#2 Colorado School of Mines (4-0, 2-0 RMAC) vs. Chadron State (1-3, 0-2 RMAC) // Saturday, Sept. 30 // 12 p.m.
Alumni Field at Marv Kay Stadium, Golden, Colo.
[TV: KCDO Local3] [RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes]

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Returning to Marv Kay Stadium for Homecoming with a 4-0 record, #2 Colorado School of Mines looks to extend its unbeaten start hosting Chadron State in Week 5.

LIVE COVERAGE
Mines Football will be televised on its new home live on KCDO Local3 in Colorado, and stream for free on the RMAC Network. Miles Dunklin and Josh Dover have the call. 

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

- Washington Ave. in downtown Golden will be shut down on Saturday between 11th and 13th streets for Coors' 150th anniversary street party. Fans are highly encouraged to enter campus via 19th Street, and use the free Ore Cart shuttle service as well. 
- Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase digital tickets or print at home tickets ahead of time at minesathletics.com/tickets.
- Mines students, faculty, and staff will be admitted free with their BlasterCard. 
- 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
Saturday will be a beautiful day for football with a forecast temperature of 76 at kickoff going into the low 80s and mostly sunny skies throughout the day. 

AT THE HELM
Head Coach Pete Sterbick has won his first four games in charge of the Orediggers after the former offensive coordinator took over the head job last April.  Sterbick is now the seventh coach in Mines history to start out 4-0 and could be only the fourth to go 5-0 with a win this week. With Sterbick's promotion, Mines retained all of its assistant coaches, promoting offensive line coach Tim Brandon to offensive coordinator to replace Sterbick. Jay Long is the long-time head coach of Chadron State now in his 12th season, and is 79-68 overall as a head coach including several seasons at Black Hills State.

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.

MINES SIGNS NEW TELEVISION DEAL
Mines Football has a new television home for the rest of the 2023 season, announcing a deal with KCDO Local3 in Denver earlier in September. All remaining RMAC home games will be carried live on Local3 as well as streamed on the RMAC Network. 

NO PLACE LIKE HOME, PART I
It's Homecoming Weekend at Mines, which includes the introduction of the 2023 Hall of Fame Class, the crowning of the King and Queen, and much more in addition to the football game. Homecoming has been kind to the Orediggers in recent years; Mines has never lost a Homecoming game at Marv Kay Stadium (7-0) since it opened in 2015, including last year's 48-21 win over Colorado Mesa. Mines has won nine consecutive Homecoming games dating back to 2013.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME, PART II
Marv Kay Stadium is a tough place to play, and that's especially true against conference foes; Mines has not lost a home RMAC game since 2016. The Orediggers are 32-2 all-time against the RMAC since Marv Kay Stadium opened in 2015, and have won 28 straight since that 2016 loss, a span of 2,569 days.

HALL CALL 
As part of Homecoming weekend, Mines Athletics will induct its new Hall of Fame Class which includes former Oredigger kicker Mike Flater. Flater was a three-sport star in football, soccer, and track & field and still owns the RMAC record for longest field goal at 62 yards, set in 1973. An all-American, he would be taken by Washington in the 1974 NFL draft. Flater also starred on the soccer pitch, earning 15 caps for the United States national team and playing in the 1972 Olympics in Munich for the USA. He would go on to have a successful pro soccer career in the NASL. 

IN THE POLLS
Mines stayed at #2 in both major polls this week, tying their best showings in program history in both the AFCA and D2football.com rankings. Mines is receiving six first-place votes in the AFCA poll. In the conference poll announced in August, Mines was selected atop the RMAC preseason coaches' poll, with Chadron State seventh.

QUAD SQUAD
With RMAC play underway, the Orediggers hope to continue one of the most dominant runs in conference history as they seek their fifth consecutive RMAC crown. The Orediggers have won either an outright or shared title each year since 2018 (no championship was awarded in 2020), going 36-2 in that span against the RMAC. Mines joins an elite list of programs to have won four straight rings: CSU Pueblo (2011-14), Colorado Mesa (1985-88), Western Colorado (1973-79 and 1963-66), and Utah (1928-33).

