#12/9 Colorado School of Mines (0-1) vs. #6/7 Angelo State (1-0) // Saturday, Sept. 10 // Noon
Marv Kay Stadium, Golden, Colo.
[TV: KWGN 2] [Stream: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes] 

---

#12/9 Colorado School of Mines opens up at home as they face their second straight top-10 opponent to begin 2022, welcome the Rams of #6/7 Angelo State to Marv Kay Stadium.

LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's game will be televised live on KWGN Colorado's Own Channel 2 in the Denver metro, and stream for free on the RMAC Network. Every home regular-season game will air on KWGN, and all 10 of the Orediggers' remaining games will stream on the RMAC Network.

FAN INFORMATION
For this week's game, please note the following important pieces of information:

- Gates and the tailgating lot open at 10 a.m.
- Parking in Lot K (next to Stermole Soccer Stadium) costs $10 is extremely limited this weekend due to the solar canopy installation project. Fans are highly encouraged to park for free in the parking garage at 1400 Maple Street, located two blocks from Marv Kay Stadium. Visit the Mines Parking page for more information.
- Over the summer, the City of Golden changed its residential neighborhood parking to require a permit seven days a week. Fans can not park in the neighborhood surrounding the stadium. Fans can utilize paid City of Golden parking downtown near Washington Street. 
- Tickets are available at the gate (cash or credit) or online at minesathletics.com/tickets. Fans are encouraged to utilize print-at-home or digital ticket options to skip waiting in line at the game. Kids under 12 are free, but must visit the ticket window to get tickets. 
- Mines students, faculty, and staff are admitted free with their BlasterCard.
- The New Terrain Beer Garden will be open in the west end zone for all fans 21 and over. 
- The Colorado Disc Dogs, a viral sensation on social media after their performance at the 2021 home opener, are returning for a halftime performance this Saturday. 

WEATHER REPORT
After a very hot week, fans heading to the game should be ready for a big weather change as autumn will hit Golden this weekend. Saturday's highs are forecast in the mid-50s with overcast skies and a 50% chance of rain showers in the early afternoon. 

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
Week 1 marked 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.

STEPPING ONTO ALUMNI FIELD
The Angelo State game will mark the first for Colorado School of Mines on the newly-named Alumni Field, as the artificial turf surface was replaced over the summer with a new AstroTurf RootZone 3D field. The surface has been rechristened Alumni Field in honor of a fundraising campaign of Oredigger football alumni and friends spearheaded by former Mines running back Rob McKee and his wife Ann. The old Campbell Field, which was installed in 2010, was good to the Orediggers with a 56-12 record, six RMAC championships, and six NCAA Championship tournament appearances.

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. Angelo State was picked atop the Lone Star Conference preseason poll as well, ahead of Midwestern State and Central Washington. In the national polls, Mines dropped to #12 in this week's AFCA poll and #9 in the D2football.com ranking; Angelo State rose to #6 and #7 in those respective polls. 

RUNNING THE GAUNTLET
The start of this season represents a tremendous test for the Orediggers as they face consecutive top-10 teams in the regular season for the first time ever. Mines has not played teams ranked anywhere in the AFCA poll in consecutive weeks since the 2016 postseason (at #17 Southwest Baptist and #15 Ferris State), and has not done so in the regular season since 2015 playing #6 CSU Pueblo and #16 Colorado Mesa late in the RMAC schedule. The only other time Mines has played back-to-back top-10 opponents in the AFCA poll was in 2010 when they ended the regular season beating #8 Nebraska-Kearney 55-53 in triple overtime, then fell 35-13 in the NCAA First Round at #6 Grand Valley State. Going back to the end of the 2021 season playing #5 Valdosta State, the Angelo State game will be the first time Mines has ever played three consecutive ranked, let alone top-10, opponents after visiting #5 Grand Valley last week.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
At 5,707' above sea level, Marv Kay Stadium has been a daunting place for opponents to play since reopening in 2015, with Mines going 34-4 overall at home. The Orediggers went a perfect 8-0 at home last year and have not lost at Marv Kay Stadium since the 2019 NCAA Second Round against Texas A&M-Commerce; they have not lost a regular-season home game in nearly six years, going all the way back to Sept. 17, 2016 against Colorado Mesa - a span of 2,184 days and 21 consecutive regular-season home games.

YOU AGAIN?
Mines and Angelo State ended the 2021 home slate at Marv Kay Stadium in the NCAA quarterfinals, and now the two meet in the first game at the stadium in 2022. How unusual is having consecutive home games against the same opponent? It hasn't happened for the Orediggers since 1991, when they played NAIA member Rocky Mountain College in the season opener after also playing the Battlin' Bears to close the 1990 campaign.

THE SERIES THAT NEVER WAS
Despite the consecutive meetings, this will be the first time Mines and Angelo State meet in a scheduled regular-season game - but it wasn't meant to be. The two were slated to play in the 2020 and 2021 season openers (2020 in San Angelo, 2021 in Golden) before the pandemic forced the cancelation of the 2020 season, and with it, the original series. This past winter, Mines and Angelo State got back together with a two-year series starting this fall in Golden, with a return game next year in San Angelo.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
The Rams, ranked #6 by the AFCA and #7 by D2football.com, shut out RMAC member Chadron State in Week 1 35-0 as they nearly doubled the Eagles' in total offense and held them to just 60 yards in the air. Zach Bronkhorst passed for 233 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another, and it was the running back pair of Alfred Grear and Nathaniel Omayebu III that impressed as they combined for 198 yards and a score. The Rams' defense pitched a shutout holding CSC to 6-of-27 passing with two picks; K'hari Watson had seven tackles to lead the way. 

