Daniel Leger has three sacks in Saturday's 42-17 win over N.M. Highlands in the 2004 Homecoming Game Sponsored by Sprint

GOLDEN, Colo. - The 15th-ranked Colorado School of Mines football team set a school-record with its ninth straight win to open the season as it knocked off New Mexico Highlands, 42-17, in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon at Brooks Field. The 2004 Homecoming Game Sponsored by Sprint drew a stadium record 3,163 fans.

The win moves Mines to 9-0 overall (6-0 RMAC) and extends its school-record winning streak to 11 in a row. The Cowboys fell to 3-6 (2-4 RMAC).

The previous best start to a season at Mines was in 1939 when the squad went 8-0.

CSM raced out to a 28-0 lead with 3:24 to play in the fourth quarter in cruising to the win. Senior quarterback Chad Friehauf (Brush, Colo./Brush) hit senior wide receiver Derek Lis (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) for a 6-yard touchdown to open the scoring on Mines' first drive less than two minutes into the game.

Sophomore Garrett Mehl helped account for the next two touchdowns as he threw a 7-yarder to senior wide receiver Jonny Chan (Aurora, Colo./Rangeview) with 10 second to play in the first half and then scored his third rushing touchdown of the season from 4-yards out.

Friehauf then hit sophomore running back Bryan Florendo (Crete, Neb./Crete) on a screen pass which Florendo turned into a 59-yard score to make it 28-0. A 37-yard field goal by Rocky Stevens with 39 seconds left in the first half were the lone points for NMHU in the first 30 minutes.

The Cowboys sliced the deficit to 28-10 on the first play of the second half as Jonny Ruff scampered 67-yards to the end zone.

However, the Orediggers responded as Friehauf hit sophomore wideout Derek Dykstra (Seibert, Colo./Hi Plains) from 1-yard out with 8:25 to play in the third and then connected with Chan on an 82-yard scoring pass five minutes into the fourth quarter.

Friehauf finished 25-of-33 for 366 yards and four touchdowns. Chan caught seven balls for 168 yards and two touchdowns, while Florendo ran five times for 56 yards and hauled in eight passes for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Junior linebacker Jared Heath (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Highlands Ranch) registered a game-best 12 tackles and had an interception, while senior strong safety Daniel Leger (Arvada, Colo./Faith Christian) registered nine tackles, including three sacks.

Ruff ran 11 times for 98 yards and a score, while Nick Dominelli amassed a team-best 10 tackles for the Cowboys.

CSM returns to action next Saturday when it hosts Mesa State at 1:00 pm at Brooks Field.

-- OREDIGGERS --