#7/6 Colorado School of Mines (2-0, 1-0 RMAC) at Fort Lewis (0-2, 0-1 RMAC), Saturday, 12 p.m.
Ray Dennison Memorial Field, Durango, Colo.
[Streaming: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Mines Media Notes]

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#7/6 Colorado School of Mines (2-0) hits the road for the first time this year to visit Fort Lewis (0-2), trying to improve to 3-0 for the third consecutive season and fourth time under Gregg Brandon.

LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's game will be streamed on the RMAC Network. The RMAC Network has relaunched for 2021-22, and 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.

FAN INFORMATION
Tickets at Fort Lewis are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors and ages 13-17, with kids 12 and under free. Gates open one hour prior to the game. Fans are encouraged to buy tickets online in advance.

WEATHER REPORT
It should be a beautiful day for football in Durango with highs in the low 80s, mostly sunny conditions, and light winds from the south.

SERIES NOTES
Mines and Fort Lewis are meeting for the 59th time since 1963 ... The two have met every season since the Skyhawks began football in 1963, save for the 2020 season when Mines didn't play ... The all-time series is very close, with Mines owning a 31-27 lead ... The Orediggers have won 13 straight dating back to 2007 ... Gregg Brandon is 5-0 against the Skyhawks and Mines has scored 41 or more points in each of those games ... Mines' 40+ point streak in the series dates back to 2012 ... The Orediggers are 16-14 against Fort Lewis in Durango ... The last time they met in 2019, Mines shut out the Skyhawks 42-0 in Golden, holding FLC to 78 total yards as John Matocha threw for 339 yards and had six total touchdowns ... In that game, Matocha became the only player in program history to throw, catch, and run for a touchdown in the same game as he had four in the air, ran one more, and caught a trick play pass from Michael Zeman.

AT THE HELM
Gregg Brandon enters his seventh year and sixth season at Mines, going 49-13 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. Darrius Smith is in his second year helming the Skyhawks and first full season; he is 0-4, including two games in the 2020-21 school year. He previously was the offensive coordinator at Bryant before coming to Durango.

GOING FOR 50
If the Orediggers can leave Durango with a win, it would be #50 for Gregg Brandon since taking over the program in 2015. Brandon - who is 49-13 in Golden and 93-43 overall as a head coach - would join an elite list of only three other Mines coaches to reach the mark, and would be the fastest to get there, doing so in his 63rd game:

Bob Stitt - 108 wins - Reached 50th win in 87 games    
Marv Kay - 84 wins - Reached 50th win in 194 games    
Fritz Brennecke - 78 wins - Reached 50th win in 132 games 

IN THE POLLS
In the national polls, Mines moved up two spots this week to #7 in the AFCA coaches' poll and remained at #6 in the D2football.com media ranking. Mines was selected as the favorite in the RMAC preseason poll on August 4, earning seven of the 10 first-place nods to lead CSU Pueblo, Chadron State, Colorado Mesa, and Western Colorado in the top five; Fort Lewis was chosen 10th. 

WEEK 2 REWIND
Mines moved to 2-0 with a hard-fought 31-21 win over New Mexico Highlands last Saturday. Michael Zeman ran for 122 yards and a touchdown, and John Matocha threw for three touchdowns and 196 yards to pace the offense. Led by Gabriel Kortz's 12 tackles, the Oredigger defense held a high-powered NMHU unit to 248 total yards and only 18 rushing yards. Mines went 6-for-6 on fourth down conversions in the game. 

Fort Lewis traveled to Texas to play FCS member Tarleton State and lost 54-7 to fall to 0-2. The Skyhawks were held to 188 total yards with Emmanuel Nwosu's eight-yard touchdown run their only score. 

TAKING A BUSINESS TRIP
The Orediggers are hitting the road for the first time this season, making the six-hour trek across Colorado to visit Durango. Mines has been outstanding in their road openers over the past decade, going 9-1 in those games, including 4-1 under Gregg Brandon. 

OREDIGGERS TRY FOR 3-0 START
Mines is trying to begin the season 3-0 for the third consecutive year, something that hasn't been done since 1912-14. Mines has started 3-0 or better seven times since 2000, including three times under Gregg Brandon.

