2005 COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
FOOTBALL WEEKLY RELEASE #4

Colorado School of Mines vs. South Dakota
Saturday, September 17, 2005 - 1:00 pm
Brooks Field - Golden, Colo.

Click HERE for a complete .PDF version of the notes

ABOUT THE SERIES
Saturday’s game between Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota will be the first meeting on the gridiron between the two programs.

THE HEAD COACHES
Bob Stitt is in his sixth season as the head coach at CSM and claims a 35-24 (.593) overall record. Stitt’s .593 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 35 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 0-0 all-time vs. South Dakota

South Dakota is led by second-year Head Coach Ed Meierkort. He claims an overall mark of 12-2 at USD, 0-0 against CSM. Last season, Meierkort guided the Coyotes to a 9-2 mark and a second place tie in the North Central Conference with a 4-2 mark. The nine wins were a four game improvement from 2003.

ALL-TIME RECORD
CSM claims a 359-504-30 all-time record since its first collegiate football game in 1888, a 6-4 win over Denver University.

CSM vs. THE “S’s”
CSM is 22-25-1 all-time against the six schools it has played that begin with the letter “S”.

RMAC OPENERS
Saturday’s 45-13 win over Western State 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 Sept. 24 when it travels to Chadron State for a 1:00 pm kickoff.

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 SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota enters the week with an overall record of 3-0 following a 56-10 victory over Minnesota State-Mankato at home on Saturday. Quarterback Wes Beschorner went 11-of-16 for 183 yards and four touchdowns and added five carries for 110 yards and a score to lead the Coyotes.

WHEN THE COYOTES HAVE THE BALL
The Coyote offense is led by running back Stefan Logan who is averaging 177.0 yards per game. The Miami, Fla., native has rushed 46 times for 531 yards and five scores. Quarterback Wes Beschorner has completed 36-of-47 passes for 741 yards, 12 touchdowns and just one pick. His top receiving threats are Brooks Little, who has 16 catches for 287 yards and four scores, and Derek Gearman, who has seven receptions for 232 yards and two touchdowns. USD is averaging 657.7 yards of offense and 65.3 points per game. Both are tops in Division II, as is the 385.3 yards of rushing yards per game the Coyotes average.

AND WHEN THEY DON’T
The South Dakota defense is allowing 176.7 yards and 11.3 points per game early this season. Steve Schermerhorn leads the squad with 20 tackles and two pass breakups. Adam Schwaderer has posted 14 tackles, including 6.5 for losses and three sacks, while Matt Murphy has 14 tackles and a team-best four sacks.

LAST TIME vs. SOUTH DAKOTA (9/11/04)
Saturday’s game between Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota will be the first meeting between the schools.

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 Saturday’s 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 23 of the last 27 games, including all 13 last season, CSM had at least one player find the end zone two times. The Orediggers are 19-8 during that span.

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, the Orediggers had won nine straight games at home, six last season and three in 2003. From 2001 to present, CSM is 18-6 at Brooks Field.

TOPPING THE CENTURY MARK
CSM has had at least one wide receiver top the 100-yard plateau in 20 of the last 21 games. The only time it did not happen was the 2004 regular season finale at Adams State when Jonny Chan led the team with 83 yards.

THIS JUST IN
Senior wide receiver Justin Gallas returns as one of the top players in all of Division II. The All-American set one CSM career record in the Sept. 3 loss at Northern Colorado and is closing in on several CSM other career records. Gallas’ 11 receptions against the Bears gave him 198 for his career and broke the old mark of 197 catches set by Jonny Chan (2000-04). He now has 204 career receptions. Gallas needs just 557 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns to break CSM career records in those categories. Through three games, he has 29 catches for 383 yards and two touchdowns. He has gone over 100 receiving yards 11 times in his career, including five straight games overall. Gallas is averaging 266.7 all-purpose yards per game this season, which is among the best in the nation.

MEHL ON THE MOVE
Junior Garrett Mehl has kept a strong grip on 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 Saturday’s 45-13 win over Western State. He completed 23-of-33 passes for 349 yards and three scores and also ran 16 times for 114 yards and three more touchdowns.

GO FLO
Junior running back Bryan Florendo is now CSM’s No. 1 running back after Craig Van Horn held down the position for the last three years. Florendo, who earned All-RMAC honors as a tight end last season, has 62 touches (rushing and receiving) for 305 yards and two touchdowns this year.

“H” IS FOR HUCK
Redshirt freshman Corey Huck will remain the starting H-Back for Saturday’s game. In his first three collegiate games, Huck has run eight times for 26 yards and also caught 12 balls for 61 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 nine passes for 143 yards and one touchdown this season.

EXPERIENCE UP FRONT
The Oredigger offensive line is one of the most experienced groups under Head Coach Bob Stitt. 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 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 just five turnovers in the first three games. CSM is minus-4 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.

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 cam 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.

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. He currently leads the team with 30 tackles, six tackles for loss and three sacks. During his tenure in Golden, Heath has amassed 316 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, one short of tying the school-record.

A.J. TO THE RESCUE
Freshman linebacker A.J. Montalvo was forced into action on Saturday against Western State 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.

AUSTIN WAGNER; LINEBACKER WHO TACKLES
Junior linebacker Austin Wagner made quite a name for himself in the final games of the 2004 regular season. In the second to last regular season game against Mesa State, he posted 13 tackles and then came back to lead the squad with 12 tackles, including two for losses, in a 31-21 win at Adams State in the regular season finale that helped CSM clinch its first RMAC title since 1958.

RING ‘EM UP
Senior defensive lineman Caleb Ring had one of his finer games in Saturday’s 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. Abel is perfect on kicks this year as he has nailed all 12 of his extra point attempts and three field goals, including a career long 42-yard field goal in the win over Western State.

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 174 career tackles and nine interceptions. Schmid has hauled in 67 passes for 881 yards and nine touchdowns in his career. As a sophomore, Schmid tied for the team lead with seven touchdown catches.

“MAR” IN THE BACKFIELD
Sophomore defensive end Marin Richardson, the RMAC Freshman Defensive Player of the Year last season, has made a smooth transition from defensive tackle to defensive end this season. Through the first three games, Richardson has posted 13 tackles, including 2.5 for losses and a half sack.

FIRST QUARTER WOES
Through the first three games, CSM has been outscored, 31-17, in the first quarter, despite putting 14 on the board in Saturday’s win over Western State. From the second through fourth quarters, CSM has outscored its opponents, 76-62.

THREE AND OUT
One of the biggest difference between CSM’s first two games and Saturday’s win over Western State was the defense. In losses to Washburn and Northern Colorado, CSM forced just two three and outs in 29 possessions. Against the Mountaineers, CSM’s defense had five three and outs in 13 possessions. The longest WSC had the ball was for 12 plays on its final 59-yard drive of the game which was stopped on the Oredigger 1-yard line with 10 seconds to play. CSM stopped Western State on three straight plays from the 1-yard line to end the game.