GOLDEN, Colo. - Evan Foster shined in his first career start and Landon Walker ran for a pair of scores as #5/6 Colorado School of Mines handled West Texas A&M 41-13 in their season opener at Marv Kay Stadium.

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 on only 15 carries, averaging 10.3 yards per touch with a pair of touchdowns.

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.

The Mines defense did its best to contain dynamic Buffaloes' quarterback Sean Johnson Jr., who was held to 60 yards rushing as he ran and threw for touchdowns. West Texas A&M was limited to 295 total offensive yards and were forced to punt seven times.

Blake Doud had a standout night punting, having two downed at the 1-yard line - including a booming career-long 80-yard kick - as he averaged 50 yards per punt on four tries, with three inside the 20. 

Mines (1-0) never trailed in the game as they overcame early penalties, scoring on their opening possession thanks to Walker's 47-yard breakout and then doubling the lead when McLeod caught a 27-yard strike over the middle midway through the first quarter.

The Buffs (1-1) got on the board with a fine Zorian Stanton catch at the corner of the end zone to close the first, but Mines tacked on a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter as Duerksen caught the first of his career, a two-yarder, and Tate cruised in from six yards out to make it a 27-7 game at half.

Mines slowed and controlled the tempo in the second half as Walker capped off an eight-play drive with a hard-fought three-yard touchdown to open the third, and after Johnson's six-yard run got a touchdown back for West Texas A&M, Barnes scored the first of his career on a seven-yard run to top off an 11-play, 62-yard drive in the fourth quarter and set the final at 41-13.

NOTABLES
- Mines improved to 2-0 against West Texas A&M. It was the Buffs' first visit to Golden.
- Will Drogosch and Hayden Gregg co-led Mines with six tackle apiece. Joel Diaz and Dominic Caggiano had Mines' two sacks, and Diaz had the game's only turnover on a Hail Mary interception to end the first half.
- Mines had 447 total yards of offense averaging 6.8 yards per play, and controlled the ball for 32:16.
- The Orediggers improved to 51-5 at Marv Kay Stadium since 2015, winning their 17th consecutive home game. Mines has also not lost at Marv Kay Stadium on a Thursday night, improving to 4-0.  
- The game was an announced standing-room-only crowd of 4,224 fans.

NEXT UP
Mines travels to Washburn on Sept. 14.