#14 Colorado School of Mines (10-1, 9-1 RMAC) vs. #9 CSU-Pueblo (10-1, 9-1 RMAC), Saturday, 12 p.m.
NCAA First Round - Marv Kay Stadium at Campbell Field, Golden, Colo.
[Streaming: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Mines Media Notes] 
 

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For the first time in 14 years, the NCAA Championship tournament comes to the Mines campus as the Orediggers host rival CSU-Pueblo in a first-round clash.

WATCH US
This week's game will be seen live and for free on the RMAC Network.

TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased online until noon on Friday. Walk-up tickets are available at Gates 1 (12th Street home side) and Gate 3 (11th Street visitor's side), cash or charge. Tickets are $15 for reserved seating, $10 general admission, $5 for seniors, and children 17 and under, and free for Mines students with Blaster Card. All Mines students will be admitted free courtesy of Student Life. No passes (including the All-Sports Pass and Mines Faculty/Staff Pass) are accepted for NCAA Championship play. Season ticket holders must purchase individual game tickets.

PARKING
Fans are reminded that Lot K, located next to Stermole Soccer Stadium, is $10 per car on game days and opens at 10 a.m. Fans may also park anywhere else on campus or in Golden municipal parking. Handicap parking is available in Lot L (12th and Maple Streets) on a first-come, first-served basis, and handicap drop-off is also available there.

WEATHER REPORT
Bundle up - the forecast calls for highs in the mid-30s with a chance for light snow as the afternoon goes on. Winds will be from the northeast 5-10 mph.

THE CHAMPS ARE HERE
Saturday's game will pit the two RMAC co-champions against each other as both Mines and CSU-Pueblo finished 10-1 overall and 9-1 in RMAC play. Mines' lone loss was to Dixie State; CSU-Pueblo's to Mines. However, the RMAC does not break ties in awarding championships, and recognizes co-champions of all teams who finish with the same record. Mines' RMAC championship is its 12th all-time and fourth this decade.

PLAYOFFS!?
This will be Mines' fifth journey in the NCAA Championship tournament, all coming since 2004. Mines has made the second round twice, in 2004 and 2016, and is hosting for the third time, although the first at Marv Kay Stadium (2004 was at the old Campbell Field, and 2014 was at Mines' temporary home of the NAAC in Arvada). In fact, this Saturday's game will only the second time the city of Golden has hosted postseason football, after the 2004 NCAA First Round win over Midwestern State. This week's Super Region 4 match-ups are:

[1] Minnesota State (11-0) - Bye    
[4] Mines (10-1) vs. [5] CSU-Pueblo (10-1), 12 p.m.     
[2] Tarleton State (10-0) vs. [7] Azusa Pacific (8-2), 12 p.m.     
[3] Minn.-Duluth (11-0) vs. [6] A&M-Commerce (9-2), 12 p.m.    

IN THE POLLS
Mines appears at #14 in this week's AFCA Top 25 poll, up one spot from last week; CSU-Pueblo is #9, also up one place. Coincidentally, CSU-Pueblo was also #9 when the two met in the regular season, while Mines was unranked. 

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
With the win over Chadron State, Mines ran its home winning streak to 15 games. The Orediggers have not lost at Marv Kay Stadium in 791 days, since falling to Colorado Mesa in week 3 of the 2016 season, and are 20-2 overall at home since the facility opened in 2015. That includes a 2-0 record at home against CSU-Pueblo. Mines' perfect home record in 2018 was a once-in-a-century occurance - the last time Mines went unbeaten at home, and won the championship-clinching game at home, was in 1918. 

MINES VS. CSU-PUEBLO
CSU-Pueblo (formerly Southern Colorado) holds an 18-10 series advantage dating back to 1964 ... The two have alternated wins the last four years with each winning at home ... The last 10 games in the series are 6-4 in favor of CSUP ... None of the last four meetings have been less than a two-score game, with the Thunderwolves winning 49-21 in 2015 and 38-7 in 2017, and Mines 57-21 in 2016 and 35-21 earlier in 2018 ... Seven of the last eight games have been decided by two or more scores ... Mines and CSU-Pueblo have never met in the postseason.

