Kickoff: 1:00 PM MT (2:00 PM CT / 12:00 PM PT)
Venue: Sanchez Family Stadium, Las Vegas, New Mexico (Capacity: ~6,500)
Broadcast: RMAC Network / ESPN+
Weather Forecast (Las Vegas, NM)
Temperature: ~76°F (24°C) at kickoff, cooling into the upper 60s by evening
Conditions: Mostly sunny, light winds (5–8 mph)
Impact: Excellent football weather; no disruptions expected.
Injury Report
South Dakota Mines (0–3, 0–1 RMAC):
QB Gage Baker – Healthy, 261 yards and 2 TDs last week vs. Upper Iowa.
WR Jacoby Ogbonna – Healthy, team leader with 20 catches for 209 yards, 2 TDs.
WR Joshua Morales – Healthy, 61 yards receiving last week.
LB Will Lester – Healthy, team leader with 25 tackles (17 solo).
DL Aiden Werlinger – Healthy, 1.5 sacks through three games.
New Mexico Highlands (2–0, 0–0 RMAC):
RB Jeffery Jones – Healthy, leads all of NCAA football in rushing yards (608) and tied for most TDs (7) after just two games. Set the NCAA DII freshman single-game rushing record with 385 yards vs. Western New Mexico.
QB Isaiah Ramirez – Healthy, efficient in limited attempts.
WR Malik White – Healthy, 2 TDs through two games.
Defense – No major injuries reported.
Key Player Matchups
RB Jeffery Jones (NMHU) vs. SD Mines Front Seven
Jones is averaging over 300 yards per game; containing him is the Hardrockers’ only chance to stay competitive.
QB Gage Baker (SD Mines) vs. NMHU Secondary
Baker threw for 261 yards last week; he must avoid turnovers and sustain drives against a defense that has been opportunistic.
WR Jacoby Ogbonna (SD Mines) vs. NMHU Corners
Ogbonna is averaging nearly 70 yards per game; his ability to stretch the field is critical.
LB Will Lester (SD Mines) vs. RB Jeffery Jones (NMHU)
Lester leads the Hardrockers in tackles; his matchup with Jones will be the game’s defining battle.
Recent Team Form
South Dakota Mines (0–3, 0–1 RMAC)
9/13: L 58–14 @ Upper Iowa
9/4: L 45–9 vs. Michigan Tech
8/28: L 43–0 @ Colorado Pueblo
Trend: Offense averaging just 7.7 PPG; defense allowing 48.7 PPG.
New Mexico Highlands (2–0, 0–0 RMAC)
9/6: W 69–55 vs. Western New Mexico
8/28: W 34–28 @ Eastern New Mexico
Trend: Offense averaging 51.5 PPG; defense allowing 41.5 PPG.
Series History
All-time series: South Dakota Mines leads 7–1 since 2016.
Last meeting (2024): SD Mines won 40–19 in Rapid City.
NMHU’s last win came in 2018.
Betting Trends
South Dakota Mines:
2–3 SU in last 5 games (dating back to 2024).
1–4 ATS in last 5.
Overs hit in 3 of last 5.
New Mexico Highlands:
3–2 SU in last 5 games.
3–2 ATS in last 5.
Overs hit in 4 of last 5.
Head-to-Head: SD Mines has covered in 5 of the last 7 meetings.
Historical Betting Results
South Dakota Mines: Struggles ATS as a road underdog; overs common when defense collapses.
New Mexico Highlands: Profitable ATS in September home games; overs frequent due to high-scoring shootouts.
RMAC Trends: Home favorites cover ~60% of the time in September conference games.
Game Odds
South Dakota Mines Hardrockers 63
New Mexico Highlands Cowboys – 17.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, September 19, 2025
