Colorado School of Mines at Fort Lewis College, Saturday, 12 p.m.
Dennison Field, Durango, Colo. | Video: RMAC Network 
[Live Video] [Live Stats] [Mines Media Notes] [Fort Lewis Media Notes] 
 

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Coming off two straight losses, Colorado School of Mines will try to get back on track this weekend at Fort Lewis. Mines owns the nation's top passing offense through four games.

WATCH US
Every remaining Mines game this season will be seen live online on the RMAC Network at MinesAthletics.com/tv.

IF YOU GO
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $3 for high school students. Children under 13 are free. Directions are available from Fort Lewis. The forecast is for a high of 70 and sunny skies.

THE MINES-FORT LEWIS SERIES
The series is deadlocked 27-27 dating back to the first meeting in 1963. Mines has won nine in a row and 12 of the last 13 against the Skyhawks, including last year's 48-28 win in Golden.

WEEK 4 REWIND
Austin Ekeler ran for 316 yards and accounted for five touchdowns as Western State defeated #23 Mines 45-31 in Gunnison. The Orediggers could not stop the potent ground attack of the Mountaineers (3-1, 3-1 RMAC), who racked up 334 yards rushing and 582 total yards of offense. Justin Dvorak threw for 341 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for another, while Sam Seeton caught one touchdown and ran for one among 76 yards. Brody Oliver led Mines receivers with his fourth straight 100-yard games, catching 129 yards on five receptions with a score. It was a back and forth game until the fourth quarter, when Ekeler scored three unanswered touchdowns to erase a Mines lead.

DVORAK MAKES HARLON HILL TROPHY CASE
Mines quarterback Justin Dvorak has put up videogame numbers through the first part of the season, cementing himself as one of the top early Harlon Hill Trophy candidates for NCAA Division II's best player. Dvorak leads the nation in virtually every passing stat, including yards (1,652), touchdowns (17), completions per game (30.5), points responsible for (114), and total offense per game (421.3). He now owns every major passing record at Mines, having set the career completions record last week, and is now 847-for-1284 (66.0%) for 10,534 yards and 98 touchdowns, in addition to 19 rushing touchdowns.

LEADING THE WAY
Mines' impressive offensive numbers to start the year have them at or near the top of the NCAA Division II statistical rankings. Mines leads the nation in passing offense at 422.8 yards per game and are eighth in scoring (45.5) and total offense (532.8). 

OLIVER LEADS D-II
Brody Oliver leads NCAA Division II with eight receiving touchdowns this season, having caught at least one touchdown in each of four games to start the year. Oliver has had at least 100 yards receiving and a touchdown in all four games this season, including 119 yards and two scores against Colorado mesa and 164 yards and four TDs at New Mexico Highlands. His yardage total of 514 ranks ninth in D-II.

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON
Oliver isn't the only Mines receiver producing big numbers. Deep threat Ty Young is averaging a healthy 92.5 yards per game, having caught 26 passes and three touchdowns this season, while Riley Hoff returned from injury last week and has three touchdowns on 15 catches for 65.3 yards per game. Zach Richter is tied with Young for second on the team in catches with 26 for a 58.3 yards-per-game average and a score.

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.

TOP STARTS VS. FORT LEWIS
Several Mines starters have had big numbers taking on Fort Lewis during their careers. Justin Dvorak has had two memorable starts against Fort Lewis, throwing for 415 yards and five scores last year and 322 yards and four touchdowns in 2014. Sam Seeton ran for 161 yards and a touchdown against FLC last year, while Ty Young caught five passes for 115 yards and a score. Drew Stephon has averaged 6.5 tackles per game over his last two starts vs. the Skyhawks. Mines has scored 48 or more points in each of the last four meetings with Fort Lewis.

BOTTLED LIGHTNING
25. 35. 28. 59. 31. 16. 9. 45. 41. Don't worry, it isn't a math riddle. That's the length, in seconds, of nine different Mines scoring drives this season that have lasted less than a minute. The Orediggers have been lightning fast on offense, averaging 2:08 per scoring drive this season (24 drives). That includes nine drives of less than a minute in length.

LOVE THE DRAKE
Drake Thenell leads Mines in tackles this year with 29 from his middle linebacker spot, producing 1.5 stops for a loss and two fumble recoveries. Thenell was very active last week against Western State with 10 tackles, his second double-digit game of the year along with his 12-tackle performance against Colorado Mesa.

GALE FORCE
After missing the Colorado Mesa game due to injury, linebacker Grant Gale returned at Western State with five tackles and his first career interception. Gale generated a key first-half red zone stop with his takeaway, the only turnover of the game.

CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Mines' Logan Woish ranks seventh in the nation in punt return average, and has been outstanding when given return opportunities this year. Although only given three returnable punts, Woish has taken them for returns of two, 26, and 37 yards, uncorking his longest of the year last week against Western State.

KEEPING IT CLEAN
Mines is one of the nation's least-penalized teams this year, averaging only 5.5 flags per game (24th in D-II) and 48 penalty yards per game (27th). Mines was flagged only four times for 26 yards last week against Western State.

SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis is 1-3 coming off a 34-28 loss to Colorado Mesa last week. Quarterback Bo Coleman, in two starts, has thrown for 412 yards and five touchdowns. On the ground, the twin attack of PJ Hall (425 yards, 1 TD) and Drake Griffin (379 yards, 1 TD) complement Coleman's rushing ability (161 yards, 3 TD). The Skyhawks have struggled to hold onto the ball with a -7 turnover margin, including four fumbles. Fort Lewis has one of the RMAC's top defenses, with a league best in opponent first downs (18.2 per game), total defense (323.6 yards per game), and passing defense efficiency.  FLC is second in the RMAC in rushing defense (106.2 yards per game), and fourth in scoring defense (26.5 points allowed per game) and passing defense (217.2 yards allowed per game). Linebacker Andrew Ike has 7.8 tackles per game with two sacks.

NEXT TIME
The Orediggers return home to host #14/18 Azusa Pacific on Homecoming weekend, Oct. 8.