SAN DIEGO, Calif. – It will be a homecoming of sorts for many of the Western New Mexico University football players when they travel to Southern California this Saturday evening to battle the University of San Diego at 7 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.


With roughly 60 players on the Mustang roster from California and most from the Inland Empire, traveling for a road game will seem like a home game.


Last year, the Mustangs followed up an opening season 54-44 victory over Sul Ross with nearly another victory at San Diego. The Mustangs held an early 7-3 lead late in the first quarter when Mitch Glasmann (Temecula, CA/Chaparral) hit Marquis Sumpter (Oceanside/Falbrook Union HS) for a 40-yard touchdown.


San Diego would answer with 14 points to take a 17-7 lead at halftime. WNMU refused to go away, answering with a pair of scores of their own in the third quarter including a 57-yard run from receiver Donald Byrd (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Poly) and a 21-yard scamper from John De La Rosa (Vinton, TX/Canutillo HS) for a 21-17 lead midway through the third quarter.


After a San Diego field goal pulled them to within a point near the end of three, WNMU came back with a Marquis Sumpter (Oceanside/Falbrook Union HS) eight-yard touchdown grab from Glasmann to extend the lead to 27-20 as the extra point attempt failed.


The Toreros, though, came through in the final quarter scoring two touchdowns in the span of 4:19 to take a 34-27 lead they would ultimately hold onto.


WNMU outrushed (205-58) and out passed (317-308) San Diego, but the Toreros held a plus-two edge in turnovers, with the Mustangs committing both.


Glasmann had a big game back in his home state going for 271 yards and two touchdowns, while De La Rosa ran for 77 yards and a score. Sumpter brought down nine passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
Deshawn Hathorne led the team in tackles with 10, including five solo stops.


San Diego dropped their season opener at No. 11 (FCS) Cal Poly, 38-16. San Diego was tied at 10 late in the first half when Cal Poly scored right before the break and ended up scoring 21 unanswered to run away with the victory.


Cal Poly outgained San Diego, 533-394, as quarterback Mason Mills tossed two touchdowns and threw for 230 yards without an interception. Kenn James led the ground game going for 102 yards on seven carries. Reggie Bell was Mills' main target, hauling in nine passes for 109 yards with one score. Defensively, Matt Miller led the team with 11 tackles and six solo. San Diego went 8-3 last year.


WNMU was picked to finish seventh in the RMAC after going 4-7, 3-6 in the RMAC last year. Four All-RMAC players return from last year including Offensive Freshman of the Year in Glasmann, Third-Team Offense in Byrd and offensive lineman Michael Coe (Carlsbad, CA/Carlsbad) and Third-Team Defense in Zachary Dembrowski (Lake Elsinore/Elsinore HS).


If you can't make it to the game, several options will be available for keeping up with the action. Follow the action on the official WNMU Athletics Twitter feed @WNMUAthletics, live stats and live audio.