ALLENDALE, Mich. - #4/3 Colorado School of Mines roared back to take the lead from 17-0 down, but #5/5 Grand Valley State found a late touchdown to snare a 25-22 win at Lubbers Stadium.

John Matocha threw for 350 yards and two touchdowns as he and Josh Johnston (8 rec. 126 yds, 1 TD) led a second-half charge by the Orediggers after the offense was stymied in the first half.

Max McLeod added 80 yards and a touchdown on his night and Michael Zeman had 93 total yards of offense with a rushing score. The Oredigger defense held their ground allowing 346 yards of offense with three sacks against the high-scoring Lakers, with Jaden Healy notching a team-high 10 tackles with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Quarterback Cade Peterson threw for 266 yards and a score, half of that going to Jahde Walker who had 132 yards receiving. 

Defenses ruled the first half with the two giving up a combined 251 yards and producing seven punts. Mistakes plagued the Mines offense when they got across midfield with two fumbles, one in each quarter, and Grand Valley's lone score came on a drive with a pair of pass interference flags to set up Tariq Reid's one-yard plunge with 4:57 left in the second quarter. 

GVSU raced out of the half with two straight scoring drives as Cade Peterson ran in from five yards, and Kolin Kralapp hit a 31-yard field goal to set the margin at 17-0 midway through the third. The Orediggers offense awoke on a 49-yard pass by Matocha over the top to McLeod for six, and after a missed PAT Matthew Eich rebounded with a 26-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 17-9 in the opening seconds of the fourth.

Peterson's fumble deep in his own red zone was pounced on by Ethan Kremer, and that set up Michael Zeman two plays later for a one-yard touchdown run to make it 17-15 after a two-point conversion failed. Mines then scored for the lead on their next possession as Johnston slipped away wide open for an easy 40-yard score with 5:43 to go.

Mines had another scoring chance seconds later when Jaden Williams' interception set Mines up at the GV 26, but a missed field goal gave the Lakers the ball back and they marched down the field to score the go-ahead touchdown with 56 seconds left. GVSU faced 4th and 6 before a pass interference flag in the end zone gave them fresh downs and a opened up Peterson to Jayk Slager from two yards out.

The Orediggers had one last Hail Mary attempt but it was tipped out of the end zone and into the hands of Zeman at the five as time expired.

NEXT UP
Mines opens up at home against #7 Angelo State Sept. 10 at noon.