ARVADA – The No. 18 Colorado School of Mines football team used a 20-point second half to open up a 17-13 halftime score, and turn it into 37-23 victory over Colorado Mesa in the fifth installment of the Nyikos Cup series on Saturday at the North Area Athletic Complex. 

Mines (8-1, 6-1 RMAC) churned out 100 plays (51 rush, 49 pass) for 527 yards to move its record to 5-0 in the series since it was started during the 2010 season and post its sixth-straight win in the overall series. The squad posted a 36:21-to-23:29 margin in time of possession and finished 5-of-7 on fourth downs. The squad scored on 6-of-7 red-zone chances in the win as well. 

Mines posted its 90th-straight contest without being shutout, a streak that dates back to an 18-0 loss to then-Mesa State on Nov. 3, 2007. 

The Orediggers opened up the scoring on their first drive, covering 80 yards in eight plays before senior Tevin Champagne rumbled in from two yards out for a 7-0 lead with 11:47 remaining in the first quarter. 

Colorado Mesa (5-4, 4-3 RMAC) answered with 23 seconds left in the opening quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run by Ricky Trinidad. The extra point attempt was blocked by senior Chris Pinson, allowing Mines to hold onto the lead early in the contest. 

Avery Llewellyn hit a 28-yard field goal with 10:34 remaining in the first half to push Mines' lead to 10-6, but the Mavericks answered with a 70-yard touchdown by Daryl Hawkins with 5:48 left for a 13-10 lead. 

Mines answered with a 4-yard touchdown run by Justin Dvorak to cap a 14-play, 62-yard drive with 1:38 remaining. The squads then headed into the halftime break with Mines up 17-13.

Llewellyn opened the scoring after the half with a 28-yard field goal to add to Mines' lead, and a 52-yarder with 14:37 left in the fourth brought the score to 23-13. 

The Mavericks cut the lead to 23-20 with 13:09 to play on a 2-yard run by Hawkins, but Mines answered on its next possession with a 5-yard touchdown from Dvorak to Jimmy Ellis to put Mines up 30-20 and cap a 6-play, 75-yard drive with 10:59 to play. 

The Mavericks brought the score back to within one possession with a 28-yard field goal by Ryan Sheehan, but Ellis answered with a 68-yard return on the ensuing kickoff and was finally caught at the Maverick 20 to get Mines back in scoring territory with a seven-point lead. 

Three plays later, Dvorak found a wide open Ellis for a 13-yard touchdown, putting Mines up 37-23 with 6:23 to play. 

A batted ball at the line on 4th down by Dallas Fields ended CMU's next scoring threat in Mines territory and later, a 12-yard sack by Pinson and Billy Sprague with 1:07 remaining ended the Mavericks' next drive at the Mines 35 yard line. 

The Orediggers closed the game with two victory formations to run out the clock. 

Champagne led the offense with a career-high 142 rushing yards on 26 carries and a touchdown. The Houston, Texas product also eclipsed 1,000 all-purpose yards for the season with Saturday's performance. Junior Devin Reaves averaged 4.3 yards per carry on nine rushes for 39 yards. 

Dvorak finished 28-of-49 for 353 yards and a pair of touchdowns to go over the 3,000-yard plateau for the season. He also carried 14 times for minus-three yards, but scored on a 4-yard touchdown run. The sophomore now has 33 total touchdowns and just five interceptions through nine games. 

Gillis led the receiving corps with six catches for 113 yards while junior Nate Wiemers added 87 yards on six catches. Cole Spurgeon added 94 receiving yards on five catches as well. 

Ellis caught six passes for 39 yards and a pair of scores and eclipsed 1,000 all-purpose yards for the season with a 179-yard performance in the win. The Littleton product has now posted 100 or more all-purpose yards in four of the last five games. 

Llewellyn finished 3-for-5 on field goal attempts while making each of his four extra points for 13 points in the matchup, giving him 93 points on the season to lead the team. He was true on attempts from 28, 28 and 52 and punted twice for a 37.0-yard average. 

Shawn Kobylinski and Sprague led the defense with nine stops apiece, with Kobylinski adding five solo stops a pair of pass breakups. 

Sprague posted 2.0 sacks, 2.0 tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a pair of batted balls at the line as well. 

Kole Kadavy and Ian McFadden added eight stops apiece for the defense, with McFadden posting three pass breakups and Kadavy adding a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. 

Pinson posted seven stops, 1.0 tackles for loss and 0.5 sack and also blocked an extra point attempt, while junior Emmanuel Graves added six stops, 2.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks on the afternoon. 

Mines will head out on the road for a 1 p.m. matchup against Western State (4-5, 3-4 RMAC) next Saturday in Gunnison. The Mountaineers defeated Fort Lewis 27-26 on the road Saturday afternoon in Durango.  

Scoring Summary
Qtr Time Scoring Play | Score
1st 11:47 CSM - Tevin Champagne 2 yd run (Avery Llewellyn kick) | Mines, 7-0
00:23 CMU - Ricky Trinidad 5 yd run (Ryan Sheehan kick blockd) | Mines, 7-6
2nd 10:34 CSM - Avery Llewellyn 28 yd field goal | Mines, 10-6
05:48 CMU - Daryl Hawkins 70 yd run (Ryan Sheehan kick) | CMU, 13-10
01:38 CSM - Justin Dvorak 4 yd run (Avery Llewellyn kick) | Mines, 17-13
3rd 05:32 CSM - Avery Llewellyn 28 yd field goal | Mines, 20-13
4th 14:37 CSM - Avery Llewellyn 52 yd field goal | Mines, 23-13
13:09 CMU - Daryl Hawkins 2 yd run (Ryan Sheehan kick) | Mines, 23-20
10:59 CSM - Jimmy Ellis 5 yd pass from Justin Dvorak (Avery Llewellyn kick) | Mines, 30-20
07:46 CMU - Ryan Sheehan 28 yd field goal | Mines, 30-23
06:23 CSM - Jimmy Ellis 13 yd pass from Justin Dvorak (Avery Llewellyn kick) | Mines, 37-23