The state’s unstoppable college football force makes one final local appearance this Saturday in Golden.
Top-seeded Colorado School of Mines hosts Kutztown in the Division II semifinals at 1:30 p.m. at Marv Kay Stadium, with the Orediggers one victory away from returning to McKinney, Texas, for a second straight appearance in the national championship.
The Orediggers, 13-0 for the first time in program history, obliterated Augustana in their playoff opener in Golden two weeks ago. Then in the quarterfinals last week, Mines turned a 14-14 halftime score against Central Washington into a decisive 38-14 win.
Mines is again a favorite against the Pennsylvania-based Kutztown this week. Here’s a look at five keys to victory for coach Pete Sterbick’s squad as the Orediggers’ national-championship-or-bust campaign enters its homestretch.
Orediggers’ offensive balance. Mines has the reigning Harlon Hill Trophy winner in QB John Matocha, who is a frontrunner to win the award for the Division II player of the year again this season. But Mines is more than Matocha: The tailback tandem of Noah Roper and Landon Walker has been steady all season. The duo combined for four TDs to help wear down Central Washington last week while Matocha’s streak of 42 straight games with a passing TD was snapped. Walker has also been effective as a runner out of the wildcat. Oh, and this week, right tackle Levi Johnson became the school’s first winner of the Gene Upshaw Division II Lineman of the Year award. The hogs up front know how to do a lot more than pass-block.
Dominating run defense. The Orediggers have the top-ranked run defense among the teams left standing at 61 yards allowed per game. And over the last three weeks, it’s been almost impossible for opposing backs to find a crease in their defense. In the 82-0 demolition of Fort Lewis to conclude the regular season, the Skyhawks had minus-33 yards on the ground. The Mines D hasn’t let up in the playoffs, giving up just six rushing yards in the win over Augustana and then only seven rushing yards to Central Washington. The Orediggers set a program postseason record for total defense two weeks in a row, yielding 250 yards to Augustana and then topping that by giving up 214 yards against Central Washington, most of which came in the first half.
Reeve, one-man wrecking ball. Nolan Reeve, a redshirt senior outside linebacker from Mission Viejo, Calif., was the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year this season. He leads the Orediggers this season with nine sacks for 86 yards, and 12.5 tackles for loss for 96 yards. His 41.5 career sacks make him college football’s active sacks leader. He’s also been involved in a turnover in three straight games: a strip-sack and recovery against Fort Lewis, a scoop-and-score against Augustana, and another strip-sack last week against Central Washington. After his football career concludes, he’ll be working on and modeling electrical tower poles. But for now, he’s a game-wrecker who has proven impossible to contain by opposing offensive coordinators.
One-sided turnover battle. Mines ranks No. 1 in Division II with a plus-21 turnover margin. Even with two first-half turnovers against Central Washington, the Orediggers were still plus-1 in turnover margin after two fumble recoveries and an interception in the second half. Cornerback Jackson Zimmerman, a Valor Christian product, leads Mines with six picks while linebacker Evan Alexander has two (including one last week) and eight other players have recorded one interception. Matocha’s thrown 39 TDs to just six INTs, and Mines has lost only four fumbles this year. If this trend holds, there’s no stopping the Orediggers.
New champ to be crowned. None of the four teams left in the bracket have won a national title, making Mines not just the favorite but a heavy favorite at this point. The Orediggers have dominated the RMAC over the past decade. They’ve won the Super 4 Region title three years in a row. They’ve appeared in the Division II playoffs five years in a row (discounting the canceled 2020 postseason), making the semifinals three of those years. Mines is built for this moment. Now, the Orediggers have to deliver and take what’s theirs over the next two Saturdays culminating at McKinney ISD Stadium on Dec. 16.
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