KORTZ EARNS RMAC HONOR
On Monday, inside linebacker Gabriel Kortz became the first Oredigger since 2018 to earn the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honor following his impressive performance against New Mexico Highlands. Kortz racked up 12 tackles - the most in a game since Adam Leonard had 13 against Chadron State in 2018 - and added a sack and 1.5 TFL as the Mines rushing defense allowed only 18 net yards.

LEADING THE WAY
Running back Michael Zeman has certainly lived up to his 2019 performance through two weeks of 2021, leading the RMAC with 116.5 yards per game on average and three rushing touchdowns (plus another receiving). Zeman also leads the league in attempts (46) and his 5.1 yards per carry is tops in the RMAC among backs with 30+ carries. Nationally, he ranks 13th in rushing yards, 10th in rushing touchdowns, and 13th in scoring. Zeman has crossed 100 yards in both games this season, and has six 100+ yard games in his last eight outings dating back to 2019.

4TH DOWN GAMBLES PAY OFF
Last week's game suffered an hour-long delay due to lightning and rain, and if fans noticed a rainbow ending at Marv Kay Stadium, it was obvious which team received the lucky rub: Mines went for it on fourth down six times in that game, and they converted all six of those opportunities. Five of those pickups were thanks to Michael Zeman, who converted four 4th and 1 situations (including scoring on one) and a 4th and 2 in the 4th quarter that led to John Matocha converting the other on 4th and 9 with a 21-yard touchdown pass to Max McLeod. All of Zeman's conversions led to scores either directly or later in the series. Mines leads NCAA Division II with a 100% 4th-down percentage, and only two other teams in any division - McNeese (FCS) and Merchant Marine (DIII) - have gone 6-for-6 this season as the Orediggers have.

SPREADING IT AROUND
In two games, eight different players have at least one reception with four - Josh Johnston, Tristan Smith, Joe Golter, and Mason Karp - having six or more. Johnston leads the team with 13 catches for 110 yards and three touchdowns, while Golter, Max McLeod, Karp, and Michael Zeman have also scored through the air. Golter was the top target in Week 2 matching his career high with five catches.

DUAL THREAT
Part of what makes quarterback John Matocha so valuable to the Mines offense is his versatility. The second-year starter has thrown for 395 yards and seven touchdowns this season, but what he gets done on his feet extends drives. Of Matocha's 18 non-sack rushes this season, eight (four in each game) have been for first downs, and he's compiled 66 net yards and 107 total gained in two games.

STOPPING THE RUN
Mines' run defense has been outstanding this season, allowing only 19 net yards - 9.5 per game - including 1 yard against Western Oregon and 19 against New Mexico Highlands. Their total rates #4 in NCAA Division II this season. Against WOU they held 2019 1,000-yard rusher Omari Land to 30 yards; versus New Mexico Highlands, the duo of Kamari Mosby and Cam High, who ran for a combined 244 yards the week prior against Fort Lewis, had just 14 yards.

OFF THE EDGE
The Orediggers' ability to apply pressure off the edge was on full display in Week 2 as Mines' outside linebacker duo of Nolan Reeve and Mack Minnehan combined for 16 total tackles, 2.5 TFL, and half a sack with both recording pass break-ups against New Mexico Highlands. Mines sacked Ramone Atkins four times and had eight tackles behind the line plus five more for no gain in that game.

EICH REMAINS PERFECT
Only one true freshman started the season opener and it was kicker Matthew Eich. The top kicking prospect in the state of Colorado last year, the Broomfield product went 6-of-6 on PATs and averaged 63.6 yards per kickoff with four touchbacks on seven tries. Last week against NMHU, Eich was 4-for-4 on PATs and hit a 33-yard field goal on his one attempt.

HARKER SEES CFL ACTION
Former Mines quarterback Isaac Harker continues to be a key part of the Saskatchewan Roughriders' roster as the backup to Cody Fajardo in all five CFL games this season. Harker beat out former Denver Broncos first-round draft pick Paxton Lynch for the backup spot. He made his first appearance of the season last week after Fajardo suffered a concussion, coming off the bench to throw for 89 yards on 10-of-13 passing while rushing for 14 yards. A decision on who starts Friday vs. Toronto has not been announced; that game will be on ESPN+ in the United States.

NEXT TIME
Mines visits West Texas A&M in non-conference play Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Central.