#5/6 Colorado School of Mines (1-0, 0-0 RMAC) at Washburn (0-1, 0-1 MIAA) // Saturday, Sept. 14 // 1 p.m. CT
Yager Stadium - Topeka, Kan.
[TV: KMCI Kansas City] [MIAA Network PPV] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes] [WU Notes]

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Colorado School of Mines rekindles an old rivalry as it visits Washburn, the first meeting between the two teams since 2010. The Orediggers are coming off a 41-13 win against West Texas A&M in Week 1.

LIVE COVERAGE
The game will be streamed live on the MIAA Network (pay-per-view) at themiaanetwork.com. The game will also air live on KMCI 38 The Spot in Kansas City. 

WEATHER REPORT
Saturday looks to be hot and humid in Topeka with a high of 87 under partly cloudy skies, with east winds 5-10 miles per hour. 

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.

A FELLOW OREDIGGER
When Mines looks across the field on Saturday, they'll see someone they're not accustomed to on the opposite sideline: an Oredigger. Washburn head coach Craig Schurig, in his 23rd season heading the Ichabods, played defensive back for four seasons at Mines and was a team captain in 1986, graduating in 1987 with a petroleum engineering degree. It will be the eighth time Schurig has coached against his alma mater. He will be one of three Mines graduates coaching in the game, along with the Orediggers' WR coach Ryan Diedrick and DB coach Anthony Makransky, both master's degree recipients.

IN THE POLLS
Mines was selected atop the RMAC preseason coaches' poll on July 31, earning 79 points and seven of 10 first-place votes to lead Western Colorado and CSU Pueblo. In the national polls, Mines stayed put this week at #5 in the AFCA coaches' poll and #6 in the D2football.com media poll.    

ONE FOR THE THUMB
Mines has had a dominating run through the RMAC in recent history, capturing five consecutive conference titles since 2018 (no championship was awarded in 2020) and going 45-2 in that span against the RMAC. Last year's campaign saw Mines go a perfect 9-0 for a second consecutive season (running their RMAC win streak to 21 games). Mines is only the third RMAC program to win five straight rings, and the first since Western Colorado (1973-79), with Utah (1928-33) the first to do it.

OREDIGGERS VS. ICHABODS
The Mines vs. Washburn series represents one of the great nickname matchups in NCAA Division II as the Orediggers visit the Ichabods. An Oredigger is fairly self-explanatory for a school named Mines, but what's an Ichabod? The university is named for an early benefactor, Ichabod Washburn, and the student body began to call themselves that in the late 1800s.

NOTING THE SERIES
Mines and Washburn are old rivals, playing 18 times between 1953 and 2010 ... The Ichabods own a 13-5 all-time record against Mines ... The Orediggers have not won in the series since 2004, a 34-27 victory in Topeka ... That was the first of seven straight meetings with Washburn through 2010, with the Ichabods winning the next six in the series ... Prior to that their last meeting was in 1964 ... The two first played in 1953, a 13-0 Washburn win in Golden. 

SCOUTING THE ICHABODS
Washburn is 0-1 after falling 30-14 to MIAA rival Emporia State in Week 0, and they had a bye in Week 1. The Ichabods scored on runs by Cam Robinson and Eli Garnett as quarterbacks Keller Hurla and Hayden Clark combined for 149 yards but threw two interceptions each. The Ichabods ran for 159 yards led by Clark's 50. Emporia State produced 478 total yards of offense to Washburn's 308, and the Ichabods ended up -2 in the turnover battle.

HEADING HOME
The Washburn game will be the first and only chance for a pair of Oredigger seniors to play close to home. Quarterback Evan Foster is a native of Olathe, Kan., playing his high school ball at Olathe South, while linebacker Hayden Gregg is from the other side of the Missouri River in Kansas City, Mo., a product of Staley High School. Freshman receiver Bryce Lisaka is also from KC out of Park Hill High School.

WEEK 1 REWIND
 Evan Foster shined in his first career start and Landon Walker ran for a pair of scores as Mines handled West Texas A&M 41-13 in Week 1. The Orediggers' first change at quarterback since Week 2 of the 2019 season, Foster was 20-of-30 for 269 yards and two touchdowns, while Walker led a punishing ground game with 154 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 carries. Max McLeod had 130 yards and a touchdown and Flynn Schiele compiled 74 yards in the air, with Braelon Tate and Max Barnes adding rushing scores and Brayden Duerksen a first-half receiving touchdown. West Texas A&M was limited to 295 total offensive yards and were forced to punt seven times. Mines never trailed in the game as they overcame early penalties, scoring on their opening possession and leading 27-7 at halftime. 

