2005 COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
FOOTBALL WEEKLY RELEASE #6

Colorado School of Mines at Fort Hays State
Saturday, October 1, 2005 - 1:00 pm
Lewis Field Stadium - Hays, Kan.

Click HERE for a complete .PDF version of the notes

ABOUT THE SERIES
Saturday’s game between Colorado School of Mines and Fort Hays State will be the 19th all-time meeting between the schools. FHSU holds a 13-5 advantage in the series and won 11 straight before CSM captured wins in three of the last four games, including a 35-21 win in Golden last season

THE HEAD COACHES
Bob Stitt is in his sixth season as the head coach at CSM and claims a 36-25 (.590) overall record. Stitt’s winning percentage is the highest by a CSM football coach who has coached in at least 20 games and the highest for a modern day coach at CSM. In addition, his 36 wins are the third most in CSM history and trail only Marv Kay (84 wins from 1969-1995) and Fritz Brennecke (78 wins from 1947-1969). Stitt is 3-2 all-time against Fort Hays.

Fort Hays State is led by first year Head Coach Kevin Verdugo. He is 2-3 in his first year at the helm (2-1 RMAC) and is 0-0 all-time against CSM.

ALL-TIME RECORD
CSM claims a 360-505-30 all-time record since its first collegiate football game in 1888, a 6-4 win over Denver University.

CSM vs. THE “F’s”
CSM is 24-40 all-time against schools that begin with the letter “F”.

RMAC OPENERS
CSM’s 45-13 win over Western State on Sept. 10 was the second straight year that the Orediggers won their RMAC opener. CSM is now 2-11-1 record in 14 all-time RMAC openers since 1992. Last year’s 58-0 win at Western State was the first time CSM won its RMAC opener in school history.

UP NEXT FOR CSM
CSM will return to action on Oct. 8 when it hosts Nebraska-Kearney at 1:00 pm at Brooks Field.

COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES ON THE INTERNET
Now you can get all the latest and most comprehensive news on Oredigger football and Colorado School of Mines athletics 24 hours a day by visiting the Colorado School of Mines Athletics Department official website at ...
http://athletics.mines.edu.

MINES INTERNET RADIO
CSM fans can now listen to all 11 Oredigger football games online. Simply visit radio.mines.edu and click on the listen live link to access the game live online.

JOIN THE OREDIGGER EMAIL LIST
Get all the latest news on all of Colorado School of Mines Athletics by signing up for the Orediggers’ E-Mail List. Receive daily updates, game recaps and press releases on all of CSM’s athletic teams by emailing Sports Information Director Gregory Murphy at gjmurphy@mines.edu. You can sign up to receive updates on one sport, numerous sports or all sports. Please indicate in your email what sports you would like to be included on or if you would like to be included for all sports.

ALL ABOUT FORT HAYS STATE
Fort Hays State enters the week with an overall record of 2-3 (2-1 RMAC) following an 18-15 home win over Adams State on Saturday. Justin Barr kicked the game-winning field goal from 27-yards out with 1:00 to play in the game. Reed Gottula went 14-of-27 for 199 yards and also ran 18 times for 29 yards and a touchdown. Adam Kotschwar recorded a team-best nine tackles, including a tackle for a loss.

WHEN THE TIGERS HAVE THE BALL
The Tiger offense is led by quarterback Reed Gottula who has completed 77-of-140 passes for 811 yards, two touchdowns and four picks. He has also run 63 times for 100 yards and two scores, while Jordan Hickel has psoted 88 carries for 341 yards and caught 13 passes for 163 yards and a TD. The Tiger offense is averaging 13.0 points and 270.0 yards per game.

AND WHEN THEY DON’T
The Fort Hays State defense is giving up 36.8 points and 452.0 yards of offense this season. James Wideman leads the squad with 40 tackles, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Collin Jorden has posted 37 tackles, including two for losses, while Jason Hill leads the team with 2.5 sacks.

