GOLDEN, Colo. - #9/10 Colorado School of Mines wrapped up its third consecutive RMAC title and 14th in program history with a dominating 63-0 shutout of Adams State at Marv Kay Stadium.

The Orediggers (10-1, 8-1 RMAC) will likely lay claim to Super Region IV's #1 seed when the NCAA bracket is announced Sunday. That would give Mines a first-round bye and a home second-round game on Nov. 27. The selection show will stream at 3 p.m. MT on ncaa.com. 

On his senior day, Michael Zeman ran for 159 yards and two touchdowns and caught another, while John Matocha ran for two TDs and threw for a pair as well. Mines rushed for 340 total yards against a porous Grizzlie defense and a howling west wind that made passing challenging.

The Mines defense generated three interceptions including Jaden Williams' 55-yard pick-six and long returns by Collin Romero and Denver Hargrove. 

The Orediggers scored at will in the first half, with Zeman setting the tone on a 20-yard run to start the game and never looking back as he set up a five-yard Matocha keeper for Mines' opening score on their first drive. Adams State missed a field goal from 37 yards on their first possession, then got a fumble at midfield before turning it over on downs, and Mines pushed on the gas pedal after that. Zeman rumbled in from six yards out late in the first to make it 14-0, then punched it in on a direct snap early in the second before catching a 12-yard touchdown pass from Matocha to make it 28-0 at the half. 

Romero's interception on the second half's opening series set up a Matocha eight-yard touchdown run, and Williams' 55-yard pick-six on the next possession blew the game open at 42-0. After Zach Hester's fourth-down sack turned the ball over at midfield, Zeman set up Matocha's second touchdown pass in a tight window to Max McLeod, and Mines ended the third quarter up 49-0.

With the reserves in, Hargrove picked off Marckell Grayson and took the ball to the ASU 13, where backup quarterback Evan Foster eventually found the end zone on a two-yard keeper, and after another turnover on downs with a defensive stop just outside the red zone, Chris Yoo's 60-yard rush set up his own two-yard touchdown to cap it at 63-0 with less than a minute to go. 

NOTABLES
- The Orediggers won their third consecutive RMAC title for the first time in program history, capturing crowns in 2018, 2019, and now 2021 (with no title awarded in 2020). It comes 109 years after the program's first RMAC championship in 1912. 
- Mines shares the RMAC title with Western Colorado, which defeated CSU Pueblo 14-7 on Saturday. Mines beat Western 20-14 in overtime on Oct. 2; the Mountaineers (10-1, 8-1 RMAC) are also likely headed to the NCAA Championship.
- Mines (14) and Western (19) own the most RMAC titles in league history but have never shared one.
- The Orediggers won their 26th consecutive regular-season game at Marv Kay Stadium.
- The shutout was Mines' second of the year (76-0 at Fort Lewis in Week 3). Adams State had come in averaging 27.3 points per game, and had not been shut out by Mines since 2008.
- The Mines defense held ASU to 286 total yards, and just 5-of-17 on third down. The Orediggers end the regular season +13 on turnovers.
- Zeman ends the regular season with 1,272 rushing yards and 21 total touchdowns (17 rushing, 4 receiving). 
- All three of Mines' interceptions came with lengthy returns as Williams' went back 55 yards to the house, Romero's came just shy of the end zone after 53 yards, and Hargrove took his back 32 yards. 
- Gabriel Kortz led the defense with eight tackles and a half-sack, but it was the play of Mason Pierce that stood out on defense as he had four pass break-ups and a near-interception to lead the secondary. 
- Freshman Matthew Eich was 9-for-9 on PATs in the wind. Jacob Click punted only twice but boomed two big ones, going 54 and 48 yards. 

NEXT UP
Mines will learn its NCAA Championship assignment on Sunday. Check back with minesathletics.com for the date and time of their next game.