GOLDEN, Colo. - #21/8 Colorado School of Mines turned the tide just before halftime and scored the final 27 points of the game to defeat Colorado Mesa, 48-21, and reclaim the Nyikos Cup at a sold-out Marv Kay Stadium.

The Orediggers (4-2, 4-0 RMAC) won their fourth in a row and took over sole possession of first place in the RMAC after losses by previously-unbeaten Black Hills State and Western Colorado. 

John Matocha threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns with Max McLeod producing a career 177-yard, two-touchdown day, while Michael Zeman led a punishing ground attack to the tune of 152 yards and two touchdowns.

The Mines defense held Colorado Mesa scoreless after a 21-21 tie, with Mason Pierce's pick-six at the stroke of halftime changing the entire complexion of the game. CMU's dynamic quarterback Karst Hunter threw for 252 yards with a touchdown, but was held to -9 net yards with a score on the ground as the Mines defense limited the Mavericks to only 25 rushing yards. 

It was a back-and-forth first half with the Mavericks getting on the board first, finishing a long drive with Jullen Ison's nine-yard run. Both teams traded outs before Matocha took a shot on first down from his 40 downfield for Josh Johnston, who shook his defender to haul in a 60-yard score for the 7-7 tie.

Colorado Mesa began the second quarter capping off a 16-play drive with a two-run Hunter keeper, but the deep ball again put Mines on the board as McLeod caught a 64-yarder from Matocha to make it 14-14. Mines took its first lead on a 10-yard Zeman rush later in the quarter, but CMU answered on their next series with David O'Connell's 23-yard catch from Hunter to make it 21-21.

Things quickly shifted in Mines' favor over the final minute of the first half. Matthew Eich hit a 20-yard field goal with 27 seconds to go to take a 24-21 lead, and CMU elected not to kneel the ball out and head to halftime; that proved costly as Pierce jumped Hunter's pass in the flat and rolled 27 yards to score, flipping a tie game into a 10-point Oredigger lead at the break.

The Orediggers clamped down in the second half with a dominating run game and stifling defense. Matocha's 44-yard deep ball to McLeod on Mines' first series extended the lead to 38-21, and Zeman punched in from a yard out for six more early in the fourth quarter with Eich converting from 29 yards just before time expired. In between, Mesa ran just 22 second-half plays - with three three-and-outs - while Mines controlled 20:02 of clock on just five possessions, including three of nine or more plays in the half. 

NOTABLES
- The Orediggers are the lone unbeaten team remaining in the RMAC at 4-0 after Black Hills State was stunned by New Mexico Highlands and Western Colorado was handled at home by South Dakota Mines.
- It was Mines' ninth consecutive Homecoming win, remaining a perfect 7-0 at Marv Kay Stadium.
- The Nyikos Cup, named for former Mines and Mesa vice president Dr. Michael Nyikos, was contested for the 12th time as Mines won it for the eighth occasion, and for the first time at home since 2018. 
- Mines is averaging 55.5 points per game in RMAC contests, having not scored less than 45 so far. They produced 591 yards of total offense on a 251/340 rushing/passing split.
- McLeod's day marked the second straight week a Mines receiver went over 150 yards after Josh Johnston did it at Chadron State. It was McLeod's first career 100+ yard game. 
- Matocha started the game 10-of-11 in the air and ended up 16-of-23 (69.5%) with a gaudy 232.4 quarterback rating. 
- Pierce intercepted his fourth pass of the season and his second for points. He added another breakup and three tackles to lead a secondary that produced seven passes defended in the game. 
- Jack Peterson led the front seven with 1.5 sacks with Zach Hester, Cameron Reller, and Evan Alexander also getting sacks as Mines got to Hunter four times.
- Mines led time of possession 35:41 to 24:19. 

NEXT UP
Mines faces a tough road contest in Week 7 heading to South Dakota Mines on Oct. 15