By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – A Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference heavyweight battle is in the offering this week as No. 10 CSU Pueblo and No. 8 Western Colorado – both unbeaten in league play – square off in a 1 p.m. Saturday contest at the Mountaineer Bowl in Gunnison.

The first-ever game between the Top 10 teams in Mountaineer Bowl history will also play a pivotal role in the RMAC title race, with the winner controlling their own destiny over the final two weeks.

The ThunderWolves and Mountaineers enter their matchup as the RMAC’s top two offenses. CSU Pueblo has scored 288 points in its six league outings (48 points per game), while Western Colorado has posted 243 points in six games (40.5 ppg). Defensively, WCU has the edge as the league’s No. 2 scoring defense (14.2 ppg), while CSUP is No.4 (17.2 ppg).

Meanwhile, one-loss Colorado Mesa is lurking in third place. The Mavericks are still playing for a share of the title and have a game against Western Colorado remaining in Week 11. The Mavericks look to keep the pressure on with a win against Black Hills State this weekend.

Colorado School of Mines, listed on the NCAA regional committee’s Top 10 regional rankings, begins its final push for the postseason, seeking to burnish its resume. The Orediggers also have a role left in the title race, with a Week 10 visit to CSU Pueblo remaining.

Week 9 Schedule

All games are on the RMAC Network!

Saturday, Nov. 2
South Dakota Mines at Chadron State	Noon
Colorado School of Mines at New Mexico Highlands	Noon
CSU Pueblo at Western Colorado	1 p.m.
Black Hills State at Colorado Mesa	1 p.m.
Fort Lewis at Adams State	6 p.m.

Rankings: AFCA Coaches Poll/D2Football.com Poll

Title Push

Future games Involving the top three in the RMAC standings after this week’s action:
 

November 9
Chadron State at Western Colorado	Noon
Colorado Mesa at South Dakota Mines	Noon
Colorado School of Mines at CSU Pueblo	1 p.m.
November 16
CSU Pueblo at Chadron State	Noon
Fort Lewis at Colorado School of Mines	Noon
Western Colorado at Colorado Mesa	1 p.m.

Lead Stories

Five Perfect Teams Remain in Division II

The unbeaten in Division II has been reduced to five teams. Western Colorado (8-0), Johnson C. Smith (8-0), Kutztown (8-0), Valdosta State (7-0), and Charleston (8-0) are the only remaining teams with three regular season weeks remaining.

Eighteen One-Blemish Squads Left

Similarly, the list of teams with only one blemish (a tie or a loss) is down to 18 teams, with the RMAC’s CSU Pueblo (7-1) among them.

Win Streak Discussion

• Western Colorado’s eight-game win streak is tied for longest in Division II with the other 8-0 Division II squads.
• CSU Pueblo’s 13-game RMAC win streak is the longest in the league and is Division II’s second-longest conference win streak behind Kutztown (15). The ThunderWolves' last loss was to the Colorado School of Mines in Week 4 of the 2023 season.

• On the road, CSU Pueblo’s seven-game win streak is the RMAC’s longest. The ThunderWolves' last road loss was in Week 1 of the 2023 season at Grand Valley State.
• After Western Colorado ended Colorado School of Mines’ 19-game home win streak, they now have the RMAC’s longest home win streak – a modest four-game run at the Mountaineer Bowl.

First NCAA Regional Rankings Include Four RMAC Squads

The NCAA released the first Division II regional rankings on Monday, and four RMAC teams are among the 10 listed alphabetically in Super Region Four. Colorado Mesa, Colorado School of Mines, CSU Pueblo, and Western Colorado made the list. Joining the RMAC quartet were Angelo State, Augustana (S.D.), Central Washington, Minnesota State-Mankato, Sioux Falls, and Western Oregon.

Western Colorado, CSU Pueblo, and Colorado School of Mines in National Polls

• Western Colorado remains firm at No. 8 in the AFCA poll, but the Mountaineers moved past Central Oklahoma and Minnesota State to claim No. 8 in the D2Football poll
• CSU Pueblo is now No. 10 in both polls, moving up two spots in the AFCA rankings and a spot in the D2Football list.
• Colorado School of Mines fell to No. 18 in the coaches poll and No. 20 in the D2Football poll after losing to Western Colorado.

ThunderWolves Dual Threat

CSU Pueblo features athletes in the Top 10 of total rushing yards and total receiving yards entering Week 8. Running back Howard Russell V is eighth in Division II with 886 total rushing yards. Meanwhile, wide receiver Reggie Retzlaff’s 833 receiving yards is seventh among Division II receivers. Retzlaff is fifth nationally in receiving yards per game (119.0), while Russell is ninth in rushing yards per game (110.8).

Orediggers Deep Threats

Colorado School of Mines has its dual-threat but in aerial form with wide receivers Flynn Schiele and Max McLeod. Schiele is fifth in Division II in both receiving yards (958) and yards per game (119.8), while McLeod is seventh in receiving yards per game (109.3) and sixth in total receiving yards (874).

RMAC National Team Leaders

• CSU Pueblo features one of Division II’s top offenses, ranking fifth in total offense (484.8 yards per game) and fourth in scoring offense (43.6 ppg).
• On the ground, New Mexico Highlands (9th, 223.0 ypg) and Western Colorado (15th, 203.0 ypg) control the action.
• The Mountaineers also boast one of the nation’s top defensive units, ranking second nationally in rush defense (60.5 ypg), 18th in scoring defense (16.1 ppg), and 20th in total defense (268.4 ypg).

Colorado School of Mines Tabbed as RMAC Preseason Favorite

• Colorado School of Mines received seven first-place votes and 79 points from the league’s 10 head coaches. Western Colorado was picked second with the remaining three first-place votes and 74 points.

Eight RMAC Student-Athletes on D2Football.com Elite 100 Watch List

• Colorado School of Mines (4), CSU Pueblo (2), Western Colorado (1), and Chadron State (1) each had a representative on the list.
• Colorado School of Mines wide receiver Max McLeod, punter Blake Doud, and CSU Pueblo defensive back Daniel Bone III were first-team selections. Western Colorado linebacker Kendall Lightfoot was a second-team pick.
• CSU Pueblo wide receiver Reggie Ratzlaff, Colorado School of Mines offensive lineman Nic Van De Graaf, Chadron State defensive lineman Hunter O’Conner, and Colorado School of Mines defensive back Jackson Zimmerman were also listed in the organization’s Top 100.

About the RMAC
The RMAC is a premier NCAA Division II conference, located in Colorado Springs, Colo., with 15 member institutions. The RMAC sponsors 22 varsity NCAA sports and has produced 65 NCAA Division II national champions and 54 national runners-up since 1992.