RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The South Dakota School of Mines football team will play host to the No. 9 ranked Colorado School of Mines Orediggers Saturday afternoon in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference 1 p.m. kickoff on Dunham Field at O'Harra Stadium which will also close out the 2019 home schedule for the Hardrockers.

Colorado School of Mines (8-0, 7-0 RMAC) was ranked No. 9 in the AFCA National Coaches Poll before taking down a nonconference opponent 49-27 in Azusa Pacific. The Orediggers used four second-half takeaways and 14 fourth quarter points to remain undefeated through nine weeks. Azusa Pacific trailed by one possession as late as the fourth quarter, but the Orediggers' defense buckled down and snagged two interceptions in the fourth quarter to hold the Cougars to zero points in the final 15 minutes of play. The Orediggers tallied 575 total yards with 395 of them coming on the ground.

 South Dakota Mines (2-6, 1-6 RMAC) picked up their first RMAC win of the 2019 season with an 8-7 win over New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) (1-6, 1-6 RMAC). Strong winds (40-50 mph) made it challenging to move the ball on Saturday. Neither offense could get in rhythm as the teams went into the halftime break with a 0-0 score line. NMHU opened the scoring with an 87-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. At the end of the third quarter, the Hardrockers blocked a punt on the 12-yard line that they would eventually recover in the end zone for a safety. The game-winning touchdown was set up by a defensive fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter. The Hardrockers scored a five-yard, go-ahead touchdown with 21 seconds left in the game.

For Colorado School of Mines, running back Michael Zeman was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week. He torched Azusa Pacific for a career-high 298 yards and three touchdowns. Zeman averaged 13 yards per carry as he produced the second-highest single-game rushing yardage total in Oredigger program history. His three TDs were also a career high and all three came in the second half as APU trailed by only one score until the fourth quarter. With the Orediggers up 35-27, Zeman reeled off a 63-yard touchdown with 13:20 to go in the fourth, then added a one-yard plunge later in the period to seal the victory.

Zeman's counterpart, Ahmad Lewis continues to leads the Hardrockers and as well as the conference with 984 yards. In eight games played so far this season he's averaged 123 yards and scored six touchdowns. If he rushes over 16 yards this Saturday he will become just the seventh running back in Hardrocker history to accomplish that feat.

On the flip side, SD Mines sophomore Cole Peterson continues to be a disruptive force for the 'Rocker defense. Peterson is a sophomore linebacker from Boulder, Colorado. He leads the Hardrockers with 94 total tackles and has 2.0 sacks for a loss of 19 yards so far on the year. He also has recorded 9.5 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and a pass breakup this season. He was also named to the RMAC All-Academic First Team earlier this week.

This week's game might not feature huge sponsorships and million-dollar payouts, but it may very well be the richest game in NCAA Division II taking into account the players on the field. Both Colorado School of Mines and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology routinely rank among the top universities in the nation in terms of graduate salaries; according to Payscale.com, the average Oredigger will earn $75,600 right out of school and $139,600 at mid-career, with the average Hardrocker earning $66,500 in their first year and $118,500 at midcareer. With their rosters combined, the two teams' student-athletes stand to make $16 million a year right out of school and a cool $29.2 million a year at mid-career.