#6 Colorado School of Mines (8-0) vs. South Dakota Mines (4-4), Saturday, 12 p.m.
Marv Kay Stadium at Campbell Field, Golden, Colo.
[Streaming: RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Mines Media Notes] 
 

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With three games left in the season, #6 Colorado School of Mines faces off against South Dakota Mines in a meeting of the top two offenses in NCAA Division II.

WATCH US
Every regular-season Mines game this season will be seen live and for free on the RMAC Network at minesathletics.com/tv. Fans can also watch on their smart TV by searching "RMAC" in the app store of their Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire device.

TICKETS
Walk-up tickets are available at Gates 1 (12th Street home side) and Gate 3 (11th Street visitor's side), cash or charge. Tickets are $15 for reserved seating, $10 general admission, $5 for military, seniors, and children 17 and under, and free for Mines students with Blaster Card and faculty/staff with pass.

PARKING
Fans are reminded that Lot K, located next to Stermole Soccer Stadium, is $10 per car on game days and opens at 10 a.m. Fans may also park anywhere else on campus or in Golden municipal parking. Handicap parking is available in Lot L (12th and Maple Streets) on a first-come, first-served basis, and handicap drop-off is also available there.

WEATHER REPORT
It should be another great day for football in Golden with forecast highs touching 70 degrees and sunny skies. 

BY THE NUMBERS
1094 - combined average yards of offense per game between Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota Mines
770 - days since Mines last lost at Marv Kay Stadium. The Orediggers are 18-2 at home since the stadium opened in 2015
55 - career touchdowns by Brody Oliver, a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record
14 - years since the Orediggers started 8-0, doing so only one time in program history during the 2004 season
3 - safeties scored by the Mines defense this year, a program season record.

IN THE POLLS
Mines remained at #6 in this week's AFCA top 25 poll for the second straight week. The Orediggers are one of five Super Region 4 teams in the top 10 along with #1 Minnesota State, #5 Minnesota-Duluth, #8 Tarleton State, and #10 Midwestern State. Mines also debuted at #3 in Super Region 4 the NCAA regional rankings; the regional rankings are a key indicator of NCAA Tournament selection, with the top seven ranked teams in SR4 making it in.

NCAA Super Region 4 Rankings, through Week 8
1. Minnesota Duluth (8-0/8-0)    
2. Minnesota State (8-0/8-0)    
3. Colorado School Of Mines (8-0/8-0)    
4. Colorado State-Pueblo (7-1/7-1)    
5. Tarleton State (7-0/7-0)    
6. Midwestern State (5-1/6-1)    
7. Texas A&M-Commerce (4-2/6-2)    
8. Central Washington (6-1/6-1)    
9. St. Cloud State (6-2/6-2)    
10. Azusa Pacific (5-2/5-2)    
(In-region/D-II records)    

OREDIGGERS ON TOP OF THE RMAC
Mines is the lone remaining unbeaten team in the RMAC at 7-0. Only one one-loss team remains, CSU-Pueblo, who Mines has already beaten. This week's RMAC standings.

ON A ROLL
Mines has won 12 straight games dating back to last season, which is now the second-longest win streak in program history. Mines' longest streaks are:

Won    Year(s)    
14 - 2003-04    
12 - 2017-18    
11 - 2013-14    
8 - 2010    
8 - 2016    

NO PLACE LIKE HOME
With last week's win over Azusa Pacific, Mines ran its home winning streak to 13 games. The Orediggers have not lost at Marv Kay Stadium in 770 days, since falling to Colorado Mesa in week 3 of the 2016 season, and are 18-2 overall since the facility opened in 2015.

OREDIGGERS VS. HARDROCKERS
This will be the 20th meeting of the Mineses ... The Orediggers lead the all-time series 19-1 ... SDSMT got their first win in the series last year in a 37-29 victory in Rapid City ... It has been a remarkably high-scoring series, with the Orediggers averaging 54.2 points per game over their last 10 meetings ... The Hardrockers have played at Marv Kay Stadium twice, with the Orediggers winning 63-28 in the stadium's inaugural game in 2015 and 56-28 in 2016 ... SD Mines joined the RMAC starting in 2016 and the two are 1-1 in conference meetings.

OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS
This week's game features the top two total offenses in NCAA Division II with South Dakota Mines (1st, 555.3 ypg) and Colorado School of Mines (2nd, 539.6 ypg). Both have relatively balanced attacks with the ability to throw and run, and both teams rank in the national top-five in first downs and third-down conversions.

OLIVER NEARS MINES YARDS MARK
Brody Oliver's record-setting career added another memorable moment two weeks ago when he set the RMAC career record for receiving touchdowns with his 51st on Mines' opening score at Fort Lewis. Oliver didn't stop there - he caught four in the game, his third career 4+ TD performance, and another last week against Azusa Pacific to take his career total to 55. Next up is the Mines career yardage record; Oliver stands only nine yards shy of breaking Justin Gallas' Mines record of 3,561 compiled from 2002 to 2005. Oliver is NCAA football's active leader in receiving touchdowns, and it isn't even close: the next-highest total is 42, by RMAC rival Chad Hovasse of Adams State.

