GOLDEN – The Colorado School of Mines football team posted 30 unanswered second-half points to bust open a close game at halftime en route to a 51-16 victory over Fort Lewis on Saturday afternoon at Campbell Field in Golden.
Led by a swarming defense that limited the Skyhawks (2-4, 1-3 RMAC) to just 239 yards and an average of 3.2 yards per play, the Orediggers (4-2, 3-1 RMAC) got back in the win column with sophomore Joe Schneider making his first career collegiate start.
The Orediggers, ranked in the top 10 nationally in both total offense and scoring, registered 600 yards on 98 plays for an average of 6.1 yards per play.
Schneider finished 19-of-44 through the air for 290 yards and two scores and added 11 carries for 61 yards and two more scores for four total touchdowns in the contest.
Senior Dan Palmer carried 18 times for a hard-nosed 73 yards and a score, while Tevin Champagne added 56 yards on 13 totes. Junior quarterback Matt Brown added a 63-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter and 59 yards on 4-of-8 passing as well.
In total, Mines finished with 260 rushing yards and four scores on 45 carries – good for 5.6 yards per rush.
Cole Spurgeon led the receiving corps with 81 yards on five receptions while Ellis added 49 yards on four receptions. Diamond Gillis added another receiving score – his seventh though six games – on 75 yards and three receptions and Alex Waner posted 50 yards and a score on two receptions.
Ellis added 72 return yards as well for 121 all-purpose yards in the game.
Avery Llewellyn was good on his three field goal attempts – all in the second half – including a long of 34 yards. He added field goals of 29 and 32 yards as well and averaged 48.2 yards per punt on four kicks, including a long of 55 yards.
The story of the game, however, was the Mines defensive unit and its stingy play all afternoon. Led by the linebacking corps, the Orediggers limited FLC to 34 yards on 39 carries (0.9 YPC). The squad posted 14.0 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries and seven sacks on the afternoon.
Kole Kadavy and Chad McGraw led the team with 12 tackles apiece, with McGraw posting 1.5 sacks, a quarterback hurry and 3.0 tackles for loss on the afternoon. Kadavy added a sack and 2.0 tackles for loss as well.
Tyler Denson recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, two quarterback hurries, a sack and 11 stops while Billy Sprague, a fellow inside backer, added seven stops, two pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.
Alex Laudenslager led the defensive line with five stops, a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss and Jake Utley added five stops as well.
Ryan Wood and Rylan Hess led the secondary with five stops apiece.
The Orediggers will return to action on Saturday when the squad travels to Pueblo for a matchup with No. 5 CSU-Pueblo at 6 p.m. CSUP (6-0, 4-0 RMAC) defeated No. 19 Chadron State on Saturday 51-42 in Chadron, Neb.
SCORING SUMMARY
Qtr Time Scoring Play Score
1st 12:55 CSM - Dan Palmer 11 yd run (Avery Llewellyn kick) - Mines, 7-0
05:59 FLC - Jaxon Gaita 22 yd field goal - Mines, 7-3
02:34 CSM - Diamond Gillis 4 yd pass from Joe Schneider (Avery Llewellyn kick) - Mines, 14-3
2nd 10:17 CSM - Joe Schneider 3 yd run (Avery Llewellyn kick) - Mines, 21-3
06:30 FLC - Drew Berryhill 24 yd pass from Max Baiz (Jaxon Gaita kick) - Mines, 21-10
05:29 FLC - Drew Berryhill 77 yd pass from Max Baiz (Amery Duncan rush failed) - Mines, 21-16
3rd 10:14 CSM - Joe Schneider 7 yd run (Avery Llewellyn kick) - Mines, 28-16
06:43 CSM - Avery Llewellyn 29 yd field goal - Mines, 31-16
00:46 CSM - Alex Waner 23 yd pass from Joe Schneider (Avery Llewellyn kick) - Mines, 38-16
4th 05:02 CSM - Avery Llewellyn 32 yd field goal - Mines, 41-16
02:35 CSM - Matt Brown 63 yd run (Avery Llewellyn kick) - Mines, 48-16
01:04 CSM - Avery Llewellyn 34 yd field goal - Mines, 51-16