LAST TIME vs. FORT HAYS STATE (10/2/2004)
The Colorado School of Mines football team tied a school-record with its eighth straight win, dating back to last season, won its 10th of 11 overall and moved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the conference with a 35-21 victory over Fort Hays State in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action at Brooks Field. With the game tied at 14-14 at halftime, the Orediggers scored the first two touchdowns of the second half to claim a 28-14 lead with 5:39 to go in the third quarter. Craig Van Horn opened the second half with a 15-yard scamper less than two minutes into the quarter and Chad Friehauf found Derek Dykstra from 1-yard out with 5:39 to go in the quarter. FHSU sliced the lead to 28-21 on a 4-yard scoring run from John Montgomery, his second of the day, but CSM regained a 14 point cushion when Van Horn found paydirt for the third time on the afternoon on a 9-yard toss from Friehauf. Friehauf finished the game 33-of-43 for 394 yards and three touchdowns, while Van Horn toted the ball 22 times for 123 yards and two scores and also caught four balls for 62 yards and a touchdown. Tim Miller led four Mines defensive players in double digit tackles with 13. FHSU was led by Reed Gottula who completed 18-of-32 for 155 yards and gained 81 yards on 16 carries. Marcus West and James Wideman tied for team-high honors with 10 tackles apiece.

STITT IN OPENERS
CSM Head Coach Bob Stitt is 4-2 in season openers at CSM after a 28-17 loss to Washburn to open the 2005 season. CSM lost its first game under Stitt, 43-34, to MidAmerica Nazarene but rebounded to win four straight season openers before the loss to Washburn. In the last 19 openers, CSM is 15-4. In overall season openers, CSM is 57-54-5.

BACK IT UP
Last season, the CSM football team captured its first RMAC Championship since 1958. A second consecutive RMAC Championship in 2005 would give CSM back-to-back conference titles for the first time since 1906-07.

PRESEASON RMAC POLL
CSM was picked second in the Preseason RMAC Poll with 17 points and three first place votes. Chadron State was voted first with 12 points and four first place votes, while Adams State received the other two first place votes and 25 points to finish third. Nebraska-Kearney was fourth with 30 points and was followed by Fort Hays (35), Mesa State (42), Fort Lewis (47), Western State (54) and New Mexico Highlands (62).

PRESEASON ALL-RMAC SELECTIONS
CSM had six players named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team. Senior Justin Gallas was named to the team as a wide receiver and punt return speacialist. Also earning honors were senior right guard Travis Yenne, junior linebacker Danny Sprague, senior linebacker Jared Heath, senior defensive end Mark Donnelly and senior cornerback Nick Gilbreath.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
The following CSM players received 2005 Preseason All-American honors

Justin Gallas Senior WR 6-1 185 Westminster, Colo.
Street and Smith’s First Team Lindy’s Second Team
CollegeSportsReport.com Fourth Team Don Hansen’s National Football Gazette

Travis Yenne Senior OL 6-4 290 Murietta, Calif.
Lindy’s Second Team Don Hansen’s National Football Gazette

Jared Heath Senior LB 6-0 220 Highlnds Ranch, CO
Don Hansen’s National Football Gazette

THE DRIVE FOR FIVE
With four straight winning seasons in the books, CSM will be going after its fifth straight winning season, a feat that has never been accomplished in program history. The squad needs to post a minimum of five more wins to accomplish the feat.

RULE OF TWO
The number two has been pretty kind to CSM recently. In 24 of the last 29 games, including all 13 last season, CSM had at least one player find the end zone two times. The Orediggers are 20-9 during that span.

RMAC SMACK
CSM’s win at Chadron State on Saturday extended the Orediggers RMAC winning streak to 12 straight games. The last time CSM lost an RMAC game was Nov. 1, 2003, a 48-18 setback at Mesa State.

IT WAS ALL REGULAR
CSM had won 13 straight regular season games dating to the 2003 season before the season opener loss to Washburn. The last time it lost a regular season game before that was Nov. 1, 2003, at Mesa State (48-18).

HOME SWEET HOME
Prior to the Aug. 27 loss to Washburn, CSM had won nine straight at home, six last season and three in 2003. From 2001 to present, CSM is 19-7 at Brooks Field.

TOPPING THE CENTURY MARK
CSM has had at least one wide receiver top the 100-yard plateau in 21 of the last 23 games. The only two times it did not happen was the 2004 regular season finale at Adams State when Jonny Chan led the team with 83 yards and Saturday’s win at Chadron State when Brent Chacon led the squad with 40 yards.

