GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines rode an offensive explosion as they routed Adams State 72-14 at Marv Kay Stadium.

The Orediggers (5-2, 3-2 RMAC) generated 763 yards of total offense led by six first-half touchdown passes from Joseph Capra, with Mines leading the Grizzlies (0-7, 0-5 RMAC) 49-14 at the break.

Max Barnes ran for an impressive 201 yards and a touchdown while Pierce Richards caught three scores on 88 yards receiving. Capra, in only one half of play, was 14-of-18 for 226 yards and six touchdowns and ran for 67 yards.

The Orediggers' ground game was impressive with 476 rushing yards, averaging 9.9 yards per attempt as both Barnes and Josh Snyder (109) went over 100 yards. Freshman Connor Cade, in his collegiate debut, added 58 yards and a touchdown. 

Mines scored on all of its possessions save its final one, scoring touchdowns on their first 10 series with an unstoppable offense. Richards got all of his scoring done in the first two quarters, opening the game with a 10-yard catch from Capra then grabbing touchdown passes of 13 and 31 yards in the second quarter; in between, Capra found Nick Stone from eight yards and Snyder had a 13-yard run.

Adams State found success on the ground in the second quarter as quarterback Gavin Herberg scored twice, from 16 and one yard, but Mines poured it on late in the second as Capra found Aksel Richard deep on a 45-yard touchdown and then tight end Blake Smotherman for a three-yard strike just before halftime.

In the third quarter, Barnes got in the end zone on a 12-yard run to open the second half, and Cade made his first collegiate trip to the blue turf later in the third quarter on a seven-yard carry. Jake Sype found freshman Jake Willis on a five-yard pass to end the third quarter, Willis' first career score, and the fourth quarter's only points came on a 30-yard Preston Kyle field goal as Mines held the ball for nearly 10 minutes in the period.

The Mines defense, which pitched a second-half shutout, generated two turnovers as well as Luke Johnson's strip sack of Herberg on the half's opening drive was recovered by Brock Ewing, and Nicholas Dudzikowski's chase-down strip of Kahekili Pahio was jumped on by Hall Edmonds.

NOTABLES
- Capra's six touchdown passes were a career high.
- Sype played much of the second half at quarterback going 8-of-10 for 61 yards with a touchdown and rushing for 32 yards. Austin Gonzalez also saw time under center in the fourth quarter. 
- Eleven different Orediggers caught at least one pass led by Richards' five receptions for 88 yards, with Richard (45 yards) and Stone (40 yards) each catching three passes.
- Mines' offensive outburst was its biggest since a program-record 798 yards against Fort Lewis in 2023. That 82-0 win was also the last time the Orediggers crossed 70 points in a game. 
- Mines did not punt for the first time this season; punter Lucas LeSieur was plenty busy holding, however, as Mines made nine PATs and a field goal in the game.
- Herberg ran for 163 yards on the ground including a 70-yard breakout. He was held to just 2-of-4 for 11 yards in the air, however.
- Luke Johnson had a career-high six tackles with 1.5 sacks to go with his forced fumble. Russ Woodward also got in a sack. 

NEXT UP
Mines heads to Gunnison to face #5 Western Colorado next week.