#1/1 Colorado School of Mines (12-0) vs. #RV Central Washington (9-3) // Saturday, Dec. 2 // 12 p.m.
Alumni Field at Marv Kay Stadium, Golden, Colo.
[Video: RMAC Network (pay-per-view)] [Radio: RMAC Network (free)] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [NCAA Bracket] [Mines Media Notes]

---

After a statement win in the second round, #1 Colorado School of Mines aims for its third consecutive regional title as it hosts Central Washington for the first time in the NCAA quarterfinals.

LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's game will be streamed live on the RMAC Network and NCAA Championships app (both pay-per-view) with Miles Dunklin and Josh Dover on the call. There will also be a free RMAC Network Radio stream with Justin Adams and Ron Woitalewicz available - both broadcasts can be found at minesathletics.com/tv. 

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. Going forward, the semifinals and final will be broadcast on ESPN+ and ESPNU, respectively.

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
Bundle up - Saturday's forecast is for a high of 36 and increasing winds through the afternoon with gusts up to 40 mph.

AT THE HELM
Head Coach Pete Sterbick is 12-0 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. Last week, Sterbick's Orediggers defeated his alma mater, Augustana, in the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

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. Central Washington was receiving votes in the last AFCA poll. Mines owns four wins this season over AFCA top-25 ranked teams this season (by an average score of 40-17) having beaten #3 Grand Valley State, #4 Angelo State, #9 Western Colorado, and #16 Augustana. CWU has also had success against the top 25, including two straight wins over #10 Western Colorado and #21 Bemidji State; they also beat then-#9 Angelo State in Week 3, and lost to #17 UT-Permian Basin in Week 11.

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 10th 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 7-2 in the NCAA championship tournament at Marv Kay Stadium, and have won 14 straight overall at home and seven straight in the postseason. The Orediggers are 48-5 overall at home since 2015.

GREAT START
The 2023 Oredigger squad is only the third in program history to be 12-0, and one of only five to be 9-0 or better. The 2004 and 2019 teams are the only other 12-0 teams in program history, and a win over Central Washington would both tie the program record for season wins (13-3 in 2022) and set the best undefeated record ever. 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.   

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER
Mines is playing into December for the third straight year and the 10th time overall. The Orediggers are 7-4 in the final month of the year dating back to 1890, including two wins last year.

THE MATCHUP
For the second straight week, Mines will take on a new opponent as Central Washington dances their way to Golden. The only unseeded team left in the NCAA Division II tournament, the Wildcats (9-3) went on the road to upset second-seeded Western Colorado, 16-13 in overtime, then beat Bemidji State, 21-17, last week. CWU's success has come when they control the ball; the Wildcats average 32:09 of ball control per game but have held massive time of possession advantages the last two weeks including an eye-popping 43:04 time of possession at Bemidji State. A run-heavy offense is led by Tyler Flanagan (1,017 yards, 12 TD) and quarterback Kennedy McGill (601 yards, 4 TD), with McGill also throwing for seven touchdowns against only one interception. The Wildcats have one of the top defenders in the nation in safety Tanner Volk, who leads all of college football with 13 interceptions and is 10th nationally with 115 tackles. They allow 22.1 points per game on rushing/passing splits of 144.3/190.7.

NOTING THE POSTSEASON/SERIES
The Orediggers are making their ninth NCAA championship appearance ... Mines is the #1 seed in Super Region 4 while Central Washington is unseeded having upset #2 Western Colorado in the first round and then beating Bemidji State last week, both on the road ... Mines is appearing in its third consecutive Super Region IV final, winning in 2021 and 2022 ... CWU is appearing in its first regional final since 2009 ... It is the second time Mines has been a #1 seed along with 2021 ... Mines' five consecutive NCAA appearances are tied for the second-longest active streak in the country ... Mines is 7-2 in NCAA play at Marv Kay Stadium ... While Mines has never played Central Washington - in the postseason or otherwise - Mines is 5-2 vs. the Lone Star Conference all-time including wins over Angelo State in the last two SR4 finals ... It will be the third consecutive RMAC vs. LSC regional final.  

