Gridders Prepare for Tussle with #17 Colorado Mines

OCTOBER 4 - #17/18 COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES: LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

FULL NOTES (PDF)


This Week

The New Mexico Highlands football team (2-2, 2-0 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) looks to remain atop the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings when it battles #17 Colorado School of Mines Saturday (Sept. 27).


The Coaches

Highlands head coach Eric Young is currently in his fourth season and is 16-21 overall. He is 2-1 against Colorado School of Mines, including 1-0 in Las Vegas.
The Orediggers are coached by Bob Stitt, who is in his 15th season at Colorado School of Mines and is 102-60 during his tenure. He is 11-3 against the Cowboys, but has lost two of the last three.


The Series

New Mexico Highlands leads the all-time series with the Orediggers 26-21-2, but has lost 11 of the last 14 to Colorado School of Mines. However, since coach Eric Young has taken over the reigns at New Mexico Highlands, the Cowboys are 2-1, knocking off the Orediggers when they were nationally ranked in 2011 and 2012.


Purple Power

All Cowboys and Cowgirls fans are encouraged to attend the soccer game on Friday night (Oct. 3) and the football game on Saturday (Oct. 4) and wear purple (or a purple ribbon). At the soccer game against nationally-ranked Colorado School of Mines at 7 p.m., the Cowgirls will celebrate "Purple Pride Night." Saturday, football battles the nationally-ranked Orediggers at 1 p.m.. Fans are asked to join the football coaching staff and wear purple - or a purple ribbon - to help raise awareness for domestic violence. October is "National Domestic Violence Awareness Month."


Who's Got 17 and 18?

If the past is any indication, and for those who love numbers, the digits may be breaking the Cowboys way. Three years ago in Denver, Colorado, New Mexico Highlands stunned the #17th-ranked Orediggers 40-34. A year later, Colorado School of Mines took on Highlands in Las Vegas as the #18th-ranked team in the nation. The end result? A 42-37 stunner by the Cowboys.

As luck would have it, the Orediggers have both rankings covered. Colorado School of Mines enters the contest Saturday ranked 17th by the American Football Coaches Association and ranked 18th by d2football.com.


The Punter Uprising (and He Did Not Even Do Anything)

Due to an obscure rule in the NCAA rule book, senior punter Patrick Carney did not even officially participate Saturday at Fort Lewis. 

If a player only gets into the game to hold a kick, the player is not charged with participation.

It was the first time since Sept. 8, 2012 against Fort Lewis (22 games) Carney did not attempt a punt in a game.

Even though he did not play, Carney took over the national lead in average yards per punt (46.5 yards). The preseason All-American has punted for 50+ yards in 39 of 132 career punts (29.5 percent). Despite 40.9 percent (nine of 22) of his punts being more than 50 yards, he has only four touchbacks in 2014.


Light Em' Up

Senior linebacker Jared Koster showed the nation his 20 tackles against Eastern New Mexico - the most by a Cowboy in at least a decade - was no fluke. He has led the team in tackles every game this season, recording 13 tackles against both #24 FCS Northern Arizona and Western New Mexico. 

Against Fort Lewis, he had 16 tackles - including 2.5 sacks - to lead the Cowboys. For his performance, Koster was named RMAC and NCAA Division II USACollegeFootball.org Defensive Player of the Week. 

Koster leads the nation with 34 solo tackles and 62 total tackles.


Doubling up For Orender

Senior quarterback Lance Orender is having quite the start to RMAC play. In the first two conference games, Orender is 98-132 (74.2 percent) for 1,158 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Going 56-78 for 620 yards against Western New Mexico, he broke the school record for passing yards in a game. He surpassed the old record of 585 yards, set by Brian Ainsworth against Western State on Oct. 10, 1987 (a 45-31 Cowboys win). He also broke the RMAC record in both touchdown passes and passes completed. Oh, and he broke the NCAA record for pass attempts in a game to be named the top quarterback of week three by Beyond Sports Network.

Orender repeated the honor in week four, going 42-54 for 538 yards and six touchdowns. However, he threw one interception, his first pick thrown in 192 passes. But he shared the honor with none other than Oredigger quarterback Justin Dvorak


Apparently, Stay on 17

Three times in 2014, a receiver in NCAA Division II has 17 receptions in a game. Twice, it has been Highlands senior wide receiver Tyler Slavin.

In each of the last two weeks, Slavin has 17 receptions. In two games in conference play, Slavin has 34 catches for 404 yards and seven touchdowns. His 17 receptions is the most in a single game by an RMAC receiver in five years..


Hold that Line

The offensive line deserves a lot of credit for quarterback Lance Orender's success. Because of the time they have given Orender, he went 192 passes without giving up an interception from week one to week four.

The offensive line is 12th in the nation by allowing only one sack per 49 pass attempts (five sacks in 245 passes). 


Highlands Welcomes Proview

Highlands football fans are no stranger to Proview as they have live streamed on the internet Highlands home football for the past three seasons. New this season,
the vast majority of home games will be shown in Albuquerque on channel 26. Meanwhile, games can also be seen live on channel 16 on public access television in Santa Fe,

Finally, New Mexico Highlands will have a block of time on Proview's new 24/7 sports network in Albuquerque that will show all Highlands athletic teams. 
In August, Proview has gone from just internet streaming high school athletics to becoming the first 24/7 television sports network in the state of New Mexico. Besides Highlands athletics and select New Mexico Lobos games, Proview is a youth sports network that shows more than 300 high school sporting events on both television and the internet from both the Albuquerque and Rio Rancho areas.


Sam FM: Getting Even Better

Can't make it to the game or to JC's New York Pizza Department ? Every game will be broadcast live on 96.7 FM by Art Abreu, father of linebackers coach Art Abreu Jr. Also, join athletic director Jeff Falkner and the rest of the Highlands coaching staff on Monday night at 5:30 p.m. as we discuss the past week in Highlands sports and preview the upcoming week. Also listen for a chance to win prizes!


Coming Up Next 

New Mexico Highlands will continue the home-away dance next week when they make the trek to Grand Junction, Colorado, to take on Colorado Mesa. The Cowboys are 2-1 against the Mavericks in the coach Eric Young era.