PUEBLO, Colo. - #13/12 Colorado School of Mines ground out a 28-12 road win at CSU Pueblo, winning the rivalry meeting between two of the three teams tied for first in the RMAC.

The Orediggers (9-1, 7-1 RMAC) will play for at least a share of the RMAC title in their regular-season finale next week thanks to the win over the Thunderwolves (6-4, 6-2 RMAC). The two teams entered week 10 in a three-way tie for first with Western Colorado. 

Gregg Brandon won his 100th career game as a head coach with his 55th win at Mines; he also was 44-30 as the head coach at Bowling Green from 2003-08. 

It was a relentless Mines defensive effort that carried the day with two takeaways and seven sacks led by Nolan Reeve, who had nine total tackles, three sacks, and two forced fumbles, while Jaden Williams had 14 total tackles. Offensively, Michael Zeman had three total touchdowns and Tristan Smith added a 96-yard scoring reception to lead the Oredigger offense, as Zeman rushed for 106 yards and two ground scores and Smith had 116 receiving yards. John Matocha was an efficient 16-of-21 for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

Michael Roots led CSUP with 110 yards on 20 carries, and Cade Chapman had their lone rushing touchdown. Quarterback Gunnar Lamphere was 18-of-34 for 186 yards. 

Mines set the tone on the game's opening drive with Reeve's strip sack of Gunnar Lamphere recovered by Zach Hester, but a missed field goal left the Orediggers empty-handed. An interception by CSUP's Marcus Lawrence two series later set the Pack up in Mines territory, but a defensive stand in the red zone finished by a tackle for loss by Williams and Preston Yates limited Pueblo to a 29-yard Jared Zoulek field goal for an early 3-0 lead.

Mines moved the ball effectively on the opening series of the second quarter, and it paid off with a 16-yard touchdown catch by Michael Zeman to take the lead 7-3. A penalty-extended drive allowed the Thunderwolves to score in response, but again it was the Mines defense getting a stop in the red zone to limit the Pack to a 27-yard field goal and head to halftime up 7-6.

Pinned at their own 4 to start the third quarter, Mines needed only one play to score as Matocha found Smith in the flat, and Smith took off 96 yards to the house to extend the lead to 14-6. A promising CSU Pueblo drive later in the quarter was stopped on a strip sack by Nolan Reeve that was recovered by James Hess, and after trading punts, Mines got back in the end zone on a three-yard Zeman surge up the middle early in the fourth to lead 21-6.

A big gain from a fake punt at midfield kept the Thunderwolves alive in the middle of the 4th quarter to score on Chapman's five-yard backwards screen pass catch, but Collin Romero intercepted the two-point conversion to keep it a two-score game at 21-12 with 6:47 remaining. After punting, Mines got a crucial 4th-and-long stop, and Zeman found the end zone one play later with a 21-yard slice through the middle to make it 28-12. That all but ended it as the Orediggers got another turnover on downs and then kneeled out the clock. 

NOTABLES
- Mines entered Week 10 at #1 in the NCAA Regional Rankings and further solidified that standing as #2 Augustana lost against Minnesota Duluth.
- The Orediggers will have a chance to win at least a share of the RMAC title in their regular-season finale against Adams State. Western Colorado will play CSU Pueblo next week, and if both Western and Mines win, they would share the title. The Mountaineers won a non-conference game over Lincoln on Saturday and are also 8-1 in RMAC play. 
- Smith's 96-yard touchdown was the third-longest completion in program history, surpassed only by a 99-yarder by Jonny Chan and a 97-yarder by Andrew Schmid, both in the 2002 season.
- Mines matched their season high with seven total sacks. 
- Jaden Williams' 14 tackles were the most in a game by an Oredigger since Dean Wenger had 15 against Azusa Pacific in 2017. 
- It was the first time since 2009 and 2010 that Mines won consecutive games against CSU Pueblo, and the first time since 2008 and 2009 that they did so on the road. Gregg Brandon is now 4-3 against the Thunderwolves. 
- A wild double fumble capped off the first half; Matocha was strip sacked by Trevor Philio, and Trey Botts recovered the ball but was in turn stripped by offensive tackle Levi Johnson for Max McLeod to recover. 

NEXT UP
Mines will host Adams State on Senior Day Nov. 13 kicking off at noon. The game will be seen live on KWGN in Colorado as well as streaming on the RMAC network.