#16/10 Colorado School of Mines (6-2, 6-0 RMAC) at Western Colorado (5-3, 5-1 RMAC) // Saturday, Oct. 29, 1 p.m.
Katy O. Rady Field, Gunnison, Colo. 
[Stream: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Mines Media Notes] 

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The oldest continuous football rivalry in Colorado renews for the 97th time as #16/10 Colorado School of Mines heads to Gunnison to face off with Western Colorado, with a piece of the RMAC title at stake. 

LIVE COVERAGE
This week's game will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network. Live stats are also available courtesy of Western Colorado.

IMPORTANT FAN INFO
Due to the renovation of the Mountaineer Bowl, this week's game is being played at Western Colorado's socer facility, Katy O. Rady Field, with an extremely limited capacity. Tickets are very limited, and Mines' ticket allocation has been put toward student-athletes' families. Fans wanting to go to the game should carefully read WCU's game day information and have tickets in advance.

WEATHER REPORT
It will be chilly but sunny in Gunnison on Saturday with a kickoff temperature around 39 degrees going up to the mid-40s, and light winds. 

LEADING THE WAY
The Mines team has elected four captains for 2022: quarterback John Matocha and running Michael Zeman lead the Orediggers on offense while linebacker Mack Minnehan and cornerback Mason Pierce are the defensive leaders.

A NEW ERA
This season marks a new era for Mines Football under head coach Brandon Moore, named the successor to Gregg Brandon last winter after the former Oredigger boss announced his retirement. Moore is only the seventh head coach of the program since World War II, and since 2000, the Orediggers have known only three coaches - Bob Stitt (2000-14), Gregg Brandon (2015-21), and now Moore. Before being elevated to the head spot, Moore had been on staff at Mines since 2016, including as defensive coordinator since 2018. Moore kept the entire coaching staff from 2021 intact under him, including offensive coordinator Pete Sterbick and special teams coordinator Clement Grinstead, with defensive line coach Tripp Thomas promoted to defensive coordinator. Moore picked up his first career win in Week 3 at Adams State in the Orediggers' 84-10 victory and is now 6-2.

IN THE POLLS
Mines moved up two spots to #16 in the AFCA coaches' poll and fell one spot to #10 in this week's D2football.com ranking. After starting out in the top five of both polls in preseason, the Orediggers have retained the pollsters' respect with both of their losses coming to now-#1/1 Grand Valley State and #2/2 Angelo State by a combined six points. The Orediggers have been ranked in 30 consecutive polls dating back to Week 3 of the 2018 season. 

On Monday, Mines appeared in the first release of the NCAA regional rankings as one of ten teams under consideration. The first edition included teams alphabetically, with a ranked list starting next week. The top seven teams at the end of the season make the NCAA Championship field; Mines is the only RMAC team to appear along with the Lone Star Conference's Angelo State, Texas A&M-Kingsville, and West Texas A&M, and the NSIC's Augustana, Bemidji State, Minnesota State, Sioux Falls, Wayne State, and Winona State.

THE RMAC TITLE HUNT
Week 8 went mostly to plan around the league with no major shakeups. Mines' win over Black Hills State leaves four teams with two or fewer losses: Mines (6-0), Western Colorado (5-1), CSU Pueblo (4-2), and South Dakota Mines (4-2). The Orediggers can now clinch at worst a share of the RMAC championship with a win this week, which would put them two games ahead of the rest of the field with two left to play; Mines needs two wins from its last three games to assure the outright title. The Orediggers won the crown either outright or shared in 2018, 2019, and 2021 (no champion was awarded in 2020 due to the pandemic), and Mines has won four of the last five dating back to 2016.

NOTING THE SERIES
Colorado's longest continuous football rivalry, Mines and Western Colorado are meeting for the 97th time ... Western leads the series 52-42-2 ... The two first met in 1925 (a 15-6 Western Colorado win) and, other than a five-year break for World War II and the 2020 season, have met at least once every year since ... Mines has won 12 of the last 14 games in the series and four of the last six ... Mines has won four straight ... It will be Mines' first trip to Gunnison since 2018 ... It will be the first time in 50 meetings in Gunnison that the game is played on artificial turf ... WCU's temporary home, Katy O. Rady Field, is the highest collegiate soccer and now football field in the country at 7,771 feet ... Western (19 titles) and Mines (14 titles) are #1 and #2 all-time in terms of RMAC Championships and shared the 2021 crown. 

LAST TIME WE MET
In an unforgettable Homecoming game last year, Mines outlasted Western Colorado 20-14 in overtime to win a battle of undefeated teams. John Matocha ran in the walkoff overtime touchdown after Jaden Williams' interception on WCU's turn kept them scoreless. Max McLeod and Josh Johnston caught touchdowns in regulation and Michael Zeman rushed for 144 yards. The Oredigger defense had two crucial goal-line turnovers, with Mack Minnehan's forced fumble late in regulation keeping the game tied before Williams' pick. Josh Cummings ran for 86 yards and a score and Connor Desch also ran one in for Western.

SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
It's been an up and down year for the Mountaineers, who have bounced back from an 0-2 start to be 5-3 overall and 5-1 in-conference, hoping to beat Mines to have a chance at a share of the RMAC title for a second straight year. They've done it at home in a temporary stadium while the Mountaineer Bowl is renovated, playing next door at the Katy O. Rady Field soccer facility. After losing 38-10 to South Dakota Mines on Oct. 8, the Mountaineers came back to beat Black Hills State 28-27 and then handled New Mexico Highlands 30-13. Josh Cummings and Deyvon Butler each have three touchdowns on the ground, with Connor Desch throwing for 14 scores against six interceptions and 1,316 total yards. Defensively, WCU allows 28.5 points and 392.9 total yards per game. 

WEEK 8 REWIND
Mines shut out Black Hills State, dominating every phase of the game in a 38-0 win. The Orediggers put up 31 first-half points as John Matocha threw for a career-best 377 yards and three touchdowns, but it was the defense that starred holding BHSU to only 146 total yards, 0-for-13 on third downs, and producing nine sacks. Mack Minnehan's 10 tackles and 4.5 TFL led the defensive effort. Mason Karp and Flynn Schiele caught touchdowns while Michael Zeman rushed for a pair and Matthew Eich hit a 42-yard field goal. 

WEEK 8 STANDOUTS
Standouts from the Black Hills State game:

- John Matocha threw a career-high 377 yards with three touchdowns on 26-of-34 (76.5%) passing.
- Michael Zeman had two touchdowns on the ground in a 74-yard rushing day.
- Tristan Smith returned for the first time since Week 4 to catch a game-high seven receptions for 64 yards.
- Mason Karp had a 75-yard touchdown on the game's opening play on the way to an 89-yard game.
- Max McLeod caught a 73-yard score to stay hot with 81 yards off just two catches.
- Flynn Schiele caught his first career pass and it was for a 42-yard touchdowns.
- Mack Minnehan had a career-high 10 tackles with 4.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks to lead the shutout.
- Cameron Reller's sack went with five tackles. 
- Jaden Healy, Brock Ewing, and Hall Edmonds each had 2.0 tackles for loss including a sack.
- Matthew Eich hit a 42-yard field goal on his only attempt of the game.

MINNEHAN RECOGNIZED BY RMAC
For the second time in his career, outside linebacker Mack Minnehan has earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Minnehan had a monster game against Black Hills State, collecting a career-high 10 tackles with 4.5 for a loss and 2.5 of Mines' nine sacks in the game. Mines has had a player win RMAC Player of the Week in four consecutive weeks, and six times this season. 

TOP STOPPERS
Mines heads into Week 9 with the RMAC's top defense by the numbers, allowing 16.5 points per game with the best total defense (281.0 ypg), rushing defense (83.9 ypg), and second-best passing defense (190.6 ypg). They also top the conference in third down defense and sacks - but more on that in a bit.

BIG NUMBERS
On the other side of the ball, the Orediggers haven't been too shabby either. Offensively, Mines leads the RMAC in scoring by more than eight points per game (44.6 ppg), and top the league in total offense (486.1 ypg), rushing offense (164.8 ypg), and are second in passing offense (321.4 ypg), leading the way in efficiency (181.8) and total touchdowns (48). 

LIVING IN THE BACKFIELD
The Oredigger defense was living in the backfield against Black Hills State, hitting their quarterback for nine sacks in the game. It was Mines' most sacks in a game since the 2010 season, and now they rank atop NCAA Division II (and are tied for the lead in all of college football) in sacks with 34 this season. It's been a true team effort - 16 different Orediggers have at least half a sack this season, led by Cameron Reller and Nolan Reeve (4.5 each) and Jaden Healy and Jack Peterson (4.0 each).

START ME UP
The last two weeks have seen Mines get out to fast starts - and we do mean fast. Two weeks ago at South Dakota Mines, the Orediggers received the opening kickoff and found themselves starting at their own 22 yard line. Ten seconds later, they were in the end zone after Max McLeod caught a short pass from John Matocha, beat his coverage, and outran the defense 78 yards to score. Fast forward a week, and it was déjà vu against Black Hills State - Mines started at its own 25, Matocha threw a short pass to Mason Karp, and Karp beat his coverage and ran 75 yards to score on the game's opening play. 

