Colorado School of Mines (0-1, 0-0 RMAC) at Washburn (1-0, 0-0 MIAA) // Saturday, Sept. 5 // 9 a.m. Central
Yager Stadium - Topeka, Kan.
[MIAA Network PPV] [Live Stats] [Tickets] [Mines Media Notes]

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Colorado School of Mines hits the road looking for its first win as it visits Washburn in Week 1. The Orediggers pushed nationally-ranked Western Oregon to the brink in a 22-20 loss to open the season.

LIVE COVERAGE
This week's game will stream via pay-per-view on the MIAA Network. Note that RMAC Network season/monthly passes do not apply to the MIAA Network. This will be the only Mines game this season to not stream on the RMAC Network.

GAME TIME CHANGED
Forecasted extreme heat in Topeka has forced the start of Saturday's game up by three hours to 9 a.m., one of the earliest kickoffs - if not the earliest - in Mines Football history. A huge heatwave is impacting games across the middle of the country, and the forecast high temperature in Topeka is slated to be 100 degrees with a heat index of 105 late in the afternoon.

LEADING THE WAY
Mines will again select gameweek captains this season, with cornerback Devyn Lauer-Duarte, defensive end Christian Peluse, receiver Pierce Richards, and tight end Blake Smotherman picked as captains for the Washburn game.

STITT'S SECOND ERA CONTINUES
Bob Stitt was announced as the new head coach of Mines Football on Feb. 7, 2025 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 21 all-Americans and 178 all-RMAC selections over 16 seasons, including his first year back in 2025. 

MINES ADDS NEW DEFENSIVE STAFF
The biggest change on the coaching staff is on the defensive side of the ball with new coordinator Scott McLaughlin, who comes to Golden after a long and successful tenure at Wayne State in Nebraska. The Orediggers also add defensive line coach Kerry Grigsby and corners coach Al Ashford, while Anthony Makransky continues as the defensive backs/defensive pass game coordinator coach. 

IN THE POLLS
The Orediggers received votes in the preseason AFCA top-25 poll, and were selected third in the RMAC's preseson coaches' poll. Washburn was selected eighth in the MIAA's preseason coaches' and media polls.

NOTING THE SERIES
Mines and Washburn are old rivals, playing 18 times between 1953 and 2010 before renewing the series in 2024 ... This year's game is the first of a new two-year agreement, with the Ichabods returning to Golden in 2027 ... The two also played an unofficial spring scrimmage in Golden during the pandemic-impacted 2020-21 school year ... The Ichabods own a 13-7 all-time record against Mines ... The Orediggers have won the last two games, 31-28 in Topeka in 2024 and 41-27 at home last year ... Bob Stitt and Zach Watkins, Stitt has faced Washburn eight times (seven in his first tenure) 2-6 ... The two first played in 1953, a 13-0 Washburn win in Golden.

LAST WEEK
#22/14 Western Oregon rallied late after a back-and-forth second half to defeat Colorado School of Mines, 22-20, in the 2026 season opener last week at Marv Kay Stadium. Pierce Richards set the Mines program record for receptions in a game with 18 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown as the favored target of Joseph Capra, who went 30-of-49 for 232 yards and a touchdown. The Orediggers (0-1) rallied back from 16-7 at halftime sparked by Mo Russolillo's 32-yard scoop and score off Jack Mills' forced fumble to open the third quarter. The Wolves (1-0) held Mines to 41 rushing yards and went ahead on Jordan McCarty's fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Jaydan Burns, one of two scores for Burns on the day.

SCOUTING THE ICHABODS
Coming off a 3-8 season last year under first-year head coach Zach Watkins, the Ichabods opened 2026 with a 27-21 win at Truman State last week, controlling the game with a massive 47 minutes of ball possession and 446 yards of offense. Washburn led 27-7 in the fourth quarter. Logan Madden went 28-of-38 for 328 yards and two touchdowns, with Tre Calhoun compiling 117 receiving yards and a score and Nathan Lewis Jr. going for 72 yards off nine catches. The Ichabod defense forced two turnovers in the game.

