#4/3 Colorado School of Mines (0-0) at #5/5 Grand Valley State (0-0) // Thursday, Sept. 1, 7 p.m. ET
Lubbers Stadium, Allendale, Mich.
[Stream: FloFootball] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes] 

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#4/3 Colorado School of Mines visits #5/5 Grand Valley State in one of the biggest out-of-conference games in NCAA Division II this year, opening the Brandon Moore era at Mines.

LIVE COVERAGE
Thursday's game will stream live on the pay-per-view FloFootball service, which requires a $19.99 monthly subscription to access. Live stats are also available via GVSU's web site. 

WEATHER REPORT
It should be a fantastic Thursday evening to start the season in Allendale, Mich. with a forecast kickoff temperature of 77 degrees under partly cloudy skies and light winds. 

A NEW ERA
Week 1 will mark 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.

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
Colorado School of Mines was a near-unanimous pick to win its fourth consecutive conference crown in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll announced Aug. 15 as the Orediggers took nine of 10 first-place votes to lead CSU Pueblo, Western Colorado, and Colorado Mesa in the top four. In the two major national polls, the AFCA put the Orediggers at #4 and D2football.com at #3, the program's highest-ever preseason ranking in those polls. Lindy's magazine also had Mines #3 and College Football Yearbook ranked them #4 in the summer preseason polls. Mines finished a best-ever #3 and #4 in the 2021 AFCA and D2football.com polls, respectively.

TOP-FIVE CLASH
The Grand Valley State game marks only the second top-five battle in Mines history as the Orediggers enter ranked #4/3 and the Lakers #5/5 in the AFCA and D2football.com polls, respectively. The only previous instance came in the 2004 postseason when #5 Mines visited #1 Pittsburg State in the NCAA Second Round. 

TAKING THE LONG WAY
Mines is a long way from home to open the season, to say the least. At 1,155 miles from Golden, the Grand Valley State game marks the furthest from home Mines has ever been for a season opener, surpassing a visit to William Jewell (576 miles to Liberty, Mo.) in 2011. At 627' above sea level, Allendale, Mich. will also be the lowest regular-season game the Orediggers have played since visiting Azusa Pacific (584') in the 2019 season. It's a 5,080-foot difference from Mines' home turf at Marv Kay Stadium, which sits at 5,707' feet above sea level.

IN THE MITTEN
Mines is looking for its first win in its third trip to Michigan. The Orediggers faced Ferris State in the 2016 NCAA Second Road in Big Rapids, and before that fell at Grand Valley State 35-13 in the 2010 NCAA First Round.

WATCH US
In early August Mines announced an extension of its broadcast partnership with KWGN Colorado's Own Channel 2 in Denver to broadcast all five home games in 2021. Those games, plus every road conference game, will also stream live on the RMAC Network. This week's game at Grand Valley State is the lone exception, and will be broadcast on FloFootball's pay-per-view streaming platform per their new agreement with the GLIAC.

2021 REWIND
The 2021 season was one to remember for Colorado School of Mines as they were 12-2 and went further than any team in program history with a run to the NCAA Division II semifinals. The Orediggers claimed a share of their third consecutive RMAC title along the way before earning the program's first-ever #1 seed in Super Region 4 and first-ever regional title. Mines came four points away from an appearance in the national championship game with a dramatic comeback effort at Valdosta State. The Orediggers had one of the nation's elite defenses allowing 14.7 points per game (11th in D-II) with a +18 turnover margin (NCAA #4), while the offense produced a healthy 38.6 points per game (NCAA #11) in a balanced mix of ground and aerial attack.

SCOUTING THE LAKERS
Ranked #5 in both major polls, Grand Valley State is coming off a 10-2 2021 campaign in which both of their losses came to GLIAC foe and eventual national champion Ferris State. The Lakers return 59 letterwinners and 18 starters from that team including eight All-GLIAC honorees. Dual-threat Cade Peterson runs the offense at quarterback after throwing for 2,130 yards and 26 touchdowns and also running for 559 yards and seven scores a year ago, with returning weapons including running back Tariq Reid (627 yards, 6 TD) and receiver Jacob Miller (349 yards, 5 TD). Defensively GVSU allowed 18.6 points per game and were one of the nation's best third-down defenses last year. They return leading tacklers in Abe Swanson at linebacker (104 TT, 3.0 S) and safety Damonte McCurdy (55 TT, 1 INT). 

