#14/21 Colorado School of Mines (7-2, 5-2 RMAC) at #7/6 CSU Pueblo (8-1, 7-0 RMAC) // Saturday, Nov. 9 // 1 p.m.
Thunderbowl - Pueblo, Colo.
[RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes]

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#14/21 Colorado School of Mines faces a must-win game as it travels to #7/6 CSU Pueblo in Week 10, trying to keep its postseason hopes alive with a victory.

LIVE COVERAGE
Saturday's game will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network.

WEATHER REPORT
It will be cold but mostly sunny in Pueblo on Saturday with a gametime temperature of 38 degrees. It will come after two straight days of snow in Pueblo with more than a foot forecast in the Steel City through Friday night.

AT THE HELM
Pete Sterbick enters his second season as head coach of Colorado School of Mines, going 14-1 in 2023 and earning AFCA Regional Coach of the Year honors. The Orediggers' coaching staff returns largely intact with offensive coordinator Tim Brandon and defensive coordinator Tripp Thomas back for their second and third seasons, respectively, in those positions, while a familiar face in Yon Boone rejoins the staff as special teams coordinator.

MINES NAMES CAPTAINS
Mines has elected four captains for the 2024 season: quarterback Evan Foster, offensive tackle Nic Van de Graaf, and linebackers Jaden Healy and Adrian Moreno. All are first-year captains.

IN THE POLLS
In this week's national polls, Mines moved up four spots to #14 in the AFCA coaches' poll, but fell one to #21 in the D2football.com media poll. Mines has appeared in 72 straight AFCA and 73 consecutive D2football.com polls. CSU Pueblo moved into the top 10 of both polls this week, sitting at #7 in the AFCA and #6 in the D2football.com polls.

AROUND THE REGION
The first ordered NCAA regional rankings were announced earlier this week and Mines was #10 in Super Region 4. That puts the Orediggers on the outside looking in as the top seven make the postseason, but with CSU Pueblo in the top spot, a Mines win this week would greatly help their case. The 28-team field will be announced on Nov. 17. 

NCAA Regional Rankings, Super Region 4    
1.    CSU Pueblo 
2.    Augustana     
3.    Minnesota State Mankato    
4.    Western Colorado
5.    Angelo State   
6.    Central Washington    
7.    Sioux Falls      
8.    Western Oregon
9.    Colorado Mesa    
10.    Colorado School of Mines 

RMAC PICTURE
With two Saturdays to go, the RMAC championship race is CSU Pueblo's to lose. The Thunderwolves are the last team left unbeaten in RMAC play after defeating Western Colorado last week; they would secure at least a share of the title with one win out of their final two games, or the outright crown with two wins. Western Colorado and Colorado Mesa are tied at 6-1, but they play each other in Week 11, and Mines is a game back of them at 5-2.

NOTING THE SERIES
Mines and CSU Pueblo are meeting for the 35th time ... The series dates back to 1964 ... Mines has won the last five meetings including 55-14 in Pueblo last year ... Mines has won five straight in the series and seven of the last nine ... The current Oredigger five-game win streak is their longest in the series' history ... CSUP leads the all-time series 19-15 but Mines is ahead 10-7 since CSUP restarted the program in 2008 ... Either one or both teams have been nationally ranked in every meeting since 2010, a span of 16 games.

SCOUTING THE THUNDERWOLVES
CSU Pueblo comes in 8-1 overall and 7-0 in the RMAC, with their only loss coming by a field goal early in the season to a top-five Grand Valley State team. Offensively they throw for 323.8 yards per game and have two quarterbacks with 1000+ passing yards this year, including last week's starter Roman Fuller who has thrown for 1,054 yards and 13 touchdowns including 435 and five at Western Colorado last week. Reggie Retzlaff has 971 yards and 10 scores and Taylor Tosches 642 and seven. Howard Russell V crossed 1,000 yards for the season last week averaging 116.1 yards rushing per game with 10 touchdowns. Defensively the Thunderwolves allow 20.4 points and 327 yards per game and are +5 in turnovers. Daniel Bone leads the team in tackles (63) while Makeah Scippio has 6.0 sacks. 

