Eagles fall to CSM 40-14
Colorado School of Mines’ Orediggers pounded the Eagles, Saturday winning 40-14 in Golden, Colorado. The Orediggers outscored the Eagles in all but the fourth quarter, where each team scored 7.
“We are a lot better than what we displayed against Mines,” Cody Paul, senior of Seal Beach, California, said. “They played a good game, and we missed some opportunities that could have put us in a better spot in the game.”
The Eagles turned the ball over twice in each quarter, including interceptions from CSC’s quarterback Matt Vinson, junior of Box Elder, South Dakota, once in each of the first three quarters, and a fumble by Paul in the fourth. But Demetrius McFadden, redshirt freshman of Pahokee, Florida, grabbed an interception of his own in the third quarter, and Collin Eisenman, junior of Sheridan, Wyoming, recovered a fumble in the fourth.
Vinson was still able to complete 23 of 39 for 205 passing yards, which contributed to the 303 total offensive yards. Mines marked 644 total yards and 384 passing, with quarterback Justin Dvorak, senior of Tombell, Texas, completing 30 of 41, and five touchdowns, which allowed Dvorak to tie the Mines and RMAC single-season passing touchdown record of 39. He broke the RMAC career total offensive yards record at 13,320.
With the win, Mines maintains its hunt for the RMAC football title. As of now, they are one of three two-loss teams.
CSC only scored once in the second and fourth quarters whereas CSM scored in every quarter. Vinson first found Jackson Dickerson, redshirt freshman of Chadron, for a 16-yard touchdown, which was Dickerson’s only reception. Jack Dobyns, junior of Tucson, Arizona, and Colt Foster, redshirt freshman of Hemingford, led in receptions with five each for 47 and 40 yards, respectively.
Paul rushed for a four-yard touchdown in the fourth. Paul recorded six for 20 yards and Derek Jackson, junior of Pueblo West, Colorado, led the Eagle rushers with nine carries for 55 yards. As a team, the Eagles only rushed 25 times and passed only 42 times.
Joey Hopkins, senior of Burien, Washington, led the Eagle tacklers with a career-high 15, which was also the most by an Eagle this season. Keenan Johnson, redshirt freshman of Chadron, followed with 11, and Devante Thomas, senior of Baltimore, Maryland, recorded 6, including one for a loss.
The Eagle’s final home match this season will be against Black Hills State University, Spearfish, South Dakota, Saturday at Elliott Field, with kickoff set for noon.
“I’m focused on getting the win Saturday, and correcting the mistakes we made Saturday,” Hopkins said. “This is the last home game I will play, but I am trying to not focus on that and just on playing the best game I can.”
This week’s game will be senior day. There are 16 seniors on the team.
“Senior day is something special to me, especially this year,” punter Zach Smith, senior of Gering, said. “I know our guys will put last week behind us and go out and put on a show one last time in front of our amazing fans. Black Hills is a good team; we had a tough time with them last year at their place. I know that us seniors will do everything possible to walk off Elliott Field for the last time with a win. We have to have our best effort on offense, defense, and special teams to come out on top.”
BHSU is 6-3 overall and 5-3 RMAC.