#1/1 Colorado School of Mines (11-0) vs. #16/9 Augustana (11-1) // Saturday, Nov. 25 // 12 p.m.
Alumni Field at Marv Kay Stadium, Golden, Colo.
[RMAC Network Pay-per-view] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [NCAA Bracket] [Mines Media Notes] [AU Media Notes]

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#1 Colorado School of Mines opens its postseason quest with a tough test, hosting NSIC champion #16/9 Augustana in the NCAA Second Round, the first-ever meeting between the programs.

LIVE COVERAGE
There will be no free video broadcast available for NCAA games this year, and the NCAA no longer allows local television broadcasts of games. The NCAA is requiring all schools to stream games behind a paywall. Each game will cost $9.95, or fans can get access to all Division II football playoff games in the first three rounds for $19.95. Fans can can still access this week's game on the RMAC Network as they have all year, but you will be prompted to create a login and purchase access. Fans can also watch all  games at the Championships Pass Page or searching for "NCAA Championships" apps on their Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire devices. 

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

- Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase digital tickets or print at home tickets ahead of time at minesathletics.com/tickets. 
- Mines students will be admitted free with their BlasterCard. Mines faculty and staff will receive one free admission with their BlasterCard but must purchase any additional tickets.
- For postseason play, all fans need a ticket; season passes are not valid for the postseason.
- Gates and the tailgating lot open two hours before kickoff at 10 a.m.
- Tailgating is permitted in Lot K only (next to Stermole Soccer Stadium, $10). Fans are encouraged to park for free in the parking garage at 1400 Maple Street, located two blocks south of Marv Kay Stadium. Visit the Parking page for more information.
- The City of Golden's street parking requires a permit seven days a week. Fans can not park in the neighborhood surrounding the stadium. 
- The New Terrain Beer Garden in the McKee West End Zone will be open for all fans 21+. 

WEATHER REPORT
Fans should be ready for the elements as Saturday's weather calls for a high of 27 with morning snow showers moving out by game time. The forecasts calls for 4" of snow to fall in Golden on Thursday night into Friday. 

AT THE HELM
Head Coach Pete Sterbick is 11-0 in his first season in charge of the Orediggers after the former offensive coordinator took over the head job last April. With Sterbick's promotion, Mines retained all of its assistant coaches, promoting offensive line coach Tim Brandon to offensive coordinator to replace Sterbick. This weekend will be a unique game for Sterbick as he faces his alma mater - he is a 2003 graduate of Augustana, where he played wide receiver and punter for the Vikings from 1998 to 2002.

LEADING THE WAY
The Orediggers elected four captains for the 2023 season, with quarterback John Matocha earning his second "C" patch alongside center Steele Petty, defensive tackle Jack Peterson, and safety Logan Rayburn being first-time captains. 

IN THE POLLS
Mines remained #1 in the national polls for a fifth consecutive week, the top team in both the AFCA and D2football.com polls, to close the regular season. Augustana comes in ranked #16 by the AFCA and #9 by D2football.com. Mines owns three wins this season over AFCA top-10 ranked teams this season having beaten #3 Grand Valley State, #4 Angelo State, and #9 Western Colorado.

ONE FOR THE THUMB
Mines clinched the outright RMAC championship with their win at Fort Lewis in Week 11, which marks their fifth in a row. That puts the program in elite company: only two other teams, Western Colorado (seven straight from 1973-79) and Utah (six straight from 1928 to 1933) have won five in a row in the 114-year history of the conference. The Orediggers have won 16 RMAC titles all-time.

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Mines will be playing its ninth home playoff game at Marv Kay Stadium Saturday since the renovated facility reopened in 2015. A challenging place for opponents to visit at 5,707' above sea level, Mines is 6-2 in the NCAA championship tournament at Marv Kay Stadium, and have won 13 straight overall at home. The Orediggers are 47-5 overall at home since 2015.

GREAT START
The 2023 Oredigger squad is only the third in program history to be 11-0, and one of only five to be 9-0 or better. The 2019 team, which ultimately won its first dozen games, was the last team to start 11-0. Mines finished its ninth unbeaten, untied regular season in program history with the win at Fort Lewis, and only the third since the Second World War:

THE MATCHUP
Mines will take on Augustana in the NCAA Second Round, the first-ever meeting between the two teams. The Vikings dispatched their NSIC rivals Minnesota State 51-24 in the first round and are 11-1 overall and champions of the NSIC. In that first-round game, Augustana forced six turnovers including five interceptions, and they committed only one penalty en route to an efficient seven touchdowns on 405 yards of offense. The Vikings are led by quarterback Casey Bauman, who has thrown for 2,634 yards and 28 touchdowns, and a thousand-yard back in Jarod Epperson (1,059 yards, 11 TD) with Bauman adding five ground scores. The duo of Devon Jones and Jack Fisher each have 500+ receiving yards with Jones catching eight TDs. Defensively, Augie allows 17 points and 307 yards per game with Peyton Buckley's 70 total tackles and three interceptions leading the way.