RMAC CAREER RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
1. 55, Brody Oliver, Mines (2015-pres.)    
2. 50, Richie Ross, Nebraska-Kearney (2002-05)    
3. 47, Anthony Edwards, N.M. Highlands (1984-88)    
4. 42, Chad Hovasse, Adams State (2015-pres.)    
5. 38, Kyle Kaiser, Nebraska-Kearney  (2007-10)    
5. 35, Tyrone Johnson, Western State (1990-93)    

RMAC CAREER RECEIVING YARDS
1. 4882, Richie Ross, Nebraska-Kearney (2002-2005)    
2. 3996, Anthony Edwards, N.M. Highlands (1984-1988)    
3. 3717, Tyrone Johnson, Western State (1990-1993)    
4. 3687, Johnny Cox, Fort Lewis (1990-1993)    
5. 3647, Chad Hovasse, Adams State (2015-pres.)    
6. 3561, Justin Gallas, Mines (2002-2005)    
7. 3553, Brody Oliver, Mines (2015-pres.)    
8. 3355, Kyle Kaiser, Nebraska-Kearney (2007-2010)    
9. 3266, Trevor Weston, Nebraska-Kearney (1997-2000)    

MR. 1,000
Cameron Mayberry continues to make history, and with his final carry last week - a game-sealing, 25-yard touchdown run - he notched his name in the Mines record book once again as only the second player in program history to record two 1,000-yard seasons. Mayberry, who ran for a program-record 1,563 yards a year ago, now stands at 1,002 yards in 2018, putting him alongside former teammate Sam Seeton (1,150 in 2015, 1,268 in 2016). Mines has now had a 1,000-yard rusher in five consecutive seasons if you add in Tevin Champagne's 1,084 in 2014.

RICHEST GAME IN FOOTBALL?
This week's game might not feature huge sponsorships and million-dollar payouts, but it may very well be the richest game in NCAA Division II taking into account the players on the field. Both Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology routinely rank among the top universities in the nation in terms of graduate salaries; according to Payscale.com's annual study, the average Oredigger will earn $74,100 right out of school and $139,300 at mid-career, with the average Hardrocker earning $65,800 in their first year and $113,700 at midcareer. With their rosters combined, the two teams' student-athletes stand to make $14.6 million a year right out of school and $26.6 million a year at mid-career.

A UNIQUE TRIO
Mines' high-powered offense has given it two unique combos on the roster. Wide receivers Riley Hoff and Brody Oliver are the only active 2,000+ career yard duo in NCAA Division II and one of only three in all of college football; if you add in Cameron Mayberry, Mines is the only team in NCAA football to have two 2,000+ yard receivers and a 2,500+ yard running back on its roster.

LEADING THE WAY
Mines enters week 8 with NCAA Division II's #2 total offense, ranking among the national leaders in virtually every offensive category. Mines' 539.6 yards per game is #2 in the country, and they've also produced the #5 passing offense (325.5 ypg) and #30 rushing offense (214.1) while ranking third in scoring at 46.4 points per game. The defense hasn't been too shabby either - Mines ranks 23rd nationally in scoring defense (18.8 ppg), 17th in rushing defense (105.8 ypg), 23rd in defensive touchdowns (2), and 10th in third-down conversion defense (26.9%). Individually, Brody Oliver leads NCAA Division II in receiving touchdowns (17) while also ranking fifth in D-II in yards (126.0 per game); Isaac Harker is first in passing TDs (29), third in yards (2,502), and third in completion percentage (67.7%). Cameron Mayberry is fifth in rushing TDs (13) and seventh in yards (1,002).

PART-TIMERS
One huge advantage Mines has heading into the late part ofthe season is a lack of wear and tear from the first half. That's because the Orediggers have put six of their eight games out of reach early in the second half, and Mines' starters have only played roughly 26 of 32 quarters this season (the only exceptions being against CSU-Pueblo and Azusa Pacific). Combined on offense and defense, Mines starters have missed only seven man-games due to injury this season.

BIG PLAY BURROS
Everybody knows that Orediggers love blowing things up - Mines has an explosives club, after all. That pyrotechnic proclivity has transferred to the football field this year as Mines has produced big plays left and right. In five games, Mines has produced 22 20+ yard touchdowns, including eight of 50+ yards. Mines' longest scoring plays of the year thus far are:

90 - Logan Bock fumble recovery (vs. CSU-Pueblo)    
77 - Sean O'Dell pass from Isaac Harker (vs. Colorado Mesa)    
70 - Cameron Mayberry run (vs. CSU-Pueblo)    
67 - Brody Oliver pass from Isaac Harker (vs. Adams State)    
60 - Brody Oliver pass from Isaac Harker (at Black Hills State)    
58 - Cameron Mayberry run (vs. CSU-Pueblo)    

NO RUNNING
Mines' run-stopping success has been key for the defense this year, as the Orediggers lead the RMAC allowing only 105.8 yards per game on the ground.  They race off this week against the nation's #3 rusher in SDSMT's Connor Silveria (1,151 yards). Averie Mansfield leads the team and the front seven in tackles with 43 total tackles and 6.5 for a loss; Logan Bock is third on the team with 39 total tackles and leads Mines with 9.0 tackles for loss. Mines has held opponents to 75 or fewer yards on the ground four times this year, including 25 vs. Adams State and 53 vs. Western State.

SAFETY FIRST
Colorado School of Mines has scored three safeties this year, a program record since the season statistic was first compiled by the NCAA beginning in 1992. Logan Bock is responsible for two of those and James Kohlschmidt has the other; Bock also has a defensive touchdown to his credit this year, as does Luke Jeter, both coming on fumbles.

THIRD DOWN DOMINANCE
One thing to watch in this week's game is South Dakota Mines on third down vs. the Oredigger defense. SDSMT leads the nation in third-down conversions at 59.2 percent (74-of-125); meanwhile the Oredigger defense is 10th in NCAA Division II in stopping teams on third down, allowing only 26.9 percent of conversions.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will play its final road game of the regular season at Dixie State on Nov. 3 and end the regular season at home vs. Chadron State on Nov. 10.