THIS JUST IN
Senior wide receiver Justin Gallas has proven he is among the best receivers in the RMAC and all of Division II. Through five games, he leads the team with 44 receptions, 523 yards and three touchdowns. In his stellar career, Gallas has totaled a school-record 219 catches, 2,861 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns. With two more receptions, Gallas will break the RMAC record of 220 catches by Johnny Cox of Fort Lewis (1990-93). He also needs just 417 receiving yards to break the CSM career record of 3,302 set by Jonny Chan (2001-04). Gallas has gone over 100 receiving yards 12 times in his career, and is averaging 233.6 all-purpose yards per game this season, which is among the best in the nation.

MEHL ON THE MOVE
Junior Garrett Mehl has been the No. 1 quarterback position since coming off the bench in the second quarter of the season opener against Washburn. In his first career start Sept. 3 at Northern Colorado, Mehl completed 37-of-54 passes for 395 yards and a touchdown. His 395 yards passing was the most by a CSM quarterback in his first career start. He followed that effort by accounting for 463 yards of total offense and six touchdowns in a 45-13 win over Western State on Sept. 10. He completed 23-of-33 passes for 349 yards and three scores and also ran 16 times for 114 yards and three more touchdowns.

FUNKY COLD MEDINA
Senior quarterback Danny Medina came into the Sept. 17 game against South Dakota in the fourth quarter and led CSM back from a 41-13 deficit to tie the game at 41-41 and send it into overtime. Medina completed 17-of-22 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns, including a 27-yard “Hail Mary” touchdown pass to Justin Gallas on the final play of regulation.

GO FLO
Junior running back Bryan Florendo has been solid as the No. 1 running back this season. He has 107 touches (rushing and receiving) for 633 yards and seven touchdowns this year, including four scores in the Sept. 17 loss to South Dakota (three rush and one receiving). In Saturday’s win over Chadron State, Florendo ran 21 times for a career-best 171 yards.

“H” IS FOR HUCK
Redshirt freshman Corey Huck will remain the starting H-Back for Saturday’s game. In his first four collegiate games, Huck has run eight times for 26 yards and also caught 15 balls for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

THE CURL ROUTE
Sophomore wide receiver Michael Curl is slowly but surely making his prescence felt on the field. The Blinn J.C. transfer has caught 14 passes for 201 yards and one touchdown this season. His 14.4 yards per catch is tops on the team.

EXPERIENCE UP FRONT
The CSM offensive line is one of the most experienced groups this year. The line features four returning starters from last year’s group which allowed just 15 sacks in 13 games and none through the first three games. The group has given up nine sacks this year. The four returnees include junior left tackle Zach Ballard, senior All-American right guard Travis Yenne, junior two-time All-RMAC honoree Nick Belden and sophomore right guard Stephen Immel. In addition, sophomore James Reeves has seen significant playing time on the right side due to injuries.

ON THE DEFENSIVE
The CSM defense returns nine starters from last season, along with senior cornerback Grant Newton who was a two year starter before missing last season with an injury. In all, eight of the projected 11 starters on defense have earned All-RMAC honors, while three players have earned All-American accolades in Newton, senior cornerback Nick Gilbreath and senior linebacker Jared Heath at some point in their careers.

TURNING IT OVER
Last season, the CSM defense forced 32 turnovers in 13 games and had three or more turnovers six times. CSM forced a season-high six turnovers in its 52-33 win over Midwestern State in the first round of the NCAA II Playoffs. However, in 2005, the Oredigger defense has forced nine turnovers in the first five games. CSM is minus-3 in turnover margin.

PICK OFFS
In each of the last four seasons, a CSM defensive back has recorded at least five interceptions. Three of the players who accomplished the feat return this year. Junior free safety Tim Miller posted six last season, while senior cornerback Nick Gilbreath tallied five in 2003 and senior cornerback Grant Newton notched eight in 2002. Junior linebacker Luke Salmans picked off his team-leading second pass of the year in Saturday’s win at Chadron State.

