Colorado School of Mines (3-2, 1-2 RMAC) at South Dakota Mines (2-4, 2-2 RMAC) // Saturday, Oct. 11 // 12 p.m.
O'Harra Stadium - Rapid City, S.D.
[RMAC Network PPV] [Live Stats] [Mines Media Notes]

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Colorado School of Mines looks to bounce back as it heads north once again, this time to face their academic cousins at South Dakota Mines in Rapid City. 

LIVE COVERAGE
This week's game will stream exclusively on the RMAC Network (pay-per-view). Beginning this fall the RMAC Network has moved 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.

WEATHER REPORT
Saturday is forecast to be a high of 80 under mostly cloudy skies in Rapid City.

LEADING THE WAY
Mines will rotate captains on a weekly basis in 2025, with Dom Caggiano, Joseph Capra, Ben James, and Matt Soderdahl leading the Orediggers in Week 6 at South Dakota Mines.

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
Colorado Mesa retained the Nyikos Cup, using a last-minute comeback to stun Colorado School of Mines 28-24 at Marv Kay Stadium. The Mavericks scored with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to take the lead after Mines hit a late go-ahead field goal. CMU had an outstanding ground game to rush for 369 yards, while Mines  was more balanced as Joseph Capra threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns, and he and Braelon Tate combined for 163 rushing yards.
Brandon Belgrave accounted for 209 yards and two touchdowns on the ground with another in the air, and Aiden Taylor ran for 110 yards. CMU ran the ball 49 times to only 20 passes, most of which came on their final drive. Capra ended 22-of-28 for 216 yards passing, with Pierce Richards collecting a career-high 10 catches for 77 yards. Tate wound up with 75 yards and a touchdown.

THE RICHEST GAME IN D-II
This week's game has been touted as the "richest in Division II football" thanks to the high earning potential of graduates on both sides of the line of scrimmage. And it has nothing to do with NIL - according to the most recent Payscale.com data, Colorado School of Mines graduates are #1 in NCAA Division II in both early career pay ($87,800) and mid-career pay ($165,700). South Dakota Mines ranks #3 in D-II at $79,800 and $131,500. Combined, that's upwards of $70 million per year in mid-career salary between the future graduates of the teams. 

NOTING THE SERIES
The series between Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota Mines - the last two athletics-playing schools of mines in the United States - dates back to 1917, a 58-6 Orediggers win ... The two met sporadically after that but stopped the series for nearly 50 years after the 1949 game, not resuming until 1996 ... This will be the 26th meeting all-time ... The two have met every year since 2010, and since 2016 when South Dakota Mines became a full D-II and RMAC member ... Colorado School of Mines leads the all-time series 24-1 ... The winning team has scored 37+ points in every game of the series since 1997. 

SCOUTING THE HARDROCKERS
After an 0-4 start, South Dakota Mines has reeled off two straight wins, beating Fort Lewis 22-21 and then topping rival Black Hills State 27-13 in the Black Hills Brawl last week. South Dakota Mines averages 19 points per game on offense and are led by the rushing duo of Ty Harris (296 yards, 2 TD) and Dawson Dunbar (221 yards, 1 TD) while quarterback Gage Baker has thrown for 1,261 yards and eight touchdowns. Jacoby Ogbonna is their leading receiver with three touchdowns on 362 yards. Turnovers have been an issue for SDM at -7 on the season including 10 interceptions thrown. Defensively, Will Lester's 49 tackles leads the team while RMAC Defensive Player of the Week Lane Thomas has a team-leading two interceptions and five pass break-ups to go with 23 stops. 

LAST YEAR VS. SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
The Orediggers controlled from start to finish as Colorado School of Mines beat South Dakota Mines 45-20 in Golden last season. Evan Foster threw for 319 yards and four touchdowns and both Max McLeod and Flynn Schiele went over 100 yards receiving in the game as the Orediggers built a 42-6 lead. The Mines defense shut down the Hardrockers on the ground and produced an opening-drive pick-six by Will Ramsey as they held SDM to 287 total yards of offense; the Hardrockers scored only a field goal before halftime.

RICHARDS' CAREER GAME
Receiver Pierce Richards has had back-to-back career games, first going for 117 yards at Black Hills State, and then last week grabbing a career-high 10 catches in a 77-yard performance against Colorado Mesa. This season, Richards has been Mines' top target with 33 receptions for 325 yards and three touchdowns. 

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BALL
Last week, the Orediggers turned to a familiar face in an unfamiliar place to help convert a pair of fourth downs against Colorado Mesa. Starting nose tackle Eli Krawczuk - a 6-3, 285-pound redshirt sophomore - was called in presumably as a blocker in a heavy package next to fellow defensive lineman Dominic Caggiano. Both times, however, Krawczuk got the handoff and went 2-for-2, diving over the line to convert a 4th-and-2 situation at midfield at the end of the first quarter, and later converting a 4th-and-1 on Mines' own 34 in the third quarter. Krawczuk's final stat line was two carries for four yards, three tackles, half for a loss, and a hurry. 

WE CAN DANCE IF WE WANT TO
In five games 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 that same 2018 season.

FLIPPING THE FIELD, PART I
Punter Lucas LeSieur, who was the week 1 RMAC and national specialist of the week, continues to be a difference-maker for the Orediggers as he leads the RMAC in punting this season. In his first year as the starter, the redshirt freshman has been outstanding averaging 46.3 yards per punt, which comfortably leads the RMAC, and would slot in second nationally if he met the minimum 3.6 punts per game to be ranked. Seven of his 16 punts have been downed inside the 20 (to only three touchbacks) and seven have sailed 50+ yards.

FLIPPING THE FIELD, PART II
No one in the RMAC has been better at returning punts this season than Konnor Mickelsen, as the Oredigger senior is averaging a league-best 16.4 yards on 11 total takebacks this season; that average ranks third in NCAA Division II. Mickelsen's longest return of the season came at Black Hills State with a 45-yard takeback to the BHSU23 late in the third quarter, setting up a decisive touchdown early in the fourth.

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 leads NCAA Division II with 1.60 field goals per game, making eight of 11 tries including four of 40+ yards.

GOING FOR TWO
Prior to last season, it had nearly been a decade since Mines had scored a two-point conversion, with their last coming in the 2015 season. Now, the Orediggers have had two in the last calendar year, both coming on receptions by tight end Blake Smotherman. The first came in Week 8 of the 2024 season on a wildcat pass from Landon Walker, and Smotherman snagged another one from Joseph Capra in Week 3 against Chadron State.
  
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
This season will see a lot of bus time for the Orediggers as they have the highest cumulative mileage in recent memory as part of their RMAC schedule. Centrally located within the RMAC's football, Mines has to make its three longest possible trips - to Black Hills State, South Dakota Mines, and Fort Lewis - this season, including BHSU and SDM in back-to-back road trips. Add to that a drive to Western Colorado and a non-conference game at West Texas A&M, and the Orediggers will cover a round-trip distance of 3,552 miles.

DVORAK INDUCTED TO MINES HOF
Harlon Hill Trophy-winning quarterback Justin Dvorak was announced as a member of the Mines Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2025 on July 28, was inducted on Oct. 4 as part of Homecoming weekend. Dvorak set the standard for quarterbacks in the RMAC and NCAA Division II over his career (2013-16), setting the Mines and RMAC career records for passing passing yards (13,466), passing touchdowns (134), and total offense (14,608), while also establishing the program record for career completion percentage (66.1%), completions (1,068), and total TDs responsible for (161). A two-time all-American, Dvorak's senior 2016 season saw him add the Harlon Hill plus National Offensive Player of the Year honors after throwing for 4,584 yards and 53 touchdowns in winning the RMAC championships and advancing to the NCAA Second Round.

NEXT UP
Mines returns home to host Adams State on Oct. 18.