#9/9 Colorado School of Mines (9-0/8-0 RMAC) vs. Dixie State (7-2/6-2 RMAC), Saturday, 12:05 p.m.
Marv Kay Stadium, Golden, Colo.
[TV: KWGN Colorado's Own Channel 2] [Streaming: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Mines Media Notes] 
 

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#9 Mines eyes the RMAC title on Senior Day, but standing in their way is a tough Dixie State team battling to be in the postseason conversation.

WATCH US
For the third time this season, Saturday's game will be simulcast live on KWGN Colorado's Own Channel 2, and stream live on the RMAC Network, which is also available on smart TV services like Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire. Miles Dunklin, Justin Adams, and John Simmer will have the call. 

TICKETS AND PARKING
Digital tickets are available through Mines' online ticketing portal. Parking in Lot K (north of the soccer stadium) is available for $10 - a reminder to all fans that Lot K does not open until 10 a.m. Free parking is available anywhere else on campus. Fans should be on the lookout for local neighborhood street closures in Golden on gameday; plan on utilizing 11th Street or Maple Street to reach Marv Kay Stadium. 

WEATHER REPORT
Saturday's forecast is absolutely perfect for football with highs in the mid-60s, sunshine, and light winds out of the west. 

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.

SENIOR DAY
The Orediggers will honor their 22-member senior class before the Dixie State contest as they play their final regular-season home game. This year's senior class has a chance to be the winningest in program history, currently tied with last year's class at 44 wins. They have already won two RMAC championships and made two NCAA Tournament appearances, with a chance for more.

CHASING ANOTHER TITLE
A win over Dixie State would clinch at least a share of the RMAC title for Colorado School of Mines, who leads CSU-Pueblo by one game in the standings. The Orediggers are chasing their 23rd conference title all-time (and 13th in the RMAC), but have a chance to do something no Mines football team has done in over a century: win back-to-back championships. Not since 1906 and 1907, under the Colorado Football Association, have the Orediggers won consecutive titles; they have never repeated as RMAC champions.

MINES MOVES UP TO #8 IN NATIONAL POLLS
Mines moved up one spot to #8 in both the AFCA and D2football.com rankings this week. The Orediggers have been ranked in every poll this year since debuting at #17 in preseason.

OREDIGGERS APPEAR IN REGIONAL RANKINGS
The second edition of the NCAA Regional Rankings came out on Monday and the Orediggers remain well-positioned at #3 in Super Region IV. Dixie State cracked the rankings at #10. The top seven teams in the regional rankings at the end of the regular season make the NCAA field. 

OREDIGGERS RUN WILD OVER SDSMT
Michael Zeman ran for a program-record 321 yards and four touchdowns as #9 Colorado School of Mines overcame mistakes to stop South Dakota Mines in a 49-28 win. The Hardrockers capitalized on three Oredigger turnovers and 114 penalty yards to score four times despite being held to 270 total yards. Zeman ran wild with 35 carries for a 9.2-yard average, and he also caught two passes for 65 yards. He set the Mines single-game records for both rushing and all-purpose yards, and tied the rushing touchdown mark. John Matocha ended the day 13-of-18 for 232 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran for a score, but he didn't have much to do in the second half as the Orediggers pounded the ball on the ground and threw only five passes after halftime. Josh Johnston caught five passes for 106 yards and two scores, all in the first half.

ZEMAN EARNS NATIONAL POTW HONORS
Thanks to his performance at South Dakota Mines, Michael Zeman was named both the National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter and RMAC Player of the Week for the second straight Monday, but picked up a big honor Tuesday as he was named the D2football.com National Offensive Player of the Week, Mines' first since Brody Oliver in week 1 of 2018. Combined with John Matocha and Cameron Mayberry, Orediggers have now won four NFFCC and seven RMAC Offensive Player of the Week awards this season.

HE'S ZE-MAN
Michael Zeman has had a heck of a three weeks. After being thrust into the starting running back role against Fort Lewis, he produced a solid 100 total yards (76 rush/24 rec.) with a touchdown, and even threw a touchdown to John Matocha. Fast forward a week to Azusa Pacific and Zeman went off for 298 rushing yards and three touchdowns; he was even better at South Dakota Mines with a new program record 321 yards (breaking Cam Mayberry's 312 set in 2017) along with 65 yards receiving and a record-tying four rushing touchdowns. Where do Zeman's last two games rank?