LAST YEAR VS. CHADRON ST.
Mines overcame a slow start to score 45 unanswered points and roll past Chadron State, 45-9. The Orediggers combined an efficient offense with their opportunistic defense to stifle the Eagles at home. John Matocha produced a 24-of-32, 329-yard, 4-touchdown performance, with Josh Johnston breaking out for a 166-yard day with a score. Max McLeod, Landon Walker, and Kenny Wright also caught touchdowns as Walker and Chris Yoo each ran one in. The Mines defense limited CSC to 11 first downs and 233 total yards including just 50 rushing yards. Mack Minnehan and Jaden Williams grabbed first-half interceptions, and eight different Orediggers had a hand in at least one sack led by Nolan Reeve with 1.5.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Chadron State enters the game at 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the RMAC, but had a solid performance against nationally-ranked Western Colorado in a 35-17 loss last week. Kicker Wilson Yee highlighted that game with three field goals including a program-record 61-yarder, and Tommy Thomas had an 80-yard touchdown catch from Preston Pearson. Chadron has combined quarterbacks Heath Beemiller and Pearson, with Beemiller throwing for 524 yards and four touchdowns and Pearson 196 yards and three scores; Pearson is also the team's leading rusher with 166 yards. Thomas is having a breakout season with 306 yards and four touchdowns in the air. Defensively the Eagles allow 37.8 points per game and are led by Joey Geil's 32 total tackles and Hunter O'Connor's 2.0 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss.

NOTING THE MINES-CHADRON SERIES
Mines and Chadron State are meeting for the 45th 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 23-21 but Mines has won nine straight and 10 of the last 12 ... Mines leads 12-10 playing in Golden ... Mines and Chadron State have combined to have all five of the RMAC's Harlon Hill Award winners: Danny Woodhead (2006 and 2007) for the Eagles and Chad Friehauf (2004), Justin Dvorak (2016), and John Matocha (2022) for Mines. 

WEEK 4 REWIND
Mines got off to a fast start and never let up, routing CSU Pueblo 55-14 at the Thunderbowl to improve to 4-0. John Matocha masterminded the offense with a 328-yard, three-touchdown performance that included a pair of 100-yard receivers in Max McLeod and Flynn Schiele, with Schiele catching two of the scores and McLeod the other. Landon Walker ran for 87 yards and a TD and Noah Roper went for 68 and a score as Mines rushed for 231 yards. Hunter Pearson put two field goals through and Evan Foster added a late rushing touchdown as the Orediggers compiled 563 yards of offense. The defense was just as good led by Jaden Healy's pick-six and forced fumble, with Zach Hester also forcing a fumble and Jaden Williams recovering one.

WEEK 4 QUICK HITS
Standouts from Week 4's win at CSU Pueblo:

- John Matocha threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for a season-high 43 yards.
- Max McLeod and Flynn Schiele became Mines' first 100-yard receiving duo since 2021 as McLeod went for 106 with a touchdown on eight catches and Schiele a career-best 101 with two TDs on five receptions. 
- The backfield tandem of Landon Walker and Noah Roper continued to produce big as they each had a touchdown with Walker rushing for 87 yards and Roper 70.
- Evan Foster saw time and rushed for a touchdown for the second consecutive week.
- Jaden Healy had a pick-six, strip sack fumble, and five tackles.
- Evan Alexander made the start at middle linebacker and had a career-high eight tackles.
- Jaden Williams recovered Zach Hester's forced fumble.
- The Mines secondary had six pass break-ups including a pair by Nate Sutter.
- Hunter Pearson hit two field goals including a career-long 44-yarder.

WELL AWARDED
Mines had a pair of RMAC players of the week on Monday with John Matocha earning offensive and Jaden Healy defensive honors. It's Matocha's 11th career honor after he threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns at CSU Pueblo; Healy earns his second career award following a five-tackle game that included his 37-yard pick-six and a strip sack. Mines has had six combined RMAC players of the week through four games, including two nods for Matocha.

MATOCHA MAGIC
John Matocha's electric 2022 season caught national attention, and the quarterback has been no less impressive in 2023 after winning the Harlon Hill Award as Division II's national player of the year. This season, Matocha has thrown for 1,239 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just one interception in four games, completing 66.7 percent of his passes, and he has three 325+ yard games out of four with eight combined touchdown passes in the last two weeks. A starter since week 2 of his true freshman season in 2019, Matocha is 40-6 since then and is approaching several of fellow Harlon Hill winner Justin Dvorak's Mines and RMAC passing records, and is 29 passing touchdowns away from ex-Shepherd and current Chicago Bears quarterback Tyson Bagent's NCAA D-II record. Matocha has a chance at two milestones this weekend: first, he is four touchdown passes away from tying Dvorak's Mines and RMAC record of 134, which would also put Matocha into third all-time in NCAA Division II history; and second, Matocha is 51 passing yards away from becoming the 20th player in NCAA D-II and third player in RMAC history to reach 12,000 career passing yards. 

