GOLDEN, Colo. - #11/10 Colorado School of Mines' defense thoroughly dominated as it shut out Fort Lewis, 42-0, on Homecoming at Marv Kay Stadium.

Mines (7-0, 7-0 RMAC) produced back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1958 with perhaps their best overall defensive performance yet this season, holding Fort Lewis to just 78 total yards, one first down in the first half and four total, and 37 yards rushing. Fort Lewis (3-4, 3-4 RMAC) did not cross midfield until their final drive of the game.

Against the RMAC's #2-rated defense, quarterback John Matocha literally did it all, passing for a career-high 339 yards and four touchdowns, while also running for a score and catching the game's opening touchdown on a trick play from running back Michael Zeman. Zeman rushed for a game-high 76 yards and also caught a touchdown. 

Matocha hit four different receivers for touchdowns including Zeman, Sean O'Dell, John Johnston, and Mason Karp. Johnston led all receivers with 86 yards while Karp had a game-high six catches. FLC quarterback Eric Ornduff was held to 10-of-22 passing for 41 yards as he was sacked three times.

Matocha and Zeman flipped the script for the game's opening touchdown after the pair worked Mines downfield on their first drive. With 1st-and-10 at the 23, Matocha handed off to Zeman and then streaked up the left sideline, where Zeman floated a perfect pass for a wide-open touchdown and 7-0 lead. They reversed roles on the next series as Zeman hauled in an 11-yard strike over the middle, and O'Dell made it 21-0 to start the second quarter with an impressive catch after Matocha launched a 29-yard pass to the back of the end zone.

Josh Odom had a touchdown called back for holding before the two teams swapped turnovers; a completed pass to Parker Strahler was punched out by Jimmy Bauer and picked up by Anthony Makransky deep in Fort Lewis territory, but virtually the same thing happened on the next play as FLC's Maxwell Scott forced a fumble of an O'Dell catch. Nothing came of the turnover and Mines scored again before halftime on a seven-yard Matocha strike to Karp to lead 28-0.

As has become a signature this year, the Orediggers slowed the game to a halt in the third quarter, possessing the ball for 10:50 in the quarter and not producing any points. The hammer came down in the fourth quarter, however, when Johnston broke a tackle on the sideline and tightroped his way to a 39-yard score; Matocha added a two-yard run on the next possession to make it 42-0.

NOTABLES
- The last time Mines produced consecutive shutouts was the middle of the 1958 season against Nebraska-Omaha (47-0) and Northern Colorado (3-0).
- It was the first shutout over Fort Lewis since 1972 (3-0) and only the second overall. Mines now leads the series against the Skyhawks 31-27 dating back to 1963.
- Mines is 7-0 for the seventh time in program history.
- Mines compiled 537 total yards to Fort Lewis' 78.
- The Skyhawks came into the game allowing just 13.8 points per game, right behind Mines in the RMAC rankings. The Orediggers have now lowered their points-allowed total to a paltry 9.1 per game.
- It was another total team effort from the defense as Kobe Brewster led Mines with five tackles. Brockton Sterling stood out on the defensive line with 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack among four stops; Nolan Reeve, Luke Jeter, and Peyton Rose also had sacks.
- Fort Lewis was 0-of-13 on third down.
- Mines possessed the ball for 36:44, their second-largest total of the season.
- Matocha, who came into the game third in the nation in completion percentage, made 72.9 percent of his passes (27-of-37) on the day. The freshman produced 395 total yards and six touchdowns.

NEXT UP
Mines heads to the west coast to visit Azusa Pacific in non-conference play at 6:30 p.m. PT on Oct. 26.