WHEN WE LAST MET
Mines and Angelo State played in the NCAA Super Region IV final on Dec. 4, 2021, with the Orediggers advancing to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in program history in a 34-26 win. Michael Zeman ran for 138 yards and a touchdown and also caught another, and John Matocha threw for four scores in a 254-yard day to pace an offense that touched the nation's #5 scoring defense for 34 points. Logan Rayburn made a critical late interception for the defense as they held ASU to 3-of-13 on third downs in a bend-not-break performance. Zach Bronkhorst paced ASU with 331 yards passing and two touchdowns, nearly getting the Rams (11-3) back into the game in the fourth quarter with both of his scores in the quarter. Mines jumped out to a 20-3 halftime lead with three second-quarter touchdowns, including a 60-yard strike to Max McLeod and 21-yard pass to Josh Johnston before Zeman found a one-yard score late in the half. Mason Karp caught a 42-yard score in the third and Zeman's 39-yard catch-and-run with 4:31 all but ended things to put Mines up 34-17, despite a late Angelo State comeback.

WEEK 1 REWIND
It was a heart-stopping game worthy of its billing as one of the best out-of-conference match-ups in Division II this year, but #5 Grand Valley State ended up on top handing #4 Mines a 25-22 loss in Michigan in Week 1. The Orediggers roared back from a 17-0 third-quarter deficit to score 22 straight points on touchdowns by Max McLeod, Michael Zeman, and Josh Johnston, plus a Matthew Eich field goal; GVSU scored and converted for two with less than a minute left to retake the lead, and Mines came up just a few yards short of a Hail Mary as time expired. John Matocha threw for 350 yards and two scores to lead the comeback, and the Mines defense held the high-powered GVSU offense to below their 2021 averages in almost every category while producing turnovers by Jaden Healy on a fumble and a Jaden Williams interception.

WEEK 1 STANDOUTS
Quick hits on standout performances in Week 1:

- John Matocha passed for 350 yards on 26-of-36 (72%) passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
- Josh Johnston erupted in the second half to catch eight passes for 126 yards and a score.
- Max McLeod sparked Mines' comeback with a 49-yard touchdown, gathering five catches for 80 yards overall.
- Jaden Healy had a breakout career performance with a game-high 10 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
- Jaden Williams led the secondary with seven tackles, an interception, and two breakups. 
- Ethan Kremer, a redshirt freshman nose tackle, made his debut memorable with a fumble recovery.

HEALY'S BREAKOUT NIGHT
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Jaden Healy was recognized Monday as the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week for his outstanding play at Grand Valley State in Week 1. Healy - who had seven tackles all of last season - generated a career- and game-high 10 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a hurry at GVSU. His most important stop came in the third quarter when he combined with Jack Peterson to generate a no gain on 4th and 1, and his fourth-quarter strip sack of Cade Peterson gave Mines the ball back in the red zone. Overall, Healy had four different drive stops including a tackle on third down, a third-down hurry forcing an incompletion, the tackle on fourth down, plus the forced fumble. Healy was also impactful on special teams with four of his 10 tackles coming on kick and punt returns.

UNFAMILIAR GROUND
Despite belonging to the same Super Region, Mines has not played the Lone Star Conference with any regularity as this will be only the fifth time they've matched up against an LSC team and only the second time in the regular season (excluding new members of the LSC that came from the old GNAC football conference this offseason). The Orediggers are 3-1 against the Lone Star, including two wins last year at West Texas A&M and at home against the Rams.

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
Last week, 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.

MATOCHA MAGIC
Quarterback John Matocha started the season with one of the most productive games of his career, throwing for 350 yards on 26-of-36 passing with two touchdowns and no picks. His yardage total was the second-highest of his career. Matocha led Mines' charge back in the second half responsible for 12 of the Orediggers' 13 second-half first downs either with his arm or his legs, and he completed TDs of 49 and 40 yards. Matocha's top career games: 

Matocha's Top Career Yardage Games
10/9/21 at Black Hills St. - 362 yds, 83%, 4 TD    
9/1/22 at Grand Valley St. - 350 yds, 72%, 2 TD        
11/27/21 vs. Bemidji St. - 348 yds, 74%, 3 TD        
10/19/19 vs. Fort Lewis - 339 yds, 73%, 4 TD            

THE DRIVE
Trailing 22-17 in the fourth quarter at Grand Valley State, Mines was forced to start a drive inside their own 1 after an outstanding Laker punt. With their backs to the GVSU student section and needing a score, John Matocha orchestrated one of the most remarkable football drives you'll ever see, going 7-for-7 with 97 yards passing to five different receivers on the series. Josh Johnston catches started and ended the drive, with a 21-yard pass to get Mines out of danger on the first play and a later slip behind coverage for a wide-open 40-yard touchdown and the lead.

JOHNSTON'S BIG NIGHT
Eight different receivers had a catch at Grand Valley State, but none rose to the occasion more than sixth-year senior Josh Johnston. After a tough first half saw him make just one catch for 10 yards on two targets, Johnston erupted for seven catches, 116 yards, and a 40-yard touchdown after the break, 67 yards in the fourth quarter and three crucial first-down conversions in the third quarter. Three of Mines' four scoring drives contained a Johnston catch.

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 defense continued to do its job at Grand Valley State with two second-half takeaways - Jaden Healy's strip sack recovered by Ethan Kremer, and Jaden Williams' interception. 

WHEN IT COUNTS
Mines' third-down defense has been among the national elite in the last two seasons, and they continued to show that intensity in Week 1. The Orediggers held Grand Valley State to just 3-of-13 (23%) on third down as well as 0-for-2 on fourth down; last year Mines opponents converted on 29% of third and 31% of fourth downs. 

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.

NEXT UP
Mines begins RMAC play with a trip to Adams State on Sept. 17.