MINES IN THE POSTSEASON
The Orediggers are making their fifth NCAA Championship appearance, having reached the second round twice:

Midwestern State, Golden, 11/13/04, 1st Round, W 52-33
Pittsburg State, Pittsburg, Kan., 11/20/04, 2nd Round, L 70-35
Grand Valley St., Allendale, Mich., 11/20/10, 1st Round, L 35-13
Ohio Dominican, Arvada, 11/22/14, 1st Round, L 34-23
Southwest Baptist, Bolivar, Mo., 11/19/16, 1st Round, W 63-35
Ferris State, Big Rapids, Mich., 11/26/2016, 2nd Round, L 38-17

BRANDON NAMED RMAC COACH OF THE YEAR
Gregg Brandon was named RMAC Coach of the Year on Wednesday in his fourth season at the helm of the Orediggers. He guided Mines to the 2018 RMAC co-championship at 10-1 overall (only the 4th 10-win season in program history) and a berth in the NCAA Championship. Mines opened the season with nine straight wins and have spent most of the season in the top 25, peaking at #6. Mines ended the regular season with NCAA Division II's #1 total offense, #1 passing offense, and #2 scoring offense.

MINES EARNS LEAGUE-BEST 21 ALL-RMAC NODS
The Orediggers earned 21 all-RMAC honors on Wednesday, led by four first-team selections. Cameron Mayberry, Brody Oliver, Grant Stewart, and Logan Bock all earned first-team honors, while Isaac Harker, Joey Roselli, Jason Van de Graaf, Jack McAdams, and Brockton Sterling were named to the second team. Riley Hoff (at both wide receiver and punt returner), Riley Miller, Cody Ullestad, Anthony Makransky, Miguel Rosendo, Grant Gale, Averie Mansfield, Jimmy Bauer, Chantz Tanner, Matthew King, and Scott Marshall were named honorable mention all-RMAC.

MAYBERRY, LEONARD WIN WEEKLY AWARDS
After Mines' 49-20 win over Chadron State last week, Cameron Mayberry and Adam Leonard combined for three weekly awards as Mayberry was tabbed the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week and the NFFCC Colorado Player of the Week, while Leonard was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week. Mayberry ran for 207 yards and three touchdowns, while Leonard had a career-high 13 tackles to go with an interception.

EARLIER THIS SEASON
Mines upset then-#9 CSU-Pueblo, 35-21, on Sept. 15 in their regular-season matchup. The Orediggers held the Thunderwolves to just 1-for-4 in the red zone, including Logan Bock's 90-yard scoop-and-score fumble return and Logan Braden's fumble recovery near the goal line in the third quarter. Cameron Mayberry ran for 203 yards and three touchdowns, but CSU-Pueblo - who led the nation in rushing with 390 yards per game heading into the game - was held to only 112 total yards on the ground and a 2.8-yard average. Bock led the defense with a monster effort that included nine tackles, the fumble recovery and score, another caused fumble, and a sack. Averie Mansfield had 10 tackles with two for a loss and a forced fumble, while Geoff Keating sealed the game with an interception on CSUP's final drive. Kyle Rosenbrock had a 23-yard pick-six to start the game, but Mayberry answered with a 70-yard touchdown, and a Brody Oliver touchdown and Mayberry's 58-yard back-breaker put Mines up 21-7 on the way to the win.

YOU AGAIN?
It's unusual for any football teams to match up twice in a single season, and for Mines, this meeting with CSU-Pueblo will mark the first time it has seen an opponent twice since 1989, when the Orediggers played a regular-season home-and-home with Western Colorado. In fact, since 1890, this will be only the 10th time since 1890 that Mines has played the same team twice in a year.

FINDING THE END ZONE
No one in NCAA Division II has thrown more touchdowns this season than Isaac Harker. The Mines quarterback has 38 touchdown passes, which is impressive enough, but his consistency and efficiency are eye-popping as well. Harker has thrown three or more TDs in nine of 11 games, including five four times (vs. Adams State, Colorado Mesa, Fort Lewis, and South Dakota Mines). His completion percentage of 67.8% is 2nd in NCAA Division II, his rating of 175.3 is 3rd nationally, and his 3,573 passing yards rank second.

OLIVER IN THE HISTORY BOOKS
Brody Oliver has had several record-setting moments this season, becoming the RMAC career touchdowns leader and the Mines career yardage record-holder, while moving up the RMAC list in the latter category. At 3,883 yards, Oliver is fourth in RMAC history, and a big day against CSU-Pueblo could put him in the neighborhood of becoming of the second receiver in RMAC history to reach 4,000 receiving yards:

RMAC CAREER RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
1. 58, Brody Oliver, Mines (2015-pres.)    
2. 50, Richie Ross, Nebraska-Kearney (2002-05)    
3. 47, Anthony Edwards, N.M. Highlands (1984-88)    
4. 44, Chad Hovasse, Adams State (2015-pres.)    
5. 38, Kyle Kaiser, Nebraska-Kearney  (2007-10)    
5. 35, Tyrone Johnson, Western State (1990-93)    

