#12/9 Colorado School of Mines (7-2, 7-0 RMAC) at New Mexico Highlands (3-5, 3-4 RMAC) // Saturday, Nov. 5, 12 p.m.
Sanchez Family Stadium, Las Vegas, N.M.
[Stream: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes] 

---

Hunting an undisputed RMAC Championship, #12/9 Colorado School of Mines visits New Mexico Highlands with a chance to run its win streak to eight games. 

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

WEATHER REPORT
Saturday's forecast is for a pleasant but breezy day in Las Vegas, N.M. with highs in the lower 60s under mostly sunny skies and west winds increasing to 15 mph as the afternoon goes on.

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.

IN THE POLLS
Mines was a big mover in this week's AFCA coaches' poll up four spots to #12, and they also moved up one place to #9 in the 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 31 consecutive polls dating back to Week 3 of the 2018 season. 

On Monday, Mines appeared at #2 in the first ordered edition of the NCAA Super Region 4 rankings. The top seven teams in the ranking make the NCAA Championship tournament. Angelo State (9-0) tops the SR4 rankings, while NSIC squads Winona State, Minnesota State, Sioux Falls, Wayne State, and Bemidji State round out the top seven all at 7-2. 

THE RMAC TITLE HUNT
Last week's comeback win at Western Colorado assured the Orediggers of at least a share of the 2022 RMAC championship, but they have a chance to earn the title outright with a win this week, and finish an undefeated conference slate with wins over the next two weeks. It is the fourth consecutive RMAC title, marking the most in program history. 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 five of the last six dating back to 2016.

QUAD SQUAD
By clinching a share of its fourth consecutive RMAC title last week, Mines Football joins an elite group of programs to have earned four straight rings: CSU Pueblo (2011-14), Colorado Mesa (1985-88), Western Colorado (1973-79 and 1963-66), and Utah (1928-33). In Mines Athletics history, football becomes the fifth program to four-peat joining men's soccer (six in a row from 2017 to present), women's soccer (2013-16), men's swimming (1981-84), and women's volleyball (2012-15).

NOTING THE SERIES
Mines and New Mexico Highlands are meeting for the 57th time since 1938 ... The all-time series is very close, with Mines taking the lead in 2019 and now standing at 28-26-2 ... The Orediggers have won eight straight dating back to 2013 and 18 of the last 21 dating to 2000 ... The Orediggers are 14-11-1 all-time in Las Vegas, where they have not visited since 2018 ... Mines has won three straight on the road in the series.

LAST TIME WE MET
New Mexico Highlands gave Mines one of its toughest regular-season tests of 2021, but the Orediggers won 31-21 early in the season in Golden. John Matocha threw for 196 yards and three touchdowns and Michael Zeman had 122 yards and a score on the ground; two of Matocha's touchdowns went to Josh Johnston while Max McLeod had the late game-sealing touchdown in the final two minutes. CJ Sims had 114 yards and two touchdowns receiving to lead the Cowboys, who were held to 18 yards rushing but had three Ramone Atkins touchdown passes.

SCOUTING THE COWBOYS
New Mexico Highlands has had an up and down season, starting out 2-2 including a signature win over Black Hills State before hitting a current three-game losing streak that has seen them score just 9 points per game against CSU Pueblo, Western Colorado, and Chadron State. Still, the Cowboys feature a balanced offense led by running back Shawntay Mills, who has 564 yards and six touchdowns this season, and receiver CJ Sims, who has 614 receiving yards on 32 catches with two touchdowns. NMHU hs had four quarterbacks get significant reps with current starter Gage Guardiola throwing for 429 yards and two touchdowns in four appearances. Defensively the Cowboys allow 25 points per game and are led by Devin Coney, who has 58 total tackles with 9.0 for a loss and 3.5 sacks. Highlands is -3 in turnover margin.

WEEK 9 REWIND
Mines scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to overcome a 17-point deficit and defeat Western Colorado, 30-20, in a battle for RMAC supremacy. The Orediggers trailed 20-3 in the third quarter before reeling off the game's final 27 points. Michael Zeman ran for three touchdowns, all in the second half, as part of an 88-yard day, and John Matocha overcame three interceptions to lead his team back with 346 yards passing and a touchdown. Josh Johnston had 146 yards off five catches as Max McLeod went for 69 and a score. Turnovers were critical in the game as Mines generated three of their four in the fourth quarter on a fumble forced by Zach Hester and interceptions by Cam Forrest and Jaden Williams.

WEEK 9 STANDOUTS
Standouts from the Western Colorado game:

- Michael Zeman scored three touchdowns (all in the second) and had 108 total yards.
- John Matocha passed for 346 yards and a touchdown, including 149 yards in the fourth quarter alone.
- Josh Johnston led all receivers with 146 yards on six receptions, setting up two of Mines' three fourth-quarter touchdowns.
- Mason Karp had 84 yards on six catches including a key 40-yard play to set up Mines' first touchdown and spark the comeback.
- Max McLeod caught a touchdown among six receptions for 69 yards.
- Zach Hester led the defense with six tackles, 2.5 for loss, half a sack, and a key fourth-quarter forced fumble.
- Cam Forrest and Jaden Williams led the secondary with late interceptions.
- Jaden Healy and Cameron Reller each recovered fumbles.
- The Mines defense held Western Colorado to 95 yards rushing, their fifth consecutive sub-100-yard rushing game.