TO THE MAX
Receiver Max McLeod has been one of the nation's breakout offensive weapons this season, leading Mines with 764 yards, 8 touchdowns (plus another rushing), and a 21.8 yards per catch average this season. But it's how he arrived at those totals that has been so impressive - in the last two games, McLeod has caught three touchdown passes of 70 or more yards, 78 and 75 against South Dakota Mines and 73 against Colorado Mesa. Add that to a 64-yarder against Colorado Mesa, and McLeod's scoring catches this season have averaged an absurd 54.75 yards. 

RISING UP THE RANKS, PART I
Michael Zeman's career has seen him shoot up the Mines career lists, and the sixth-year senior now finds himself among the greats. Entering this week, Zeman ranks second all-time at Mines in rushing yardage (3,852) with former teammate Cameron Mayberry's 4,074-yard program record in sight; he is also second behind Mayberry in rushing touchdowns at 46. Zeman's ability in the aerial game also has him rising up the Mines total touchdowns list, where his 54 total scores (46 rush and 8 receiving) has him five behind all-time leader Brody Oliver. 

Mines Career Rushing Yards     
1. Cam Mayberry (2016-19) -  4,074         
2. Michael Zeman (2018-22) - 3,852        
3. Greg Marshall (1989-92) - 2,576           

Mines Career Total Touchdowns Scored
1. Brody Oliver (2015-18) - 59 (59 rec.)        
2. Cam Mayberry (2016-19) - 54 (52 rush, 2 rec.)    
2. Michael Zeman (2018-22) - 54 (46 rush, 8 rec.)    

RISING UP THE RANKS, PART II
Quarterback John Matocha is only in his third season since starting as a true freshman in 2019, but he's already rapidly moving up the career passer lists at Mines. Two weeks ago, Matocha surpassed Chad Friehauf in career passing touchdowns (91) and is now second all-time at Mines. Matocha also is third among active NCAA Division II quarterbacks in career touchdown passes (and the only junior in the top five), and he is also one of only 10 active D-II quarterbacks with 5,000+ passing and 1,000+ career rushing yards, and the only one with 7,000+/1,000+. This season, he ranks in the national top 10 in completion percentage (1st), efficiency (1st), passing touchdowns (3rd), and passing yards (7th), and has already started to receive some Harlon Hill Trophy buzz being included on D2football.com's early eight-man watchlist earlier in October. 

Mines Career Passing Touchdowns            
1. Justin Dvorak (2013-16) - 134        
2. John Matocha (2019-22) - 91        
3. Chad Friehauf (2001-04) - 84        

Mines Career Passing Yards            
1. Justin Dvorak (2013-16) - 13,466        
2. Chad Friehauf (2001-04)  - 9,873        
3. John Matocha (2019-22) - 8,333        

RISING UP THE RANKS, PART III
Veteran Josh Johnston has been leading the Mines' receiving corps this season and is in the midst of moving up in the Mines record books. Johnston caught career touchdown #33 agaisnt South Dakota Mines to give him sole possession of second place all-time at Mines. With his 84-yard touchdown strike against Chadron State (Mines' longest play of the year), Johnston also became the 11th Mines receiver to eclipse 2,000 career receiving yards and now stands at 2,270, which ranks ninth all-time.

Mines All-Time Touchdown Receptions            
1. Brody Oliver (2014-2018) -  59            
2. Josh Johnston (2018-22) -  33            
3. Adam Saur (2005-2009) - 32            
3. Jonny Chan (2000-2004) - 31            
5. Ty Young (2012-2016) - 29            

VERY EFFICIENT
The Orediggers' passing attack has been one of the best in the country this year, and it all starts with accuracy. Mines and quarterback John Matocha produce 325 yards per game in the air with 24 touchdowns against just one interception, and nationally Mines has thebest completion percentage (72.9%) and the best quarterback efficiency/rating (188.8). Matocha has also thrown the fewest interceptions of any starter in D-II this season with a single pick in 241 passing downs.

WHEN IT COUNTS
On both sides of the ball, Mines has been getting it done this season on third and fourth downs. Offensively, the Orediggers rank 16th nationally in third-down conversion rate at 47.7 percent, and they are 11th nationally on defense allowing just 27.4 percent of third downs, including 0-for-13 last week against Black Hills State. On fourth down, Mines converts 71.4 percent of the time to rank 11th nationally, and they aren't afraid to go for it having doen so 15 times in eight games. 

NONE SHALL PASS
The Orediggers' rushing defense has been absolutely outstanding this season, allowing an average of just 93.9yards per game to lead the RMAC and move into the national top-20 this week. Mines has allowed 100+ yards of rushing just twice in eight games, and they're even better in RMAC play surrendering only 40.9 yards per game. The last four weeks has seen the Orediggers allow only 38, 25, 56, and 39 yards on the ground.

NEXT UP
Mines visits New Mexico Highlands Nov. 5 before concluding the regular season at home against Fort Lewis on Nov. 12.