LAS VEGAS, N.M. - #18/20 Colorado School of Mines controlled the game on the ground as it ran past New Mexico Highlands, 56-21, on the road.

The Orediggers (7-2, 5-2 RMAC) compiled 491 rushing yards led by Braelon Tate's 210-yard, two-touchdown effort as four different Orediggers had rushing touchdowns. Mines generated 658 total yards of offense in the game.

In his first career start, quarterback Joseph Capra was 12-of-20 for 126 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 80 yards, with both Flynn Schiele and Max McLeod catching touchdowns. Aksel Richard added Mines' first kick return touchdown in 14 years to spark the Orediggers' first-half scoring.

NMHU (2-7, 2-5 RMAC) quarterback Joey Cave threw for 158 yards and a touchdown and ran for 99 yards. Teneil Nichols led all receivers with 165 yards on eight catches.

The two teams traded turnovers on their opening possessions as Jackson Zimmerman intercepted Joey Cave on the game's fifth play, but the Cowboys got it back as Logan Duran recovered a Tate fumble moments later. Cave and Valeti then combined on the ground to score seven on Valeti's 21-yard rush. 

One play later, Mines was on the board when Richard received the ensuing kickoff at his own 10, sliced through traffic, and hit daylight at midfield to streak 90 yards to the house, tying the game midway through the first quarter. 

Mines' next possession also ended in points as Tate led the way on the ground with seven carries in the series, scoring on a six-yard run to take the Orediggers' first lead of the game at 14-7 just after the start of the second quarter. A promising Mines drive the next time down the field was ended by Jagger Mosqueda's interception, and a deep 58-yard shot from Cave to Teneil Nichols set the Cowboys up in the red zone, but Joey Beckner's sack on 4th and 5 left the home team without points. Capra then linked up with McLeod to end the first half, throwing his first career touchdown on a six-yard route to lead 21-7 at the break. 

The scoring continued as Mines began the third quarter with the ball and moved it at will, capping a seven-play drive with Max Barnes' four-yard scoring run to go up 28-7. A three-and-out got the ball back with good field position and Mines took advantage driving 49 yards on nine plays and scoring again with a 17-yard Capra dart to Schiele. 

Tate punctuated his career day with a superb effort to score for a second time, breaking multiple tackles for a 63-yard touchdown to end the third quarter. That put Mines up 42-7, but the defense continued to make big stops, letting NMHU get to within inches of the goal line before coming up with four straight stops to turn the ball over. Jake Sype then entered the game and drove Mines 99 yards, setting up his own nine-yard dive to the end zone with a 27-yard dime to McLeod at the sideline. 

The backups had their fun in the fourth quarter as Armani Sherriff caught a nine-yard touchdown for the Cowboys with 4:38 remaining, and then Josh Snyder, on only his third career carry in his collegiate debut, took a toss 44 yards in to score with 1:48 remaining. The Cowboys' final points came with 31 seconds remaining on a two-yard Mike Jones rush to set the final at 56-21.

NOTABLES
- Tate is the first Oredigger to cross 200 rushing yards rushing since Michael Zeman did it against Chadron State in 2021. 
- The Mines offensive live had a nearly flawless game as they did not allow a sack and Mines lost only two yards - on an unforced stumble in the backfield - on 73 offensive snaps. 
- Mines' 658 yards of offense was a season high as they generated 32 first downs. 
- Richard's kick return touchdown was the first by an Oredigger since 2010 when Jerrod Doucet took one back 88 yards against Fort Lewis. 
- Beckner had two sacks and William Brown and Hall Edmonds added their own.
- Receiver Finn Nicholson completed his first career pass on a trick play, hitting McLeod for 14 yards on the third quarter's first drive to set up Barnes' touchdown. 
- Matthew Eich was a perfect 8-of-8 on PATs in challenging windy conditions. 
- Mines did not punt in the game.

NEXT UP
Mines visits nationally-ranked CSU Pueblo next Saturday.