RMAC CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
1. 4882, Richie Ross, Nebraska-Kearney (2002-2005)    
2. 3996, Anthony Edwards, N.M. Highlands (1984-1988)    
3. 3963, Chad Hovasse, Adams State (2015-pres.)    
4. 3883, Brody Oliver, Mines (2015-pres.)    
5. 3717, Tyrone Johnson, Western State (1990-1993)    
6. 3687, Johnny Cox, Fort Lewis (1990-1993)    
7. 3561, Justin Gallas, Mines (2002-2005)    
8. 3355, Kyle Kaiser, Nebraska-Kearney (2007-2010)    
9. 3266, Trevor Weston, Nebraska-Kearney (1997-2000)    

MAYBERRY RESETS SEASON RUSHING MARK
Cameron Mayberry has been Mr. Consistent for the Mines offense this season, scoring at least one touchdown in all 11 games and going over 100 yards in eight contests. His last four weeks, however, have been absolutely torrid, averaging 192 yards and 3 touchdowns per game in that span. As a result, he's reset his own Mines single-season rushing record at 1,584 yards, and with 22 touchdowns, he's now threatening the oldest record at Mines, Lloyd Madden single-season TD mark of 23 set in 1939.

BINGO!
Linebacker Logan Bock has seemingly done it all for Mines' defense this season. The redshirt senior has been a force with 44 tackles, 111.5 for a loss, and 7.0 sacks. Bock achieved a unique "bingo" this season, as well - he has at least one of every major defensive statistic (tackle, sack, interception, break-up, forced fumble, fumble recovery, kick block, and safety) this year. He is believed to be the first player in program history to do so, at least since all of those statistics have been tracked by the NCAA. Bock has two safeties, two kick blocks, three forced fumbles, a fumble returned for a touchdown, and one interception. The last Orediggers to come close were Dean Wenger in 2017 and Kole Kadavy in 2014; both were a safety short of the full line.

LEADING THE WAY
Mines enters this week with NCAA Division II's #1 total offense, ranking among the national leaders in virtually every offensive category. Mines' 578.2 yards per game leads the country, and they've also produced the #2 scoring offense (49.9 ppg), #1 passing offense (336.2 ypg), and #20 rushing offense (242.0 ypg). Mines is also fifth nationally in 3rd-down conversions (50.3%) and third in first downs offense (289). Individually, Isaac Harker and Brody Oliver lead the nation in TD passes thrown (38) and caught (20),  Cameron Mayberry is second in rushing TDs (22) and fifth in rushing yards (1,584).

BIG PLAY BURROS
Everybody knows that Orediggers love blowing things up - Mines has an explosives club, after all. That pyrotechnic proclivity has transferred to the football field this year as Mines has produced big plays left and right. In 11 games, Mines has produced 30 20+ yard touchdowns, including 10 of 50+ yards. Mines' longest scoring plays of the year thus far are:

90 - Logan Bock fumble recovery (vs. CSU-Pueblo)    
77 - Sean O'Dell pass from Isaac Harker (vs. Colorado Mesa)    
70 - Cameron Mayberry run (vs. CSU-Pueblo)    
67 - Brody Oliver pass from Isaac Harker (vs. Adams State)    
60 - Brody Oliver pass from Isaac Harker (at Black Hills State)    
58 - Cameron Mayberry run (vs. CSU-Pueblo)    

NO RUNNING
A big part of the Orediggers' success this year has been their run defense, allowing only 90.8 yards per game on the ground (which ranks ninth in NCAA D-II). The front seven has been outstanding led by Averie Mansfield (59 tackles, 9.0 for loss) and Grant Gale (50 tackles, 5.0 for loss). Mines has held opponents to 80 or fewer yards on the ground seven times this year, and in the last three weeks have given up 50, 51, and 52 yards rushing. They face one of the nation's most potent rushing attacks in CSU-Pueblo, who averages 274.4 yards per game on the ground; in their regular-season meeting, Mines held CSUP to 112 yards rushing.

WE CAN SCORE, TOO
Mines has scored on defense in an exceptional seven of 11 games this season. The Orediggers have set a program record with three safeties; they also have four defensive touchdowns after Mack Minnehan's pick-six last week. This year's defensive scoring plays:

Logan Bock 90-yard fumble return (vs. CSU-Pueblo)    
Logan Bock and Averie Mansfield safety (at N.M. Highlands)    
James Kohlschmidt safety (vs. Colorado Mesa)    
Luke Jeter 0-yard fumble recovery (at Western State)    
Logan Bock safety (at Fort Lewis)    
Grant Gale 32-yard fumble return (vs. South Dakota Mines)    
Mack Minnehan 56-yard interception return (vs. Chadron St.)    

WHAT'S NEXT
The winner of Saturday's game will get a trip to Mankato, Minn. to face top-seeded and top-ranked Minnesota State.