LAST YEAR VS. CSU PUEBLO
#2 Mines got off to a fast start and never let up, routing CSU Pueblo 55-14 at the Thunderbowl to improve to 4-0 in 2023. 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 9 REWIND
#18/20 Mines controlled the game on the ground as it ran past New Mexico Highlands, 56-21, last week. The Orediggers 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. Mines' 658 yards of offense was a season high as they generated 32 first downs.

WEEK 9 QUICK HITS

- Braelon Tate ran for a career-high 210 yards on 23 carries, scoring two touchdowns and averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
- In his first career start, Joseph Capra was 13-of-21 for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and also ran for 80 yards on seven attempts.
- The offensive live had a nearly flawless game as they did not allow a sack, produced 495 rushing yards, and lost only two yards - on an unforced stumble in the backfield - on 73 offensive snaps.
- Mines' strong run game produced four 50+ yard runners and four players with touchdowns as Josh Snyder made his collegiate debut with 61 yards and a score, Max Barnes had 51 and a TD, and Jake Sype ran for a touchdown among 40 yards.
- Both Max McLeod and Flynn Schiele caught touchdowns as Schiele had 74 yards on four catches and McLeod 55 on four.
- Aksel Richard provided Mines' first kick return touchdown since 2010 to start the scoring, a 90-yard takeback.
- Hayden Gregg and Joey Beckner co-led Mines with five tackles each and Beckner had a pair of sacks among 3.0 tackles for loss.
- Jackson Zimmermann had an interception on the game's opening drive, his first of the year.
- William Brown and Hall Edmonds added sacks.

TO THE MAX
Max McLeod continues to move up the all-time lists in Mines, RMAC, and NCAA Division II history, moving up a spot to fourth all-time in D-II history in receiving yards last week at 4,539. Already the Orediggers' all-time leader in that category, McLeod stands 343 yards from the RMAC record of 4,882 held by Nebraska-Kearney's Richie Ross, and 444 yards from the D-II record held by Clarence Coleman of Ferris State. As it stands, McLeod has more receiving yards than any D-II player since 2008, and he is college football's active leader (all divisions) in career yards while ranking second in touchdowns at 54. McLeod is also five touchdowns away from tying Brody Oliver's Mines and RMAC record of 59. The 26th 4,000-yard receiver in D-II history, he and Oliver are the only two to reach 4K from the same program; he is only the 12th D-II player to reach 50 career touchdown receptions, as well. 

Mines Career Receiving Yards Leaders        
1. Max McLeod (2021-pres.)    4,539        
2. Brody Oliver (2014-2018)    4,010        
3. Justin Gallas (2001-2005)    3,561        

Mines Career Receiving Touchdowns Leaders        
1. Brody Oliver (2014-2018)    59        
2. Max McLeod (2021-pres.)    54        
3. Josh Johnston (2018-22)    40        

NCAA Active Receiving Yards Leaders        
1. Max McLeod, Mines (D-II)    4,539        
2. Collin Brunstein, Illinois Col. (D-III)    4,465        
3. Scott Fraser, Grove City (D-III)    3,923        

NCAA Active Receiving TDs Leaders        
1. Collin Brunstein, Illinois Col. (D-III)    68        
2. Max McLeod, Mines (D-II)    54        
3. Tyler Kahmann, Emporia St. (D-II)    49        

NCAA D-II Career Receiving Yards Leaders        
1. Clarence Coleman, Ferris St. (98-01)    4,983    
2. Richie Ross, UNK (02-05)        4,882    
3. Michael Washington, W. Chester (05-08)    4,715    
4. Max McLeod, Mines (21-24)        4,539    
5. Jamaica Rector, NW Mo. St. (01-04)    4,497    
6. Chris Samp, Winona St. (01-04)        4,471    
7. James Roe, Norfolk St. (92-95)        4,468    