UNFAMILIAR GROUND
This will be only the fifth game Mines has played against a member of the GLIAC, and the first in the regular season since 1990 when the Orediggers hosted Michigan Tech and won 31-24. The other three games - at Grand Valley in 2010, vs. Ohio Dominican in 2014, and at Ferris State in 2016 - all game in the NCAA Championship tournament. Mines is 1-3 all-time against the GLIAC.

FANTASTIC FOUR
Never before has a Mines football team been able to say it has four returning all-Americans, but that's exactly what Brandon Moore has at his disposal in 2022. Matt Armendariz and Michael Zeman were consensus all-Americans last year, with each earning honors from the AP, D2CCA, D2football.com, and Don Hansen; Zeman also added AFCA honors. John Matocha was named to the D2football.com list, while Mason Pierce was recognized on the Don Hansen team.

AMONG THE ELITE
On Tuesday, Mines had five players named to the D2football.com Elite 100 Watchlist: running back Michael Zeman, center Matt Armendariz, cornerback Mason Pierce, defensive end Zach Hester, and quarterback John Matocha all made the cut. The Orediggers' five selections are tied with Valdosta State for the most in the nation.

BACK FOR MORE
Mines has a senior-heavy roster in 2022 with 33 listed, and five of them are utilizing their additional year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the pandemic-impacted 2020-21 school year. Matt Armendariz, Josh Johnston, Mack Minnehan, Cameron Reller, and Michael Zeman were all incoming freshmen in 2017 and are staying for a sixth year; each of the five is a graduate student at Mines. In addition to that quintet, the Orediggers have 26 redshirt seniors (fifth-year seniors) plus two true seniors.

ZEMAN RETURNS FOR MORE
It's hard to sum up the superlatives for running back Michael Zeman in 2021, but here goes: Harlon Hill Trophy finalist, finishing fourth in the balloting. AFCA All-American. D2CCA All-American. Associated Press All-American. Don Hansen All-America. CoSIDA Academic All-America. D2football.com Elite 100. First-Team All-RMAC. National co-leader in scoring with 156 points. Tied a Mines record with 26 total touchdowns and set a new one with 343 carries. Notched only the third 1,500+ yard season in program history. And we're probably leaving some stuff out. Returning now for his sixth year, Zeman brings along 3,160 career rushing yards, 34 career rushing touchdowns, and 40 total TDs as he potentially tracks down Mines career records in those categories later this season. At the running back position, depth behind Zeman includes Chris Yoo, who ran for 161 yards and two scores on a 5.0 yard-per-carry average last year, and Jack Lowery, who appeared in two games with seven carries for 23 yards.

MATOCHA MAGIC
It's hard to believe quarterback John Matocha is already a senior (albeit with two seasons of eligibility remaining) after he burst into the scene as a true freshman starter in 2019. Matocha is 23-3 as Mines' starter in the 2019 and 2021 seasons, with outstanding career totals that includes 5,930 passing yards with 67 touchdowns, paired with 1,090 rushing yards with 13 scores. His efficiency and consistency have also impressed with a career 70.7 percent completion rating and 166.47 QB rating. Matocha's playoff run last year included 287 yards and 3 touchdowns per game in the air plus averaging another TD and 38 yards on the ground, throwing nine total touchdowns to a single interception. 

PLENTY OF TARGETS
Mines returns one of the nation's deepest and most experienced receiving corps this season, with its top four and five of its top six receivers by yards and receptions back. Tristan Smith leads the group with 827 yards on 63 catches with seven touchdowns last year, while Josh Johnston's 13 touchdowns off 50 catches and 548 yards led the RMAC. Despite starting only one game last year, Max McLeod had a breakout season with 10 touchdown catches on 24 receptions for 462 yards, and Mason Karp was a key outlet for Matocha with 52 catches for 535 yards and three scores. And while Michael Zeman gets most of the attention as the feature back, his pass-catching skills add to an already-dangerous group as he had 27 receptions for 313 yards and five touchdowns last year. The Orediggers also return veteran Zach Hoffman (career 25 rec., 200 yds, 1 TD), add Washington State graduate transfer Billy Pospisil III to the mix, and get back Roberto Valenzuela after he missed nearly the entire 2021 campaign to injury. 

UP FRONT
Mines' offense starts at center Matt Armendariz, who was richly awarded for a superb season in 2021. The sixth-year senior was the Rimington Award winner as NCAA Division II's top center (the first player in program history to receive the honor) while also earning all-America honors from the Associated Press, D2CCA, D2football.com, and Don Hansen. Armendariz is one of three returning starters on the offensive line along with Second-Team All-RMAC tackle Nic Van de Graaf, who played at both outside spots but started most of the season on the left side, as well as Levi Johnson, who started the final nine games at right tackle. The Orediggers graduated both of their guards in Blake Ray and Justin Wood, but get back Zach Heckman, a 2019 all-RMAC selection who started the first four games on 2021 at left tackle before suffering a season-ending injury and now moves to a guard spot along with Steele Petty, Armendariz's backup at center a year ago.

