GOLDEN, Colo. - It turns out the only force capable of stopping Colorado School of Mines was Mother Nature.

Led by Brody Oliver's record-breaking day, the Orediggers ran wild in their 2018 season opener against Adams State, racking up a 49-7 lead before lightning called a halt to the game early in the fourth quarter. The game's kickoff was also delayed 50 minutes by bad weather.

Oliver matched an NCAA Division II record with four first-quarter touchdowns, and tied the Mines and RMAC single-game marks with five overall, to capitalize on a fine performance by graduate transfer quarterback Isaac Harker, who threw for 317 yards and five touchdowns.

The Mines defense was absolutely dominant, holding ASU to only 132 total yards and eight first downs; the Grizzlies ran for only 25 yards in the game. Both Geoff Keating and Kobe Brewster came up with interceptions as the Mines secondary limited ASU quarterback Nick Rooney to just 17-of-41 passing for 107 yards; the Grizzlies were the nation's #1 passing offense in 2017 with more than 353 yards per game.

Mines put the game out of reach almost immediately as Harker and Oliver hooked up for four first-quarter touchdowns, coming from 11, 21, 20, and 67 yards out. Cameron Mayberry -  who racked up 137 yards and two scores - found the end zone for the first time late in the second quarter, and ASU finally got on the board with a Chad Hovasse 30-yard haul with 36 seconds left in the half.

Mayberry and Oliver accounted for all of Mines' third-quarter scoring as Mayberry ran in from seven yards early on and Oliver caught a 10-yard pass from Harker late in the period to make it 49-7.

With the backups already in for the Orediggers, the game was halted with 13:26 remaining, and officials from both schools agreed to end the game at that point as the prospect existed for continued lightning in the area.

NOTABLES
- The game is considered official under NCAA rules. Kickoff was delayed 50 minutes as lightning took the players off the field after the coin toss.
- It was the third consecutive season opener that Mines has had delayed by lightning. 
- Mines racked up 501 total yards of offense in three quarters, including 28 first downs.
- ASU was limited to only 2-of-15 third-down conversions. 
- Oliver is now all alone in third place on the RMAC career touchdown receiving list with 43. 
- Oliver's four first-quarter touchdown catches matched the NCAA D-II record set by, coincidentally, Adams State's Chris Perry in 1995. Oliver's five overall matched Dayven Johnston's performance for Mines at Fort Hays State in 2001, and he became the fourth player in RMAC history - and first since Johnston - to catch five. Oliver's 198 yards receiving was the second-best single-game performance of his career.
- Keating and Averie Mansfield led Mines with seven tackles each. Keating and Brockton Sterling also had sacks and Mines' secondary broke up seven passes overall, led by Anthony Makransky's two.
- Austin Toussaint wasn't called on to punt much - only three times - but made the most of his kicks, averaging 48.3 yards per punt with a long of 59.

NEXT UP
Mines travels to Black Hills State next Saturday.