GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - A punishing performance by Colorado School of Mines helped them recapture the Nyikos Cup, winning the rivalry game at Colorado Mesa 31-24.
Joseph Capra threw for four touchdowns and Mines (4-2-1, 4-1 RMAC) held the ball nearly 36 minutes as they spoiled the Mavericks' (3-4, 2-3 RMAC) homecoming at Stocker Stadium.
Pierce Richards caught two touchdowns with
Caydon Coffman and
Connor McGrath adding the other scores.
Preston Kyle kicked Mines' longest field goal since 1973 with a 60-yarder to end the first half.
Capra had his best performance of the season, going 25-for-32 for 278 yards and four touchdowns, and also rushing for 47 yards. The Oredigger defense held CMU to 297 total yards but their quarterback Cole Hansen had a bounceback second half to produce 202 yards and three touchdowns on 16-of-30 passing after being held to only 55 yards on four completions in the first half.
Kale Purvis' 36-yard field goal for the Mavericks was the only score of the first quarter, but Mines found the end zone on the second quarter's opening play with Capra's 18-yard pass to Coffman.
Pierce Richards caught a 12-yard score at the two-minute warning, but CMU responded with a quick one-minute drill to score on Trek Keyworth's 17-yard catch with 1:04 to go.
Mines had a minute to play with and Capra hit chunk passes to Richards and
Tyson Mauck to get to midfield; after one shot at the end zone, Mines lined up for a 60-yard field goal and Kyle made it with yards to spare to lead 17-10 at halftime.
The game's only turnover produced points at the start of the third quarter with
Parker Johnson forcing a Hansen drop that was fallen on by
Aaron Gall. Mines matched downfield to score off the momentum swing with Richards' second of the game, a barreling two-yard catch to go up 24-10.
Mesa answered back with Noah Greer's 19-yard touchdown catch, but the Orediggers again made it a two-score game with Capra's corner shot to McGrath early in the fourth quarter to go up 31-17. After trading punts, CMU scored off a long drive with Keyworth's second of the game, but they never got the ball back. Mines took possession with 5:37 left and fed
Max Barnes, producing three first downs to secure the win.
NOTABLES
- Mines won the Nyikos Cup for the 10th time to Mesa's six wins. The trophy was established in 2010 in honor of Dr. Michael Nyikos, who was Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Mesa, as well as Vice President of Student Affairs and External Relations at Mines.
- Although it didn't show in huge yardage, Mines' run game effectively controlled the clock in the second half as Capra ended up the leading rusher with 47 yards,
Max Barnes going for 46, and
Braelon Tate 32. Altogether Mines ran 38 times.
- Kyle's 60-yard field goal was the Orediggers' longest since Mike Flater's program-record 62-yard field goal in 1973 against Western Colorado. Kyle's kick is the longest in NCAA Division II this season.
Josh Hildebrand had the snap and
Lucas LeSieur the hold.
- LeSieur had a big punting game with an average of 50.8 yards on four boots, including a long of 57.
- For the fourth consecutive game, the Mines defense held its opponent to less than 95 yards rushing as Mesa had 95 net yards.
-
Luke Johnson had a career-high 11 tackles to lead the Orediggers. Mines' sacks came courtesy of
Christian Peluse,
Jacob Sanders,
Eli Krawczuk,
Joey Beckner, and
Justin Vaughn.
- Beckner extended his sack streak to five consecutive games.
- Mines held 35:58 of possession.
NEXT UP
Mines returns home to host South Dakota Mines on Oct. 24.
