A close game at halftime went sour after intermission for Fort Lewis College football.
Colorado Mines scored 30 unanswered points in the second half to pull away for a 51-16 victory over the Skyhawks on Saturday in Golden.
FLC (2-4, 1-3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) rallied from an early 21-3 hole to trim the deficit to 21-16 at halftime as quarterback Max Baiz hit tight end Drew Berryhill for touchdown passes of 24 and 77 yards in the second quarter.
The Orediggers (4-2, 3-1 RMAC) responded with a 7-yard touchdown run from quarterback Joe Schneider – his second of the day – early in the third quarter, and Schneider also threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Alex Waner.
Colorado Mines quarterback Matt Brown, the other half of Saturday’s platoon, ran for a 63-yard touchdown, and Durango High School alumnus Avery Llewellyn hit field goals of 29, 32 and 34 yards in the second half to keep the Orediggers from dropping a second consecutive game after falling to Western New Mexico last week.
Dan Palmer added a rushing touchdown for Mines, and Schneider also threw a touchdown pass to Diamond Gillis in the first half.
Jaxon Gaita hit a 22-yard field goal for the Skyhawks’ other score.
The Skyhawks lost the turnover battle 2-1, with all three total turnovers Saturday coming via fumble. But perhaps the biggest key difference was in the running game. Mines ran for 251 net yards on the ground, while FLC mustered just 34 en route to a 600-239 disparity in total yards.
Baiz was just 17-of-36 passing for 205 yards and a pair of touchdowns, with 115 yards and both scores going to Berryhill.
Schneider threw for 290 yards and a pair of scores on just 19-of-44 passing for the Orediggers, who had 30 first downs to just 13 for FLC.
Colorado Mines ran 98 plays to 75 for FLC.
FLC will return home at 1 p.m. Saturday for their homecoming game against Colorado Mesa, which beat Western New Mexico 22-17 at Stocker Stadium on Saturday in Grand Junction.
FLC then will play at Western State,which upset New Mexico Highlands on Saturday.
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CSU-Pueblo wins battle of the ranked
CHADRON, Neb. – No. 5 CSU-Pueblo kept dangling the carrot just too far for No. 19 Chadron State to reach.
The Eagles kept trying to rally in the second half, but the ThunderWolves found a way to respond on almost every occasion in a 51-42 win in a matchup of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s two ranked teams.
A 38-yard field goal in the third quarter by Greg O’Donnell put CSUP (6-0, 4-0 RMAC) up 31-16, and the teams would trade scores from there, with the Eagles (4-2, 3-1 RMAC) getting no closer than the final margin as Pueblo found an answer for every Eagles’ tally.
Chris Ashe ran for 165 yards and a score for the ThunderWolves, and Chris Bonner was 19-of-28 for 333 yards and five touchdowns.
Chadron State quarterback Jonn McLain threw for 600 yards on 49-of-74 passing and four touchdowns for the Eagles, but he also was intercepted three times in the loss.
Colorado Mesa 22, Western N.M. 17
GRAND JUNCTION – Colorado Mesa scored every one of its 22 points in the third quarter to top Western New Mexico.
Western State 33, N.M. Highlands 27
GUNNISON – Western State held off New Mexico Highlands for its first victory of the year.
Adams State 49, Black Hills State 43
ALAMOSA – The Grizzlies held on for victory to even their record at 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the RMAC.
