GOLDEN, Colo. - Max McLeod set a Colorado School of Mines postseason record with 215 receiving yards to lead the #1 Orediggers in a 56-10 romp over #16/9 Augustana in the NCAA Second Round at Marv Kay Stadium.

The Orediggers (12-0) will host Central Washington, a 21-17 winner over Bemidji State, in next Saturday's national quarterfinal at a time to be announced. It will be Mines' third consecutive appearance in the Super Region 4 final, having won the last two.

John Matocha threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns, running in another, and helped McLeod to a huge day as he had 12 catches for 215 yards and two scores to break his own program postseason receiving record. Mines' ground game averaged 4.8 yards per carry as Noah Roper, Landon Walker, Braelon Tate, and Matocha all had rushing scores, and Nolan Reeve fell on Jaden Healy's strip sack in the end zone for a defensive score.

An utterly dominant Mines defense had 14 tackles for loss and sacked Vikings quarterback Casey Bauman six times as they held Augie to 250 total yards and only six net rushing yards.

Mines ran out to a 21-0 lead scoring on their opening two drives, with Matocha taking off for a four-yard scramble and Roper getting in from six yards out to lead 14-0. Jackson Zimmermann's interception halted Augie's next possession, and after trading punts and Mines missing a field goal, the Orediggers backed up the Vikings in their own red zone with a Nate Sutter sack. That immediately set up the Healy strip sack on the two-yard line, and the ball bounced into the end zone for Reeve to fall on for six.

Augustana's only points of the first half came on Jake Pecina's 24-yard field goal on their next series, but Matocha responded in a big way as he hit a 50-yard deep bakll to McLeod four plays later to make it 28-3 at the half.

Augustana opened the second half with a touchdown, capping off a 79-yard drive with Logan Uttecht's seven-yard touchdown grab from Bauman to cut it to 28-10, but Mines was unstoppable after that, with Flynn Schiele's 18-yard dump off from Matocha and Walker's one-yard wildcat plunge making it 42-10 after three quarters, and McLeod's second TD - a 27-yard strike from Matocha - going with Braelon Tate's eight-yard run in the fourth quarter to win it going away.

NOTABLES
- Mines head coach Pete Sterbick improved to 12-0 in his career as he faced his alma mater. Sterbick played wide receiver and punter for Augustana, graduating in 2003. 
- Three different Orediggers had at least two tackles for loss, led by Reeve and Hayden Gregg with 2.5 each and Healy with 2.0. All three ended up with a team-high eight tackles, Healy and Reeve combined for 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, and Reeve had four hurries.
- Mines held the Vikings to just 2-of-15 on third-down tries and stopped three of Augie's five fourth-down attempts. On the other side, Mines was 6-for-12 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth.
- Zimmermann's interception was his sixth of the season. The Orediggers are now +20 on turnover margin this season.
- Against a stout Augie defense, Mines averaged 7.8 yards per play and had 485 total yards off only 62 offensive snaps. 
- McLeod broke his own program postseason record for receiving yards, which was 214 set last year against Shepherd. 
- Matocha's four total touchdowns take him to 185 in his career, with every score a new college football record after he broke the mark against Fort Lewis in Week 11. Meanwhile, he now stands at 158 career passing touchdowns, which puts him one behind Tyson Bagent for the college football all-time record in that category.
- Mines' 12-0 record is tied for the most wins without a loss in program history with the 2004 and 2019 teams. 
- Mines won its 14th consecutive game at Marv Kay Stadium and improved to 7-2 in NCAA Championship tournament games at home. 
- Mines is 4-0 against the AFCA Top 25 this season.

ELSEWHERE AROUND THE NCAA
As mentioned, Central Washington defeated Bemidji State on the road 17-14 to face Mines in next week's Super Region 4 final. In Super Region 1, the matchup will be Slippery Rock (a 45-35 winner at Tiffin) facing Kutztown (a 32-31 winner over Charleston); in Super Region 2, Lenoir-Rhyne will play Valdosta State after L-R beat top-seeded Benedict 35-25 and VSU defeated conference rival Delta State 38-31; and in Super Region 3, the top two seeds will face off as Harding beat Central Missouri 35-34 to face Grand Valley State, a 24-21 winner over Pitt State.

NEXT UP
Mines will host Central Washington in the NCAA quarterfinals on Dec. 2 at a time to be announced. The game time will be determined by the NCAA on Monday.