NOTING THE POSTSEASON/SERIES
The Orediggers are making their ninth NCAA championship appearance ... Mines is the #1 seed in Super Region 4 and Augustana is the #4 seed ... Mines made its first-ever NCAA final appearance in 2022 and has won two consecutive Super Region IV titles ... It is the second time Mines has been a #1 seed along with 2021 ... Mines' five consecutive appearances are tied for the second-longest active streak in the country ... Mines is 6-2 in NCAA play at Marv Kay Stadium ... While Mines has never played Augustana - in the postseason or otherwise - they are 3-0 against the NSIC, having faced an NSIC team in the last three consecutive postseasons ... Mines defeated Sioux Falls 24-21 in 2019, Bemidji State 55-6 in 2021, and Minnesota State 48-45 in 2022, all at home ... The other SR4 matchup will have two unseeded teams, Central Washington and Bemidji State, square off after upsetting Western Colorado and UT-Permian Basin, respectively, in the first round ... The winner of Mines-Augustana will host the winner of that game in the regional final on Dec. 2.

GOOSE EGGS
Mines' 82-0 win at Fort Lewis marked its second shutout of the season, and the Orediggers have now had two shutouts in four consecutive seasons dating back to 2019. It was the fourth zero put up by the Orediggers under defensive coordinator Tripp Thomas:

Shutouts Under Tripp Thomas        
2023 at Fort Lewis, 82-0        
2023 at Colorado Mesa, 52-0        
2022 vs. Fort Lewis, 80-0        
2022 vs. Black Hills State, 38-0        

BYE BYE BYE
The Orediggers are coming off a bye week for only the third time since 2010 after earning the #1 seed in the Super Region 4 bracket. Mines also did that in 2021, and before that you'd have to go all the way back to Week 3 of the 2010 season to find the last time they took a bye.

WEEK 11 REWIND
Mines' coronation as RMAC champion came on a history-making Saturday as they defeated Fort Lewis, 82-0, to wrap up the regular season on Nov. 11. John Matocha became college football's all-time recordholder for total touchdowns as the Orediggers wrapped up a perfect regular season and their fifth consecutive RMAC championship with a completely dominating victory over the Skyhawks. Matocha threw for three touchdowns and ran in another as Mines set a program record with 798 total yards of offense, and the second-most rushing yards ever at 508. Six different Orediggers had a rushing touchdown led by Landon Walker's three spot, and Walker, Noah Roper, Chris Yoo, Konnor Mickelsen, and Braelon Tate all had 70+ yards. The Oredigger defense had four takeaways and recorded its second shutout of the season holding FLC to -33 net rushing yards.
 
WEEK 11 QUICK HITS
Standouts from Week 11's win at Fort Lewis:

- In less than two quarters of play, John Matocha threw for 264 yards, three touchdowns, and had a rushing score.
- The offensive line had one of the best performances in program history to help Mines rush for 508 yards (the most since 1992) and go sack-free.
- Landon Walker rushed for three touchdowns and Noah Roper had 129 yards and a score among five different backs with at least 70+ yards and a touchdown.
- Flynn Schiele caught a touchdown on 97 yards receiving and Max McLeod had a score on 77 yards.
- James Hess had a career game with six tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, two stops for no gain, and 2.0 sacks.
- Christian Peluse and Nolan Reeve forced fumbles, with recoveries by Reeve and Joey Beckner, and Blake Ramsey and Devyn Lauer had interceptions.

MINES TOPS ALL-RMAC HONORS
For the first time in program history, Colorado School of Mines swept the three major player awards in the All-RMAC football teams as 28 total Orediggers were recognized in the season-end honors. John Matocha repeated as the Offensive Player of the Year, Nolan Reeve earned Defensive Player of the Year, and Blake Doud was the Special Teams Player of the Year to lead the teams. In total, 28 Orediggers were honored including 14 first-teamers: Matocha, Noah Roper, Max McLeod, Levi Johnson, and Steele Petty on offense; Reeve with Jackson Zimmermann, Jaden Williams, Adrian Moreno, Jaden Healy, Kyle Bahnsen, and end Zach Hester on defense; and Hunter Pearson joined Doud on the special teams first team.

