South Dakota Mines quarterback Spencer Zur led the Hardrockers to a 24-9 win over Colorado Mesa.
After Colorado Mesa allowed seven points in each of its first two DII football games, South Dakota Mines figured out the Mavericks en route to a 24-9 Hardrockers win. Here are three things to know about Mines' win in Saturday's RMAC showdown.
1. South Dakota Mines gets its first-ever win over Colorado Mesa
Arguably the biggest takeaway from this game is South Dakota Mines picking up its first-ever win over Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks came into Saturday's game with a 4-0 record in the series. After CMU cruised by double digits in 2016 and 2017, Mines lost a couple of close calls in each of the past two seasons before getting that elusive win. Beyond the box score, the road win is a positive sign for first-year head coach Charlie Flohr. The Hardrockers came into the game just 2-10 outside of Rapid City since the beginning of the 2018 season.
2. Hardrockers rattle Herberg
Colorado Mesa quarterback Gavin Herberg made his DII football debut last week, recording over 200 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns to lead the Mavericks to a 56-7 win over Black Hills State.
Against South Dakota Mines, the Hardrockers were able to make things difficult for CMU's freshman signal caller. Herberg went 16-of-40 for 156 yards while being sacked four times and committing three turnovers. Linebacker Gavin Chaddock was one of three players to bring Herberg down Saturday, also forcing a fumble. Defensive backs Dominick Jackson and Adrian Eastman each intercepted Herberg, with Jackson returning the ball for a touchdown.
3. Zur, Lewis wear down Mavericks defense
Colorado Mesa's defense was smothering in its first two games of the 2020 season. Both of its opponents were held to seven points. But South Dakota Mines was able to wear down the defense and get into the end zone without its starting quarterback.
Sophomore Spencer Zur got the start for the Hardrockers, going 16-of-23 for 178 yards and an interception, adding 49 yards on the ground. Tailback Ahmad Lewis started slow but ended up handling 30 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns. Lewis also hauled in three receptions for 42 yards. South Dakota Mines put up 333 total yards while dictating time of possession and tempo to pull out the win.
