LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands football team fell behind early and never recovered as the Cowboys fell to No. 17 Colorado School of Mines 43-14 Saturday afternoon at Sanchez Family Stadium.
The Orediggers (4-0) racked up 629 yards of offense (averaging 8.4 yards per play) while holding the Cowboys (2-2) to 341 yards (4.9 yards per play) as NMHU dropped its second-straight contest.
The Cowboys trailed 7-0 after the first quarter and 27-0 later in the second quarter before getting something going late in the half.
A
Dione Alston 10-yard run, a
Danny Cameron 16-yard pass to
Devon Henderson, an 18-yard pass to
Nick Edwards and a pass interference penalty moved the ball down to the Oredigger 22 with less than two minutes left in the second quarter. But the Cowboys eventually faced a fourth-and-12 from the Mines 24 and sent out the kicking team. NMHU didn't kick it, however, as holder
Brenden Guerin took the snap, stood up and found an open
Darrell McIntyre streaking down the field for a 24-yard touchdown to cut the Mines lead to 27-7 with 32 seconds left in the half.
But the Orediggers got the second-half kickoff and quickly drove down and scored to increase the lead to 34-7, and on the ensuing kickoff the Cowboys were downed at their own 1-yard line. A play later NMHU was tackled in the end zone for a safety and it was 36-7. Mines then drove down after taking the free kick and scored to push the advantage to 43-7 with 9:42 left in the third quarter.
The Cowboys put one more score in as Cameron hit
D.J. McFadden for a 3-yard touchdown to make it 43-14 with 5:08 left in the third, but neither team scored the rest of the way.
Cameron finished 14-for-32 for 162 yards and a touchdown. McFadden finished with eight catches for 67 yards and a score while Henderson added 75 yards on five receptions.
Kamari Mosby led NMHU in rushing with 66 yards while
Dazmon Scott added 35 and the conference's leading rusher Alston was held to 27 yards on 11 carries.
Defensively for the Cowboys,
Malik Brown finished with a team-high 14 tackles while
Eli Schoettmer had eight.
Tre Haynes picked up a sack for the Cowboys as well.
Mines' Isaac Harker was 24-for-32 passing for 360 yards and four scores. Brody Oliver caught seven passes for 135 yards and two touchdowns while Riley Hoff had six caches for 106 yards and a score. Cameron Mayberry – the conference's second-leading rusher heading into the game – led the Orediggers with 135 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
The Cowboys begin a three-game stretch away from home as they play at Texas A&M-Kingsville next Saturday at 7 p.m. in Texas.
