#13/12 Colorado School of Mines (4-0/4-0 RMAC) at Colorado Mesa (2-2/2-1 RMAC), Saturday, 1 p.m.
Stocker Stadium, Grand Junction, Colo.
[Streaming: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Mines Media Notes] 
 

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The last unbeaten team in the RMAC, #13/12 Mines heads across the Rockies to face Colorado Mesa with the Nyikos Cup on the line.

WATCH US
Saturday's game will stream live on the RMAC Network, which is also available on smart TV services like Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire. 

IF YOU GO
Tickets are available online from Colorado Mesa and are $15 for reserved seats, $10 for general admission, and $5 for seniors and students; under 18 are free.

WEATHER REPORT
Saturday looks like a terrific day for football in Grand Junction with sunny skies and highs around 70 with light winds.

CAPTAINS NAMED FOR 2019
Mines has elected four captains for the 2019 season: senior linebackers Jimmy Bauer and James Kohlschmidt, senior running back Cameron Mayberry, and senior tackle Grant Stewart. Stewart is a returning captain from 2018.

MINES INCHES UP IN NATIONAL POLLS
Mines' 4-0 record has moved them up one spot in both major national polls; the Orediggers appear at #13 in the AFCA poll and #12 in the D2football.com top 25.

RMAC STANDINGS
Mines took over sole possession of first in the RMAC last week with their win and Western Colorado's loss to Adams State. CSU-Pueblo picked up a top-25 win over Texas A&M-Commerce last week, while Black Hills beat Fort Lewis at home, Colorado Mesa won at Chadron, and Dixie State beat South Dakota Mines in Rapid City. [RMAC Standings]

DEFENSE LIFTS MINES VS. NMHU
A second-half turnaround sparked by a shutdown defensive effort helped stem a slow start as Mines handled business against New Mexico Highlands, 42-13, last Saturday. Mines trailed for much of the first half before scoring late in the second quarter to take a lead they would not relinquish. John Matocha threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns while Cameron Mayberry accounted for 121 yards and a score on the ground; Josh Johnston had a career game with six catches for 160 yards while catching both of Matocha's touchdown passes. The Mines defense was again outstanding, surrendering just 13 points and 197 yards of total offense in the game. The Cowboys (0-4) attacked Mines' #1-rated rushing defense on the ground and had some success with 103 yards off 43 carries, but the Orediggers were relentless in the second half to allow only 57 total yards.

BATTLE FOR THE NYIKOS CUP
The winner of the Mines-Mesa game gets to keep the Nyikos Cup to go with the bragging rights for the next year. The alumni associations of Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Mesa established the Nyikos Cup in 2010 in honor of Dr. Michael Nyikos, who was Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Mesa, as well as Vice President of Student Affairs and External Relations at Mines. In February 2002 Dr. Nyikos was appointed to the Mines Board of Trustees, and reappointed in March 2006. He served as Chairman of the Board, and was also a member of the Board of the Mines Foundation until his death in February 2009.

THAT'S OFFENSIVE
This week's game will feature the RMAC's top two scoring offenses so far in 2019, with Mines at #1 in scoring (42.3 ppg) and Mesa at #2 (36.0). Mines and Mesa are also the RMAC's two best red-zone offense teams with the Orediggers converting 18-of-19 trips and CMU 13-of-14. The teams also rank 1-2 in rushing offense (Mines at 232.8 ypg, Mesa at 167.3), with Cameron Mayberry leading the RMAC in yards per game (111.0) and CMU's Isaac Maestas third (78.0). 

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
Mines has recently been known for its high-octane offense, and this season has been no different - the Orediggers rank statistically in the NCAA Division II top-25 in total offense (24th), scoring offense (14th), rushing offense (21st), and first downs offense (6th). But this season, the big story has been the emergence of a veteran defensive unit that is also among the best in the country. Through Week 4, the Mines defense is in the national top-10 in total defense (10th), scoring defense (10th), rushing defense (2nd), first downs defense (6th), and third-down defense (9th).

THE TURNOVER BATTLE
Mines enters Week 5 at +3 in turnovers, tied for the lead in the RMAC as the Orediggers have committed a league-low three turnovers while taking away six. Meanwhile, Colorado Mesa ranks last in the RMAC at -5 as the Mavericks have struggled with fumbles, losing 10 this year to go with five interceptions. 

LAST YEAR VS. COLORADO MESA
In a match-up of top-25 teams, #14 Mines put on an offensive showcase to rout #24 Colorado Mesa, 72-31, and win back the Nyikos Cup. The Orediggers produced a program-record 797 yards of total offense led by quarterback Isaac Harker, who completed 22 of 28 passes for 377 yards and five touchdowns. Brody Oliver tied the RMAC record for career touchdowns with his 50th as part of a 104-yard, two-touchdown day, and Sean O'Dell produced a career-high 148 yards and a score. Mines' defense held CMU to 3-of-15 on third down conversions with four sacks, paced by Logan Bock's eight-tackle game. The game was effectively over by halftime as Mines raced out to a 28-7 lead after a quarter and 49-10 at the break. The Oredigger offense generated 458 yards passing and 339 yards on the ground.

