Photo: Angela Roberts/Fort Lewis Athletics

DURANGO, Colo. - #7/6 Colorado School of Mines dominated every phase of the game to shut out Fort Lewis 76-0 in Durango.

The Orediggers (3-0, 2-0 RMAC) had their starters in for only two quarters but they still managed big numbers as John Matocha completed 12-of-16 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns, Michael Zeman scored three times for 69 yards, and both Tristan Smith (119 yards, 2 TD) and Joe Golter (100 yards, 1 TD) crossed the century mark in receiving. 

The Mines defense was spectacular, producing three turnovers including Beau Collins' pick six and holding Fort Lewis to just 29 yards of offense, the lowest total in NCAA Division II this season.

Gregg Brandon won his 50th game at the helm of the Orediggers, becoming the fastest coach to reach the mark. Brandon is 50-13 at Mines and 94-43 overall as a head coach.

After trading opening possessions, Logan Rayburn's first-quarter interception set Mines up deep inside Skyhawk territory, and Matocha hit Golter on a 25-yard score one play later to take the early 6-0 lead. A Skyhawk three-and-out let Mines go on a long third drive that ended with a 13-yard Matocha pass to Smith, and the Orediggers later opened the second quarter with a five-yard Zeman punch-in to go up 20-0.

A 40-yard Mason Pierce punt return plus two Skyhawk penalties let Mines start their next series at the FLC 6, and Zeman needed only one play to score again. Mines went the other way on their next punt, backed into their own red zone by a penalty, but a 57-yard Matocha-to-Golter connection set up Zeman's two-yard finish and a 34-0 lead late in the second quarter. Mines' defense got into the action two plays later when Collins jumped a Jack Hanenburg pass and went 32 yards to the house, and Preston Yates' sack and fumble recovery on backup quarterback Brayden Miller two plays later produced yet another tally before the half as Josh Johnston laid out for a four-yard strike in the back of the end zone and the 48-0 lead.

Even with the backups playing the entire second half, the Orediggers kept scoring. Evan Foster played the entire half under center and threw for 104 yards and two touchdowns starting with a 71-yard link-up to Smith on his opening drive. Zach Hester's punt block on FLC's next series set Mines up to score again as Foster found Max McLeod over the middle for a 24-yard score to make it 62-0 with 9:11 left in the third quarter. Foster threw only one pass after that as the combination of Nathan Mackey, Rios, and Chris Yoo took over the game; Rios scored his first college touchdown on a four-yard run early in the fourth quarter and Yoo capped the game with his own four-yard rush with 1:12 to go. 

NOTABLES
- The Orediggers' 76-point margin of victory was their largest in a game since defeating Wyoming 77-0 on Oct. 19, 1907. It was Mines' largest margin of victory ever in a RMAC game.
- The Mines defense allowed only 23 yards of total offense, the lowest total in NCAA Division II this season (Ouachita Baptist allowed 35 vs. Southern Nazarene last week); FLC was held to -9 yards in the first half. Fort Lewis had just three net rushing yards, and Mines has allowed only 22 total yards on the ground this season.
- Mines improved to 32-27 all-time against Fort Lewis (0-3, 0-2 RMAC), scoring the most points ever in the series. It was also Mines' second straight shutout against the Skyhawks.
- The Orediggers are 3-0 for the third straight season, the first time that has happened since 1912-14. It's Mines' fourth 3-0 start under Brandon.
- Brandon reached 50 wins in just his 63rd game, with Bob Stitt the previous fastest to 50 in his 87th game. 
- Mines' 48-point first half last happened in 2018 when they scored 49 before the break against both South Dakota Mines and Colorado Mesa.
- Mines produced 575 yards of total offense almost perfectly balanced between 285 yards in the air and 290 yards on the ground.
- Zeman put together his second three-touchdown game of the year, rushing for two and catching another against Western Oregon. He has six on the ground in 2021. 
- Foster's 71-yard throw was Mines' longest pass completion since Isaac Harker's 77-yard touchdown throw to Sean O'Dell in 2018 against Colorado Mesa.
- Mines did not punt until the 6:00 mark of the third quarter. They failed to score on only two possession - their opening drive which resulted in a turnover on downs after an incompletion in the end zone, and that punt.
- The Orediggers had six sacks led by two from Nolan Reeve. 
- Hester's blocked a punt in the third quarter was Mines' second punt block in three games. 
- The Orediggers dominated ball possesion with 38:13 of time on offense.
- A week after going 6-for-6 on 4th down, Mines was 3-of-4. Fort Lewis was held to just 1-of-12 on 3rd down and did not attempt a 4th-down conversion. 

NEXT UP
Mines visits Texas for the first time since 1931 to play at West Texas A&M on Sept. 25.