DYNAMIC DUO
Max McLeod and Flynn Schiele have been a problem for opposing defenses this fall, combining for huge numbers in the receiving game: 120 catches, 1,961 yards, and 20 touchdowns. Schiele crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the season last week, now standing at 1,032 for the season as he notched his second consecutive season over the milestone. McLeod is right behind him at 929. The pair rank in the NCAA Division II top 10 in three categories: receiving touchdowns (tied for 6th), receiving yards (Schiele 4th, McLeod 8th), and receiving yards per game (Schiele 5th, McLeod 8th). Schiele also ranks seventh in receptions per game with McLeod at 14th. They are the only teammates in college football to average more than 100 receiving yards per game this season, and Schiele still owns D-II's best receiving yardage game of the year with his 297 against Black Hills State.

ON THE RUN
Braelon Tate got his first career start at running back last week and made the most of his opportunity, rushing for a career-high (and season-high by an Oredigger) 210 yards and adding a couple of catches for 22 more yards. Tate scored touchdowns of six and 63 yards, the latter a highlight reel full of broken tackles as he scored the longest TD of his career. Tate is the first Oredigger to cross 200 rushing yards since Michael Zeman did it against Chadron State in 2021.

TO THE HOUSE
Aksel Richard's 90-yard kick return touchdown was a momentum spark for the Orediggers as they would go on to score 49 consecutive points after his first-quarter takeback. The touchdown was a rarity for the Orediggers - it was the program's first return TD (kick or punt) since Jerrod Doucet returned a kickoff 88 yards against Fort Lewis in 2010. Even more impressively, it was only Richard's second career kick return as he slotted into the kick return rotation for Braelon Tate, who had his running back load increased in the game.

BOOMIN'
For the second time in his career, punter Blake Doud got last Saturday off as the Orediggers did not punt in their win at New Mexico Highlands. It didn't change Doud's standing in the national statistics report didn't change this week, though: he still leads the nation with a 47.5 yard-per-punt average, and Mines tops D-II in net punting at 44.68. Doud's average would put him third in FBS at the moment.

DEFENSIVE DEPTH
Mines' defensive trademark over the past few seasons has been its depth in rotation, and that has continued in 2024. Jaden Healy leads the way in both tackles (47) and tackles for loss (10.5) with Adrian Moreno's 42 tackles and Hayden Gregg's 39 ranking second and third. Jackson Zimmermann, Will Ramsey, Joel Diaz, Will Drogosch, and Devyn Lauer-Duarte have interceptions, as well, while Brady Zingelmann and Joey Beckner are tied for the team sacks lead at 3.0. Three players - Jackson Zimmermann, Drogosch, and Lauer-Duarte - co-lead the team with five pass break-ups.

START ME UP
Veteran left tackle Nic Van de Graaf is the Orediggers' active leader in starts as he is projected to make his milestone 50th career start this week against CSU Pueblo. Van de Graaf is now Mines' all-time leader in offensive line starts, surpassing Grant Stewart (2015-18), and trails only John Matocha (57) for the most at any position as they are the only two players in program history to reach 50. Long snapper Josh Wojciechowicz (42) and linebacker Adrian Moreno (44) are the Orediggers' other two members of the 40-start club; Wojciechowicz will start his team-best 41st consecutive game this week, as well.

GO FOR TWO
The Western Colorado game saw the Orediggers do something they hadn't done in nearly a decade - score a two-point conversion. Mines doesn't go for two very often as it is, but playing from behind against Western Colorado, the Orediggers went for it and converted on a Landon Walker pass to Blake Smotherman; it was the first two-point conversion for Mines since the 2015 season against Colorado Mesa.

NEXT UP
Mines returns home to host Fort Lewis on Senior Day with a noon kickoff on Nov. 16.