WEEK 1 QUICK HITS

- Evan Foster, in his first career start, went 20-of-30 for 269 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions to pick up his first win.
- Landon Walker averaged 10.3 yards per carry, getting 15 touches and producing 154 yards with touchdown runs of 47 and 3 yards.
- Max Barnes and Brayden Duerksen scored their first collegiate touchdowns, and Braelon Tate got in on the scoring with a six-yard run in the second quarter.
- Max McLeod had a huge first half with 130 yards and a touchdown as Foster targeted him eight times for seven catches. Flynn Schiele added a productive 74 yards on four catches.
- In his first career start at safety, Joel Diaz had the game's only turnover - an interception to end the first half - and added a sack and a break-up. 
- DE Dominic Caggiano made a sack in his Mines debut.
- Will Drogosch and Hayden Gregg co-led Mines with six tackles apiece.
- Blake Doud averaged 50 yards per punt including two downed at the 1, with a career-long of 80 yards.

PRESEASON HONORS
Both D2football.com and Lindy's Sports had the same four Oredigger honorees on their preseason all-America teams, with WR Max McLeod, LT Nic Van de Graaf, P Blake Doud, and CB Jackson Zimmermann each recognized. McLeod, Doud, and Zimmermann were each all-Americans after the 2023 season.

ALL-AMERICAN QUARTET
Mines had a program-record 11 different players earn at least one all-America team recognition last year, and four of them return for the 2024 season. Wide receiver Max McLeod was a consensus first-team selection across all five major selectors, punter Blake Doud was named first team by three different organizations, cornerback Jackson Zimmermann picked up AP first team and D2CCA second team honors, and linebacker Adrian Moreno was a Don Hansen Honorable Mention pick.

FIELD FLIPPER
It's not often that a punt goes viral, but Blake Doud's 80-yard bomb in Week 1 racked up more than 3 million views on Twitter and another million-plus on Instagram across a number of national accounts. The punt came from the Mines 19, carried to the WT 20, and was swatted off the opposite goal line by Josh Wojciechowicz before being downed at the 1 by Konnor Mickelsen. It was the longest in college football this season and bested Doud's previous career long of 77 yards last year at Angelo State. It was just one highlight in a big night for Doud, though, who later had a pinpoint 37-yard kick downed at the 1, and also put one at the 11 earlier in the game. Doud kicked four times to average 50 yards, and he earned RMAC Specialist of the Week honors for the fourth time in his career as a result.

FOSTER'S DEBUT STANDS OUT
For the first time since Week 1 of the 2019 season, Mines had a starting quarterback not named John Matocha as Evan Foster took the reigns of the offense. Foster had a composed and productive first start, completing 20 of 30 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns against no turnovers, finding five different receivers in the game. Foster didn't even need the entire game, as the Orediggers were able to get backup Jake Sype in for their final offensive series in the comfortable win.

KEEPING HIM CLEAN
Three of Mines' offensive lineman were first-time starters last week, but it didn't show on the field as the unit was outstanding in Week 1. Foster was not sacked in the game and hurried only once as the Orediggers ran for 194 yards and threw for 269 in a balanced performance. It was the first career start for Cade Myer and Cole Johnson at guard and for Chandler Poggensee at center, while the tackle spots saw Michael Magar make his fourth career start and Nic Van De Graaf start his team-leading 41st career game; Zach Morris also made his first start as the sixth lineman in the game.

MCLEOD CHASES HISTORY
Sixth-year senior Max McLeod is coming off an all-timer of a 2023 season that saw him earn consensus first-team all-America honors while setting the Mines program records for both single-season receptions (115) and receiving yards (1,656). The nation's leader in both categories in 2023, McLeod is college football's active leader in career yards (3,740), adding 130 to that total last year, and he stands 1,243 yards from the D-II all-time record of 4,983 held by Ferris State's Clarence Coleman (1998-2001) and 270 yards shy of former Oredigger Brody Oliver's RMAC and Mines record of 4,010 yards (2015-18). McLeod's 45 career touchdown catches currently ranks in the top 20 all-time in D-II history as he chases Oliver's RMAC record of 59.

