Kearney, Neb. - The 9th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney football team will board a plane Friday morning for a date with the Western New Mexico Mustangs Saturday in Silver City.

The Lopers (7-1, 6-0 RMAC) will battle WNMU (3-5, 2-4 RMAC) beginning at 1:00 p.m. Central time. Fans can listen to the action on KRNY 102.3 FM or at lopers.com. Live video, via America One, is also available (for purchase) as is live stats.

Since the midpoint of the 2008 season, UNK has been on an unprecedented roll, winning 23 of 27 games. This is the best stretch of Loper football since the program went 25-4-2 from 1978-80.

To record a 17th straight RMAC win, UNK might have to out score Western. The Loper-Mustang series is just six games but the average score is 46-30 in favor of Kearney.

Last year at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium at Foster Field, UNK got out to a 35-10 lead and hung on for 65-30 win. It marked the sixth highest scoring game in Loper history.

A season earlier, UNK won 55-34 in Silver City; that is the ninth highest scoring game in Loper lore.

Junior QB Jake Spitzlberger (Lakewood, Colo.) will like to see the purple and gold of Western's helmets as, last year, he had a good as day as can be imagined.

In throwing for 280 yards and five TD's, Spitzlberger completed all 14 passes he attempted. He also ran for 67 yards and three TD's.

Western's offense isn't scoring at the pace as it was the last two years so it may have to rely on its defense to pull the upset. In a three-week stretch against Adams State, Mesa State and Western State, the Ponies gave up just 31 total points.

Offensively, senior RB Kevin Breaker (86.1 ypg, four TD's) is the star while junior Chris Voller (165 ypg; seven TD's) is the starting QB once again after sitting behind former Loper Dennis Havrilla last season.

After this 1,100-mile journey to Southern New Mexico, UNK will host Fort Lewis next Saturday.