#13/12 Colorado School of Mines (8-1, 6-1 RMAC) at #RV CSU Pueblo (6-3, 6-1 RMAC), Saturday, 2 p.m.
Thunderbowl, Pueblo, Colo.
[Streaming: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Mines Media Notes] [CSU Pueblo Media Notes]

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#13/12 Colorado School of Mines heads on the road for the final time in the regular season to visit CSU Pueblo in a battle of two of the three teams tied for first place in the RMAC.

LIVE COVERAGE
This week's game will stream live on the RMAC Network, which has relaunched for 2021-22; fans used to watching on their smart TV or other device must download the new app by searching "RMAC" in your device's app store. The new watch portal is available at minesathletics.com/tv or rmacnetwork.com.

IF YOU GO
Tickets for the game can be purchased online via CSU Pueblo's web site.

WEATHER REPORT
Saturday's weather forecast for Pueblo is just about perfect: highs in the upper 70s under sunny skies and light southeast winds.

AT THE HELM
Gregg Brandon is in his seventh year and sixth season at Mines, going 55-14 since 2015. Brandon is the two-time defending RMAC Coach of the Year, leading Mines to conference titles and NCAA appearances in 2016, 2018, and 2019, including an undefeated 10-0 RMAC campaign in 2019. Brandon is sitting at 99 career wins, with a 44-30 record as the head coach at Bowling Green from 2003-08 in addition to his Mines record. On the other sideline is John Wristen, who is 122-30 in his 14th season at CSU Pueblo; Brandon and Wristen go way back, having coached together on staffs at both Northwestern and Colorado. They now meet for the seventh time since 2015, having split 3-3.

MINES TAKES OVER TOP RR SPOT
The Orediggers flipped spots with Augustana in this week's NCAA regional rankings, taking over the #1 ranking in Super Region 4. The regional rankings determine NCAA Championship qualification at seasons' end, and the #1 seed earns a first-round bye. In the national polls, Mines moved up one spot to #13 in this week's AFCA coaches' poll and stayed at #12 in the D2football.com media poll. Mines has remained nationally ranked in every poll from both outlets this season. Around the RMAC, Western Colorado moved up to #18/#20 and #6 in the regional rankings, while Colorado Mesa and CSU Pueblo are receiving votes in the AFCA poll with Mesa #9 in the NCAA RR. 

IN THE RMAC
With two games left, three teams have one loss in the RMAC as Western Colorado is 7-1 and Mines and CSU Pueblo are 6-1. Colorado Mesa's loss to Western last week has them 5-2. The winner of Mines-CSUP will move to 7-1 and a two-way tie with Western, who is playing a non-conference game this week; if that winner is Mines, the Orediggers would then need to beat Adams State in Week 11 to secure at worst a share of their third consecutive title. If it's CSU Pueblo, it would set up a winner-take-all championship game against the Mountaineers on Nov. 13 in Gunnison. There are no title tiebreakers in RMAC football; any teams tied for first share the championship. 

NOTING THE MINES-CSUP SERIES
Mines and CSU Pueblo have alternated wins over their last six meetings, going 3-3 since 2015 under Gregg Brandon ... The series dates back to 1964 ... Mines won in Pueblo in their last meeting in 2019, 34-14, their first win there since 2009 ... CSUP leads the all-time series 19-11 and 7-6 since reforming the program in 2008 ... This will be the first time since 2009 that Mines has played Pueblo where the Thunderwolves are unranked ... Either one or both teams have been ranked in every meeting since 2010.

WEEK 9 REWIND
Mines cruised to a 34-7 win over Chadron State last Saturday, racing out to a 27-0 lead and shutting down the Eagles in the process. John Matocha threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns on 23-of-31 passing, and Michael Zeman crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the season in his 96-yard, two-touchdown day. Max McLeod, Tristan Smith, and Josh Johnston all caught touchdowns. The Mines defense stuffed the Eagles for just 16 yards on the ground and 214 in total, limiting CSC to two first downs in the first half. Quarterback Dalton Holst was sacked seven times as he was 19-of-34 for 198 yards and a score. Chaffin Ross led the way with a career game, compiling seven tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Mack Minnehan recovered a fumble and Kobe Brewster had an interception.

THE LAST TIME WE MET
#17 Mines took down #9 CSU Pueblo on Sept. 21, 2019 in Pueblo, 34-14. Josh Johnston caught three touchdowns as John Matocha was 22-of-29 for 201 yards and three TDs while rushing for 95 yards and a touchdown. Cameron Mayberry also scored in a 101-yard night, and Sean O'Dell caught 10 passes for 103 yards. The Mines defense, led by Luke Jeter (6 tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks) held CSU Pueblo to 27 net rushing yards and 4-of-11 on third down. 

SCOUTING THE THUNDERWOLVES
After starting the season 0-2, CSU Pueblo has compiled a 6-3 overall record with their only RMAC loss coming to New Mexico Highlands three weeks ago. Since then, CSUP beat Adams State 35-28 and Fort Lewis 73-0. The Thunderwolves own the RMAC's #3 total defense and #8 total offense. They have given three quarterbacks significant playing time, with this week's starter Gunnar Lamphere throwing for 580 yards and three touchdowns on 55.2% passing. Michael Roots has rushed for 772 yards and seven touchdowns, and Nick Williams (504 yards, 3 TD) is the top receiving target. As always, CSUP is tough defensively allowing 17.2 points per game, and they have the RMAC's #3 rushing and passing defenses. 

