CMU Mavericks Need Win At Western New Mexico

If only  ifs and buts were candy and nuts, it would be Christmas every day.
But they're not.
And the reality is the Colorado Mesa Football team is NOT 3-0 in conference play, but 1-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as they head to Silver City, New Mexico  to take on Western New Mexico in need of a win.
To wit:
IF a couple pass interference penalties didn't squelch the Mavs' momentum after taking a late lead against Chadron State, the Mavs would have opened RMAC play 1-0.
IF the Mavs could have made just one or two more plays — while stopping New Mexico Highlands from making some dazzling plays — they would have beat the Cowboys last weekend and left Homecoming undefeated in the conference.
BUT those things didn't happen.
"I told the team Monday that we're real close to being 3-0 in the Conference," Mavs coach Russ Martin said. "But the fact of the matter is we're 1-2.
"And we can practice like we're 3-0, and prepare like that, or we can start going in the tank."
So the Mavericks dug their heels in and have had a great week of preparation, Martin said.
The game plan against Western New Mexico(3-2, 2-1 in RMAC) will likely be similar to most - play tough defense and run the ball behind sophomore running back Jake Cimolino, who leads the RMAC by averaging 140 yards per game.
And, all is not lost.
Bring back a win, and the Mavs are all the sudden bunched up in the middle of the conference standings at 2-2, instead of hovering just above the winless team near the bottom.
And that may not qualify as a holiday, but it would definitely be worth celebrating.
(Thanks to contributor Greg Reed who joins Zane Mathews in the booth for CMU football broadcasts on 99.9 FM and 1230 KEXO, and on-line at www.cmumavericks.com...1:00 pre-game, 1:30 kickoff)