Homecoming week is upon us, and the highlight of the week is always the Maverick football game, and it will be an absolute treat this year. Colorado Mesa (5-1, 4-1 RMAC), receiving votes in this week's AFCA National Poll, will take on undefeated and No. 3 ranked Colorado School of Mines (7-0, 5-0 RMAC) into Stocker Stadium.
 
WEEK ONE
The Colorado Mesa football team has entered the playoffs. Well, not exactly yet but each week moving forward will be like a playoff week for them. The NCAA Regional Rankings will be released next week and initially it looks as if they are a borderline team in a Super Region full of uncertainty.
 
Enter this week's opponent, No. 3 Colorado School of Mines. They are the lone unbeaten team in the entire region and likely clear-cut No. 1 in the NCAA Regional Rankings if they were to be released this week. A win for the Mavericks this week would vault them from a borderline designation to contender.
 
DID YOU KNOW?

• With a win, it would be the first time Colorado Mesa has defeated a top-5 team in the AFCA national rankings. The Mavericks have had several matchups inside the top-5 but have yet to come away with a win. (Note: This excludes NAIA years where the ranking archives don't exist prior to 1990)

 

• The Mavericks last win over a ranked opponent came in 2016 against then No. 10 Colorado School of Mines 41-40 in double overtime on September 17 in Golden.

 

• The last time the Mavericks started 5-1 was that same 2016 season. They went on to finish 9-3 that season and made the NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce 34-23 in Texas.

 

• With a win, the Mavericks would move to 6-1 on the season. It would be the first time since 2015 that the team had that start.

 
STRENGTH VS. STRENGTH
This week's matchup will be a matchup of strengths on both sides of the ball. Colorado Mesa ranks No. 1 in the RMAC and No. 10 nationally in total offense, where they average 233.5 yards on the ground and 243.2 yards through the air, against a stout Mines defense that ranks No. 1 in the conference and No. 8 nationally in total defense at 254.7 yards per game.
 
On the other side of the ball, Colorado Mesa ranks No. 2 in the conference and No. 16 nationally in total defense allowing 274.8 yards per game will be up against the Orediggers offense that ranks No. 5 in the conference and No. 35 nationally in total offense at 420.7 yards per game.
 
212
You may hear or have heard the defense chanting "212" during the game or in practices last season and this season. This refers to the motto of the defense and we will try to give you a brief explanation where that comes from.
 
Water boils at 212 degrees and creates steam. Steam is extremely powerful and can power a locomotive which doesn't stop for anything in its path.
 
THE NYIKOS CUP
The Colorado Mesa University Alumni Association and the Colorado School of Mines Alumni Association launched a new tradition in October 2010: The Nyikos Cup. The trophy honoring Dr. Michael Nyikos, goes to the winner each year of the football contest between Mesa and Mines.
 
Dr. Michael Nyikos was a consultant to public agencies and private business in legislative affairs, education, human resources, and management, and served as a congressional campaign consultant. Dr. Nyikos served as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Mesa, as well as Vice President of Student Affairs and External Relations at Colorado School of Mines. He also served as the Dean of Student Affairs at Ft. Lewis College in Durango, Colo.
 
A graduate of New Mexico Highlands University, he earned a master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, where he also served as assistant director of student services.
 
Dr. Nyikos served on the National Junior College World Series Tournament Committee and was a member of the Board of Directors of Mesa County United Way.
 
In February 2002 Dr. Nyikos was appointed to the Colorado School of Mines Board of Trustees and reappointed in March 2006. He served as Chairman of the Board and was also a member of the Board of the Colorado School of Mines Foundation until his death in February 2009. 
 
In a joint statement, former Mines President Bill Scoggins and former Colorado Mesa President Tim Foster said, "The Nyikos Cup is significant because it is inspired by the devotion of Dr. Nyikos to higher education, his contagious enthusiasm, spirit of fun, and sportsman-like conduct in every area of his life. This - much more than winning or losing - is behind this very special tribute to a very special man."
 
SERIES HISTORY WITH COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
The Mavericks and Orediggers have had quite the history over the years. Colorado Mesa holds a 30-14 edge on the Orediggers and had a couple of stretches where they won 11-of-12 during the 80s and early 90s and that stretched to 17-of-19 in to the early 2000s.
 
Since 2009, the Orediggers have owned the series, that includes the inception of the Nyikos Cup, winning eight of the 11 matchups since then. Mines has won the last two matchups by a combined 128-51.
 
Colorado Mesa has a 17-6 record at home in the series.
 
SCOUTING THE OREDIGGERS
Colorado School of Mines comes into the contest with a perfect 7-0 mark this season that includes two non-conference wins over Western Oregon and West Texas A&M. They have the No. 1 scoring offense and the No. 1 scoring defense in the RMAC.
 
Offensively, junior quarterback John Matocha makes them go and is one of the top signal callers in all of Division II football. He has thrown for over 1,500 yards and 20 touchdowns this season and has added another 255 yards on the ground and two more scores. Against Black Hills State, he threw for 362 yards and four touchdowns as his best performance this season.
 
On defense, Nolan Reeve wreaks havoc in the passing game as he leads the Orediggers with 43 total tackles and six and a half sacks. He had two sacks against Fort Lewis and South Dakota Mines this year.
 
Gabriel Kortz leads the team with 46 total tackles.
 
THE COACH
Head coach Tremaine Jackson enters his second season at the helm of the Maverick football team. He guided Colorado Mesa to a 2-1 mark during the COVID shortened 2020 season.
 
He was hired in December 2019 just prior to the COVID pandemic and thus has had to wait almost 19 months to compete in his first game that could go towards a championship.
 
Coach Jackson has made several stops along his coaching path that ranges from all levels. Most recently he made stops at Texas State as the defensive line coach and at Abilene Christian as the defensive coordinator.
 
RMAC PRESEASON POLL
Colorado Mesa was picked to finish in fourth place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as voted on by the coaches. The Mavericks finished last season's abbreviated schedule with a 2-1 mark with wins over both Chadron State and Black Hills State. Their lone setback came to South Dakota Mines at home in what turned out to be the final game of the season.
 
Colorado School of Mines was selected to win the conference with seven first place votes and 76 points. Mines finished the 2019 season with a 12-1 mark and a perfect 10-0 mark in the RMAC.
 
CSU Pueblo was second in the poll followed by Chadron State to round out the top four.
 
ON THE HORIZON
The Mavericks will head back on the road next weekend, but it will be a short trip up the road to Gunnison for the Western Slope Showdown with Western Colorado. The Mountaineers are ranked in the AFCA poll at No. 24 and have their eyes set on making the playoffs for the first time in a while.