#9/10 Colorado School of Mines (10-1) vs. #RV Bemidji State (10-2), Saturday, 12 p.m.
Marv Kay Stadium, Golden, Colo.
[Streaming: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes] [BSU Media Notes]

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The postseason begins for top-seeded Colorado School of Mines as they host Bemidji State in the NCAA Second Round after the Beavers' road win over Augustana last week.

LIVE COVERAGE
This week's game will stream live on the RMAC Network with Miles Dunklin and Josh Dover on the call. The RMAC Network is available at minesathletics.com/tv or rmacnetwork.com. 

FAN INFORMATION
For this week's game, please note the following important pieces of information:

- Gates and the tailgating lot open at 10 a.m.
- Masks are strongly encouraged for all guests. Although not mandated in outdoor settings, fans are reminded that Jefferson County mandates masks in indoor public spaces as of Nov. 23. 
- Tickets are available at the gate (cash or credit) or online at minesathletics.com/tickets. Fans are encouraged to utilize print-at-home or digital ticket options to skip waiting in line at the game.
- All fans must have tickets; there is no pass list for postseason play.
- Mines students will be admitted free courtesy of Mines Student Life but must scan in their Blaster Card at the entrance.
- Parking for home games has a new option this season with the opening of the new parking garage at 14th and Maple Streets, two blocks south of Marv Kay Stadium; parking in the garage is free. Tailgating continues to be permitted in Lot K only for $10 per vehicle. No tailgating is permitted in the garage. Visit the Mines Parking page for more information.
- The New Terrain Beer Garden will not be open for NCAA Championship games.

WEATHER REPORT
Colorado's snow-free fall continues this weekend with forecast highs in the lower 50s under mostly sunny skies. East winds 5-10 mph are forecast.

IN THE POSTSEASON
Mines is making its seventh overall appearance in the NCAA Championship, all coming since 2004, including three in a row. Bemidji State is appearing in its first NCAA Championship. Neither team has advanced beyond the Second Round in its history. 

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Marv Kay Stadium has been a daunting place for opponents to play since reopening in 2015, with Mines going 32-4 overall at home. At 5,707' above sea level, it is the highest field hosting an NCAA second round game by a healthy margin, more than 3,800' higher than Angelo State's LeGrand Stadium (1,844').

OREDIGGERS CLINCH RMAC TITLE
Colorado School of Mines clinched a share of its 14th RMAC title - and unprecedented third in a row - with its 63-0 shutout of Adams State on Nov. 13. The Orediggers shared the crown with fellow NCAA qualifier Western Colorado at 8-1 in RMAC play. 

NCAA FIRST ROUND REWIND
Mines received the #1 seed in Super Region IV for the first time in program history, and the bye week that goes with it. The Orediggers got to watch as Bemidji State went on the road to defeat Augustana 28-24, Nebraska-Kearney beat Western Colorado 31-24 in a thriller in Gunnison, and Angelo State throttled Minnesota Duluth 48-14 in the First Round. This week, Angelo State hosts Nebraska-Kearney and Mines has Bemidji State.

IN THE POLLS
Mines remained at #9 in the AFCA Coaches' Poll and #10 in the D2football.com media poll to close the regular season. The Orediggers have been ranked in every poll this season. Bemidji State received votes in the last AFCA poll.

AT THE HELM
Gregg Brandon is in his seventh year and sixth season at Mines, going 57-14 since 2015. Brandon has led Mines to conference titles and NCAA appearances in 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2021. Brandon won his 100th career game in Week 10 at CSU Pueblo, with a 44-30 record as the head coach at Bowling Green from 2003-08 in addition to his Mines record. Brent Bolte is 42-15 in his sixth year as the Beavers' boss and has Bemidji State in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.  

NOTING THE MINES-BSU SERIES
Mines and Bemidji State will be meeting for the first time ... Mines has played only one other NSIC team, defeating Sioux Falls 24-21 in the 2019 NCAA First Round at Marv Kay Stadium ... The last time a Mines team played BSU was in 2011, when the Mines women's soccer defeated the Beavers 5-0 in Duluth. 

BYE BYE BYE
The Orediggers enjoyed a bye week last Saturday as the team practiced three times following their regular-season finale against Adams State before returning to a normal schedule this week. Skipping Saturdays isn't normal for Mines - in fact, it's the first bye of any kind since Gregg Brandon arrived in Golden in 2015. The last time Mines took a bye week was Week 3 of the 2010 season. 

LAST TIME OUT
Mines dominated its regular-season finale to shut out Adams State 63-0. 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 Grizzly 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.

SCOUTING THE BEAVERS
Bemidji State, the NSIC champs at 10-2, won its first-ever NCAA game, 28-24, over NSIC rival Augustana last week as quarterback Brandon Alt threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns and Brendan Beaulieu caught eight passes for 142 yards and a score. Sam McGath rushed for 77 yards including the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Alt is one of the nation's top passers this season, throwing for 3,982 yards and 46 touchdowns as the Beavers have D-II's #5 passing attack (340.4 ypg) and #7 total offense (480.0). The combo of Beaulieu and Malik Williams have combined for 31 touchdown catches as both average around 100 yards per game receiving. BSU is turnover-prone, however, at -1 for the season including 15 interceptions thrown. Defensively, BSU allows 29.7 points per game; leading tackler Hameed Oyedele has 75 stops while Zollie Kaplan has 17.5 TFL and 7.5 sacks among 45 total tackles.

