junior Devonte Lynch carried 27 times for 139 yards to lead the Cowboys' offense.

    For the season, Lynch, who is 5-foot-8, 190 pounds, has carried 96 times for 553 yards for a 5.6-yard average.  He is the brother of Seattle Seahawks standout running back Marshawn Lynch.

     The Cowboys also have a premier receiver. Senior Kirt Terry-Springs has 40 receptions for 578 yards and three touchdowns. He was preseason all-RMAC choice. 

     CSC coach Jay Long said Highlands has some excellent athletes, but also is forced to use more young players than most RMAC teams. There are seven freshmen on the Cowboys' probable starting lineup.

     Adams State found out Highlands can be difficult to run against.  The Grizzlies managed just 27 yards in 25 rushing plays. 

       Highlands has a new coach this season.  Jeff Mills assumed the job in March, nearly a month after the initial signing date had passed. The previous year, he was the defensive line coach at Indiana State at Terre Haute.  Prior to that, Mills had been an assistant coach at the Universities of Washington and New Mexico in recent years.

     The Eagles are averaging 425.5 yards a game and have yielded 404.0 a game.  

     The running game, which is averaging 223.5 yards, has been a CSC bright spot all season. If the Eagles can maintain that figure the rest of the season, it will rank fourth on their all-time rushing average list.

     Sophomore tailback Derek Jackson needs just 76 yards to reach the 1,000-yard mark rushing this fall. All three of the Eagles' primary ball carriers, also including Cody Paul and Kevin Coy, are averaging at least 5.5 yards a carry. 

     Quarterback Matt Vinson has completed 93 of 163 passes for 963 yards since taking over the position when TD Stein suffered a severe finger injury.  Vinson has thrown for six touchdowns, including three in the win at Black Hills, and has been intercepted only twice.   

     The Eagles will be without leading receiver Danny O'Boyle, who suffered a torn ACL two weeks ago against CSU-Pueblo, the rest of the season, but may have senior Kyle Vinich available. Vinich was the team's receiving leader until he was sidelined four weeks ago with a hamstring problem. 

     Cornerback Conor Casey, who has battled a groin problem all season, probably won't play this week, but hopefully will return for the final two games.

     Senior linebacker Dylan Furrier, who was in on 11 tackles at Black Hills State to lead the Eagles, has moved into CSC's top 10 in career tackles.  A three-year starter after playing in 10 games as a redshirt freshman, Furrier has participated in 302 stops to tie for eighth place.