Mines Career Receiving Yards Leaders        
1. Brody Oliver (2014-2018)    4,010        
2. Max McLeod (2021-pres.)    3,740        
3. Justin Gallas (2001-2005)    3,561        

Mines Career Receiving Touchdowns Leaders        
1. Brody Oliver (2014-2018)    59        
2. Max McLeod (2021-pres.)    45        
3. Josh Johnston (2018-22)    40        

NCAA Active Receiving Yards Leaders        
1. Max McLeod, Mines (D-II)    3,740        
2. Collin Brunstein, Illinois Col. (D-III)    3,535        
3. Zakhari Franklin, Illinois (FBS)    3,513        
4. Tory Horton, Colorado St. (FBS)    3,336        

GROUND GAME
Mines ran an efficient and occasionally explosive running game against West Texas A&M, with the entire running back room getting in on the action. Landon Walker led the way with 154 yards and two touchdowns on only 15 touches; three different Oredigger RBs scored on the ground as Walker was joined in the end zone by Braelon Tate and Max Barnes. Mines backs averaged an exceptional 6.9 yards per carry on 30 attempts led by Walker's 10.3 ypc. Walker produced the first 150+ yard rushing game by an Oredigger since Michael Zeman against Chadron State late in the 2022 season.

RUN STOPPERS
Mines' defensive line was the Orediggers' only unit to feature all first-time starters last week as the combo of James Hess, Josh Pollard, and Joey Beckner got the nods. Against a West Texas A&M offense that rushed for 383 yards and five scores in Week 0, the Mines D-line spearheaded a terrific performance, limiting the Buffaloes to 99 net yards on the ground, 295 total yards of offense, and largely containing dual-threat WT quarterback Sean Johnson Jr., who ran for 60 yards after going for 167 the previous week.

GIMME THAT
Mines led the nation in turnovers gained in 2023, picking up 33 in total and ranking fifth in D-II in turnover margin at +1.47 per game. The Orediggers got off to a positive start in Week 1 going +1 on a Joel Diaz interception and a turnover-free offensive performance. Mines returns 2023 interceptions leader Jackson Zimmermann (6) among 13 different players who had a hand in either an interception or fumble last year.

THIIIIIRD DOWN
Over the past few seasons, Mines' defense has consistently been one of the nation's best on third downs, ranking 10th in D-II a year ago at 28.1 percent. Last week, West Texas A&M was held to 5 of 14 third-down conversions and did not attempt a fourth down; since 2021, Mines has allowed just 29.2 percent of third down opportunities to convert.

PORTAL IMPACT
Mines once again did not lose a player in the transfer portal during the offseason, but the Orediggers picked up four key pieces from the FBS and FCS levels to bolster their roster. Two of those transfers appear on the initial two deep - redshirt junior defensive lineman Dominic Caggiano (South Dakota) and graduate transfer receiver Mark McCurdy (Davidson) - while two redshirt freshmen joined the program in quarterback Austin Gonzalez (Southern Mississippi) and tackle Noah Atherton (South Dakota State).

RETIRING #74
Mines Football retired the #74 jersey of the legendary Marv Kay in May 2023 shortly following his passing, and it is one of two numbers retired (along with Harry Campbell's #48) at Mines. Fans will still see 74 on the field, however, at least for the next two years. Offensive tackle Zach Morris, a redshirt junior, was wearing the #74 at the time of its retirement and will continue to wear it until his graduation in honor of Kay; he will be the final Mines player to sport the number.

HELMETS HONOR PAST OREDIGGERS
To commemorate Colorado School of Mines' 150th birthday, the Orediggers will wear four different throwback-inspired helmets this season. For the Washburn game, Mines will wear a classic "Block M" logo, which features an inset hologram of Blaster of the Burro, to honor teams that wore several versions of the M from 1968 to 1985. The helmets also feature a holographic stripe containing the years of each of the Orediggers' 16 RMAC championships. Mines will wear three other logos through the season to honor different eras, and will return to their familiar chrome Blaster the Burro logo in Week 11. 

NEXT UP
Mines starts RMAC play at Chadron State in Week 3 before returning home Sept. 28 to host Black Hills State on Homecoming.