Tight end will be the Orediggers' only position with no returning game experience on the depth chart in Week 1 with redshirt sophomore Kenny Wright and redshirt freshman Landon Walker on the list. They're joined by returner Braeden Benys, and redshirt senior Preston Rose will continue in his hybrid extra tackle/tight end role. 

TAKE IT AWAY
A key to Mines' 2021 success was the defense's ability to take away the ball, and it resulted in the Orediggers notching a program-record +18 turnover margin. The fourth-best rate in Division II, Mines had 32 total takeaways (15 fumbles and 17 interceptions) led by Jaden Williams' six total turnovers (4 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR), Nolan Reeve's five (1 FR, 4 FF), Mack Minnehan's five (1 INT, 2 FR, 2 FF), and Logan Rayburn's four (3 INT, 1 FR). The margin was also helped by an offense that took care of the ball, with John Matocha throwing only eight interceptions in 14 games, and Oredigger ball carriers losing just six fumbles. Mines was negative in the turnover battle just once last year, against New Mexico Highlands - the only game in which the defense did not get a takeaway - and was +2 or better five times. 

IN THE BIG DOGS' YARD
Up front defensively, Mines has to absorb the graduations of stalwarts Jack McAdams at nose tackle and Luke Jeter at defensive end. But that doesn't mean there isn't experience returning in a unit that loves to mix up its personnel - far from it. Zach Hester earned all-region honors at end last year with a breakout 7.5-sack, 11.5-TFL season that included 37 total tackles; Preston Yates (16 TT, 3.0 S) and James Hess (17.0 TT, 4.0 S) join him in the rotation after productive 2021 seasons. Nose tackle will fall to veteran Kyle Bahnsen, who had five tackles and a sack last season, with promising redshirt freshman Ethan Kremer behind him. Defensive tackle is well taken care of with sixth-year senior Cameron Reller (20 TT, 3.0 S, 4 PBU) and Jack Peterson (19 TT, 3.0 TFL) returning after splitting starts last year along with Peyton Rose (18 TT, 4.0 TFL) in the rotation. 

EXPERIENCED 'BACKERS
The linebacking corps complements the line with a plethora of returning talent in 2022. On the outsides, the dynamic duo of Nolan Reeve and Mack Minnehan are back for one more season together. Reeve, a preseason all-American, led the RMAC with 10.5 sacks a year ago among 75 total tackles and 14.5 for a loss, and also produced five turnovers; Minnehan had 70 stops, 12.5 for a loss, with 3.5 sacks and five total turnovers. Their backups Evan Alexander (25 TT, 4.0 TFL) and Max Fecci (10 TT, 2.0 S) are also experienced contributors. On the inside, Mines graduated leading tackler and captain Gabe Kortz, but gets back the high-energy Adrian Moreno, who produced 23 tackles and a fumble in six starts before a season-ending injury last year. He'll pair with Hayden Gregg, who saw his 2021 playing time grow to include two postseason starts as he compiled 21 tackles, a sack, and three turnovers. Inside 'backer depth includes Blake Ramsey, who converted from safety midway through last season and ended with 27 total tackles, Ben Fuchs, who had 17 stops last year, and redshirt freshman Brock Ewing.

SECOND TO NONE
The 2021 Oredigger secondary produced big numbers in holding opponents to 207 yards per game in the air on just 52.1 percent passing with 17 interceptions. The unit loses captain Kobe Brewster, but otherwise returns intact starting with corners Mason Pierce and Cam Forrest. Pierce reset his own program record with 18 pass break-ups in a 2021 season that saw him make 55 total tackles with an interception, while Forrest had 18 stops with eight break-ups and a fumble recovery on the other side. The two-deep at corner has junior Collin Romero and sophomore Will Drogosch, who both saw game action last year; Romero made three picks. Jaden Williams was the secondary's leading tackler last year at strong safety as he had a breakout 67-tackle, three-interception season, and an experienced Logan Rayburn steps into the starting free safety role after producing three picks and 22 total tackles last year. Safety depth includes Nate Sutter, who had 11 tackles in 2021, and Evan Perilloux, who appeared in six games. 

