New faces, same standards: Mines football closes out spring season

The Colorado School of Mines football team is going to look different this fall.

The Orediggers lost about 30 seniors, including their star quarterback, several key linebackers and safeties, and veteran offensive and defensive linemen.

With so many of those well-known Game Day names gone, the Orediggers will have to rebuild in some capacity. But, as the players and coaches posited, the process won’t take as long as some fans might think.

“We’ve already done our rebuilding — that was this spring,” outside linebacker JJ Lee said. “That’s what we’ve done for the last two, three months. … We’re going to be ready to hit the ground running (for fall camp) on Aug. 12.”

On March 5, the Orediggers kicked off their spring season and have been practicing about three times a week since then. They closed out their spring practices with their annual intrasquad scrimmage April 13, with about 400 Mines students, parents, alumni and other supporters in the stands.

Because of a unique scoring system that awards points for major plays or stops, the offense defeated the defense 48-33.

The offense received points for touchdowns, plays that went 20-plus yards, fourth-down conversions and more. Meanwhile, the defense received points for three-and-out sequences, fourth-down stops, turnovers, etc.

Both the offense and defense started with their first- and second-string players in the first half, and third- and fourth-string players took over in the second half. The offense led the defense 30-23 at halftime, but several second-half touchdowns and other big plays helped the offense win bragging rights over their teammates.

Lee, who will be a redshirt junior in the fall, felt the scoring system was fairly even and motivated players on both sides to “play just as hard as we would in a game.”

Evan Foster, a redshirt senior who’s set to succeed John Matocha as starting quarterback, said he enjoys how unique and fun the spring game always is. It’s the perfect time for up-and-coming players to showcase what they’ll do for the Orediggers in the fall, he said.

“It just shows how much of a complete team you are when both sides of the ball can get after it,” Foster continued.

The two players and Coach Pete Sterbick all thought the spring season’s been a crucial time to incorporate new players into the starting lineup, get them reps, and evaluate how the 2024 team will look by the Sept. 5 home opener versus West Texas A&M.

Lee described the process as “soul-searching,” but said the team’s made immense progress this spring, especially the last two weeks.

Sterbick commented: “People are probably looking at a lot of question marks, (and) we feel like we’ve got the answers in our program. … I think we’re as talented as we’ve ever been, just younger.”

Foster felt similarly, describing how the Orediggers have a deep rotation with “a lot of guys who are going to make a big step and surprise some people.”

Big cleats to fill

The 2024 Orediggers are facing Rocky Mountain-high expectations.

Mines has won five consecutive RMAC titles, made three straight NCAA Division II semifinal appearances, and taken home the last two National Runner-Up trophies. The 2023 team also went 14-1 and became the winningest Orediggers in program history.

But, while Mines lost several key players after the 2023 national championship game, Sterbick said the returning Orediggers have substantial knowledge and experience, especially in big-time games.

Foster, for instance, redshirted in 2019 and then gained an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19. So, he and other fifth- and sixth-year seniors are ready to lead younger players like Lee, who are eager to showcase everything they’ve learned.

“We’ve had a lot of young guys who’ve been able to pay attention and take advice from those older guys that we lost last year,” Lee said. “They’ve been able to step forward this spring and really show that they have the ability to perform like (last year’s) defense did.”

The Orediggers’ goal is the same as ever: win the program’s first national championship.

Foster and Lee believed Mines has built a winning culture and set high standards that will remain constant regardless of who’s on the field.

“New faces, same standards, but better expectations,” Lee said, referring to winning a national title.

Sterbick believed the 2024 team can replicate the recent teams’ successes, but “it’s early … and we’ve got a lot of work to do.” He emphasized how the Orediggers need to focus on whichever game is next, as that’s part of the “blueprint” they’ve used to make five-straight NCAA playoff appearances.

“We have to prove that we’re truly a program and not just a team that was good the last couple years, making it as far as we did,” he continued. “Our whole goal is to find out how good we can be.”

Both Sterbick and Foster said they wanted people to underestimate this year’s team, because the new first- and second-string players are hungry to prove themselves.

“Tune in on Saturdays in the fall,” Foster said. “I’ve had an interesting career here so far, and … I’m super-excited to prove people wrong and lean on my teammates and have a ton of fun.”