One of the most lethal offenses in the country is set to ride into Durango to play the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks.
Colorado School of Mines, ranked ninth in the NCAA Division II football coaches poll, will meet FLC at noon Saturday at Ray Dennison Memorial Field on the FLC campus.
The Orediggers (6-0, 6-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) have won every game by double digits this season. They boast the sixth-best passing offense in the nation at 323.5 yards per game behind Isaac Harker, who is third in the country with 21 passing touchdowns and a passer efficiency rating of 180.2. He has thrown only three interceptions. Harker’s 1,841 yards also rank fifth in the nation.
Harker isn’t the only one getting it done for the powerful team out of Golden. Sophomore running back Cameron Mayberry has nine rushing touchdowns, which is ninth-most in Division II. His 740 yards on 125 carries rank fourth in the nation. That’s good for an average of 123.3 yards per game.
Behind Harker and Mayberry, the Orediggers convert on more than 51 percent of third-down plays. Getting Mines off the field on third down will be a top priority for the Skyhawks’ defense, which is tied for first in the nation with four defensive touchdowns to match the mark set by Tarleton State.
Brody Oliver is the top target at wide receiver for Colorado Mines. He has 33 receptions, 12 of which are touchdowns, for 643 yards. Sean O’Dell is second on the team with 459 yards and two touchdowns on 34 receptions, while Riley Hoff has 431 yards and four touchdowns on 33 receptions.
FLC (1-5, 1-5 RMAC) was able to total only 28 rushing yards in last week’s 31-24 loss at home to Colorado Mesa University. FLC is last in the RMAC in rushing yards per game at 101.8 yards, while Mines has the second-ranked run defense in the conference at 129.9 yards allowed per game.
Earlier this year, Colorado Mines hammered Colorado Mesa 72-42 behind 797 yards of total offense. To keep pace, FLC quarterback Nick McNamee will need some protection and a chance to make big plays. He has 934 yards and 10 touchdowns to nine interceptions while he has completed 58.3 percent of his passes since taking over for injured Jake Lowry during Week 3.
Tajon Mondy-Smith and Mason Hatton both rank in the top 10 in RMAC receiving for FLC. Mondy-Smith has five touchdowns and 314 yards on only 16 catches. Hatton is a volume receiver with 41 receptions for 363 yards and three touchdowns.
Last year, FLC fell 41-7 in Golden. The Orediggers have won 11 in a row against the Skyhawks, as FLC’s last win in the series came in 2006 in a 41-34 road victory.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
If you go
Who:
No. 9 Colorado School of Mines at Fort Lewis College
What:
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football
When:
Noon Saturday
Where:
Ray Dennison Memorial Field, FLC campus
Twitter:
@jlivi2