IT’S MILLER TIME
Junior free safety Tim Miller enjoyed a breakout season last year en route to First Team All-RMAC honors after leading the team with six interceptions, five of which came in the first four games. He also finished with 72 tackles, three forced fumbles and three pass breakups. Miller picked off his first pass of the season in the loss at Northern Colorado on Sept. 3 and returned in 33 yards. He is currently tied for third on the team with 28 tackles.

TURN UP THE “HEAT”HER
Senior linebacker Jared Heath has begun the season just as expected as he earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors following his 11 tackle performance in a loss to Washburn on Aug. 27. In addition, he posted three tackles for loss, two sacks and recovered a fumble. In the Sept. 17 loss to South Dakota, Heath posted a school-record 20 tackles en route to RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He currently leads the team with 51 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks. During his tenure in Golden, Heath has amassed 337 tackles and 42 tackles for loss. Last year, he recorded 117 tackles and as a sophomore, Heath was in on a then school-record 114 stops.

OH DANNY BOY
Junior linebacker Danny Sprague will once again be counted on to control the middle of the field. Sprague has been a regular for the CSM defense since making his first career start two seasons ago in a 37-7 win over Fort Lewis. In that game, Sprague posted eight tackles and two sacks en route to RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Last year, he totaled 103 tackles, including 17 in a 40-39 win over Chadron State. In Saturday’s win against the Eagles, Sprague was in on a team-high 10 tackles.

A.J. TO THE RESCUE
Freshman linebacker A.J. Montalvo was forced into action against Western State on Sept. 10 due to injuries at the position. The true freshman came through with three tackles, including a tackle for a four yard loss on his first play from scrimmage. Of his four tackles this year, two are for losses.

RING ‘EM UP
Senior defensive lineman Caleb Ring had one of his finer games in a 45-13 win over Western State. Ring posted three tackles, a half sack and also recovered a fumble.

CAN’T PICK ON NICK
Senior cornerback Nick Gilbreath is back for his third year as a starting cornerback. The All-RMAC, All-Region and All-American selection picked off his 10th career pass in a loss to Washburn on Aug. 27. He is five short of tying the school-record of 15 set by Tolu Lasaki from 1998-2001.

READY, WILLING AND ABEL
Sophomore placekicker Aaron Abel is off to a great start in 2005. In the Sept. 3 loss at Northern Colorado, Abel broke the CSM career record for extra points as he made all four PAT’s to raise his career total to 70 (now at 83) . Abel has nailed all 20 of his extra point attempts and 7-of-9 field goals, including a career long 45-yarder in the win at Chadron State on Saturday. He also connected on the game-winning 24-yard field goal with three seconds left against Chadron.

WELCOME BACK
CSM will welcome back a pair of seniors after the duo missed last season due to injuries. Returning are senior cornerback Grant Newton and senior wide receiver Andrew Schmid. Newton, an All-American honoree in 2002 after leading the RMAC with eight interceptions, has notched 186 career tackles and 10 interceptions, which is five off tying the school-record. Schmid has hauled in 73 passes for 929 yards and nine touchdowns in his career. As a sophomore, Schmid tied for the team lead with seven touchdown catches.

FIRST QUARTER WOES
Through the first three games, CSM has been outscored, 64-27, in the first quarter. From the second through fourth quarters, CSM has outscored its opponents, 134-96, including 55-20 in the final stanza.

EVEN STEVEN (ALMOST)
Following up on the previous note, CSM has been outscored, 163-161, overall this season.

WORKIN’ OVERTIME
The 44-41 overtime loss to South Dakota on Sept. 17 was the first overtime game for CSM since a 52-45 overtime victory at Fort Hays State on Sept. 22, 2001, a span of 45 games.

EDGING THE EAGLES
Saturday’s 27-26 last second win at Chadron State was the second consecutive year that CSM defeated the Eagles in the final seconds. This year, CSM trailed 26-24 with a minute to play and drove 55 yards for Aaron Abel’s game-winning kick. Last year, CSM trailed 39-25 with just over six minutes to play and won it with 39 seconds left when Chad Friehauf scored on a QB keeper and then hit Derek Dykstra for a two-point conversion.