LAS VEGAS, N.M. - #11/12 Colorado School of Mines turned in another dominating effort on both sides of the ball to rout New Mexico Highlands, 54-14, on the road.

Brody Oliver caught four touchdowns on 164 yards receiving, and Justin Dvorak threw for five on 424 yards passing to lead the offense, while the Oredigger defense shut down the Cowboys (0-2, 0-2 RMAC) to the tune of 342 yards of offense and only 61 yards rushing.

Mines had a sloppy opening with three first-half interceptions and a lack of rhythm early, but hit the gas late in the first quarter when Oliver caught his first touchdown on a five-yard swing from Dvorak. Logan Woish's 59-yard touchdown catch to start the second quarter was a turning point for the Mines offense, sparking 30 unanswered points by the Orediggers that included two more Oliver TD catches – from 38 and 27 yards – in the final 1:16 of the half.

Sam Seeton rumbled in from four yards out to start the second half, and Zac Guy hit a gap for a 47-yard touchdown run later in the quarter before Oliver's fourth touchdown came from 17 yards out at the tail end of the third.

Highlands got a consolation touchdown from David McGee late before Cameron Mayberry, looking to secure a first down to ice the game, instead broke free for a 32-yard score with 1:14 left.

Mines' defense came up with several huge early stops as they forced seven 3-and-outs in the game. Drew Stephon had a game-high seven tackles, and Michael Kelso dropped in two sacks. The Orediggers punished Highlands with 11 tackles for loss and four sacks.

NOTABLES

• Dvorak broke the Mines career completions record held by Chad Friehauf and now has 775. With 9,708 career yards, he is now 165 yards away from setting that program record, and could be the first Oredigger to ever cross 10,000 passing yards in a career. He became Mines' touchdown passing leader last week and now has 92.
• Oliver's four touchdown catches were one short of the program record and only the fourth time that a Mines receiver has caught four or more in a game. Cody Renken (2012) was the last Oredigger to do it. Oliver turned in his second straight 100+ yard game with 164 yards on a game-high nine catches.
• Ty Young crossed 2,000 career receiving yards in the game with 91 yards on four catches.
• Both Mines backups got in at quarterback in the fourth as Cody Limmer went 6-for-6 for 39 yards and Ben Arledge-Bottlinger saw his first career action at the end of the game.
• Chad Brockman and Grant Gale added sacks. Three Orediggers – Kelso, Brockman, and KC Quarry – were in on two or more tackles for loss, including a key fourth-and-one stop by Quarry in the first quarter.

NEXT UP
Mines returns home to host #25 Colorado Mesa Sept. 17 at noon.