GOLDEN, Colo. - #24 Colorado School of Mines ended its regular season on a high note, routing Fort Lewis 67-9 at Marv Kay Stadium behind a total team effort.

The Orediggers (8-3, 6-3 RMAC) produced 622 yards of offense plus a defensive touchdown, emptying the bench as four different players scored rushing touchdowns and Flynn Schiele and Nick Stone caught scores.

Prior to the game, Mines honored 24 seniors in its Class of 2024, and a number of them had big games. Together, they won 47 games since 2021, winning three RMAC titles, three NCAA regional crowns, and two appearances in the national final.

Jake Sype made his first career start and split time with Joseph Capra at quarterback; Sype was an efficient 8-of-9 for 89 yards, while Capra threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns. 

Mines held Fort Lewis (3-8, 2-7 RMAC) to only 135 yards of offense, generating seven sacks and three turnovers including Sean Gilbert's pick-six and Hayden Gregg's interception. The Oredigger defense held FLC to 0-of-14 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth.

Mines scored out of the gate when Landon Walker capped off an 87-yard opening drive with a nine-yard touchdown, and Max Barnes punched in the first of his two later in the first quarter before Konnor Mickelsen closed the period with a hard 15-yard scoring run to lead 21-0 after 15 minutes.

Barnes got loose for a 41-yard score to open the second quarter, but the Skyhawks' only touchdown came on the subsequent drive as they finished a penalty-filled eight-play drive with Orland Guevara's one-yard punch-in to make it 27-7.

The Orediggers' response was one of their best offensive plays of the year as Capra rolled out to his right, found Stone on a short pass, and Stone weaved through multiple broken tackles to reverse field and score a 69-yard touchdown, making it 34-7 at the half.

Capra found Schiele wide open for a 35-yard score to start the third quarter, but Fort Lewis converted one of the rarest plays in football on the PAT, with Jordan Thomas blocking the kick and Kameron Lewis returning it 93 yards for a two-point defensive PAT.

Schiele's second touchdown came on a 32-yard strike from Capra later in the third to all but end the game up 47-9, but Mines tacked on a pair of fourth-quarter Jake Lamfers touchdowns - from two and six yards - sandwiched around Gilbert's 31-yard house call to make it 67-9.

Mines came into the final day of the regular season ranked 10th in the region needing a win and help to get into the top seven in order to qualify for the postseason. Results around Super Region 4 were a mixed bag, but Mines will await to see their fate when the selections are announced Sunday afternoon.

NOTABLES
- Max McLeod had a big first half with six catches for 110 yards, ending his career with 4,678 receiving yards. That ranks fourth all-time in NCAA Division II and is the most by any player since 2008; his 54 career touchdowns will be second all-time in Mines history, and he tied a college football all-division record with a catch in his 56th consecutive game - at least one in every game he played as an Oredigger.
- McLeod also crossed 1,000 yards receiving for his third straight season to finish at 1,068; Schiele ends 2024 at 1,195. That gives Mines a unique distinction as the only D-II program to ever produce two 1,000-yard receivers in three consecutive seasons, and only the second at any level of college football joining the 2005-07 Hawaii teams. 
- Stone had one of the best days of his career with six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown.
- Mines ran for 250 yards in total led by Barnes with 72, Mickelsen with 66, and Lamfers at 46. 
- On his senior day, Hayden Gregg had a huge game with eight tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a would-be pick-six called back on a flag. Fellow seniors Adrian Moreno, Jaden Healy, and Josh Pollard also had big games with Moreno compiling five tackles, two for a loss, and a sack, Healy four stops, 2.5 for loss, and 1.5 sacks, and Pollard a sack and two TFL among his three tackles. Senior Maxwell Nwokeukwu got Mines' first sack of the day.
- Blake Ramsey blocked a punt, the Orediggers' second of the season.