Orediggers gunning for RMAC, playoffs
The Colorado School of Mines football team put up video-game offensive numbers last fall.
There were those 84 points the Orediggers put on South Dakota Mines, the 72 against Colorado Mesa and 49 against Adams State and Chadron State en route to a 12th Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship.
Heading into 2019, Mines (10-2 last season) could be just as dangerous.
“I have high expectations,” said senior receiver Sean O’Dell, a Chatfield High product who accompanied fifth-year head coach Gregg Brandon at Thursday’s Front Range Media Huddle at Blake Street Tavern.
A year ago, the Orediggers ranked No. 1 in Division II total offense (556.8 yardsper-game), No. 2 in passing offense (331.9) and No. 3 in scoring offense (47.2)
They were held to less than 42 points just twice, both against RMAC rival Colorado State-Pueblo, including a disappointing 3717 loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Marv Kay Stadium at Campbell Field in Golden.
While the Oregiggers graduated starting quarterback Isaac Harker and three of their top four wide receivers, 2017 starting QB Ben Bottlinger is back in the No. 1 role and O’Dell — the lone returning starter at his position — says the new receivers could be just as deep as last year.
O’Dell and the new guys will play outside an offensive line that returns three starters, including AllAmerican Grant Stewart at right tackle, with All-American running back Cameron Mayberry (1,649 rush yards in 2018) in the backfield.
“We have talent at every position, just like last year. Just different guys catching the football, and a different guy throwing the football,” O’Dell said.
Brandon, the former Bowling Green head coach who was also an assistant at Colorado and Wyoming, said he could have the best defense in his tenure. And he believes that balance has set his program up to run the table in the RMAC and go deep in the Division II playoffs.
Winning the conference is now just the preliminary goal — which would also include exacting a measure of revenge against their RMAC counterpart in Pueblo.
“Early on, when I first started out, we had to outscore people. Now, we still outscore people but we’re getting off the field,” Brandon said. “Last year we gave up just 100 yards a game on the ground.
“Our whole deal has been to take the program to the playoff-caliber level. So to do that in our league and Division II, you almost have to run the table or go 10-1.”
O’Dell caught 61 passes for 849 yards as junior, third-most on the team behind the graduated Riley Hoff and Brody Oliver. Redshirt senior Brandon Farmer is among a handful of new targets downfield.
“I think we have a good group of wide receivers,” O’Dell said. “It’s obviously going to be different because we had Brody, Riley and Dave (Sommers) — we had guys in every position that could step up and make plays and we got a bunch of young guys filling those roles. But we’re making steps to gain ground and get experience under their belt.”
Mines opens Sept. 7 at Adams State before its home opener Sept. 14 against Black Hills State. The Orediggers then travel south to Pueblo for a Week 3 showdown against CSUPueblo that — given the recent history of the RMAC — could ultimately decide another league crown.