The end of a three-game road trip has arrived for the Fort Lewis College football team.
In a showdown of the two teams at the bottom of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the Skyhawks will meet Western State at 1 p.m. Saturday in Gunnison’s Mountaineer Bowl.
FLC (1-4, 1-4 RMAC) has come up empty three games in a row, including a 41-7 loss at Colorado Mines in Golden last weekend. Western State (0-5, 0-5 RMAC) is the lone winless team in the league and has scored only 26 points in its last three games while it has allowed an average of 41,8 points per game this season, worst in the RMAC.
The two teams are fittingly at the bottom of the RMAC in scoring offense, with FLC averaging only 16.8 points per game and the Mountaineers being limited to 12.6.
Defense from Fort Lewis will be the biggest advantage either team has Saturday, as FLC ranks sixth in the RMAC in total defense.
Western State hasn’t found an answer to replace star running back Austin Ekeler, now a San Diego Charger after being signed as an undrafted free agent and shining during the preseason. Justice Macneal-Young is the team’s leading rusher and has averaged only 51 yards per game. Dylan Jacob at quarterback has passed for only four touchdowns to six interceptions and averages only 160 yards passing per game despite having plenty of opportunities to throw with the team trailing big in four games. FLC cornerback Donell Pleasant III is tied for the RMAC lead with three interceptions and will look to snag another against Jacob.
In four games this season, Tyler Telphy has averaged 77.25 rushing yards per game for the Skyhawks, and he has two touchdowns. He has started the last three games since senior PJ Hall went down with an ankle injury.
FLC junior quarterback Bo Coleman ghas been held to two touchdown passes but has only been intercepted once. He has averaged 124 passing yards per game and is completing nearly 53 percent of his passes.
Western State leads the all-time series 38-16, and FLC will look to chip into that mark before returning home for a tough homecoming game against No. 14 CSU-Pueblo next week.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
