Mines vs. #10/12 Azusa Pacific, Saturday, 12 p.m.
Marv Kay Stadium | Streaming: RMAC Network [Live Video] [Live Stats] [Media Notes] [Tickets] 
 

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It's Homecoming weekend in Golden, and it will be a match-up of one of the nation's best offensive teams in Mines hosting one of the top defensive squads in #10/12 Azusa Pacific.

WATCH US
Every Mines game this season will be seen live online on the RMAC Network at MinesAthletics.com/tv. Archived games are available on demand any time as well.

WEATHER REPORT
Perfect fall football weather is forecast with clear skies and a gametime temperature of 67 going up to the mid-70s.

FAN PARKING
Lot K parking (next to Stermole Soccer Stadium and accessed off 11th Street) is available to all fans for $10. Handicap parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at the 12th and Maple Street lot and Lot K. Handicap fans can also be dropped off at the 12th Street (Gate 1) entrance to the stadium. All other campus parking is free. Please obey posted signs if using Golden city parking. For driving directions and a gameday parking map visit Directions.

HOMECOMING
Saturday's game will be a part of Homecoming Weekend, which also features home women's soccer and volleyball matches. For the full schedule of Homecoming festivities visit MinesAlumni.com.

THE SERIES
This will be the first-ever meeting between Mines and Azusa Pacific. The Orediggers will make the return trip to Los Angeles on Oct. 7, 2017. Mines is 4-1 all-time against members of the GNAC; APU is 2-0 against RMAC teams.

WEEK 5 REWIND
A fourth-quarter comeback helped Colorado School of Mines beat Fort Lewis on the road, 45-35, last Saturday. The Orediggers were led by another big game from Justin Dvorak, who completed 28-of-44 passes for 432 yards and four touchdowns while also rushing for a score. The bulk of that passing went to Brody Oliver, who had a career game with 207 yards receiving and three touchdowns, while on the ground, Sam Seeton ran for 106 yards and a score to key Mines in the second half. Fort Lewis had erased a 31-14 Mines halftime lead with a 21-point third quarter, but the Orediggers responded with two touchdowns and two critical takeaways in the fourth quarter to win the game. Caleb Courkamp recovered a fumble and Drew Stephon iced it with a late interception to stop a pair of FLC drives.

DVORAK MAKES HARLON HILL TROPHY CASE
Mines quarterback Justin Dvorak has put up videogame numbers through the first half of the season, cementing himself as one of the top Harlon Hill Trophy candidates for NCAA Division II's best player. Dvorak leads the nation in virtually every passing stat, including yards (2,084), touchdowns (21), completions per game (30), and total offense per game (427.6). Dvorak is one of only two quarterbacks in any NCAA division over 2,000 yards this season, along with Cal's Davis Webb. He now owns every major passing record at Mines, having set the career completions record at Western State, and is now 875-for-1328 (66.0%) for 10,968 yards and 104 passing touchdowns, in addition to 20 rushing touchdowns.

NO-BRODY BETTER
To say redshirt sophomore Brody Oliver has had an impressive start to the season would be an understatement. After catching only two career passes heading into the season, Oliver has thrived in the slot receiver role, leading all of college football - every division - in receiving touchdowns (11) while ranking second in D-II in receiving yards (719, an RMAC-best) and seventh in scoring (13.2 points per game). Oliver has had at least 100 yards receiving and a touchdown in every game this year, and became the first Oredigger since 2012 to cross 200 yards receiving with his nine-catch, 207-yard, 3-TD game at Fort Lewis last week. Oliver has been so fast out of the gate that he is only five touchdown catches away from setting the NCAA D-II record for TDs in a season by a tight end (15).

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON
Oliver isn't the only Mines receiver producing big numbers. Deep threat Ty Young is averaging a healthy 90.4 yards per game, having caught 31 passes and four touchdowns this season, while Riley Hoff, despite missing a game, has three touchdowns on 18 catches for 58.5 yards per game. Zach Richter is second on the team in catches with 34 for a 62.2 yards-per-game average and a score.