WORKING OVERTIME
Mines' game against Augustana represented the 11th career playoff game for Mines' seniors (and the 12th for the sixth-year seniors), meaning that the Orediggers have essentially played five full seasons of football in the last four as an NCAA Division II regular season contains 11 games. John Matocha is Mines' active and all-time leader in starts at 54 (all consecutive), with Jaden Williams (46) and Cam Forrest (40) also over 40 and Nic Van de Graaf, Levi Johnson, and Nolan Reeve each at 37.

SECOND ROUND REWIND
The game was never in doubt as Mines rolled past fourth-seeded Augustana, 56-10, in last week's NCAA Second Round. John Matocha threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns, running in another, and Max McLeod had a career-high 215-yard day on 12 catches 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. A 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.
 
SECOND ROUND QUICK HITS
Standouts from Week 11's win at Fort Lewis:

- John Matocha threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another in an efficient 201.5 QB-rated outing.
- Noah Roper ran for 67 yards and a score, Landon Walker averaged 7.6 yards per carry for 38 yards and a touchdown, Braelon Tate scored off only two touches, and Matocha ran in the opening touchdown as Mines averaged 4.8 yards per rush overall.
- Max McLeod had a monster game, tying his career high with 12 catches and surpassing his yardage best with 215, which set a new Mines postseason record. He had two scores, while Flynn Schiele caught the Orediggers' other one.
- Jaden Healy, Nolan Reeve, and Hayden Gregg each had eight tackles and at least 2.0 TFL, with Healy and Reeve adding sacks and Reeve the touchdown off Healy's forced fumble. 
- Jackson Zimmermann picked off his sixth interception of the season.

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. Another major RMAC award went to an Oredigger 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).

SUCCESS STARTS UP FRONT
Right tackle Levi Johnson has been a leader on a series of outstanding Mines offense lines over the past three years, and on Monday he was recognized as one of eight national finalists for the Gene Upshaw Award, given to the outstanding senior lineman in Division II. Johnson is Mines' fourth finalist for the award, which considers both offensive and defensive linemen, joining Matt Armendariz (2022), Grant Stewart (2019), and Mark Schiechl (2010). Johnson has started 36 consecutive games at right tackle, blocking for four all-RMAC and two all-American running backs and the 2022 Harlon Hill Trophy winner; he is a two-time First-Team All-RMAC selection. 

VERY OFFENSIVE
Under Pete Sterbick as OC 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 a national-leading 51.5 points per game and D-II's #2 total offense at 529.2 yards per game.

MATOCHA MAKES HISTORY
Harlon Hill Award finalist John Matocha's historic career continues to set records, and while he's already produced more touchdowns than any player in college football history (185 and counting), he is on the verge of another all-divisions record. Matocha is now second all-time in passing touchdowns at 158, just one behind Tyson Bagent's college football record of 159. It would go with a bevy of other career marks that Matocha has taken down this season, including the Mines, RMAC, and Colorado records for passing yards (14,219), passing touchdowns (158), and total offensive yards (16,106). He is now third all-time in D-II history in total offensive yards and fifth in passing yards, last week becoming only the fifth player in division history to cross 14,000 career passing yards and fourth to hit 16,000 total yards. 

College Football Career Total Touchdowns        
1. John Matocha, Mines        185        
2. Case Keenum (Houston)        178        
     Blaine Hawkins (Central Iowa)    178        

College Football Career Passing Touchdowns        
1. Tyson Bagent, Shepherd    159    D-II        
2. John Matocha, Mines    158    D-II        
3. Alex Tanney, Monmouth    157    D-III        
4. Case Keenum, Houston    155    FBS        

NCAA D-II Career Total Touchdowns        
185 - John Matocha, Mines (158 pass/26 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. John Matocha, Mines         16,106        
4. Jimmy Terwilliger, E. Stroudsburg    16,064        
5. Steven Gachette, SW Baptist    15,235        

NCAA D-II Career Passing Yards            
1. Tyson Bagent, Shepherd         17,034        
2. Bo Cordell, Tusculum        16,265        
3. Zach Amedro, West Liberty        14,733        
4. Jimmy Terwilliger, E. Stroudsburg    14,350        
5. John Matocha, Mines         14,219        

Mines/RMAC/Colorado Career Passing Yards        
1. John Matocha (2019-23)        14,219        
2. Justin Dvorak (2013-16)        13,466        

TO THE MAX
Max McLeod, the NFFCC Colorado Player of the Week, had a monster second-round game as he continues his standout season. McLeod is now second nationally in receiving yards at 1,417, first in yards per game (118.1), and fourth in receiving touchdowns (16). He has produced 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 3,371 in three seasons. His 215 yards against Augustana broke his own Mines postseason record (and career high) of 214 set in last year's NCAA semifinal against Shepherd, and he matched his career-high catches total from that game with a dozen.

