Box Score GOLDEN, Colo. – Playing against the seventh ranked team in Division II in passing offense (353.2 yards per game), the Fort Lewis College Skyhawks lost a 51-16 decision Saturday afternoon at Colorado School of Mines.  The loss put the Skyhawks at 2-4 overall and 1-3 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
 
The Skyhawks surrendered 349 passing yards to the Orediggers (4-2, 3-1 RMAC), as CSM ran 98 plays for 600 yards of total offense. 
 
Dan Palmer gave the Orediggers a 7-0 lead after he rushed in from 11 yards out just three minutes into the game on CSM's opening drive.  FLC's Connor Fraser cut the lead to 7-3 when he made a 22-yard field goal on the Skyhawks second drive of the game.  The Orediggers responded and found the end zone on the ensuing drive with 2:34 left in the first quarter to give them a 14-3 lead. 
 
Joe Schneider extended the lead to 21-3 when he scored the first of his two touchdowns of the game.  On the next drive for Fort Lewis, Drew Berryhill caught a 24-yard pass from Max Baiz that capped off a 10-play, 75-yard drive to cut CSM's lead to 11 points, 21-10.
 
On the following drive, the Skyhawks defense forced the Orediggers to go three-and-out and punt.  Just one minute after scoring their first touchdown of the game, Fort Lewis scored another touchdown. Baiz and Berryhill connected again, this time for a 77-yard pass.  A failed two-point conversion cut the Oreiddgers lead to 21-16.
 
Trailing by five at the half, the Orediggers owned the second half, scoring 30 unanswered points.  Three of the Orediggers second half scores were touchdowns, while the other three were made field goals by Avery Llewellyn.
 
Baiz completed 17-of-36 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns.  Amery Duncan led the Skyhawks back field with 35 rushing yards on 14 carries.  Berryhill caught three passes for two touchdowns and 115 yards.
 
Drew Smith, Kenneth Banks, Ryan Ross and Derik Wetzel each recorded nine tackles in the game.  Wetzel notched one sack for a loss of one yard, while Ross had his hand in two tackles for a loss of three yards.  The Skyhawks defensive also broke up 12 passes in the game.
 
Colorado Mines' Joe Schneider took the majority of the snaps, completing 19-of-44 passes for 290 yards and two scores.
 
After a two-week road trip, the Skyhawks will return home to face Colorado Mesa University in Fort Lewis' Homecoming game. The Skyhawks will kick off against the Mavericks at 1 p.m.