Silver City, N.M.-- The Western New Mexico University Mustangs gave the visitors from #18 Midwestern State University quite a scare as first-time quarterback Raemos Fano (Pago Pago, American Samoa/Fagaitua) lead the Mustangs' offense, racking up over 200 yards and two touchdowns through the air while completing 14 of 26 passes. 

Western opened the scoring in the first quarter when Fano capped the Mustangs' first drive of the game with a six yard touchdown run.  The five-plus minute drive spanned 89 yards in 13 plays.  The Mustangs failed to convert the extra point however, and the first quarter would end with Midwestern State holding a 7-6 lead on Layton Robb's 15-yard passing touchdown to Tyler Milliken.  

The Mustangs would retake the lead at the 12:17 mark in the second quarter when Fano hit Isaac Crichton (Honolulu, HI/Saint Francis) from the 15 yard line on the tenth play of a 75-yard, four minute drive.  Arkemus Baskerville (Lindenwald, NJ/Lenape) would rush for the 2-point conversion, giving Western a 14-7 lead.  Midwestern State would answer back less than two minutes later, again through the air, when Robb completed a 67-yard pass to Juwan Johnson that finished off a four-play, 80-yard drive that tied the game at 14-14.  However, WNMU would have the final word in the first half as Baskerville ended a 35-yard drive on the Mustang's fourth play with a six-yard rushing touchdown just 50 seconds before halftime.  The teams would head into the locker room with the Mustangs leading 21-14.

Midwestern State would cut into the Mustang's lead less than a minute into the second half when a Fano  pass was intercepted by Jaydon Cunigan and returned 25 yards for the defensive score.  Midwestern State would miss the extra point attempt, enabling Western to cling to 21-20 lead.  The Mustangs were unable to extend their lead, and ten minutes later Midwestern State went back on top on a six-yard touchdown run by Vincent Johnson after a 12-play, 79-yard drive.  Johnson would also rush for the two-point conversion, giving the visitors a 28-21 lead.  The Mustangs would narrow the gap before the end of the third quarter, however, when Fano and Crichton connected again, this time for a 37-yard touchdown to cap a drive that covered 69 yards in only three plays.  Western's extra point would sail wide, and the final 2:47 of the third quarter would tick off the clock with no scoring action as the game headed into the fourth quarter with Midwestern State holding a 28-27 lead.

The scoring would come early and often in the final frame.  Midwestern State got things started at the 13:59 mark when Robb again found an open receiver, hitting Xavier Land for a four-yard touchdown after eight plays and 77 yards to extend the lead to 35-27.  The Mustangs would answer back after only two plays when DeAndre Williams (Tucson, AZ/Tucson Magnet) broke free for a 71-yard touchdown run, followed by a two-point conversion pass from Elijah Jones (Gilbert, AZ/Campo Verde) to Fano on a trick play that tied the score at 35-35.  That score wouldn't last long as Midwestern State continued their strong offensive showing when Vincent Johson rushed 54 yards less than a minute later for a touchdown, reclaiming the lead for the visitors at 42-35 with 12:40 to play.  The Mustangs were unable to get back in the endzone and Midwestern State managed to run out the clock, eventually scoring one last time on another Vincent Johnson rush from four yards out to finish a 14-play, 80-yard drive that consumed the final eight minutes of the game, as the visitors from Midwestern State escaped with the 48-35 win.

DeAndre Williams (Tucson, AZ/Tucson Magnet) had another big game for Western rushing for 116 yards and a 71-yard touchdown. Arkemus Baskerville (Lindenwald, NJ/Lenape) racked up 77 rushing yards while also contributing a touchdown. Senior, Evan Beebe (Chula Vista, CA/Mater Dei Catholic) lead the team with 81 receiving yards, while Issac Crichton had 66 yards receiving, including two touchdown catches. 

Defensively, Roosevelt Calhoun (Reno, NV/Hug) lead the Mustangs with 10 tackles, seven of which were solo. Seniors Isaiah Pierre (Miami, FL/Hollywood Hills) and Connor Mowat (Lahaina, HI/Lahainaluna) each finished with seven tackles. 

The Mustangs travel to Stephenville, TX to take on undefeated Tarleton State next weekend for their final game of the season.