MATOCHA LEADS THE WAY
Now with three collegiate starts under his belt, freshman John Matocha continues to impress as the signal caller for the Orediggers. Matocha leads the RMAC in QBR (178.2), is third in yards passing per game (228.7), and leads all RMAC quarterbacks in rushing (52.3). He has been remarkably efficient in his passing, completing 57-of-78 attempts (73.1%) for 686 yards and an 8-to-1 TD-to-INT ratio. 

MAYBERRY MAKES HISTORY
With his touchdown at CSU-Pueblo in week 3, Cameron Mayberry grabbed the final career record he didn't already own: the Mines rushing touchdowns mark. Mayberry's 49 surpassed Greg Marshall's 48 set between 1989 and 1992, and he added to that total last week to become the only active player in NCAA college football to reach 50 rushing touchdowns. Mayberry also has the program records for carries (612) and yards (3,827), as well as single-game and single-season records in all three categories. Now, Mayberry eyes the chance to be Mines' first 4,000-yard career rusher as he stands 173 yards away. With 52 total career touchdowns scored (50 rushing, 2 receiving), Mayberry also leads all college football players in all divisions for the most rushing and total touchdowns among active players:

NCAA All-Divisions Active Career Total Touchdowns
Cameron Mayberry (Mines) - 52 TD (50 rush/2 rec.)
Walter Fletcher (Ball State) - 50 TD (42 rush/7 rec./1 PR)
Brian Mann (Ferrum) - 50 TD (48 rush/1 rec./1 KR)
Justin Hill (Mount Union) - 50 TD (46 rec./1 rush/3 PR)
Josh Parks (St. Thomas) - 46 TD (44 rush/2 rec.)

NCAA All-Divisions Active Career Rushing Touchdowns
Cameron Mayberry (Mines) - 50 TD
Brian Mann (Ferrum) - 48 TD
Wesley Schools (Grove City) - 45 TD
Josh Parks (St. Thomas) - 44 TD
Lance Moise (Concordia Chicago) - 43 TD

STAYING UPRIGHT
The Mines offensive line has had an outstanding season so far, blocking their way to the RMAC's #1 rushing offense at 232.8. But their support in the passing game has been especially impressive - through four games, the Orediggers have surrendered only four sacks for 29 lost yards, both rating the lowest in the RMAC. 

LIVING IN THE END ZONE
Josh Johnston has quickly emerged as Mines' top big-play receiver, and you only have to look as far as the scoring summary on the Orediggers' last two games to see why. Johnston has caught the last five receiving touchdowns for Mines, with three at CSU-Pueblo and two against New Mexico Highlands. The sophomore leads the team with 316 yards (including a career-high 160 last week) and six touchdowns this year and is averaging a huge 21.1 yards per catch, which ranks third in the RMAC among receivers with 10+ receptions. 

NONE SHALL PASS
Mines enters Week 5 ranked #2 in NCAA Division II in rushing defense, allowing a paltry 31.8 yards per game and 1.0 yards per carry, both RMAC bests. The Orediggers' front seven has absolutely dominated games, surrendering rushing totals of -24, 21, 27, and 103 yards this year; their 27 yards against CSU-Pueblo was the Thunderwolves' lowest total in 11 years. Even against NMHU, which produced 103 yards on the ground, they held the Cowboys to 2.4 yards per carry on 43 attempts and produced 32 negative yards on the ground. Mines has allowed an RMAC-low two rushing touchdowns this season.

ON THE LINE
It's hard to put together two more impressive games than defensive end Luke Jeter has in the last two weeks. At CSU-Pueblo he generated six tackles with 3.0 for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Against New Mexico Highlands, he had the same TFL and sack total in his seven-tackle game. This season, he ranks third in the RMAC in TFL. 

MANSFIELD HAS A DAY
Inside linebacker Averie Mansfield is coming off a huge day against New Mexico Highlands where the difference-maker tied his career high with 10 tackles and added 2.5 for a loss. Two more of Mansfield's tackles were no gain and he had another TFL wiped out by a NMHU penalty. In the pivotal third quarter, Mansfield made two crucial third-down drive stops to help Mines turn a 14-13 lead into 21-13 by the end of the period before pulling away in the fourth.

ALL IN A DAY'S WORK
The hard hat is a longtime symbol of Mines students (every freshman receives one when they embark on the M Climb) and engineers everywhere. This season, the Mines bench is featuring a Turnover Hard Hat, which is awarded to and signed by a player generating a takeaway. So far the hard hat has been worn by five different players, with Kobe Brewster the first man to wear it twice after his interceptions in back-to-back games:

Mack Minnehan at Adams State - Interception
Logan Braden at Adams State - Interception
Josh Odom vs. Black Hills State - Forced fumble
Geoff Keating vs. Black Hills State - Interception
Kobe Brewster at CSU-Pueblo - Interception
Kobe Brewster vs. N.M. Highlands - Interception

NEXT UP
Mines returns home to face Western Colorado on Oct. 12.