Colorado School of Mines (5-3, 3-3 RMAC) vs. New Mexico Highlands (5-3, 3-3 RMAC) // Saturday, Nov. 1 // 12 p.m.
Alumni Field at Marv Kay Stadium - Golden, Colo.
[RMAC Network PPV] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes]

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Colorado School of Mines returns home to Marv Kay Stadium to host a surging New Mexico Highlands, facing one of the nation's best rushing attacks in Week 9.

LIVE COVERAGE
This week's game will stream exclusively on the RMAC Network (pay-per-view); it will not air on TV. Miles Dunklin and Kienan Dixon have the call. 

RMAC NETWORK CHANGES
Beginning this fall the RMAC Network is moving to a pay-per-view model for all events. Fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours. For technical support questions, fans can contact Hudl Support or email the RMAC directly (rmac@rmacsports.org). For further support, fans can visit the RMAC Network Help page.

FAN INFORMATION
For this week's game, please note the following important pieces of information:

- The Ore Cart Shuttles will run on game day for fans - visit the Parking page for more information.
- Fans are strongly encouraged to purchase digital tickets or print at home tickets ahead of time at tickets.minesathletics.com. Mines students and employees can access their free tickets by logging in with their Mines SSO.
- Gates and the tailgating lot open two hours before kickoff.
- Tailgating is permitted in Lot K only (next to Stermole Soccer Stadium). Fans are encouraged to park for free in the parking garage at 1400 Maple Street, located two blocks south of Marv Kay Stadium. Visit the Parking page for more information.
- The City of Golden's street parking requires a permit seven days a week. Fans can not park in the neighborhood surrounding the stadium. 
- The Kraemer Beer Garden in the McKee West End Zone will be open for all fans 21+. 

WEATHER REPORT
Saturday is forecast to have a kickoff temperature of 58 degrees under mostly sunny skies, with winds increasing throughout the afternoon.

LEADING THE WAY
Mines will rotate captains on a weekly basis in 2025, with Max Barnes, Eli Krawczuk, Michael Magar, and Matt Soderdahl leading the Orediggers in Week 9 against New Mexico Highlands.

STITT HAPPENS... AGAIN
Bob Stitt was announced as the new head coach of Mines Football on Feb. 7, returning to Golden after 10 years away to take over the program that he built into a national contender. Stitt was originally the Orediggers' head coach from 2000 to 2014, winning three RMAC titles, earning the first three NCAA playoff appearances in program history, and compiling a record of 108-62. The winningest head coach in Mines history, Stitt built Mines into a power program in the RMAC and NCAA Division II, winning the program's first conference title in more than 50 years in 2004 and going on to have 19 all-Americans and 168 all-RMAC selections over 15 seasons.

LAST WEEK
#6/5 Western Colorado remained unbeaten, using a strong second half to overcome Colorado School of Mines 40-17. The Orediggers (5-3, 3-3 RMAC) led 17-13 at halftime before the Mountaineers (8-0, 6-0 RMAC) turned things around to score 27 unanswered points in the second half. . Joseph Capra threw for 169 yards and a touchdown to Josh Best, while Max Barnes led Mines on the ground with 85 yards and a score. WCU quarterback Drew Nash threw for 234 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another 119 yards and a score, while Quinn Bailey added two more rushing touchdowns and another in the air. It was the 100th meeting between the two programs

SCOUTING THE COWBOYS
After going 2-9 last season, New Mexico Highlands enters Week 9 looking to lock in their first winning season since 2012, sporting a 5-3 turnaround coming off back-to-back wins over Colorado Mesa and Adams State. The Cowboys possess one of the nation's most potent run games, ranking fourth in NCAA Division II with 300.4 yards per game. Freshman Jeffery Jones is second in the nation in rushing yards with 1,291 and leads D-II with 11.5 yards per carry as he has 12 touchdowns; Tevita Valeti has scored eight times compiling 384 yards. Quarterback Collin Stucki has thrown for 505 yards and three touchdowns in five games. The Cowboys average 443.5 yards of offense and 33 points per game. Defensively, they allow 35.4 points and give up 419.3 yards per game; Awsten Turnbow is their leading tackler with 51 while Corey Martin has been a disruptor with 5.0 sacks and 7.0 TFL. 

LAST YEAR VS. N.M. HIGHLANDS
Mines controlled the game on the ground as it ran past New Mexico Highlands, 56-21, on the road in 2024. 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. NMHU quarterback Joey Cave threw for 158 yards and a touchdown and ran for 99 yards. Teneil Nichols led all receivers with 165 yards on eight catches.