Top NCAA Division II Rushing Games, 2019
1. Michael Zeman, Mines at SDSMT, 321 yards, 11/2/19    
2. Justin Felder, Stonehill vs. So. Conn. St., 314 yards, 11/2/19    
3. Michael Zeman, Mines at Azusa Pacific, 298 yards, 10/26/19    

Top All-Time Mines Rushing Games
1. Michael Zeman, at SDSMT, 321 yards, 11/2/19    
2. Cameron Mayberry, at Adams State, 312 yards, 11/4/17    
3. Michael Zeman, at Azusa Pacific, 298 yards, 10/26/19    
4. Greg Marshall, vs. Fort Lewis, 229 yards, 10/31/19
5. Cameron Mayberry, at Dixie State, 224 yards, 11/3/2018    

Top All-Time RMAC Rushing Games
1. Dutch Clark, Colorado Coll. vs. Wyoming, 381 yards, 1928    
2. Jason Broom, Fort Hays State vs. OPSU, 378 yards, 2001    
3. Austin Ekeler, Western State vs WNMU, 344 yards, 2015    
4. Thelbert Withers, N.M. Highlands vs FLC, 333 yards, 1992    
5. Bill Rhodes, Western State vs Adams, 327 yards, 1956    
6. Danny Woodhead, Chadron vs Wayne St., 324 yards, 2006    
7. Michael Zeman, Mines at SDSMT, 321 yards, 2019    

MINES HAS 22 ACADEMIC ALL-RMAC HONOREES
The RMAC announced its annual all-academic teams last week, and Mines was well-represented with 22 honorees. The Orediggers' First-Team Academic All-RMAC recipients were wide receivers Zach Hoffman and Mason Karp, center Cody Ullestad, and safety Geoff Keating. Both Ullestad and Keating are repeat First-Teamers.In addition to those four, 18 Orediggers were named to the RMAC Academic Honor Roll: Ben Fuchs, Tristan Smith, Dewey Van Allen, Ben Cole, Nate Main, Grant Buss, Nolan Reeve, Luke Metzer, Ben Bottlinger, Anthony Kantzabedian, Dominic Hathaway, Joe Golter, Jack Peterson, Matthew Leehan, Evan Alexander, Ryan Buck, Zach Peterson, and Riley Miller.

RARIFIED AIR
Mines is 9-0 for only the fourth time in program history, and second time under Gregg Brandon. It's the first time in program history that the Orediggers have started 9-0 in consecutive seasons. Mines has been 10-0 only once, in 2004.

DEFENSE AMONG THE ELITE
Mines' defense enters this week ranked in the NCAA Division II top five in virtually every major category. The Orediggers own D-II's #3 total defense and #5 scoring defense, allowing just 13.2 points per game. Mines also ranks #2 in rushing defense (47.2 ypg) and #1 in third-down conversion defense, allowing just 22.7 percent to become first downs. Mines and Minnesota State are the only two teams in the nation to have both a top-10 scoring defense and offense (Mines is #10 in scoring offense). 

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Since the opening of Marv Kay Stadium, Golden has been very friendly to the Orediggers with a remarkable homefield advantage. Mines is 24-3 at home since the first game in 2015, and have won 19 consecutive regular-season home games.

IT STARTS UP FRONT
The Mines offensive line has been a patchwork at times this year due to injuries, losing one starter (Riley Miller) in preseason and now starting five different combinations in nine games including three different starters at each of the guard spots. Only left tackle Grant Stewart and center Cody Ullestad have started all nine games. But no matter what the combination, the o-line has been spectacular, producing the RMAC #1 and NCAA #13 rushing offense at 257.6 yards per game, including four 290+ yard rushing games and outings of 395 and 400 the last two weeks. The Orediggers have given up just two sacks in their last three games; all told, Mines has given up just 12 sacks in nine games.

PICK YOUR TARGET
Coming into 2019, the receivers were a question mark for Mines as only Sean O'Dell had returning starting experience. This season, O'Dell has certainly produced with a team-high 42 catches despite missing two games; but several youngsters have also stepped up as the Orediggers have had four different receivers be their leading pass-catcher in a game this year.

DRIVE STOPPER
Luke Jeter is a problem. The junior defensive end has terrorized opposing offenses this year to the tune of 31 tackles, 11.0 TFL, and seven sacks (the latter two are team highs), and he's coming off one of his most dominant games yet. At South Dakota Mines, Jeter totaled seven tackles with three sacks, all three of which came on third or fourth down (two were drive stops). He had two more third-down tackles, including one for no gain, that triggered SDSMT punts. Five of his seven tackles were for a loss or no gain.

THIIIIIIRD DOWN
Mines has the nation's stingiest defense on third down this year, allowing only a 22.6 percent conversion rate to lead NCAA Division II. The Orediggers have not allowed more than five third-down conversions in a game all season, including an 0-for-13 shutout against Fort Lewis, 2-for-13 last week at SDSMT, and a 2-for-16 performance against Adams State. Over the last four games, opponents are just 11-for-51 (21.5%).

NEXT UP
Mines ends the regular season at Chadron State on Nov. 16.