By NICK McQUEEN

nmcqueen@dailynews.net

GOLDEN, Colo. --¬ Take a look at the statistics from Saturday's game at Colorado School of Mines, and it looks like a 2-0 start for the Fort Hays State University football team.

Take away some mental miscues and a couple penalties, and it might have been. As it stands, the Tigers dropped to 1-1 with a 37-17 loss to the Orediggers.

Fourth-year Tiger coach Kevin Verdugo knows the Tigers shot themselves in the foot, as the cliche goes.

"With two guns," Verdugo said. "It's a situation I felt like we could come out here and compete. We were playing a group of guys that do not make a lot of mental errors."

Despite putting up 405 total yards of offense, 24 first downs, and controlling the clock for 36 minutes, 43 seconds, the Tigers' road losing streak reached 14 games, and took away any momentum Fort Hays gained in its Week 1 win at Lewis Field Stadium.

"Mines played well today," Verdugo said. "They did not make very many mistakes, but I thought we could have played some aspects of the game a little more aggressive."

Fort Hays played well defensively early, forcing Mines (1-1) into a three-and-out on the first series, but Mines' offensive attack wouldn't be denied.

Fort Hays took a 3-0 lead on its second possession with a 25-yard field goal by junior kicker Nathan Rausa, but Mines quickly answered with a 59-yard drive in eight plays to take a 6-3 lead. Mines junior quarterback David Pesek completed four passes in the possession, three of more than 15 yards, and connected with junior Adam Saur on a 7-yard score.

In the first half, Mines showed it wasn't going to be slowed down by the Tiger defense. Fort Hays senior linebacker Andrew Jones said it wasn't anything the Orediggers were doing; the Tigers just weren't in position.

"It all comes down to fundamentals," Jones said. "We didn't do those things in the first half. We didn't read our keys."

Fort Hays answered early in the second quarter, capping a 75-yard, five-play drive with a 9-yard run by junior running back Anthony Dickson. The long drive included a 34-yard run for junior Jacobb Irvin, who rushed for 107 yards on 24 carries and scored a touchdown in the second half.

Mines wasted little time to regain the lead in the second quarter, going 67 yards in seven plays to score; the Orediggers used the screen pass to move quickly down the field.

"They had a couple screens in that first half they kept going back to, and we didn't have an answer for right away," Verdugo said. "We have to do a better job of being more aggressive on people's screen."

Mines tacked on a field goal to take a 16-10 lead, but had the Tigers deep in their own territory late in the second quarter, forcing a punt. Tiger junior punter Tyler Elder got off a good kick to midfield, only to see it returned 53 yards for a score and a 23-10 halftime lead for Mines.

Mines' offense had put up 23 points in just 16 minutes in the first half.

"They didn't do anything we didn't practice for or see on film," said Jones, who had nine tackles. "It comes down to fundamentals. We didn't do that right off the bat and that's something we have to get better at -- coming out of the gate.

"We made some corrections at halftime, and just came back out and played hard," he added.

The defense got better in the second half, and the offense moved the ball on its opening possession, driving into Mines territory. A late-hit penalty on sophomore offensive lineman Colby McKinney downfield negated a big gain on a screen pass from TIger junior Mike Garrison to Dickson, resulting in another punt for Elder.

"There isn't much to say about it," Irvin said. "Those things happen. We just have to correct it."

The Tiger defense held this time, forcing a punt, but what happened on the punt was big.

Freshman Ethan Ungles was in on the return team in place of a hobbled Dickson, and as he caught the ball was drilled by a Mines defender. His fumble gave Mines the ball on the 3-yard line, setting up Pesek's score. The play resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Verdugo before the ensuing kickoff.

"The punt was caught and the kid got drilled. We'll have to go back and watch the tape before I make a decision about how I feel about that one,"¬ Verdugo said. "He did everything correct."

Even down 30-10 heading into the final quarter, Fort Hays took to long to score, taking 10:05 off the clock before Irvinn found the end zone on a 1-yard run.

Fort Hays got a chance on the first play of Mines' next drive. The Orediggers threw the ball deep, only to be picked off by Tiger junior cornerback C.J. Lovett. The Tigers got the ball at midfield, but the offense was unable to put any more points on the board. Mines put on the finishing touches, scoring on a 57-yard interception return off Garrison with 48 seconds remaining.

"You just have to come back out and get after it," Verdugo said. "We have a fresh week."

The Tigers host Washburn University on Saturday at Lewis Field Stadium in a 7 p.m. start.

Game notes

* The Tiger running game gained 197 yards, with 71 from Dickson and 18 from freshman Daniel Moore. Garrison completed 16-of-31 passes with one pick, for 208 yards.

* Not one of Mines' kicks was able to be returned by senior Bryan Haynes. Several squibs and short kicks resulted in just three returns for a total of six yards for the reigning MIAA Special Teams Player of the Week.

* Mines' official attendance was 1,364 fans for the Orediggers' home opener.

* The Orediggers produced 226 yards of offense, 58 on the ground.

* Tiger junior tight end Adam Jones caught three passes for 72 yards. All three catches were in the first half, and two were part of Fort Hays' first scoring drive.