ZEMAN RECOGNIZED BY RMAC
Michael Zeman was named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Monday for the fourth time in his career. Zeman scored three of Mines' four touchdowns in the win against Western Colorado including two in the fourth quarter while generating 108 total yards. Mines has now had an RMAC Player of the Week in five consecutive weeks and seven times overall this season. 

IT'S NOT HOW YOU START...
Mines' comeback at Western State was spurred by a truly incredible fourth quarter that saw the Orediggers make big plays on both sides of the ball. Offensively, in that 15 minutes alone, Mines produced 20 points off 179 total yards including John Matocha going 8-of-10 for 149 yards; defensively, Mines allowed no points, generated three turnovers (a fumble and two interceptions), and worked two fourth-down stops. The Orediggers trailed 20-3 in the third and 20-10 entering the fourth. 

HEAD OF THE CLASS
Mines heads into Week 10 leading the RMAC in multiple statistical categories. The Orediggers own the league's best scoring offense (43.0 ppg) and defense (16.9 ppg), as well as the best total offense (482.7 ypg) and defense (287.3 ypg). The Orediggers also unsurprisingly have the top passing (202.2 ypg) and rushing (85.1 ypg) defenses as well. 

LIVING IN THE BACKFIELD
The Oredigger defense has been terrorizing opposing quarterbacks this season to the tune of 4.11 sacks per game, which ranks second nationally through nine weeks. It's been a true team effort - 16 different Orediggers have at least half a sack this season, led by Nolan Reeve (5.0), Cameron Reller (4.5), and Jack Peterson (4.5). Mines has only gotten better as the season has gone on, averaging 5.0 sacks per game over their last five outings.

DANGEROUS DUO
There have only been ten 1,000-yard receiving seasons in Mines history, but two more could be added to the list by the time the dust settles on the 2022 season. Both Josh Johnston and Max McLeod will threaten the plateau over the next two weeks; Johnston has 850 receiving yards this season and is averaging 94.44 per game, while McLeod is right behind at 833 yards averaging 92.56 per game. Only once before has Mines had two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season, and you'd have to go back to 2004 when Jonny Chan (1,376 yards) and Justin Gallas (1,352 yards) did it in Chad Friehauf's Harlon Hill-winning year. Johnston also continues his climb up the Mines career receiving list with 2,416 yards entering this week's game, putting him eighth with Jerrod Doucett (2,476) next; his 33 career touchdowns are second all-time at Mines. 

RISING UP THE RANKS, PART I
Michael Zeman stands on the cusp of three career records as he enters the last stage of his decorated career. Zeman stands three touchdowns of any type away from breaking Brody Oliver's Mines total touchdowns record of 59; four rushing touchdowns would surpass Cam Mayberry's career record of 52. And Mayberry's career rushing yardage record is now in sight as well - Zeman, with 3,940 career yards, could join Mayberry this week as the only two men to top 4,000 yards, and Mayberry's mark of 4,074 remains after that. 

Mines Career Rushing Yards                
1. Cam Mayberry (2016-19) - 4,074         
2. Michael Zeman (2018-22) - 3,940        
3. Greg Marshall (1989-92) - 2,576         
4. Sam Seeton (2013-16) - 2,454        

Mines Career Rushing Touchdowns           
1. Cam Mayberry (2016-19) -  52        
2. Michael Zeman (2018-22) - 49        
3. Greg Marshall (1989-92) - 37        

Mines Career Total Touchdowns Scored
1. Brody Oliver (2015-18) - 59 (59 rec.)        
2. Michael Zeman (2018-22) - 57 (49 rush, 8 rec.)    
3. Cam Mayberry (2016-19) - 54 (52 rush, 2 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. Earlier this season, Matocha surpassed Chad Friehauf in career passing touchdowns (92) 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 the only active D-II quarterback with 8,000+ passing and 1,000+ career rushing yards. This season, he ranks in the national top 10 in completion percentage (2nd), efficiency (1st), passing touchdowns (6th), and passing yards (6th), 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) - 92        
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) - 8,680        

THREE BILLS
Speaking of John Matocha, his yardage productivity has climbed as the season has gone on and he now finds himself going over 300 yards passing in six consecutive games. That's the longest such streak in his career and the longest by a Mines quarterback since Justin Dvorak's Harlon Hill-winning 2016 season when he did it in his first 10 games.           

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 324.1 yards per game in the air with 25 touchdowns against four interceptions, and nationally Mines has the second-best completion percentage (72.2%) and the fourth-best team passing efficiency (176.3). Mines ranks in the national top-10 in passing offense (6th) and total offense (6th) as well.

LET'S GET IT STARTED
There are now six active Orediggers with 30 or more career starts as Michael Zeman joined the ranks with his 30th last week. Josh Johnston and Mason Pierce have 36, John Matocha and Mack Minnehan 35, and Matt Armendariz 34. Twenty-one different Orediggers have 10 or more career starts, with Johnston's 36 consecutive starts leading the way.

NONE SHALL PASS
The Orediggers' rushing defense has been absolutely outstanding this season, allowing an average of just 85.1 yards per game to lead the RMAC and move into the national top-20 this week at 17th. Mines has allowed 100+ yards of rushing just twice in nine games, and they're even better in RMAC play surrendering only 48.6 yards per game. The last five weeks have seen the Orediggers allow only 38, 25, 56, 39, and 95 yards on the ground.

NEXT UP
Mines concludes the regular season at home against Fort Lewis on Nov. 12.