GOLDEN, Colo. - #6 Colorado School of Mines faced one of its toughest tests of the season, but got away from an upset-minded Azusa Pacific in a 42-27 non-conference win.

The unbeaten Orediggers improved to 8-0 for the first time since 2004 with an important regional win against the Cougars (5-3), who were receiving votes in this week's top 25 poll. Mines did it behind Cameron Mayberry, who ran for 186 yards and three touchdowns, and Isaac Harker, who was an efficient 29-of-40 for 316 yards and three touchdowns.

Mines got defensive stops early in the game, but its biggest came late in the fourth quarter when Logan Bock's fourth-down sack stopped a charging APU team down a single score. Mayberry's 25-yard touchdown run with 1:15 left in the game sealed the victory.

The Orediggers got off to a fast start both offensively and defensively, at one point outgaining APU by nearly 200 yards until the visitors found their rhythm in the second quarter. Mines scored on their first possession as Mayberry capped off an 11-play, 76-yard drive with a one-yard score, and after forcing another stop, Mines embarked on a 13-play, 81-yard series that ended with Harker's 38-yard pass to Sean O'Dell to lead 14-0.

Mines threatened to run away with the game after a Harker swing pass to Brandon Farmer made it 21-0 early in the second quarter, but APU answered with their first touchdown, a 10-yard tote by Bryce Grandison, and got a 42-yard field goal from Jacob Hall late in the half to make it 21-10 Mines at the break.

The second half turned into a back-and-forth dogfight, and Mines did just enough to hold off the Cougars in the end. Mayberry's second touchdown of the game early in the third quarter proved to be an important score as APU responded with a four-play drive and Darrell Adams Jr.'s 35-yard touchdown moments later, and Harker found Brody Oliver for a fantastic catch in the corner to score on 4th-and-10 from the APU 28 on their next series, making it 35-17 Mines.

Azusa Pacific opened the fourth quarter with a Tyrone Williams Jr. pass to Weston Carr for six, and APU was gifted a Mayberry fumble on Mines' next play to get three more points on a 21-yard Hall boot. That made it a one-score game at 35-27, and after trading punts, APU had the ball in the waning minutes with a chance to tie before Logan Bock came up with a game-stopping sack on 4th-and-6 at midfield. Mines needed a first down to be able to kneel it out, but instead Mayberry found the end zone one last time on a 25-yard breakout to seal it up 42-27.

NOTABLES
- The win was Mines' 12 in a row dating to 2017, marking the second-longest streak in program history behind a 14-game run in 2003-04. Mines has not been 8-0 since the 2004 team ran the table with a perfect regular season.
- Mines won for the 13th straight time at home, and have not lost at Marv Kay Stadium since week 3 of the 2016 season. The Orediggers are 18-2 at home since the stadium opened in 2015.
- Despite taking the week off from conference play, Mines got a little cushion in the RMAC title hunt as Dixie State suffered its second loss of the season in a defeat to Chadron State; Mines, at 7-0, leads CSU-Pueblo (6-1) with DSU and Chadron each at 5-2. Mines has yet to play the latter two. 
- Mines has scored 40 or more points in six of seven games this season, and has yet to win by fewer than 14 points.
- Holding NCAA Division II's best total offense this season, Mines again racked up plenty of yards with 536 in total, including 316 in the air and 220 on the ground. 
- Oliver tallied 112 yards on seven catches, placing him nine yards away from setting the Mines career receiving yardage record held by Justin Gallas (2002-05). His touchdown was the 55th of his career, the most among active receivers in college football.
- Bock's sack was one of two for Mines in the game as Geoff Keating also had one earlier in the game. Bock also produced a pair of pressures and two tackles; Keating had a fine game with seven tackles and a break-up.
- Chase Nicholas led Mines with 11 tackles, his second-highest career total.
- Anthony Makransky and Logan Braden each had a pair of pass break-ups to go with seven tackles. 
- Williams Jr. threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns for APU. Grandison ended up with 159 yards on the ground.
- Mines improved to 2-1 against Azusa Pacific and 5-2 in non-conference games under Gregg Brandon.

NEXT UP
Mines stays at home to host South Dakota Mines next Saturday at noon.