CAME HERE TO PLAY SCHOOL
Another major RMAC award went to an Oredigger on Monday when redshirt freshman safety Will Ramsey was named the RMAC Summit Award winner. The award goes to the student-athlete with the highest GPA on the RMAC champion team or teams. Ramsey,a  computer science major, is the third active Oredigger to win the award, joining Ben Fuchs (2021) and Zach Heckman (2022).

VERY OFFENSIVE
Under Pete Sterbick as offensive coordinator between 2019 and 2022, Mines' offense routinely ranked among the best in the nation, leading the RMAC in scoring all three of those seasons (and leading the nation last year), and also ranking atop the RMAC in total offensive yards twice and in the NCAA top-10 last year. This year? Mines has the highest numbers of Sterbick and now-offensive coordinator Tim Brandon's careers so far, producing 51.1 points per game and 533.2 yards per game (66 yards per game more than 2022) to rank #2 nationally in both categories.

MATOCHA MAKES HISTORY
John Matocha's historic career continues to set records, and at Fort Lewis he reached a truly impressive mark: producing more touchdowns than any player in college football history. Matocha has 181 career touchdowns responsible for (155 passing, 25 rushing, and 1 receiving), which surpasses the all-divisions record of 178 that was co-held by Houston's Case Keenum (FBS) and Central Iowa's Blaine Hawkins (D-III). Matocha broke the record on a 55-yard touchdown strike to Flynn Schiele to become the single highest producer of touchdowns in the history of the sport. 

In addition to that, already taken down by Matocha are the Mines, RMAC, and Colorado records for passing yards (13,891), passing touchdowns (155), and total offensive yards (15,767); he now stands four passing touchdowns shy of Tyson Bagent's college football record of 159. Matocha is only the fourth player in college football history to reach 150 career passing touchdowns. On Tuesday, Matocha was named one of 38 nominees for the Harlon Hill Trophy, the award he won in 2022 as the D-II national player of the year. 

College Football Career Total Touchdowns        
1. John Matocha, Mines        181        
2. Case Keenum (Houston)        178        
     Blaine Hawkins (Central Iowa)    178        

College Football Career Passing Touchdowns        
1. Tyson Bagent, Shepherd    159    D-II        
2. Alex Tanney, Monmouth    157    D-III        
3. Case Keenum, Houston    155    FBS        
     John Matocha, Mines    155    D-II        

NCAA D-II Career Total Touchdowns        
181 - John Matocha, Mines (155 pass/25 rush/1 rec.)    
171 - Tyson Bagent, Shepherd (159 pass/12 rush)        
166 - Jason Vander Lann, Ferris State (85 pass/81 rush)    

NCAA D-II Career Total Offensive Yards        
1. Tyson Bagent, Shepherd         17,213        
2. Bo Cordell, Tusculum        16,432        
3. Jimmy Terwilliger, E. Stroudsburg    16,064        
4. John Matocha, Mines         15,767        
5. Steven Gachette, SW Baptist    15,235        
6. Justin Dvorak, Mines        14,608        
7. Zach Amedro, West Liberty        14,598        

Mines/RMAC/Colorado Career Passing Yards        
1. John Matocha (2019-23)        13,891        
2. Justin Dvorak (2013-16)        13,466        

TO THE MAX
Max McLeod continues his standout season at receiver as he crossed a pair of milestones in Week 10, reaching both 3,000 career and 1,000 season yards in the same game. McLeod has the 13th 1,000-yard season in Mines history and is only the fourth player, joining Brody Oliver, Jonny Chan, and Justin Gallas, to do it twice. Meanwhile, he joins Oliver and Gallas as only the third 3,000-yard receiver in program history and now has 3,079 in three seasons. McLeod's 1,202 yards has him fourth in NCAA Division II, and he is sixth nationally with 14 touchdowns. He has also joined Oliver and former teammate Josh Johnston as only the third 40-touchdown receiver at Mines.

Mines Career Receiving Yards            
1. Brody Oliver (2014-2018)    4,010        
2. Justin Gallas (2001-2005)    3,561        
3. Max McLeod (2021-pres.)    3,156        
4. Jonny Chan (2000-2004)    2,972        
5. Josh Johnston (2019-22)    2,939        

Mines Career Receiving Touchdowns        
1. Brody Oliver (2014-2018)    59        
2. Max McLeod (2021-pres.)    42        
3. Josh Johnston (2018-22)    40        
4. Adam Saur (2005-2009)    32        
5. Jonny Chan (2000-2004)    31        

WELL GROUNDED, PART I
The Orediggers have had an extremely productive rushing offense in 2023, with their 221.5 yards per game on the ground ranking 11th nationally. Behind a veteran offensive line, it's been a true group effort as Noah Roper and Landon Walker - both all-RMAC selections - have combined for 1,305 yards and 21 touchdowns, with John Matocha adding another 325 and 2, Braelon Tate 285 and 3, and Chris Yoo 263 and 5. Mines has been over 200 yards rushing in a game seven times and 250 yards four times this year culminating in their 508-yard performance at Fort Lewis, which was the second-best single-game mark in program history and most since 1992. 