GOOSE EGGS
The Orediggers' shutout against Adams State was the fifth under Gregg Brandon and fourth for defensive coordinator Brandon Moore, who was promoted to the rolein 2018 but has been on staff for all five. It is the second straight season that Mines has produced two shutouts, and the last time that happened was more than a century ago in the 1915 and 1916 seasons.

PROTECTING THE END ZONE
Speaking of scoring defense, Mines has one of the nation's best allowing only 12.7 points per game this season. Mines has not allowed more than 26 points in a game this season and has held opponents to 20 or fewer eight times, including in their last three games when opponents are averaging just 6.3 points. The Oredigger front seven has allowed only five rushing touchdowns all season and one in the last four games.

FIVE FIRST-TEAMERS ON ALL-RMAC LIST
Running back Michael Zeman, wide receiver Josh Johnston, center Matt Armendariz, linebacker Mack Minnehan, defensive end Zach Hester, and punt returner Mason Pierce were all named First-Team All-RMAC in the year-end awards announced Nov. 18. In addition, quarterback John Matocha, guard Justin Wood, tackle Nic van de Graaf, and linebackers Gabriel Kortz and Nolan Reeve were named to the Second Team, with 11 more players earning honorable mention status. 

MINES TOPS RMAC ACADEMIC AWARDS
John Matocha earned RMAC Offensive Academic Player of the Year and Nolan Reeve RMAC Defensive Academic Player of the Year to lead the league's all-academic team release. It is the first time the Orediggers have swept the top two awards; in addition to Matocha and Reeve, running back Michael Zeman, wide receivers Tristan Smith and Mason Karp, and guard Justin Wood were named First-Team Academic All-RMAC, and 24 more student-athletes were named to the Academic Honor Roll for having 3.3 or higher GPAs. 

FOUR NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
John Matocha, Michael Zeman, Tristan Smith, and Nolan Reeve were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team last week for their combination of athletic and academic achievement. Mines' four selections tied for the most in Super Region IV with Northern State. Candidates are sophomores or above with 3.3+ GPAs and outstanding contributors to their teams. 

ZEMAN TOPS SR4 RUSHING
Michael Zeman ended the regular season as the undisputed top running back in NCAA Super Region 4, leading the region with 1,272 yards and 17 touchdowns, both bests. It is the seventh consecutive season that Mines has produced a 1,000-yard rusher, and Zeman is only the third Oredigger - joining Sam Seeton and Cameron Mayberry - to do it twice.     

ZEMAN NEARS SCORING RECORDS
With a big game or two, Michael Zeman could also threaten the Mines single-season rushing touchdowns mark of 23, co-held by Lloyd Madden (1939) and Cameron Mayberry (2018). Zeman's 17 are currently sixth all-time in a season; his 21 total touchdowns rank fourth with Brody Oliver's 26 in 2016 the standard.

GOING THE LONG WAY
Tristan Smith provided a spectacular start to the second half at CSU Pueblo when he took a John Matocha pass out in the flat nearly at his own goal line and ran 96 yards to the house for a touchdown. Not only was that the longest play of the season for Mines, it is tied for the longest reception in NCAA Division II this year: Virginia Union's Rodney McKay has the only longer play, a 98-yard rush. It was the longest play by Mines since 2002, when the only other two plays longer than Smith's occurred: a 99-yard Nate Jackson to Jonny Chan touchdown completion, and a 97-yard Chad Friehauf to Andrew Schmid pass. 

OFF THE EDGE
The Mines outside linebacking combo of Mack Minnehan and Nolan Reeve have simply been a problem for opposing offenses in 2021. The pair have combined for some eye-popping numbers off the edge: 107 total tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, five forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries. One of the two - or both - have caused a turnover in seven of 11 games this season. 

ON THE PLUS SIDE...
Mines is an impressive +13 on turnovers this season, gaining 11 fumbles and 12 interceptions against seven interceptions thrown and four fumbles given away. That ranks as the best turnover margin in the RMAC and seventh-best in the nation.Mines' picks have come by eight different players - Logan Rayburn (twice), Mason Pierce, Mack Minnehan, Jaden Williams (twice), Kobe Brewster (twice), Beau Collins, Denver Hargrove, and Collin Romero (twice) - with Collins' going back for six at Fort Lewis and Williams going back 55 yards for six against Adams State. Brewster, Williams, Minnehan (twice), Rayburn,  Nolan Reeve, Adrian Moreno, Zach Hester, and Preston Yates have all recovered fumbles, with Reeve forcing three and Minnehan two. 

STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH
Mines ended the regular season as NCAA Division II's leader in sacks with 49, finishing the season on a tear with 17 sacks over the final three weeks including seven each vs. Chadron State and CSU Pueblo. Now the Mines front seven faces one of the nation's best offensive lines that has allowed only eight sacks on 502 passing downs all season - the fifth-best rate in the nation. 

LET'S TALK PUNTING
Jacob Click has developed into one of the RMAC's best punters this season, and his 42.4-yard average is ranked #11 in NCAA Division II with Mines' net punting average of 38.1 ypp ranking #7 nationally. On the other side, Mines' punt return game is second-best in D-II at 20.0 yards per take, with Mason Pierce averaging a national-best 21.9 yards every time he gets the opportunity. 

NEXT UP
This week's winner will face the winner of Angelo State and Nebraska-Kearney on Dec. 4 at the higher seed in the national quarterfinals. If Mines advances, it will host the game.