GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines shut down New Mexico Highlands' high-powered rushing offense, cruising to a 48-21 win over the Cowboys at Marv Kay Stadium.

The Orediggers (6-3, 4-3 RMAC) ran for 295 yards while Joseph Capra threw for three touchdowns. The Mines defense held the Cowboys (5-4, 3-4 RMAC) - which came into the weekend averaging 300 rushing yards per game - to 197 yards on the ground, limiting them to a single first-half touchdown.

Max Barnes had another big game rushing for 172 yards and a touchdown while Braelon Tate added 84 yards with a score. Tight end Blake Smotherman had a career game with 73 receiving yards along with two touchdowns. 

NMHU's outstanding running back Jeffery Jones, second in the nation in rushing averaging 200 yards per game and 11.5 yards per carry, was held to 67 yards overall and 4.2 per carry. Collin Stucki threw for 198 yards and a touchdown to Jones, while Tevita Valeti added two rushing scores for the Cowboys.

The game had a tentative start with the Cowboys giving the ball away only two plays in when Devyn Lauer-Duarte punched out Jones' carry into the arms of Joel Diaz. Mines turned it over on downs, however, and NMHU responded with a drive capped by Stucki's 19-yard pass to Jones to take an early 7-0 lead.

Highlands generated an interception on the next Oredigger series but had to punt after a three-and-out; Mines capitalized as Barnes broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to make it 7-7.

Preston Kyle's 36-yard field goal opened the second quarter, and the Mines offense got humming after that as Capra found Smotherman for a 35-yard touchdown later in the quarter before both teams missed field goals to make it 17-7 at the half.

Mines scored 17 unanswered points in the third quarter as Kyle opened the half with a 26-yard field goal before Jayden Reyes' first career TD came on a 16-yard pass from Capra. Smotherman's 23-yard catch-and-run blew the game open at 34-7, and that made the fourth quarter largely academic as the two teams exchanged scores, with Valeti finding the end zone twice between Tate's 55-yard breakout and Connor McGrath's first career touchdown catch from Jake Sype.

NOTABLES
- After missing the first half of the season, Barnes now has 492 yards and three touchdowns on the ground over his last four games, averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
- Capra ended up passing for 206 yards, spreading the ball around as Reyes had a career-high five catches for 44 yards, Josh Best compiled 61 yards, and Smotherman had his big game.
- Mines had 527 total offensive yards in the game. 
- Lauer-Duarte led Mines with eight tackles to go with his forced fumble, while Hall Edmonds led the run defense with seven stops. 
- Dominic Caggiano, Jackson Lewis, and Brady Crabtree had sacks. 
- The Mines defense was outstanding on third downs holding NMHU to four of 12. 
- The Orediggers had only one penalty in the game - a season-low - and none through the first three quarters.
- A sell-out crowd of 5,656 on Friends and Family Weekend was the 18th sellout all-time at Marv Kay Stadium and the third of the season.

NEXT UP
Mines will host a top-10 team in league leader CSU Pueblo on Nov. 8 in their home finale.