GUNNISON, Colo. ----The New Mexico Highlands football team took a 38-24 lead after Ramone Atkins hit Isreal Watson with a 14-yard touchdown pass with 11:30 left in the fourth quarter as it appeared the Cowboys would snap their four-game losing streak.
But Western Colorado scored three touchdowns in the final 9:22 to defeat NMHU 45-38 Saturday at Mountaineer Bowl.
The Cowboys (1-5 overall, 1-4 RMAC) racked up 466 yards of offense - including Atkins going 32-for-49 for 383 yards passing with four touchdowns while rushing for another 42 yards - but were outgained by the Mountaineers (5-1, 4-1) by seven yards due to a balanced attack (240 yards passing, 233 yards rushing).
NMHU trailed 17-14 early in the third quarter after a 59-yard touchdown pass by the Mountaineers before a Atkins touchdown pass to Watson with 9:11 remaining, a 40-yard field goal by Spencer Richards, an Atkins 25-yard touchdown pass to CJ Sims and a 14-yard touchdown pass to Watson made it 38-24 Cowboys with 11:30 left in the fourth quarter.
But NMHU couldn't hold as the Mountaineers scored touchdowns with 9:22, 6:23 and 2:29 left in the fourth quarter to take a 45-38 lead. The Cowboys fumbled the ensuing kickoff and never got a chance to tie the game as WCU ran out the clock.
To go along with Atkins' big day leading the team in passing and rushing, Sims finished with nine catches for 168 yards and two scores while Lou Dorsey added six catches for 56 yards and Donovan Hawkins had seven catches for 49 yards.
Defensively for NMHU, Lebarron Jones had a team-high nine tackles while Devin Coney added eight. Ben Sutton had an interception and three tackles.
The Cowboys return to action at home next Saturday as they host CSU Pueblo at Sanchez Family Stadium.
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