Mines Career Receiving Yards            
1. Brody Oliver (2014-2018)    4,010        
2. Justin Gallas (2001-2005)    3,561        
3. Max McLeod (2021-pres.)    3,371        
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.)    44        
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 214.9 yards per game on the ground ranking 14th 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 1,410 yards and 23 touchdowns, with John Matocha adding another 336 and 3, Braelon Tate 298 and 4, 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 in Week 11, 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 65.5 yards per game, which ranks fourth in D-II. The Orediggers have not allowed 100 or more yards in eight straight games, and have four games - vs. Adams State (5 yards), Western Colorado (7 yards), Fort Lewis (-33), and Augustana (6) - of less than 10 yards allowed. Mines has 101 tackles for loss overall led by their outside linerbackers Nolan Reeve (11.5) and Jaden Healy (8.5) and middle Hayden Gregg (8.0). 

HOLSTER THE PISTOLS
Mines' linebackers had a whopper of a game against Augustana, leading a punishing front seven that held the Vikings to only six net rushing yards. Combined, the starting four of Jaden Healy, Nolan Reeve, Adrian Moreno, and Hayden Gregg had 30 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, a recovery for a touchdown, and five hurries in a dominant display.

REEVE LEADS THE WAY
RMAC Defensive Player of the Year Nolan Reeve continues to be college football's active leader in sacks, recording his 40th career takedown last week to lead all divisions of the NCAA at 40.5. Reeve has a team-leading 7.0 this season. The Mines record is held by former Jacksonville Jaguar and all-American Marc Schiechl at 46.0; coincidentally, Reeve is Mines' first RMAC DPOTY since Schiechl did it in 2010. Reeve did add a career first last week, falling on a fumble in the end zone for his first career touchdown coming in his 54th game played.

NCAA Football Active Sacks Leaders            
1. Nolan Reeve (Mines)        40.5        
2. Ryan Bodolus (Ursinus)        36.5        
3. Josh Bever (Ohio Northern)    36.5        

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 third in defense. Mines has converted 57.5 percent of its third-down opportunities offensively, while the defense has allowed opponents to convert only 25.3 percent; both marks lead the RMAC. Last week, the Orediggers allowed Augustana to move the sticks on only 2 of its 15 third downs.

YOINK!
Mines is an exceptional +20 on turnover margin this season, which ranks second in NCAA Division II. It's come from all directions, with 22 different Orediggers having a hand in at least one turnover this season; cornerback Jackson Zimmermann's six interceptions leads Mines in total turnovers, with Evan Alexander (1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR), Jaden Williams (1 INT, 1 FR), Nolan Reeve (2 FR, 2 FF) Jaden Healy (1 INT, 2 FF), Joey Beckner (1 FF, 2 FR) and Zach Hester (1 FF, 1 FR) also having stats in multiple columns.

POSTSEASON STOPPERS
Max McLeod's 215 receiving yards wasn't the only postseason program record set by the Orediggers last week against Augustana as the defense notched two team marks. Mines' 250 total yards allowed is the fewest in 20 postseason appearances, and their 6 rushing yards allowed is also a program record.

BIG LEG BLAKE
Punter Blake Doud became Mines' first RMAC Special Teams Player of the Year since 2013 as he has excelled in his first year starting. Doud leads the RMAC by two full yards in punting average at 46.5 yards per punt on 36 boots; that total includes 13 beyond 50 yards and 17 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 42.6 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. 

NEXT UP
The winner advances to the national semifinals, which are re-seeded by the national committee; matchups and sites will be announced Saturday night. The semifinal games will be seen live on ESPN+.