# 2023 Colorado Mines Orediggers football team

The 2023 Colorado Mines Orediggers football team was an American football team that represented the Colorado School of Mines in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division II football season. In their first year under head coach Pete Sterbick, the team compiled a 14–1 record (9–0 against conference opponents), outscored opponents by a total of 656 to 150, and won the RMAC championship. The team was led on offense by quarterback John Matocha who broke the NCAA record for career touchdowns, won the 2022 Harlon Hill Trophy and was a finalist for the award again in 2023.
The 2022 Orediggers advanced to the national championship game where they lost to Ferris State. Coach Sterbick noted that, having lost the 2022 championship game, the Orediggers have "an extra chip on our shoulders" to win the school's first national championship in 2023. The team opened its season ranked No. 2 nationally and defeated No. 3 Grand Valley State and No. 4 Angelo State in its first two games. The Orediggers finished the regular season ranked No. 1 and advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs where they received a bye in the first round, and defeated Augustana (SD) (56–10) in the second round, Central Washington (38–14) in the quarterfinals, and Kutztown (35–7) in the semifinal. They lost to No. 3 Harding, 38–7, in the Division II national championship game.
The team plays its home games at Alumni Field at Marv Kay Stadium in Golden, Colorado.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| August 31 | 6:05 p.m. | No. 3 Grand Valley State* | No. 2 | Alumni Field at Marv Kay StadiumGolden, CO | W 31–28 | 3,767 |
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 4 Angelo State* | No. 2 | LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit Union FieldSan Angelo, TX | W 31–21 | 3,869 |
| September 16 | 12:03 p.m. | Adams State | No. 2 | Alumni Field at Marv Kay StadiumGolden, CO | W 70–7 | 3,275 |
| September 23 | 2:02 p.m. | at CSU Pueblo | No. 2 | Thunder BowlPueblo, CO | W 55–14 | 5,988 |
| September 30 | 12:05 p.m. | Chadron State | No. 2 | Alumni Field at Marv Kay StadiumGolden, CO | W 35–7 | 4,764 |
| October 7 | 1:06 p.m. | at Colorado Mesa | No. 2 | Stocker StadiumGrand Junction, CO | W 52–0 | 2,412 |
| October 14 | 12:04 p.m. | South Dakota Mines | No. 2 | Alumni Field at Marv Kay StadiumGolden, CO | W 45–22 | 3,037 |
| October 21 | 1:00 p.m. | at Black Hills State | No. 1 | Lyle Hare StadiumSpearfish, SD | W 42–17 | 2,734 |
| October 28 | 12:05 p.m. | No. 9 Western Colorado | No. 1 | Alumni Field at Marv Kay StadiumGolden, CO | W 42–7 | 5,565 |
| November 4 | 12:04 p.m. | New Mexico Highlands | No. 1 | Alumni Field at Marv Kay StadiumGolden, CO | W 77–3 | 3,562 |
| November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | at Fort Lewis | No. 1 | Ray Dennison Memorial FieldDurango, CO | W 82–0 | 1,453 |
| November 25 | 12:01 p.m. | No. 16 Augustana (SD)* | No. 1 | Alumni Field at Marv Kay StadiumGolden, CO (NCAA Division II Second Round) | W 56–10 | 4,378 |
| December 2 | 12:01 p.m. | Central Washington* | No. 1 | Alumni Field at Marv Kay StadiumGolden, CO (NCAA Division II Quarterfinal) | W 38–14 | 4,328 |
| December 9 | 1:30 p.m. | Kutztown* | No. 1 | Alumni Field at Marv Kay StadiumGolden, CO (NCAA Division II Semifinal) | W 35–7 | 5,294 |
| December 16 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. No. 3 Harding | No. 1 | McKinney ISD StadiumMcKinney, TX (NCAA Division II Championship Game) | L 7–38 | 12,552 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AFCA Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Mountain time ||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Final |
| AFCA | 2 | 2 (1) | 2 (1) | 2 (7) | 2 (6) | 2 (3) | 2 (3) | 1 (28) | 1 (28) | 1 (26) | 1 (26) | 1 (27) | 2 |
| D2 Football | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |

## Game summaries
### No. 3 Grand Valley State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 3 Lakers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 2 Orediggers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Grand Valley State | Passing |
| Grand Valley State | Rushing |
| Grand Valley State | Receiving |
| Colorado Mines | Passing |
| Colorado Mines | Rushing |
| Colorado Mines | Receiving |

### At No. 4 Angelo State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Orediggers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 4 Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Colorado Mines | Passing |
| Colorado Mines | Rushing |
| Colorado Mines | Receiving |
| Angelo State | Passing |
| Angelo State | Rushing |
| Angelo State | Receiving |

### Adams State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Grizzlies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 2 Orediggers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Adams State | Passing |
| Adams State | Rushing |
| Adams State | Receiving |
| Colorado Mines | Passing |
| Colorado Mines | Rushing |
| Colorado Mines | Receiving |

### At CSU Pueblo

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Orediggers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ThunderWolves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Colorado Mines | Passing |
| Colorado Mines | Rushing |
| Colorado Mines | Receiving |
| CSU Pueblo | Passing |
| CSU Pueblo | Rushing |
| CSU Pueblo | Receiving |

### Chadron State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 2 Orediggers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Turnovers
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Chadron State | Passing |
| Chadron State | Rushing |
| Chadron State | Receiving |
| Colorado Mines | Passing |
| Colorado Mines | Rushing |
| Colorado Mines | Receiving |

## "College football's nerdiest contender"

Colorado Mines' football team, drawn from its student body of engineering students, has gained attention both for its ability on the field and for its nerdy and colorful characters. In November 2023, The Wall Street Journal profiled quarterback John Matocha, a computer science major, as the leader of "college football's nerdiest contender." 5280 magazine profiled the team's official headshots including Matocha in pigtails and a drawn-on blue mustache; safety Blake Ramsey sporting a tonsure, friar-style haircut; linebacker Owen Marnell in Harry Potter cosplay; and tight end Kenny Wright with emo-style black bangs combed over one of his eyes.

## Statistical achievements and honors

Through their December 9 semifinal match with Kutztown, the Orediggers have scored 691 points, an average of 49.36 points per game, and have gained an average of 520.6 yards of total offense per game. On defense, they have held opponents to 157 points (11.21 points per game) and 247.1 yards of total offense per game. The team's individual statistical leaders include:
* Redshirt senior quarterback John Matocha won the Harlon Hill Trophy, considered the Division II equivalent of the Heisman Trophy, in 2022, and was a finalist for the award in 2023. On November 11, 2023, Matocha broke the NCAA record for career touchdowns at all levels of play, as he tallied four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing), bringing his career total to 181. Through the first 14 games of the 2023 season, Matocha has tallied 4,028 passing yards and 42 touchdowns.
* Redshirt senior wide receiver Max McLeod leads the team with 1,503 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns.
* Redshirt senior running back Noah Roper leads the team with 951 rushing yards.
* Redshirt senior placekicker Hunter Pearson leads the team with 114 points scored.
* Redshirt junior outside linebacker Jaden Healy leads the team with 63 total tackles.
* Redshirt sophomore cornerback Jackson Zimmerman leads the team with six interceptions and nine pass breakups.
* Redshirt senior outside linebacker Nolan Reeve leads the team with ten sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss.