CHADRON, Neb. – Led by a four-touchdown performance from sophomore Justin Dvorak, the AFCA 22nd-ranked Colorado School of Mines football team posted a 33-18 victory over Chadron State in the conference opener for both schools on Saturday at Don Beebe Stadium in Chadron, Neb.
Mines (3-0, 1-0 RMAC) captured the win behind a 9-of-21 conversion rate on 3rd down and was efficient in the red zone after finishing 4-of-6 on scoring chances with three touchdowns. Mines ran 84 plays for 366 yards while the defense overcame a pair of 65-plus yard touchdowns by forcing three turnovers and registering a trio of sacks.
Ranked No. 22 by the AFCA and No. 25 by D2Football.com, Mines won the time of possession battle 34:20-to-25:40, including two-plus minute advantages over each of the final three quarters - bolstered by Mines' 168-yard rushing attack.
CSC took the first lead of the contest on a 42-yard field goal by Randy Wentz with 11:36 remaining in the first quarter. Just over nine minutes later, Mines answered with its first score of the contest on an 11-yard scamper by Dvorak to go up 10-3 with 2:35 to play.
Dvorak's touchdown was set up on the previous play when senior Matt Craighead sacked CSC quarterback Jonn McClain and the ensuing fumble was picked up and returned 30 yards by junior Dallas Fields, setting Mines up at the Eagles' 11 yard line.
Chadron State answered on the second play of the ensuing drive with a 69-yard touchdown run by Michael Madkins. The two-point attempt would be good, giving the hosts an 11-7 advantage.
Junior Avery Llewellyn would cut the Eagles' lead to 11-10 on a 44-yard field goal early into the second quarter and his 37-yarder as time expired on the first half gave the Orediggers a 13-11 halftime lead.
Dvorak added his second scoring run of the day after the break on a 3-yard scamper with 10:26 remaining in the third quarter to push Mines' lead to 20-11 following Llewellyn's extra point. CSC countered with a 75-yard pass from McClain to Danny O'Boyle on the second play of the next drive to cut the lead to 20-18.
The Orediggers then closed the third quarter with 13 unanswered points, first on a 22-yard scoring strike from Dvorak to Jimmy Ellis, and later on a 7-yard run by Dvorak with 1:16 to go in the quarter. Llewellyn's extra point attempt on the second score would be blocked, leaving the score at 33-18.
Neither team would be able to muster any points in the fourth quarter, allowing Mines to post its second win over Chadron State over the team's last four games. Mines outscored the Eagles 56-18 over the two-game span.
Dvorak led the offense with 107 rushing yards on 23 carries with three touchdowns while also finishing 23-of-27 for 198 yards and another score through the air. The Tomball, Texas product entered the weekend ranked No. 1 in the nation with an average of 437.5 yards of total offense per game and accounted for four scores and 305 of Mines' 366 total yards. He now has 11 touchdowns and just two turnovers through three games to start the season.
He also improved to 6-0 as Mines' starting quarterback dating back to his redshirt freshman season in 2013.
Senior Tevin Champagne carried 18 times for 47 yards and junior Devin Reaves gained 23 yards on five carries to add to Mines' rushing attack.
Champagne added 35 receiving yards on a game-high eight receptions through the air while sophomore Ty Young led the team with 73 yards on four catches.
Ellis caught three balls for 31 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown, and senior Diamond Gillis added 32 yards on a pair of catches.
Senior Kole Kadavy led Mines' defensive unit with 12 tackles (eight solo) while adding a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry. Fields added six stops (four solo) including a sack, a tackle for loss, a fumble recovery and a quarterback hurry.
Jalen Champagne and Emmanuel Graves notched five stops apiece, with Champagne picking off a pass and breaking up another. Graves tied for the team lead with 2.0 tackles for loss on the afternoon.
Jeff Grenfell notched four stops (two solo) a sack, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup and Chris Pinson notched four stops and an interception as well. Craighead recorded a pair of solo stops behind the line, including a 12-yard sack-fumble in the first half.
Llewellyn connected on 2-of-3 field goals and 3-of-4 extra points for nine points during the game. He also punted eight times for 349 yards for a 43.6 average and was true on field goal attempts from 44 and 37 to end the first half, but missed a 41-yard attempt late in the fourth quarter. He put one punt inside the CSC 20 yard line and his longest punt of the day went for 75 yards.
The do-it-all special teamer also averaged 63.4 yards on five kickoffs, including three touchbacks.
Mines will host Black Hills State during the annual Homecoming game next weekend at the North Area Athletic Complex in Arvada. Kickoff for that contest is slated for noon. BHSU (2-1, 1-0 RMAC) defeated Fort Lewis (1-2, 0-1 RMAC) 40-14 on Saturday afternoon in Spearfish, S.D.
Scoring Summary
Qtr Time Scoring Play | Score
1st 11:36 CSC - Randy Wentz 42 yd field goal | CSC, 3-0
02:35 CSM - Justin Dvorak 11 yd run (Avery Llewellyn kick) | Mines, 7-3
01:52 CSC - Michael Madkins 69 yd run (Robert Jackson rush) | CSC, 11-7
2nd 13:27 CSM - Avery Llewellyn 44 yd field goal | CSC, 11-10
00:00 CSM - Avery Llewellyn 37 yd field goal | Mines, 13-11
3rd 10:26 CSM - Justin Dvorak 3 yd run (Avery Llewellyn kick) | Mines, 20-11
10:13 CSC - Danny O'Boyle 75 yd pass from Jonn McLain (Randy Wentz kick) | Mines, 20-18
09:07 CSM - Jimmy Ellis 22 yd pass from Justin Dvorak (Avery Llewellyn kick) | Mines, 27-18
01:16 CSM - Justin Dvorak 7 yd run (Avery Llewellyn kick blockd) | Mines, 33-18
