ARVADA — The football team from the engineering school is all about big numbers.
Colorado School of Mines ran 108 plays in its first-round NCAA Division II first-round playoff game against Ohio Dominican on Saturday. Quarterback Justin Dvorak made an eye-popping 71 throws, the second-most in school history.
But for all the plays they ran, the Orediggers will long stew over the ones they wish they could have back after a 34-23 loss season-ending loss at North Area Athletic Complex. An interception, a fumble and a failed fourth-down conversion deep in Ohio Dominican territory spoiled scoring chances Mines couldn’t afford to lose.
“You look back on those and it’s tough,” said Mines coach Bob Stitt. “If we don’t have those turnovers, in the second half you have a great chance of staying right with them. We know we have a chance in the fourth quarter if we just get scores in the red zone. We needed points, and you can not turn the ball over.”
Mines (10-2) finished with 519 yards of total offense, but Ohio Dominican (10-1) limited the Orediggers’ big-play potential. ODU sagged off of Mines’ four- and five-receiver sets, then collapsed on receivers and limited their yards after the catch.
“Don’t let them in the end zone,” ODU coach Bill Conley said in summarizing his team’s defensive game plan. “The key is to not let them get the big play. If they are going to score, make them drive a long way and take a lot of time off the clock to do it.”
Dvorak completed 42-of-71 passes for 409 yards and two touchdowns to Cole Spurgeon. But he was intercepted in the red zone with the game tied at seven early in the second quarter. Late in the quarter, with Mines trailing 24-10, Eric Shannon caught a pass from Dvorak and burst inside the 20 before being stripped of the football.
Ohio Dominican recovered just before halftime to preserve its 14-point lead.
“The turnovers we had in the red zone were the turning points in this game,” said Dvorak, who was sacked five times. “I think you take those away, I think we have a very good chance of winning the ball game.”
Mines pulled to within 24-16 at the end of the third quarter. But a 29-yard touchdown run by ODU’s Brandon Schoen with seven minutes left put the game out of reach.
On defense, Mines couldn’t keep up with speedy receiver Dez Stewart, who caught a 68-yard touchdown pass and had two 49-yard grabs that helped set up scores for ODU, which won its first Division II playoff game in school history.
“It’s hard,” said Mines senior linebacker Kole Kadavy, who began his career as a walk-on and finished his senior year with a single-season school record 144 tackles. “I think everyone knows we could have got those guys. But they made the big plays and we didn’t.”
Nick Kosmider: nkosmider@denverpost.com or