WELL GROUNDED, PART II
On the other side of the ball, the Orediggers' run defense has been one of the nation's elite units in 2023, allowing an RMAC-best 70.9 yards per game, which ranks fourth in D-II. The Orediggers have not allowed 100 or more yards in seven straight games, and have three games - vs. Adams State (5 yards), Western Colorado (7 yards), and Fort Lewis (-33) - of less than 10 yards allowed. Mines has 88 tackles for loss overall led by their outside linerbackers Nolan Reeve (9.0) and Jaden Healy (6.5) with James Hess (6.0) Kyle Bahnsen (5.5) and Jack Peterson (5.5) leading the defensive line.

REEVE LEADS THE WAY
RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Nolan Reeve continues to be college football's active leader in sacks, compiling 39.5 in his career to lead all divisions of the NCAA. Reeve has a team-leading 7.0 this season. Reeve still has work to get to Mines' career record, held by former Jacksonville Jaguar and all-American Marc Schiechl at 46.0, but Reeve has compiled double-digit sacks in each of the last two seasons, including tying Schiechl's single-season mark of 13.5 last year. Coincidentally, Reeve is Mines' first RMAC DPOTY since Schiechl did it in 2010. 

NCAA Football Active Sacks Leaders            
1. Nolan Reeve (Mines)        39.5        
2. Ryan Bodolus (Ursinus)        36.5        
3. Josh Bever (Ohio Northern)    35.5        

THIIIIIIIRD DOWN
Third downs have been kind to the Orediggers this season on both sides of the ball as Mines ranks second in NCAA Division II third down conversion offense and eighth in defense. Mines has converted 58.2 percent of its third-down opportunities offensively, while the defense has allowed opponents to convert only 26.5 percent; both marks lead the RMAC. 

HUGE LOSERS
As has been well-documented, Mines Football is good at a lot of things. Scoring touchdowns, stopping opposing offenses, you know - football stuff. Not included on that list is predicting coin flips - the Orediggers have lost 19 of their last 23 coin tosses to start the game dating back to early last season. The Fort Lewis game snapped a six-game losing streak on coin tosses as Mines won their second of the season (also winning at CSU Pueblo). The good news? The Orediggers are 19-0 when losing the coin toss since the start of the 2022 season.

YOINK!
Mines is an exceptional +18 on turnover margin this season, which ranks third in NCAA Division II. It's come from all directions, with 22 different Orediggers have a hand in at least one turnover this season; cornerback Jackson Zimmermann's five interceptions leads Mines in total turnovers, with Evan Alexander (1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR), Jaden Williams (1 INT, 1 FR), Nolan Reeve (1 FR, 2 FF) Jaden Healy (1 INT, 1 FF), Joey Beckner (1 FF, 2 FR) and Zach Hester (1 FF, 1 FR) also having stats in multiple columns.

BIG LEG BLAKE
Punter Blake Doud became Mines' first RMAC Special Teams Player of the Year since 2013 last week as he has excelled in his first year starting. Doud leads the RMAC by two full yards in punting average at 46.6 yards per punt on 34 boots; that total includes 13 beyond 50 yards and 15 inside the 20-yard line, and he has the RMAC's longest punt of the year at 77 yards (which was at Angelo State, not at elevation). Opponents have managed only eight punt returns against the Orediggers this season, averaging 4.75 yards. Doud's average would lead the nation but Mines has not punted enough for him to be ranked in the national stats; the Orediggers are second in NCAA Division II in net punting at 42.47 yards per punt. The redshirt sophomore from Parker, Colo. is a three-time RMAC Specialist of the Week and two-time D2football.com National Specialist of the Week this season. 

ON A ROLL
With 22 consecutive RMAC wins, Mines will take the longest active conference winning streak in NCAA Division II into the 2024 season, one ahead of Benedict who has won 21 straight in the SIAC. Mines' streak ranks seventh-longest in all of college football with six D-III teams ahead of them topped by Mount Union's incredible 57-game streak in the Ohio Athletic Conference. Michigan leads FBS with 22 in a row and South Dakota State FCS with 17 straight.

NEXT UP
The winner of Mines-Augustana will host the winner of Central Washington-Bemidji State on Dec. 2 in the NCAA quarterfinals, at a time to be announced.