PUEBLO, Colo. - #7/6 CSU Pueblo prevailed in a defensive struggle, winning 28-13 over #14/21 Colorado School of Mines at the Thunderbowl. 

Mines (7-3, 5-3 RMAC) ran for 231 yards and held CSU Pueblo to 63, and outgained the Pack (9-1, 8-0 RMAC) 392 to 332 overall, but third- and fourth-down conversions were hard to come by for both teams as CSUP ultimately had more explosive offensive opportunities to win.

Landon Walker led Mines with 97 rushing yards and Braelon Tate scored a 44-yard touchdown while Matthew Eich hit a couple of field goals. Roman Fuller threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns for CSUP with Reggie Retzlaff catching two of those scores among his 139 yards on the day. 

The Oredigger defense worked a quick out on the Thunderwolves' opening drive, and a 34-yard Capra run set up Matthew Eich's 43-yard field goal to open the scoring on the Orediggers' first possession. It was a trade of punts for the rest of the first quarter as CSUP was held to 1-of-4 on third own and Mines was 1-of-3, but the Thunderwolves grabbed the game's first turnover to end the period when Eli Pittman jumped a pass at midfield. 

CSUP cashed in on the opportunity, converting a 4th-and-1 along the way to score on Russell's 19-yard touchdown run to open the second quarter. The sides then traded turnovers on downs, and the Thunderwolves showed their explosive offensive potential with four straight completions to march 73 yards in less than 30 seconds and score on a 28-yard touchdown pass to Russell.

Mines took advantage of a turnover on downs to get points on the board before halftime with another 43-yard Eich field goal into the wind, making it 14-6 at the break.

The two traded outs to start the second half before the Thunderwolves scored on a 26-yard Fuller-to-Retzlaff connection that was upheld on review, but Mines stayed alive late in the third quarter when Tate found a seam and streaked 44 yards to score, making it 21-13 with 1:38 left in the third.

The fourth quarter opened with a dagger of a touchdown as Fuller went over the top to hit Retzlaff for a 61-yard score, and Mines was stopped in the red zone to turn it over on downs after a 12-play, 5:03 possession, then had to punt twice more to be held off the board in the fourth. 

NOTABLES
- Joseph Capra made his second straight start at quarterback and was 15-of-34 for 161 yards with two interceptions, and ran for 80 net yards.
- Flynn Schiele led Mines receivers with 86 yards on six catches.
- CSUP was 1-of-7 and Mines 1-of-8 on third downs in the first half, and ultimately CSUP ended up 2-of-12 and Mines 4-of-16. 
- Capra was sacked six times while Mines got to Fuller once.
- James Hess led the Mines defense with a career-high seven tackles, 2.5 for a loss, and a sack.
- CSU Pueblo clinched at least a share of the RMAC title with the win.

NEXT UP
Mines will close the regular season at home against Fort Lewis next Saturday at noon.