#22/14 Colorado School of Mines (2-2, 2-0 RMAC) at Chadron State (0-4, 0-2 RMAC) // Saturday, Oct. 1, 1 p.m.
Elliot Field at Don Beebe Stadium, Chadron, Neb.
[Stream: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes] 

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Now 2-0 to start RMAC play with a pair of dominating wins, #22/14 Mines heads to Chadron State in Week 5 looking to keep their new-found momentum going. 

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

WEATHER REPORT
Saturday should be a nice day for football in the Nebraska Panhandle with mostly cloudy skies and highs in the mid-70s, with a slight chance of a passing rain shower. 

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 2-2.

IN THE POLLS
Mines remains ranked in both major polls this week, dropping one spot to #22 in the AFCA coaches' poll and staying put at #14 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 #2/2 Grand Valley State and #3/3 Angelo State by a combined six points. 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. 

DEFENDING THE CROWN
With a 2-0 start to conference play, Mines is off and running in seeking its fourth consecutive RMAC 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.

AROUND THE RMAC
The RMAC football season is only two weeks old but there is already a chance for separation at the top of the standings after the first weekend in October. Four teams - Mines, Black Hills State, South Dakota Mines, and Western Colorado - are 2-0, and that will drop to at most three teams and at least one remaining unbeaten after this weekend's Black Hills Brawl between SDM and BHSU. Western Colorado, which is receiving votes in this week's AFCA top 25 as winners of two straight, also has a tough matchup at Colorado Mesa.

NOTING THE MINES-CSC SERIES
Mines and Chadron State are meeting for the 44th time in a series that began in 1938 ... The two played sporadically over the years before Chadron State joined the RMAC in 1989 ... CSC leads the series 23-20 but Mines has won eight straight and nine of the last 11 ... CSC leads when playing in Nebraska 13-8 all-time ... Mines' last trip to Chadron resulted in a 70-28 win in 2019 behind Michael Zeman's 228-yard, 2-touchdown day as Mines ran for 440 yards.

LAST TIME WE MET
Mines cruised 34-7 over Chadron State in Golden last year, racing out to a 27-0 lead as John Matocha threw for 310 yards and three touchdowns and Michael Zeman scored twice in a 96-yard day. Max McLeod, Tristan Smith, and Josh Johnston all caught touchdowns. Defensively, Mines stuffed the Eagles for just 16 yards on the ground and 214 total offensive yards, with only two Chadron first downs in the first half. 

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Chadron State has struggled to an 0-4 recording through the first third of the season, losing non-conference games at Angelo State (35-0) and Utah Tech (56-10) before falling 32-23 to Black Hills State and 56-28 to Western Colorado. CSC scores 15.3 points per game while allowing 44.8. Quarterback Mason Hamilton has thrown three touchdowns against one interception in four games; Jalen Starks leads them on the ground with four touchdowns and 255 yards this season. Ritchie McCormack leads the team with 33 tackles and an interception on defense.

WEEK 4 REWIND
Mines ran out to a big first-half lead to put away rival CSU Pueblo, 45-17, at Marv Kay Stadium in Week 4. Quarterback John Matocha continued his superb play, going 33-for-42 for 318 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for another to spark another big offensive Saturday for the Orediggers. Michael Zeman had three total touchdowns and 112 total yards. Matocha's big day led to some eye-popping numbers for the Mines receiving corps with Sean Roberts catching a career-high eight passes and Josh Johnston and Mason Karp each with seven receptions; six different receivers had 35+ yards led by Johnston (70) and Karp (65). The Mines defense was punishing as they limited the Thunderwolves to 233 yards of total offense and generated two turnovers. Jaden Williams recovered Jack Peterson's fumble force on the opening series of the game and Mason Pierce snared his third interception of the season.

WEEK 4 STANDOUTS
Quick hits on standout performances in Week 4:

- John Matocha completed 78.5% of his career-high 42 pass attempts, throwing for 318 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for another score.
- Michael Zeman rushed for 92 yards and had three total touchdowns (2 rushing, 1 receiving) in a 112-total-yard day. 
- Mason Karp caught a touchdown and had 65 total receiving yards on seven catches.
- Sean Roberts caught a career- and game-high eight receptions for a career-best 43 yards.
- Josh Johnston had seven catches for a game-high 70 yards.
- Max McLeod had 51 receiving yards, but scored his touchdown on a 15-yard reverse run.
- Jaden Williams recovered a fumble caused by Jack Peterson on the first series of the game, and went on to make five tackles.
- Mason Pierce had an interception for the third consecutive game to go with five tackles.
- Evan Alexander made five tackles with a pass break-up and half a sack. 
- Matthew Eich set a career-long with a 47-yard field goal and was 6-of-6 on PATs. 

