The march on history continued for the Colorado School of Mines football team Saturday as the Orediggers defeated Fort Lewis College 37-14 in Durango.
The victory was the Orediggers’ first on the Skyhawks’ home turf. The win propelled Mines to 5-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The victory was also the 10th straight, dating back to last year, as the team improved to 8-0 overall. That mark equals the single-season perfection of the 1939 squad.
The victory did not come easy for the visitors as the teams traded points in the first half and the Orediggers found them deadlocked at 10 with the Skyhawks (1-6, 1-5) at halftime.
“They played us tough and we came out a little flat after the big win last week (at Nebraska-Kearney),” Mines coach Bob Stitt said. “But our defense played well and we had a big third quarter.”
Quarterback Chad Friehauf threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Brian Florendo and hit Justin Gallas on a 15-yard strike. Jonny Chan added a 13-yard scoring run as the Orediggers outscored the Skyhawks 20-7 in the third quarter.
Friehauf lumbered for a 7-yard score in the final stanza to put the game out of reach. He completed 33-of-50 passes for 375 yards for two touchdowns while also throwing two interceptions. The senior quarterback ran for 42 yards.
Friehauf, who came into the week leading Division II in total offense, is now averaging 402.2 yards of offense per game and his 8,579 career yards moved him into 31st place on the all-time Division II total offense career yards list. He is also a solid candidate for the Harlon Hill Trophy, D-II’s equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.
“The thing about Chad is that he understands what he is supposed to do on the football field,” Stitt said. “He is able to read defenses and adjust and that helps our offense to be successful.”
The Orediggers defense played poor houseguests as they held their hosts in check for 255 yards of total offense and made the Skyhawks the seventh of eight opponents to score seven or fewer points in the second half. Mines also recorded a quartet of interceptions with Nick Gilbreath grabbing two and Brian Yureskes and Luke Salmans adding one each.
With Mines homecoming slated for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 23, against New Mexico Highlands University, the buzz around the Golden campus should grow to a deafening roar as the Orediggers bid to better the best football season in school history.
Still, for a Mines squad that is certain its time has come, the buffets and head-butts during culminating Old Home Week are a piece of a larger picture.
“This should be the hugest event in Mines history,” Stitt said. “These kids appreciate that, but they also want something new. Nine or 10 wins and a league trophy aren’t enough for them. They want to play on the national stage.”