OREDIGGERS VS. ICHABODS
The Mines vs. Washburn series represents one of the great nickname matchups in NCAA Division II as the Orediggers visit the Ichabods. An Oredigger is fairly self-explanatory for a school named Mines, but what's an Ichabod? The university is named for an early benefactor, Ichabod Washburn, and the student body began to call themselves that in the late 1800s.

RICHARDS SETS CATCHES RECORD
Receiver Pierce Richards had a monster start to 2026, breaking the Mines program record for receptions against Western Oregon in Week 0. Richards, a redshirt junior, hauled in 18 catches on 21 targets for a career-high 153 yards and a touchdown. He had an impressive 131 yards after catch, including all of 39 yards on his second-quarter touchdown catch from Joseph Capra. Richards had the most receptions in the RMAC since 2009 and broke the Mines record of 16 that had been co-held by David Pawelek and Jerrod Doucet since 2012.

CAPRA SETS CAREER HIGHS
Now in his second full season as the starter at quarterback, Joseph Capra is coming off career highs in both completions (30) and passes thrown (49) against Western Oregon in a game that saw him go for 232 yards and a touchdown and rush for 22 more yards. Capra hooked up with seven different receivers in the game topped by Richards, but Tyson Mauck, Blake Smotherman, Aksel Richard, Connor McGrath, and Max Barnes also all had multiple catches.

BIG DEBUTS FOR LINEBACKERS
Linebackers Mo Russolillo and Jack Mills had games to remember in their first career starts, combining on an Oredigger turnover and score against Western Oregon. On the second play of the third quarter, Mills hit the ball carrier that had been held up by Parker Johnson, punching the ball loose for Russolillo to scoop and score on a 32-yard touchdown. It was an important momentum stealer for the Orediggers as they would go on to take the lead later in the half. Russolillo ended up with a game- and career-high eight tackles, and Mills made four stops with a hurry.

LESIEUR SHOWS OFF LEG
Returning all-American punter Lucas LeSieur had a terrific start to his 2026 campaign, punting three times for a 52.7-yard average against Western Oregon. The highlight of the day came midway through the third quarter when LeSieur uncorked a 71-yard punt from inside his own 20 that contacted the returner inside the 20 and ended up bouncing back into the end zone for a touchback after WOU was able to cover it. That was the longest punt of LeSieur's career and also the longest punt in NCAA Division II in Week 0. LeSieur also stuck another second-quarter punt at the WOU 9 yard line.

KYLE PERFECT IN OPENER
Return all-RMAC kicker and Fred Mitchell Award preseason watchlist member Preston Kyle had a perfect debut to his 2026 season, hitting both of his field goal attempts, going 2-for-2 on PATs, and booming all five of his kickoffs through the end zone in last week's Western Oregon game. Kyle made both of his field goals in the second half, including a 49-yarder, to give Mines a lead heading into the fourth quarter.

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
Nine Orediggers made their first career starts in the Western Oregon game, including Ty Deppe (RT), Aaron Gall (DT), Joseph Gonzales (S), Jackson Harmon (CB), Jack Mills (SLB), Jacob Mumy (LG), Mo Russolillo (MLB), Jackson Van Otten (S), and Russ Woodward (LT). In addition, Christian Peluse, already with three career starts under his belt at linebacker, earned his first at defensive end.

SPENCE MAKES DEBUT
The NCAA's new eligibility rules mean incoming freshmen get five seasons to play with no redshirts, and the first Oredigger rookie to take advantage of the change was Cash Spence, who earned a start at kick returner and was officially credited with three rushing yards on a reverse in the second half. Spence is a freshman wide receiver and product of nearby power program Valor Christian.

PRESEASON HONORS
Mines has been well-represented in preseason honors, with punter Lucas LeSieur being named to the D2football Elite 100 list and kicker Preston Kyle appearing on the Fred Mitchell Award watchlist. In addition, running back Max Barnes, wide receiver Pierce Richards, and tight end Blake Smotherman were named to the preseason all-RMAC offensive team, and Mines dominated on the specialists team with long snapper Josh Hildebrand joining Kyle and LeSieur in being recognized.

NEXT UP
Mines begins RMAC play at CSU Pueblo on Sept. 12 with a 2 p.m. kickoff.