Despite the outcome on the scoreboard, the South Dakota School of Mines football team put forth a great effort for a majority of the game Saturday afternoon against the Missouri S&T Miners on Dunham Field at O'Harra Stadium, but the visitors turned up the intensity down the stretch and defeated the Hardrockers, 66-17, in SD Mines' final home game of the 2012 season.

 The Hardrockers opened up with a 3-0 lead in the first quarter on a 32-yard field goal from Kolten Jelden. The Miners scored 20 points in the second quarter, added 18 in the third period and put up 28 in the final frame. SD Mines senior running back Jamel Rover had two touchdowns on five and one yard TD runs and Jelden made good on the two PAT's to account for the scoring.

Missouri had 561 yards of total offense to SD Mines' 172. The Miners racked up 370 yards on the ground and 191 through the air while the Hardrockers tallied 62 yards rushing and 110 from the air.

 In a first-ever meeting on the gridiron, SD Mines played host to the University of Nebraska-Kearney, where the Lopers defeated the Hardrockers, 59-7, Saturday afternoon on Dunham Field at O'Harra Stadium.

The Hardrockers drew first blood, charging downfield 75 yards on the opening drive of the game and capped it off with a 43-yard touchdown reception from Mike Zanutto to Jamel Rover. It was all UNK after that as the visitors put 17 points on the board in the first quarter, added seven in the second quarter, tacked on 14 more in the third and finished out the final stanza with 21 points.

The Hardrockers tallied 197 yards of total offense while the Lopers racked up 618 yards.

Individually for the Hardrockers, Rover and Chris Sawdey led SD Mines in rushing, each with 18 yards, Brandon Chong and Brock Atkins both hauled in six catches on the day. Rover led the SD Mines receivers with 55 yards and a touchdown.

A decisive third quarter propelled Fort Hays State in its first-ever gridiron matchup with the South Dakota School of Mines.

Mines, playing an independent schedule in a continued transition to NCAA Division II, hosted the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tigers of Fort Hays, Kan., at O’Harra Stadium on a chilly Saturday afternoon.

Mines, coming off a 75-6 mauling of Presentation College two weeks ago, stayed close to the Tigers until a pair of critical special teams miscues swung the pendulum the Tigers’ way in the second half.

Trailing 21-13 at halftime, Mines stopped the Tigers’ opening drive of the third quarter, but Patrick Shaw mishandled the punt and the Tigers pounced on the fumble at the Hardrockers 39-yard line.

Mines held the Tigers to a 29-yard field goal by Drew O’Brian on the short-field drive, but Fort Hays extended the lead on its next possession culminating in Anthony Sheppard’s 1-yard dive into the end zone.