KEEPIN' IT 100
Sam Seeton is coming off his best game of the season, rushing for 106 yards on 26 carries - both 2016 highs - at Fort Lewis. Seeton has punched in four TDs on the ground, one in the air, and also has 15 catches this year.

VERY WELL-BEHAVED
Mines is one of the nation's least-penalized teams this year, averaging only 4.6 flags per game (11th in D-II) and 39.4 penalty yards per game (also 11th). Mines was flagged only once for five yards at Fort Lewis.

TIMELY TAKEAWAYS
Mines came up with two timely turnovers at Fort Lewis that helped halt any comeback attempt by the Skyhawks. With Fort Lewis driving into Mines territory in the fourth quarter, Caleb Courkamp scooped a fumble recovery that put Mines at midfield; later in the quarter, Drew Stephon sealed the deal with a no-doubt read of a Skyhawk pass, ending the threat. 

LOVE THE DRAKE
Drake Thenell leads Mines in tackles this year with 34 from his middle linebacker spot, producing 1.5 stops for a loss and an RMAC-best two fumble recoveries. Thenell has two double-digit tackle games this year including his 12-tackle performance against Colorado Mesa.

BROCKMAN MAKING AN IMPACT
Linebacker Chris Brockman joined Mines as a graduate student from D-I FCS Lafayette, and he's produced at D-I levels through the first half of the season. Brockman is averaging 6.4 tackles per game with a team-best 5.0 tackles for a loss, and has recorded a TFL in every game this season. Brockman had a season-high 11 tackles last week against Fort Lewis.

YOUNG KICKERS PRODUCING
In his first year replacing four-year starter Avery Llewellyn at punter, Austin Toussaint has been excellent for Mines, averaging 36.6 yards per punt with his rugby style delivery. Toussaint has put six of his 18 punts inside the 20, two over 50 yards, and opponents have only had five return chances for an 8.6-yard average. True freshman Scott Marshall, who has taken over kicking duties, has Mines atop the RMAC in kickoff coverage; he has a league-best 63.3-yard average with 17 touchbacks, and Mines' net average of 41.6 yards is an RMAC best.

RICE A CAMPBELL TROPHY SEMIFINALIST
Center Richie Rice was named a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy on Wednesday, one of 156 from every level of college football who will vie for the sport's premier scholar-athlete award. The National Football Foundation will award 12 to 14 finalists with $18,000 postgraduate scholarships. Rice was a 2015 First-Team Academic All-American and the NFF Colorado Chapter Academic Player of the Year.

SCOUTING APU
Azusa Pacific comes in at 5-0 and ranked #10 in the nation by the AFCA. The Cougars own one of the nation's best defenses, ranking in the top 10 in NCAA D-II interceptions (12, #2), red zone defense (40%, #1), sacks (25, #2), scoring defense (14.0, #8), and turnover margin (+9, #5). Aaron Berry has a team-high 42 tackles, with Jason Schwartz's 5.5 sacks leading up front. Four Cougars have two interceptions - Taliuaki Suliafu, Mykal Walker, CJ Broussard, and Lavell Thomas. On offense both Andrew Elffers and Chad Jeffries have seen time at quarterback, with Elffers completing 63.7% of his passes for 740 yards and nine touchdowns, and Jeffries 52.9% for 353 yards and four scores; neither has thrown an interception. Kurt Scoby leads the run game with 184 yards and two scores, with Weston Carr (295 yds, 1 TD), Ethan Zeidler (233 yds, 1 TD), and Brandon Jackson (229 yds, 4 TD) leading the receivers.

LOOKING AHEAD
It will be a battle of the Mines as South Dakota School of Mines & Technology visits Marv Kay Stadium next Saturday for a noon kickoff.