Dream Japan Bowl Roster

PRINCETON, N.J. - Colorado School of Mines running back Noah Roper has been selected to play in the Dream Japan Bowl this weekend as a group of Ivy League alumni and seniors takes on a team of Japanese X League all-stars.

Roper, who played at and graduated from Dartmouth College before coming to Mines for the 2023 season, has been in Japan this week with the team training ahead of the game, which will be played on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. MT at the National Stadium, site of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The game will be tape-delayed on ESPN+ at 5 p.m. MT on Wednesday, Jan. 24. 

In his lone season as an Oredigger, Roper led Mines in rushing with 960 yards on 166 touches with 16 touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry as he earned First-Team All-RMAC and NFFCC Second-Team All-Colorado honors. The Erie, Colo. native became only the fifth player in program history to collect 20 total touchdowns in a season as he added four more in the air, and he went over 100 rushing yards three times during the season. 

At Dartmouth, Roper ran 124 times for 657 yards and four touchdowns in three seasons of action, averaging 5.3 yards per carry for the Big Green while catching 24 passes for 209 yards and a touchdown. He earned his degree in philosophy modified with environmental studies, and at Mines is studying for a master's in engineering & technology management.

The Ivy League delegation arrived in Tokyo on January 14 and in addition to preparing for the game, has several Japanese cultural and educational events planned, including a visit to the historical city of Kamakura, a visit to the United States embassy, discussions with Japanese students and social exchanges with the Japanese team. The team is coached by Brown head coach James Perry and the Bears' coaching staff.