NOTING THE SERIES
Mines and New Mexico Highlands are meeting for the 60th time since 1938 ... The all-time series is close, with Mines taking the lead in 2019 and now standing at 31-26-2 ... The Orediggers have won 11 straight dating back to 2013 and 21 of the last 24 dating to 2000 ... Bob Stitt is 12-3 all-time against NMHU ... Mines is 18-12-1 at home.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
At 5,707 feet above sea level, Marv Kay Stadium is a challenging place for opposing teams to play since it reopened in 2015, with Mines owning a 57-8 record at home. Part of the tough environment is thanks to the fans - Mines has averaged greater than a sellout of its 4,090-seat capacity each of the past two seasons, and broke the stadium single-game attendance record twice last season culminating in 7,813 fans packing in for the Western Colorado game in late October. This season, the Orediggers have sold out two of three home games including 6,000+ for Homecoming versus Colorado Mesa, the 17th sellout in stadium history.

RB TRIO STEPS UP
With Landon Walker out, Braelon Tate and Max Barnes have stepped into the starting running back role over the past three weeks and been extremely productive for the Orediggers. Against South Dakota Mines, Tate carried 20 times for 87 yards on the ground and added three catches for 45 yards and a touchdown in the air. Last week against Adams State, it was Barnes' turn as he went off for a career-high 201 yards with a touchdown on 18 carries in only his second game of the season coming off injury. And redshirt freshman Josh Snyder had a season debut to remember as well - in his first game of 2025, he compiled 109 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, plus caught a 22-yard pass, to set career highs. Last week at Western Colorado, Barnes and Tate combined for 114 yards and a touchdown on the ground with Barnes accounting for 85 yards, including a 44-yard touchdown. 

MR. CONSISTENT
Of all of Mines' offensive weapons this season, receiver Nick Stone has proven to be a consistent threat for the Orediggers. This season Stone has collected a career-high six touchdowns already on 31 catches for 374 yards; he has five of those TDs in his last five games, and has three or more catches in each of his last six starts.

THE BEST
Redshirt sophomore Josh Best had a career game last week, stepping up to catch five passes for 62 yards and cashed in on his first career touchdown, a 16-yard pass from Joseph Capra. Best, expected to get his first career start this week, has 16 receptions for 122 yards this season.

TAKE IT AWAY
The Orediggers are +5 on turnover margin this season, thanks in part to 14 different defenders who have generated at least one turnover. Jackson Zimmermann grabbed his second interception of the season last week, joining Hall Edmonds, Brady Zingelmann, and Joel Diaz as Orediggers with multiple turnover generations in 2025.

WE CAN DANCE IF WE WANT TO
This season, the Mines defense has generated three scoring plays which includes two safeties, marking the first time since the 2018 season that Mines has had multiple. The first came in Week 1 at West Texas A&M when Justin Vaughn's strip in the end zone went out of bounds for what proved to be a decisive two points in the game; last week, Earl Ingle IV stripped the ball that dribbled back to the end zone where it was fallen on by a Black Hills State player for two. The Orediggers also had Sean Gilbert's 89-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Chadron State, their longest defensive scoring play since 2018.

FLIPPING THE FIELD
Punter Lucas LeSieur has had a debut season to remember, entering Week 9 ranked fourth in the nation in punting average at 44.8 yards per kick. LeSieur has been one of Mines' biggest difference-makers this season, leading the RMAC in punting as 11 of his 30 punts have been downed inside the 20 (to only four touchbacks) and nine have sailed 50+ yards. 

FROM WAY DOWNTOWN
Redshirt freshman Preston Kyle hit a 56-yard field goal against Washburn, which not only was the Orediggers' first 50+ yard boot since 2017, it was Mines' longest field goal period since 1998, when Scott Juengst hit a 57-yarder against Fort Lewis. Mines kickers have hit 11 50+ yard field goals in the NCAA Division II era dating back to 1992; the program record remains Mike Flater's 62-yarder against Western Colorado in 1973. This season, Kyle ranks seventh in NCAA Division II with 1.4 field goals per game, making 11 of 15 tries including four of 40+ yards.

FIRST TIME?
The Orediggers' win at West Texas A&M marked the second "first" win for Head Coach Bob Stitt, and it came nearly 25 years to the day after his first head coaching victory with the Orediggers. Stitt's first tenure began in 2000 and Mines won 55-19 at Oklahoma Panhandle State on Sept. 9 that season to give him his first victory. Stitt now has a program-record 113 wins in his 16th season overall.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines closes its home schedule against CSU Pueblo on Nov. 8, with Senior Day preceding the game.