VERY SPECIAL
Mines also returns nearly its entire specialist unit, led by all-RMAC punter Jacob Click who was one of the nation's best in 2021. Click ranked 13th in NCAA Division II in punt average (41.95 ypp) and 10th in net (37.71 ypp) with 21 inside the 20 and 16 punts of 50+ yards. He split placekicking duties with Matthew Eich, who returns after going 2-for-2 on field goals and 44-of-46 on PATs as a true freshman last year. Four-year starting longsnapper Chris Clore is graduated but redshirt sophomore Josh Wojciechowicz, who saw time in three games including two starts last year, slides into that role. The return game was electric for Mines last year and all three players - Mason Pierce on punts and Mason Karp and Tristan Smith on kickoffs - are back. Pierce earned all-America honors in part thanks to his outstanding punt return performance that saw him rank second nationally with a Mines-record 19.0 yards per return. The Orediggers didn't return kicks often last year (just seven times in total) but when they did Smith averaged 25 yards per take and Karp 13.2. 

DISCIPLINED 'DIGGERS
Championship teams know how to limit mistakes and that was certainly true of the 2021 Mines squad as they ranked sixth in NCAA Division II in fewest penalties per game. The Orediggers were flagged an average of 4.1 times per game for 45.7 yards, compared to opponents' 5.3 and 53.7; Mines was flagged three or fewer times in seven games last year.

OH BROTHER
The Mines roster sports three pairs of brothers this season, including one set of twins. The Rose twins, Peyton and Preston, are redshirt seniors and play on opposite sides of the line as both have become impactful players over their Oredigger careers. Redshirt senior offensive lineman Caleb Marlatt and redshirt sophomore nose tackle Tyler Marlatt are another sibling pair facing each other in practice every day, while redshirt junior Blake Ramsey, who played in all 14 games last year moving between safety and linebacker, is now joined by his younger brother Will, a true freshman defensive back.

HELLUVA ENGINEERS
Of course, everyone attending Mines is a helluva engineer: the university specializes in STEM majors, and ranks as NCAA Division II's top institution in the US News and World Report college rankings. Of the undergraduates on the team who have declared majors, nearly half - 52 - are majoring in the university's most popular major, mechanical engineering. But 14 undergraduate majors overall are represented on the 2022 team:

Mechanical Engineering - 52        
Computer Science - 15        
Civil Engineering - 9        
Electrical Engineering - 6        
Metallurgical & Materials Engineering - 5        
Business Eng. & Management Science - 4    
Chemical Engineering - 4        
Petroleum Engineering - 4        
Biochemistry - 2        
Engineering Physics - 2        
Geological Engineering - 2        
Economics - 1            
Environmental Engineering - 1        
Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering - 1    

In addition, there are 11 Orediggers in graduate school working on various master's degrees, with one (LB Ben Fuchs) double-majoring:

Engineering & Technology Mangement - 7    
Advanced Manufacturing - 1        
Biomechanical Engineering - 1        
Chemical Engineering - 1        
Computer Science - 1        
Environmental Engineering Science - 1            

MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFT
Mines Football typically has a handful of graduate students on the roster, but due to the extended eligibility rules caused by the pandemic, an unusually large chunk of the roster already has their silver diplomas (yes, Oredigger grads receive an actual silver diploma). Eleven Orediggers are working on master's degrees - Matt Armendariz, Ben Fuchs, Josh Johnston, Mason Karp, Robert Miller, Mack Minnehan, Billy Pospisil III, Cameron Reller, Nolan Reeve, Tristan Smith, and Michael Zeman -  with 10 of them already owning Mines undergraduate degrees and Pospisil a graduate transfer from Washington State. Fuchs, the 2021 RMAC Summit Award winner for the top GPA among the championship teams, is double-majoring in grad school working on master's degrees in both engineering & technology mangement and chemical engineering. 

GAME SUPERLATIVES
- First time Mines has played in Michigan in the regular season
- First regular-season game vs. the GLIAC since 1990
- The furthest from home Mines has played in a season opener (1,155 miles)
- Second time in program history, and first time since 2004 and in the regular season, that Mines has played a top-5 opponent while ranked in the top 5
- Fourth time Mines has played in the Eastern time zone (at Grand Valley State, 2010 NCAA First Round, at Ferris State, 2016 NCAA Second Round, at Valdosta State, 2021 NCAA semifinals)

NEXT UP
Mines heads home to face another top-10 foe in #7/8 Angelo State Sept. 10 at Marv Kay Stadium. The game will be televised live on KWGN Colorado's Own Channel 2 and the RMAC Network.