Top-ranked Colorado School of Mines broke records, secured a fifth consecutive RMAC football championship and finished the regular season undefeated Saturday in Durango with an 82-0 win over Fort Lewis.
Win the RMAC ✅⚒
— Mines Football (@MinesFootball)
Orediggers quarterback John Matocha put up eye-watering numbers in the rout, throwing for 264 yards and three touchdowns on 13-of-17 passing and running in another TD for good measure. The performance pushed him past Houston’s Case Keenum and Central Iowa’s Blaine Hawkins for the most career touchdowns produced in college football history with 181 — 155 passing, 25 rushing and one receiving.
But it wasn’t just the Matocha show: Six different players scored for Mines, racking up a program-record 798 offensive yards while shutting out a winless Fort Lewis team. Sophomore Landon Walker led a prolific day for the running game with three scores, while Chris Yoo contributed two. Noah Roper, Konnor Mickelsen and Braelon Tate each had one.
The Skyhawks did have two opportunities to score Saturday, but neither worked out. Hunter Villavicencio missed a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter. Then late in the fourth quarter, Fort Lewis drove to the Mines 4-yard line before Christian Peluse stripped quarterback Braden Wingle and Joey Beckner recovered the fumble. Wingle was sacked four times in the game.
With the resounding victory, Mines is assured a No. 1 seed in Super Regional IV and a first-round bye in the playoffs. The NCAA will announce the field Sunday. This is the Orediggers’ ninth unbeaten regular season.
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