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 (3,515) with former teammate Cameron Mayberry's 4,074-yard program record in sight; he is also second behind Mayberry in rushing touchdowns at 41, crossing the 40-TD mark last week. Zeman's ability in the aerial game also has him rising up the Mines total touchdowns list, where his 48 total scores (41 rush and 7 receiving) has him 11 behind all-time leader Brody Oliver.  

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. Matocha ranks third in career touchdowns and fourth in passing yards at Mines; Matocha is fourth 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 six active D-II quarterbacks with 5,000+ passing and 1,000+ career rushing yards, and the only one with 7,000+/1,000+. Matocha is nearing 100 career touchdowns responsible for with 96 currently to his name (76 passing, 19 rushing, and 1 receiving). 

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 touchdowns #29 and #30 in the Adams State game, moving him past Ty Young for fourth all-time and making him just the fourth receiver in program history to reach 30. Now, Johnston is also on the cusp of becoming Mines' 11th 2,000-yard receiver, sitting at 1,924 entering this week's game. Johnston is averaging a team-leading 6.0 catches, 89.5 yards, and 0.75 touchdowns per game so far this season.     

LET'S GET IT STARTED
Two Orediggers joined the 30-career start club last week as outside linebacker Mack Minnehan and quarterback John Matocha each started for the 30th consecutive time. Center Matt Armendariz will hit 30 for his career with a start at Chadron State.

BALL HAWKING, PART I
Cornerback Mason Pierce is on a roll, grabbing interceptions in three consecutive games heading into Week 5. Pierce snagged his first career pick against Angelo State in Week 2 and took it back for a touchdown, then came down with another ball against Adams State and then again versus CSU Pueblo. Pierce's three picks leads a defense this season that has generated six interceptions in four games, with Jaden Williams, Joel Diaz, and Jackson Zimmerman also getting in on the action. Mines is +7 overall in turnover ratio.

BALL HAWKING, PART II
Safety Jaden Williams seemed primed for big things in 2022 after his breakout 67-tackle, five-turnover 2021 season. The redshirt senior hasn't disappointed so far, leading the team with 23 total tackles to go with an interception, a fumble recovery, and two pass break-ups. Williams recovered a fumble on the opening series last week against CSU Pueblo as part of a five-tackle game; he has five or more stops in three of four contests this season.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL
Speaking of turnover ratio, it takes both sides of the ball working to keep it positive, and the Mines offense has certainly complemented the defense's efforts this season. The Orediggers have committed only two turnovers this season - a pair of fumbles at Grand Valley State - and have been turnover-free for the past three weeks, including zero interceptions in 124 passing attempts by John Matocha. Mines ranks third in NCAA Division II in fewest giveaways this season, and 12th in turnovers generated.

A LONG WAY
A week after earning RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his record-tying 12-for-12 PAT performance at Adams State, kicker Matthew Eich kept things rolling against CSU Pueblo with another perfect Saturday. Eich hit all six of PAT attempts, but most impressive was his career-long 47-yard field goal; Eich has hit three 40+ yarders this season already.

WHEN IT COUNTS
Mines' third-down defense has been among the national elite in the last few seasons, and they continued to show that intensity in the first two weeks of the season. Through four games, Mines' opponents are converting on third down just 28.1% of the time (16-of-57); last year opponents converted on 29% of third and 31% of fourth downs. 

TWO SIDES OF THE COIN
When it comes to sacks, Mines has been excellent this year at taking care of business on both sides of the ball. The Oredigger offensive line has not allowed a sack in two consecutive games, and has surrendered just five in four games, to keep their quarterbacks clean. On the defensive side of the ball, the Orediggers are averaging 3.0 sacks per game led by linebacker Jaden Healy (3.0); ten different Orediggers have at least half a sack this season.

GO FOR IT
The Orediggers have had a perfect start to the season on 4th downs, converting four of four attempts in 2022. The Orediggers are one of just three teams in D-II batting 1.000 on fourth downs along with Nebraska-Kearney and Augustana. At Grand Valley State, John Matocha converted a 4th and 1 at midfield with a six-yard run; against Angelo State, Michael Zeman ran for three yards on 4th and 1 from Mines' own 34, and Matocha rushed for 10 on a 4th and 1 from the ASU 40 on the same drive. Mines then scored on 4th and 1 from the CSU Pueblo 15, running a reverse to Max McLeod for six. 

NEXT UP
Mines returns home to host Colorado Mesa on Oct. 8 as part of Homecoming Weekend at Marv Kay Stadium.