NCAA D-II Career Passing Touchdowns        
1. Tyson Bagent, Shepherd,  159        
2. Jimmy Terwilliger, E. Stroudsburg, 148        
3. Justin Dvorak, Mines, 134        
4. John Matocha, Mines, 130        

Mines Career Passing Yards                
1. Justin Dvorak (2013-16), 13,466        
2. John Matocha (2019-23), 11,949        
3. Chad Friehauf (2001-04), 9,873        

Matocha is also at the top or close to the top of several NCAA all-division categories, and leads all of college football in touchdowns responsible for with 154 in his career:

NCAA Career Touchdowns Responsible For, Active Players        
1. John Matocha (Mines), 154        
2. Austin Reed (Western Ky.), 148        
3. Sam Hartman (Notre Dame), 143        
4. Braxton Plunk (Mount Union), 143        

Mines Career Total Touchdowns            
1. Justin Dvorak (2013-16),  161        
2. John Matocha (2019-23),  154        

KEEPING IT 100
Max McLeod is on a rare streak at the moment as he has become only the fourth player in program history to record four  consecutive 100+ yard receiving games, going for 157, 147, 109, and 106 so far. His 519 yards lead NCAA Division II through the first month, and is the first Oredigger to have such a streak since the great Brody Oliver in 2018. Meanwhile, McLeod continues to move up the Mines career receiving ranks, now tied for fourth in career touchdown catches, and inching up to ninth on the career receiving yards list with the potential to go much higher this week: 

Mines Career Receiving Yards         
1. Brody Oliver (2014-2018), 4,010        
2. Justin Gallas (2001-2005), 3,561        
3. Jonny Chan (2000-2004), 2,972        
4. Josh Johnston (2019-22), 2,939        
5. Adam Saur (2005-2009), 2,888        
6. Ty Young (2012-2016), 2,696        
7. Riley Hoff (2014-2018), 2,496        
8. Jerrod Doucett (2008-2012), 2,476        
9. Max McLeod (2021-pres.), 2,473        
10. Brian Sump (1999-2002), 2,328        

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

Mines 4x100+ Yard Receiving Game Streaks        
Max McLeod, 4 (2023)            
Brody Oliver, 5 (2018), 8 (2016)        
Justin Gallas, 4 (2005)             
Jonny Chan, 5 (2003)            

TWO-HEADED MONSTER
You'd be hard pressed to find a better one-two punch at running back than Landon Walker and Noah Roper. The duo have combined for 442 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground and 137 yards and three more touchdowns through the air, accounting for more than a quarter of Mines' total yards and nearly half of its touchdowns this season. Their split is nearly even: Walker has rushed for 219 yards and five touchdowns with Roper 223 yards and three; Walker has nine catches for 90 yards and two TDs with Roper six for 47 and one. 

REEVE LEADS THE WAY
Nolan Reeve enters this week as college football's active leader in sacks, compiling 35.5 in his career to lead all divisions of the NCAA. Reeve added another to his record last week at CSU Pueblo and has 3.0 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. Reeve also ranks second among active D-II players in tackles for loss with 44.

NCAA Football Active Sacks Leaders 
1. Nolan Reeve (Mines), 35.5        
2. Josh Bever (Ohio Northern), 32.5        
3. Mazin Richards (North Texas), 29.5        

THIIIIIIIRD DOWN
Third downs have been kind to the Orediggers this season on both sides of the ball as Mines ranks fourth in NCAA Division II in both third down conversion offense and defense. Mines has turned over 56.8 percent of its third-down opportunities offensively, including 10-of-10 last week against Adams State. Meanwhile, the defense has allowed opponents to convert only 6 of 39 tries (15.4 percent) including only 1 of 12 by Adams State.

SIMPLY PERFECT
Kicker Hunter Pearson has been perfect this season, converting all four of his field goals and 25 of his PATs along with long snapper Josh Wojciechowicz and holder Jacob Click. The Virginia grad transfer hit a career-long 44-yarder into a crosswind last week and is currently tied for the RMAC lead in scoring among kickers with 37 points.

HARLON HILL HISTORY
This week's game has a special spot in the history of the Harlon Hill Award as Mines and Chadron State have a combined five winners, making this game with the most combined wins between opponents during the 2023 regular-season in NCAA Division II. Danny Woodhead won it in 2006 and 2007 for the Eagles, while Mines has had three winners: Chad Friehauf (2004), Justin Dvorak (2016) and John Matocha (2022).  Mines is the only school in the history of the trophy to have three different recipients.

NEXT UP
Mines visits Colorado Mesa with the Nyikos Cup on the line Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.