THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Colorado Mesa's defense set the tone early and the ground game took over after halftime as the Mavericks beat Chadron State 30-20 in front of 3,842 fans at Stocker Stadium.

The Mavericks (3-3, 2-2 RMAC) grabbed the lead midway through the first quarter when Braylon Washington stepped in front of an Aidan Thompson pass and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown. After Chadron State tied the game, the CMU defense came up with another takeaway. Hunter Hamilton intercepted Thompson at the Eagles 40. Cole Hansen then found Noah Greer for 25 yards to set up a 25 yard Kale Purvis field goal and a 10-7 halftime lead.

The offense broke it open in the third quarter. Facing 3rd-and-4 from the CMU 47, Bryson Brown raced 53 yards to the end zone for a 17-7 lead. The Mavericks followed with a 10 play, 64 yard march capped by a 4-yard Bronco Hartson run on the first play of the fourth quarter. George Soppe then added the third interception of the night, returning it 26 yards to the Chadron State 29. Hansen finished that drive with a 1 yard run to make it 30-7. Chadron State added two late touchdowns, but the outcome was never in doubt.

CMU rushed for 208 yards at 5.2 per carry and turned three interceptions into 16 points. La'Markus Reed led the defense with 15 tackles, Gibson Leafgreen added 14, and Soppe finished with 11. O'Marius Dimry-Lockhart wreaked havoc up front with two sacks, three quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Amari Brown carried 11 times for 43 yards, and Hansen ran for 40.

BATTLE FOR THE NYIKOS CUP
This weekend's matchup with Colorado School of Mines will be the battle for the Nyikos Cup, named after longtime faculty and supporter of both schools Dr. Michael Nyikos. Dr. Nyikos was the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Colorado Mesa and the Vice President of Student Affairs and External Relations at Colorado School of Mines. This will be the 16th matchup in the series with Colorado School of Mines leading the cup series 9-6.

All Matchups in the Nyikos Cup Series
Oct. 16, 2010 Colorado School of Mines 46, Colorado Mesa 10
Oct. 15, 2011 Colorado School of Mines 28, Colorado Mesa 20
Oct. 20, 2012 Colorado School of Mines 34, Colorado Mesa 7
Oct. 26, 2013 Colorado School of Mines 27, Colorado Mesa 10
Nov. 1, 2014 Colorado School of Mines 37, Colorado Mesa 23
Oct. 31, 2015 Colorado Mesa 31, Colorado School of Mines 17
Sept. 17, 2016 Colorado Mesa 41, Colorado School of Mines 40
Sept. 16, 2017 Colorado Mesa 38, Colorado School of Mines 36
Sept. 29, 2018 Colorado School of Mines 72, Colorado Mesa 31
Oct. 5, 2019 Colorado School of Mines 56, Colorado Mesa 20
Oct. 23, 2021 Colorado Mesa 26, Colorado School of Mines 21
Oct. 8, 2022 Colorado School of Mines 48, Colorado Mesa 21
Oct. 7, 2023 Colorado School of Mines 52, Colorado Mesa 0
Oct. 5, 2024 Colorado Mesa 14, Colorado School of Mines 13
Oct. 4, 2025 Colorado Mesa 28, Colorado School of Mines 24

KNOW YOUR FOE
Colorado School of Mines started the year off rough but have righted the ship and are heading in the right direction. After falling to Western Oregon and CSU Pueblo and tying Washburn, the Orediggers have ripped off three straight wins heading into last week's bye. 

Head coach Bob Stitt is in his second stint with Colorado School of Mines and is in his 17th total season with the program. Stitt started with the program in 2000 and inherited a two win program and turned them into a 12 game winner in four seasons. After his first season, the Orediggers won six games or more in 15 of the 17 seasons. He spent 2015-17 with FCS power Montana and won 21 games in three seasons.

Max Barnes is one of the top running backs in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Barnes has rushed for 438 yards which ranks fifth in the conference and has added two touchdowns as well. He had a big game against Black Hills State in their last game where he rushed for 147 yards and two touchdowns. 

