GOLDEN, Colo. - The 12th-ranked Colorado School of Mines football team clinched a share of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Title with a 42-21 victory over Mesa State Saturday afternoon at Brooks Field. It was the 12th straight win for the Orediggers and 14th win in their last 15 games overall.

The win, combined with a 35-13 victory by Adams State over Western State this afternoon, means the Orediggers can clinch the title outright with a win in Alamosa over Adams State next Saturday. Kickoff for that game is at 1:00 pm. A victory by the Grizzlies would mean co-RMAC champions between Mines and Adams.

CSM has not won an RMAC title since 1958.

Mesa State took a 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game when Charles Dukes scampered 55-yards for a score. After the Mavericks forced Mines to punt, the Mavericks were on the verge of taking a 14-0 lead with 10 minutes to play, but CSM senior strong safety Daniel Leger (Arvada, Colo./Faith Christian) stuffed Dukes just short of the end zone on fourth and one to keep the score 7-0.

It was all Orediggers from there as they went on to score 35 unanswered points in moving to 10-0 overall and 7-0 in the RMAC. Senior quarterback Chad Friehauf (Brush, Colo./Brush) got things going with 2:22 left in the first quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run. He then threw a 62-yard scoring pass to junior wide receiver Justin Gallas (Westminster, Colo./Northglenn) to make it 14-7 at the half.

Senior running back Craig Van Horn (Colorado Springs, Colo./Doherty) the took things over as he scored on touchdown runs of eight, one and three yards in the third quarter to extend the lead to 35-7.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Sean McGraw threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Jesse Preston, but Mines responded as Friehauf connected with Gallas for a 53-yard scoring toss to make it 42-14. McGraw threw his second touchdown pass of the game, a 12-yarder to Jeff Mowry, for the final score with 5:38 to play.

Friehauf finished 18-of-27 for 287 yards and two touchdowns and also ran 14 times for 110 yards and another score. Van Horn toted the ball 19 times for 110 yards and three touchdowns, whiel Gallas hauled in eight passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

The CSM defense was led by junior linebacker Jared Heath (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Highlands Ranch) who amassed 14 tackles, while sophomore linebacker Austin Wagner (Colorado Springs, Colo./Cheyenne Mountain) registered a career-best 13 stops. Leger finished with seven tackles, one sack and an interception.

Dukes led Mesa with 107 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while Mowry completed 8-of-12 passes for 67 yards and ran 12 times for 38 yards. BJ Russell led the defense with a game-best 18 tackles.

-- OREDIGGERS --