Colorado School of Mines (6-3, 4-3 RMAC) vs. #6/7 CSU Pueblo (8-1, 7-0 RMAC) // Saturday, Nov. 1 // 12 p.m.
Alumni Field at Marv Kay Stadium - Golden, Colo.
[TV: KCDO The Spot Denver3] [RMAC Network PPV] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes]

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Colorado School of Mines closes its home schedule with a second top-10 opponent in the last three weeks, hosting #6/7 CSU Pueblo for Senior Day.

LIVE COVERAGE
This week's game will be televised on the newly-rebranded KCDO The Spot Denver3, and will stream on the RMAC Network (pay-per-view). Miles Dunklin and Josh Dover have the call. Mines' Senior Day ceremony will be seen exclusively on the RMAC Network stream starting at 11:45 a.m.

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 51 degrees under sunny skies, with morning winds decreasing throughout the afternoon.

LEADING THE WAY
After rotating captains throughout the season, this week the Mines players selected permanent season captains with Joseph Capra, Cade Myer, Matt Soderdahl, and Jackson Zimmermann. They will serve as captains for the final two games of 2025.

SENIOR DAY
Before this week's game, Mines Football will honor its 22-member senior class as they play for the final time at Marv Kay Stadium. Brayden Amacker, Mikee Barker, Will Bisso, Joel Diaz, Hall Edmonds, Matthew Eich, Brock Ewing, Caleb Frink, Ben James, JJ Lee, Logan Lindeman, Michael Magar, Konnor Mickelsen, Zack Morris, Chandler Poggensee, Aaron Rhea, Flynn Schiele, Luke Shavey, Matt Soderdahl, Jake Sype, Landon Walker, and Jackson Zimmermann will be introduced along with their families in a ceremony beginning at 11:45 a.m.

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.

THE STITT TREE
CSU Pueblo head coach Phil Vigil is in his third season in charge of the Thunderwolves, but he started his coaching career in Golden with Bob Stitt. Vigil was a graduate assistant on Stitt's 2009 staff working with defensive backs, his first job after his playing days at Colorado Mesa. 

LAST WEEK
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. Preston Kyle added two field goals. 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.

SCOUTING THE THUNDERWOLVES
CSU Pueblo remained unbeaten and in control of their own destiny in the RMAC last week, rallying back from 21-0 down to defeat Western Colorado 24-21 on a walk-off Jackson Smith field goal. At 8-1 overall and 7-0 in the RMAC, CSU Pueblo owns the conference's #1-rated scoring offense (40.6 ppg) and #2 scoring defense (16.9 ppg). Roman Fuller leads the RMAC's top passing offense with 279 yards per game and 23 touchdowns overall in 2025, with Reggie Retzlaff catching 10 of those scores. Kiahn Martinez is their feature back rushing for five TDs and 59 yards per game. Bryson Torrie leads the defense with 55 tackles while Kaleb Manning has 4.5 sacks among 7.0 TFL overall. Special teams have been a strength for the Thunderwolves as Jackson Smith is 12-for-13 on field goals with a long of 60 yards, and Reece Robinson owns a punt return touchdown on a 12.3 yard average.

LAST YEAR VS. CSU PUEBLO
#7/6 CSU Pueblo prevailed in a defensive struggle, winning 28-13 over #14/21 Colorado School of Mines at the Thunderbowl. Mines ran for 231 yards and held CSU Pueblo to 63, and outgained the Pack 392 to 332 overall, but third- and fourth-down conversions were hard to come by for both teams as CSUP ultimately had more explosive offensive opportunities to win.Landon Walker led Mines with 97 rushing yards and Braelon Tate scored a 44-yard touchdown while Matthew Eich hit a couple of field goals. Roman Fuller threw for 261 yards and three touchdowns for CSUP with Reggie Retzlaff catching two of those scores among his 139 yards on the day. 

NOTING THE SERIES
Mines and CSU Pueblo are meeting for the 36th time ... The series dates back to 1964 ... CSU Pueblo won last year to break a five-game Mines win streak ... Mines has won seven of the last 10 ... CSUP leads the all-time series 20-15 but Mines is ahead 10-7 in Golden ... Either one or both teams have been nationally ranked in every meeting since 2010, a span of 17 games.

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 58-8 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 three of five home games including last week against New Mexico Highlands, the 18th sellout in stadium history.

BARNES AWARDED BY RMAC
Max Barnes produced another big number on the ground last week, rushing for 172 yards and a touchdown on an eye-popping 11.5 yards per rush. That earned him the first RMAC Offensive Player of the Week award of his career. After missing fall camp and the first half of the season due to injury, Barnes has exploded into one of the RMAC's top rushing threats, compiling 492 yards and three touchdowns in only four games and averaging 9.1 yards per carry. He and Braelon Tate - who ran for 84 yards and a score last week - account for a combined 179 rushing yards per game this season.

SMOTHERMAN GETTING INVOLVED
Tight end Blake Smotherman is coming off of a career game that saw the redshirt junior catch four passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns. Over the last three weeks, Smotherman has gotten more and more involved in the passing game with seven catches for 109 yards and three TDs over that span. His performance against New Mexico Highlands marked his career high in catches and yards as well as his first multi-TD game. 

TAKE IT AWAY
The Orediggers are +5 on turnover margin this season, thanks in part to 15 different defenders who have generated at least one turnover. Joel Diaz now leads the team with four total turnovers (an interception, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble) after recovering Devyn Lauer-Duarte's forced fumble last week; Jackson Zimmermann, Hall Edmonds, Brady Zingelmann join 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 this week averaging an RMAC-best 44.8 yards per punt. That would be tied for third nationally if he met the minimum 3.6 punts per game to be ranked in the NCAA statistics; LeSieur slipped under the minimum having punted only once in the last two weeks. LeSieur has been one of Mines' biggest difference-makers this season, putting 12 of his 31 punts 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 sixth in NCAA Division II with 1.44 field goals per game, making 13 of 18 tries including four of 40+ yards.

FINAL TIME FOR #74
Saturday will mark the final time that the number 74 will be worn in Golden as senior offensive tackle Zack Morris plays at home for the last time. In 2023, Mines retired the number in honor of the great Marv Kay after his passing; Morris was already wearing 74 and was grandfathered to continue wearing it in honor of Kay until his career concluded. It is the second retired number in Mines Football along with the 48 of Harry Campbell.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines closes the season at Fort Lewis on Nov. 15.