Colorado School of Mines has historically had a solid defensive unit and this season is no different. Mo Russolillo leads the team in tackles with 39 with three-and-half tackles for loss. He had a season-high 11 tackles against Washburn. Joey Beckner and Christian Peluse provide the pass rush and have combined for six sacks and 12 quarterback hurries. 

Following the matchup with Colorado Mesa, the Orediggers will be back at home to take on the now 5-1 South Dakota Mines Hardrockers at Marv Kay Stadium. The Orediggers have two home games and three road games remaining. 

Last Five Matchups
Oct. 4, 2025 Golden, Colo. W, 28-24
Oct. 5, 2024 Grand Junction, Colo. W, 14-13
Oct. 7, 2023 Grand Junction, Colo. L, 52-0
Oct. 8, 2022 Golden, Colo. L, 48-21
Oct. 23, 2021 Grand Junction, Colo. W, 26-21

KEYS TO THE GAME
The Nyikos Cup is on the line on Homecoming Saturday at Stocker Stadium, with kickoff at 1 p.m. Both teams are coming off the RMAC bye. Colorado Mesa (3-3, 2-2 RMAC) beat Chadron State 30-20 behind three forced turnovers. Colorado School of Mines (3-2-1, 3-1 RMAC) has won three straight and allowed just 28 points total in those games. CMU leads the all-time series 33-16 and is 19-7 at home against the Orediggers. The Mavs have won the last two meetings, 14-13 in Grand Junction in 2024 and 28-24 in Golden last season. A third straight win would give CMU its longest streak against Mines since three in a row from 2015-17.

1. Win the battle between CMU's run game and Mines' run defense
This is a strength-on-strength matchup. CMU's ground game is getting stronger, averaging 164.3 yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry, and its two best rushing games of the season were the last two: 248 yards at Pueblo and 208 against Chadron. Jalen Hankins leads the Mavs with 220 yards at 4.7 per carry, Bronco Hartson has a team-high five touchdowns, and the jet sweep has become a weapon, with Bryson Brown taking one 53 yards for a score against Chadron. Mines' run defense is the backbone of its team. The Orediggers allow just 84.7 yards per game and 2.7 per carry, and they have held three straight opponents under 100 yards: Fort Lewis (-27), Chadron State (39) and Black Hills State (63). If CMU's run game stalls, the Mavs will have to throw, and the passing game is averaging 5.24 yards per attempt with a 52.5% completion rate.

2. Make Mines settle for field goals
Mines has struggled to finish drives. The Orediggers have scored on 11 of 19 red-zone trips, but only four of those scores were touchdowns. Kicker Preston Kyle is 12-of-18 on field goals and 0-of-2 from 50 yards or longer. CMU's red-zone defense will need to improve to take advantage, since it has allowed scores on 18 of 21 opponent trips, 15 of them touchdowns. On the other side, CMU's offense has been efficient close to the goal line, scoring on 18 of 20 red-zone trips with 13 touchdowns.

3. Slow down Max Barnes and stop the big plays in the passing game
Mines runs for 161.3 yards per game. Max Barnes leads the way with 438 yards, including 147 yards and two touchdowns against Black Hills State. Braelon Tate averages 5.4 yards per carry, and Mitch Jensen broke an 83-yard touchdown run in that same game. CMU's run defense has held up well, allowing 132.3 yards per game and 3.5 per carry. The bigger concern is the passing game. Joseph Capra is completing 69.2% of his passes for 1,292 yards, with 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Pierce Richards has 49 catches for 420 yards, mostly on shorter routes, while Aksel Richard is the deep threat at 21.9 yards per catch. Pass defense has been CMU's biggest weakness, allowing 8.04 yards per attempt and 14 touchdown passes. The Mavs' pass rush could help: Mines has allowed 14 sacks, including six at Chadron. Noah Williams has 4.0 sacks for CMU, and O'Marius Dimry-Lockhart had two against the Eagles.

