A week after its RMAC title hopes were put on life support, the Colorado School of Mines football program got back to the business of winning — big.
The 18th-ranked Orediggers ran wild in a 56-21 rout of New Mexico Highlands on Saturday afternoon at Sanchez Family Stadium in Las Vegas, ripping off 491 yards on the ground in a game that didn’t see them punt once.
Legacy High grad Braelon Tate carried the load for Mines (7-2, 5-2 RMAC) with 210 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.
All told, the Orediggers compiled 658 total yards of offense and scored touchdowns on seven of their first nine offensive drives. Four different players ran in touchdowns and Aksel Richard had the program’s first kick return touchdown in 14 years with a 90-yard jaunt.
Denver South High grad Joseph Capra turned in an efficient day in his first career start at quarterback, completing 12 of 20 passes for 126 yards and running for 80 yards on seven carries. Flynn Schiele and Max McLeod both reeled in touchdown grabs from him.
Richard’s return TD immediately answered a touchdown drive from NMHU (2-7, 2-5 RMAC) with 7:06 left in the first quarter, sparking a string of seven consecutive scores from the Orediggers that ended with Jake Sype’s 9-yard run and a 49-7 lead with 6:25 left in the game.
The win kept alive the Orediggers’ slim hopes of extending their RMAC title streak to six. They will need to win at 10th-ranked CSU Pueblo (8-1, 7-0 RMAC) next Saturday and get a lot of help over the final two weekends of the season.
CSU Pueblo, which won at No. 8 Western Colorado 44-34 on Saturday, can clinch a share of the RMAC title with a win over Mines.
RMAC football
Saturday’s scores
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South Dakota Mines 24, Chadron State 17
CSU Pueblo 44, Western Colorado 34
Colorado Mesa 23, Black Hills State 13
Fort Lewis at Adams State, 6 p.m.
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Source:: The Denver Post – Sports
