SPEARFISH, S.D. - Defensive splash plays combined with four total touchdowns by Joseph Capra to lead Colorado School of Mines past Black Hills State, 36-27, in Week 4.

The Orediggers (3-1, 1-1 RMAC) got back on track with an impressive first half that saw them lead 29-14 at halftime following three first-half takeaways and a safety.

Capra was 24-of-35 for 272 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another score among 73 yards on the ground. Pierce Richards ended with 117 yards on seven catches with a touchdown, and Aksel Richard and Nick Stone also caught scores.

Luke Doby compiled 283 yards and a touchdown on 25-of-40 passing for the Yellow Jackets (1-4, 1-2 RMAC), and Cameron Goods ran for 75 yards and a touchdown. Kelby Olson had 110 receiving yards on six catches.

Turnovers were the story of the game for the Mines defense, which had two recovered fumbles, forced another that led to a safety, and added an interception in the game.

Starting from his own five, Capra set the tone on Mines' first offensive play, scrambling for a 60-yard gain, and that set up a wide-open 34-yard toss to Aksel Richard to score two plays later.

Mines was stopped on their next drive on 4th and 3 inside the red zone, but got the ball back moments later when Sean Gilbert punched the ball out of a receiver's hands for Matt Soderdahl to pounce on in Yellow Jacket territory. That led directly to Mines' second touchdown with Capra firing a perfect 24-yard strike to Pierce Richards at the post for a 14-0 lead after a quarter.

BHSU's best drive to that point came at the start of the second quarter, going 86 yards to score on a Luke Doby keeper at 10:04. Mines answered with Preston Kyle's 47-yard field goal to lead 17-7, and added a safety on the very next play when Earl Ingle IV shot up the middle for a strip, the ball went backwards into the end zone, and it was recovered by BHSU to hand Mines two points. 

The Orediggers scored again off the free kick as Capra found Nick Stone on a 14-yard pass, but the Yellow Jackets got in the end zone before halftime with a terrific TJ Chukwurah catch to make it 26-14 before Kyle hit a 43-yarder to finish Mines' one-minute drill with a 29-14 halftime lead.

Mines turned the ball over on two straight possessions to start the second half, with the Yellow Jackets first taking advantage of a short field from a fumble recovery to convert a 24-yard Ryan Ewing field goal,  then using Joshua Faulkner's midfield interception to get a two-yard Cameron Goods touchdown to turn it into a 29-24 game with 4:51 left in the third.

The Orediggers got going again thanks to a 45-yard Konnor Mickelsen punt return, which set up a six-yard Capra touchdown run later in the series, and BHSU responded with a 35-yard Ewing field goal to make it 36-27 with 9:27 left. Mines was forced to punt its ensuing possession, but yet another turnover came their way at a critical juncture. With 4:12 remaining in the fourth, Navarre Dixon III caught a pass at midfield and was immediately met by Joel Diaz, who stripped and recovered the fumble. Mines controlled the game from there, driving all the way to the goal line and kneeling out the game on the BHSU 2. 

NOTABLES
- The safety was Mines' second of the year after scoring one at West Texas A&M in the season opener. 
- Hall Edmonds added a first-half interception as Mines was +3 for the game overall.
- Stone ended with 71 yards on seven catches, and Richard had 41 yards on two receptions. 
- Will Ramsey led the defense with eight tackles while Gilbert had seven stops, a tackle for loss, and the forced fumble. Justin Vaughn had Mines' lone sack.
- Mines' special teams shined as Lucas LeSieur averaged 50.3 yards per punt with two of three inside the 20; Kyle was 2-for-2 on field goals and added four PATs, while Mickelsen made a punt return impact and Richard racked up 90 kickoff return yards on four takes.
- Mines improved to 15-0 all-time against Black Hills State.

NEXT UP
Mines hosts Colorado Mesa for Homecoming on Oct. 4 at noon.