ZEMAN CROSSES 1,000-YARD MARK
Michael Zeman crossed over 1,000 rushing yards for the season last week, marking the second consecutive season he has done so. Zeman now has 1,007 yards in 2021, and it's the seventh consecutive season that Mines has produced a 1,000-yard rusher. Zeman is only the third Oredigger - joining Sam Seeton and Cameron Mayberry - to do it twice. 

MATOCHA WINS RMAC, NFFCC AWARDS
John Matocha is the reigning RMAC Offensive and NFFCC Player of the Week for the second time this season after throwing for 310 yards and three touchdowns against Chadron State in Week 9. Mines players have earned a combined eight RMAC player of the week, and three NFFCC player of the week, awards in 2021. Matocha previously won both after Week 6 against Black Hills State.

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 on Monday. 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. 

MATOCHA GUIDES OFFENSE
QB John Matocha continues to produce at a high rate for Mines in his second season as a starter, completing 70.3% of his passes for 1,963 yards and 25 touchdowns against only six interceptions. Matocha is coming off his second-best yardage total of the year, 310 against Chadron State, and he has thrown at least one touchdown in every game this season including a dozen over his last four games. 

SPREADING THE LOVE
Matocha has been spoiled for choice with a veteran receiver group in 2021, and heading into Week 10, he has five different receivers who have compiled 250+ yards and 2+ touchdowns this season. The group is headed by Tristan Smith's 44 catches for 527 yards and six touchdowns, but the depth is impressive as Mason Karp has 33 catches for 337 yards and 2 scores, Josh Johnston a team-high 10 TDs on 34 receptions for 336 yards, and Joe Golter two touchdowns on 23 catches and 292 yards. Newcomer Max McLeod is having a breakout season with five touchdown grabs on 17 catches, as well.

DEFENSE LEADS RMAC
As a unit, the Mines defense is putting together one of the best seasons in program history, leading the RMAC with a scoring defense of 14.2 points per game and total defense of 265.9 yards per game. The Orediggers also have the RMAC's best run defense (80.1 ypg), second-best passing defense (185.8 ypg), are second in sacks (37), and have allowed opponents into the red zone the fewest time this year in the RMAC (15).

WINNING THE GROUND WAR
Mines owns the RMAC's #1 and NCAA's #9 rushing defense of 80.1 yards per game, and they have put up some impressive individual-game run-stopping performances this year. The Orediggers have held opponents to 20 or fewer net rushing yards four times in nine games, including 16 last week against Chadron State; opponents average just 2.5 yards per game and have only four rushing touchdowns against Mines this season.

ON THE PLUS SIDE...
Mines is an impressive +10 on turnovers this season, gaining nine fumbles and nine interceptions against six interceptions thrown and two fumbles given away. That ranks as the best turnover margin in the RMAC and one of the best in the nation; the Orediggers have the fourth-fewest fumbles in NCAA Division II. Mines' picks have come by seven different players - Logan Rayburn (twice), Mason Pierce, Mack Minnehan, Jaden Williams, Kobe Brewster (twice), Beau Collins, , and Collin Romero - with Collins' going back for six at Fort Lewis. Brewster, Williams, Minnehan (twice), Rayburn,  Nolan Reeve, Adrian Moreno, Zach Hester, and Preston Yates have all recovered fumbles, with Minnehan forcing two. 

DOMINATING OFF THE EDGE
The Oredigger outside linebacker combo of Nolan Reeve and Mack Minnehan have been dominant this season, combining for 99 total tackles, 21 TFL, 9 sacks, and 7 turnovers in 2021. Reeve leads the team with 6.5 sacks among 52 total tackles and 10.0 TFL, while Minnehan holds the team leads in both TFL (11.0) and total turnovers (5) as he has an interception, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries this season. 

SACK HAPPY
The Orediggers are coming off a big defensive performance against Chadron State that saw them generate a season-high seven sacks against the Eagles. Mines now has 37 for the season, which ranks #4 in NCAA Division II; Over the past three weeks, Mines has had 6, 4, and then 7 sacks, and has had at least one QB takedown in every game this season and at least two in every RMAC game.

TAKE IT BACK
Mason Pierce continues to lead NCAA Division II in punt return average, upping his mark to 22.8 yards per return after last week. Pierce has four returns of 30+ yards including a season-best 56-yarder last week against Chadron State. When he isn't taking back punts, Pierce is also the team's holder, and the starting cornerback has 38 total tackles with a team-high 10 pass break-ups and an interception this season. 

GO FOR IT
Mines isn't afraid to gamble on fourth downs this season, and for good reason - they're really good at picking up the yards. The Orediggers are converting 75 percent of fourth down tries, making 18 of 24 attempts, including three of four last week. That ranks seventh-best by percentage in NCAA Division II and best in the RMAC. No team in NCAA Division II has converted more total fourth downs - 18 - than the Orediggers have this season.

NEXT TIME
Mines ends the regular season on Nov. 13 at home against Adams State.