4. Win the turnover battle again 
CMU appears to have fixed its turnover problem. The Mavs had zero giveaways against Chadron and forced three, including Braylon Washington's 52-yard pick-six and interceptions by Hunter Hamilton and George Soppe. That performance brought CMU to even in turnover margin, with eight giveaways and eight takeaways, after being -3 through four games. Mines is -2 on the season with nine giveaways (5 interceptions and 4 lost fumbles), and the Orediggers threw two interceptions in the first half against Black Hills State. CMU will also need to protect the quarterback against a strong Mines pass rush. Joey Beckner has a sack in four straight games, and Christian Peluse has 6.5 tackles for loss. CMU didn't allow a sack against Chadron.

5. Win third downs and the field-position battle.
Both teams like to control the clock, with CMU averaging 32:19 in time of possession and Mines averaging 31:26, so third down will likely decide who has the ball. CMU converts 35.9% of its third downs and allows 44.6%, while Mines converts 37.6% and allows 39.3%. Field position will matter too. Mines limits return opportunities, as Kyle has 30 touchbacks on 33 kickoffs and punter Lucas LeSieur averages 48.0 yards per punt. CMU's Kale Purvis averages 43.0 yards per punt with 11 inside the 20. He is 6-of-8 on field goals but only 1-of-3 from 40 to 49 yards.

TOP TACKLERS
When Colorado Mesa's defense makes a stop, the tackle usually comes from one of three players. Linebackers La'Markus Reed and Dante Vigil and defensive back Gibson Leafgreen rank first, second and third in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in total tackles.

Reed, a senior, leads the league with 66 tackles, an average of 11.0 per game. He has reached double figures three times, including 14 tackles in the season opener against Minnesota State and 15 in the win over Chadron State. He has also been a playmaker behind the line, with a team-high 5.5 tackles for loss to go with an interception against Eastern New Mexico.

Vigil is right behind him with 58 tackles (9.7 per game). He had a season-high 17 tackles for the Mavericks in the overtime win at South Dakota Mines, and he has added 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

Leafgreen gives the trio a presence in the secondary. He is third in the league with 56 tackles, leads CMU with 22 solo stops and has a team-high six pass breakups. He made 14 tackles against Chadron State.

The three have combined for 180 of CMU's 490 tackles, about 37% of the team's total. Their consistency has helped the Mavericks hold opponents to 3.5 yards per carry, and they had a hand in the defensive effort that forced three turnovers against Chadron State.

They will be tested on Saturday. Colorado School of Mines averages 161.3 rushing yards per game behind Max Barnes, who ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns in the Orediggers' last game. Keeping Barnes in check will start with the RMAC's three leading tacklers.

THUNDER & LIGHTNING
Colorado Mesa's run game has become the engine of its offense, and two running backs with very different styles are driving it.

Junior Bronco Hartson is the power back. He leads the Mavericks with 79 carries and five touchdowns, four rushing and one receiving, and he takes over near the goal line. CMU even has a short-yardage package named after him. Hartson scored out of the "Buckin' Bronco" package on a four-yard run against Chadron State, and he carried a season-high 19 times in the overtime win at South Dakota Mines.

Jalen Hankins brings the big plays. He leads the team with 220 rushing yards at 4.7 yards per carry, the best average among CMU's regular ball carriers. He had a season-high 75 yards at No. 5 CSU Pueblo, including a 33-yard run that sparked the Mavs' 100-yard touchdown drive. He is also a threat in the passing game, with 11 catches for 75 yards.

Together, the pair has helped CMU run for 456 yards over its last two games. That production will be tested Saturday by a Colorado School of Mines defense that has held three straight opponents under 100 rushing yards.

PRESEASON POLLS & ALL-RMAC
Colorado Mesa was picked to finish fifth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll after finishing in a tie for fourth-place during the 2025 season. The Mavericks finished 6-5 last season and 5-4 in the conference, tied with Colorado School of Mines whom they defeated on October 24. 

Colorado Mesa earned a total of 52 votes that came with a second place vote and a third place vote as voted on by the league's 10 sponsoring schools.

CSU Pueblo was picked to repeat as the RMAC Champion with 80 points including eight first place votes and one second place vote. Western Colorado was picked second with 69 total points with one first place votes, five second place votes and two third place votes. Colorado School of Mines was picked third with 62 points on two second place votes and four third place votes.

2025 NCAA Playoff team Chadron State was picked fourth with 60 points on one first place vote, one second place vote, and three third place votes. 

The Mavericks had four players named to the Preseason All-RMAC team. Three of the four selections came on the offensive side of the ball with Alex Turpin earning a spot at tight end and seniors Calem Grimble and Cooper Mumford earning spots across the offensive line. Turpin played in all 11 games in 2025 and caught 22 passes for 180 yards and four touchdowns while Grimble and Mumford played in and started all 11 games on the left side of the offensive line.

Senior defensive back Gibson Leafgreen was named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team on the defensive side of the ball. In 2025, he played in 11 games and finished with 56 total tackles, four passes defended and two interceptions. 

EYES ON THE SCHEDULE
• Season opener at home on a Thursday night
Colorado Mesa will host NSIC power Minnesota State on Thursday August 27 at 6:00 PM to open the season. It will be the first meeting between the two schools and will be the first time the Mavericks have opened the season on a Thursday at home since the 2021 season when they defeated William Jewell 40-3.
• Back-to-back road trips to open conference play
The following two weeks the Mavericks will have their longest two game road trip of the season — first at Eastern New Mexico on September 5, then at South Dakota Mines to open RMAC play on September 12.
• Gauntlet of 2025 playoff teams
The Mavericks will take on three straight 2025 NCAA Playoff teams — Western Colorado (home, Sept. 19), CSU Pueblo (road, Sept. 26), and then Chadron State (home, Oct. 3). That's a brutal three-week stretch right in the heart of the schedule.
• Six home games 
The schedule features six home games and five road games for the upcoming season, with three of the final five games at home and the two final road games being the shortest trips of the season. 
• Halloween Matinee 
A Halloween afternoon kickoff will feature the Mavericks taking on New Mexico Highlands at Stocker Stadium on Saturday October 31, with many different spooky promotions expected and the possibility of a special surprise.
• Bye week placement
The bye falls on October 10, right after that brutal playoff-team gauntlet — a fortunate breather before the back half of the conference schedule. The entire Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference will observe a bye during that week with practice and meeting times varying throughout the week.
• Beyond 2026
Colorado Mesa and West Texas A&M announced a four-year football schedule agreement beginning in 2028, with games scheduled for August 24, 2028 (at Canyon, TX), August 23, 2029 (at Grand Junction), August 29, 2030 (at Canyon), and August 28, 2031 (at Grand Junction). Coach Kochevar has a personal connection there — he served as West Texas A&M's defensive coordinator from 2016–18. 
WHAT'S NEW THIS YEAR 
• Coach to player communication
Beginning this year in Division II, coach to player communication is legal and will be available in all games the Mavericks play in. The technology uses encrypted radio and in-helmet speakers that allow coaches to communicate to players on the field. The individuals will be allowed open communication until there are 15 seconds left on the play clock each play.

Colorado Mesa utilizes CoachComm communications systems with the coach's communications and has their solution for the Coach to Player system.

• Tailgate Time
Colorado Mesa will introduce premium tailgating this year with different level options. The premium package includes a 10x20 space that includes tent, tables, chairs, bottled water, two coolers and 40lbs. of ice while the select package comes with a 10x10 space that includes tent, tables, chairs, bottled water, cooler and 20lbs. of ice. The final option is the traditional tailgate where you get one reserved parking spot used to tailgate at your own will.

All of this is brought to us by our friends at FCI Constructors.

• Five-for-5
On August 5, the NCAA approved a new age-based or clock eligibility model that allows student-athletes a streamlined five-year period to compete, starting upon full-time enrollment or after turning 19. 

This new rule replaces complex redshirt tracking and waivers and takes full effect for incoming cohorts starting in the fall of 2027. This rule also eliminates most traditional extension waivers outside of the major exceptions of military service, religious missions or pregnancy.