Spearfish, S.D. – The Black Hills State football team fell to the Idaho State Bengals 38-5 in the 2012 season opener on Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho.
The Yellow Jackets took an early 2-0 lead off a safety with 7:20 left in the first quarter. The safety was a result of an ISU holding penalty in the end zone.
ISU would then score three unanswered touchdowns to take a 21-2 lead. The Yellow Jackets were able to compose an 11 play, 49-yard drive to set-up a 21-yard field goal by kicker Devin Rounds with 24 seconds left in the first half. The Jackets went into half time trailing 21-5.
The Bengals' defense kept the Yellow Jackets off the scoreboard in the second half. ISU added two more touchdowns and a field goal in the final half of play.
Both running backs, Bryar Desanti and Trent Butler carried the ball nine times. Desanti finished with 45 yards and Butler ran for 42.
"We ran the ball well at times. We have to get our receivers catching the ball. We were just out of synch, Ward was either putting it on and they were missing it or we were over throwing them," said head coach John Reiners. "Once we get those things ironed out, we are going to be alright. They are all fixable things, so that's the good thing about it."
Sophomore starting quarterback Ward Anderson was 16-for-42 for 90 yards. Anderson threw zero interceptions. Reiners said he liked the passion Ward brought to the field and his want to "get in there and fight." He also noted the transition to the new Jackets' offense.
"It is still a new offense for us and it may look great in spring ball or it may great in fall camp, but at the end of the day we got to keep refining everything like we are doing and we will keep getting better," Reiners said.
Tight end Reed Reuman led the Yellow Jackets through the air with four receptions for 44 yards.
The Yellow Jackets totaled 198 yards.
The Yellow Jackets' line backing core led the defense against a high-powered Bengals' offense. Trent Turbiville and Ryan Lee had 12 and 11 tackles, respectively. Linebacker Randall Hill also contributed seven tackles. Austin Haynes picked-off Bengals' quarterback CJ Reyes in the fourth quarter.
"As the game wore on we weren't tackling well, we weren't doing fundamental things and that's what happens when you go against a team as athletic as they are," Reiners said. "You can't make mistakes."
"Our kids battled, they do what they do, they battled and no one gave up. We weren't happy about eh score, there is no doubt, we didn't come in here to lose and they didn't come in here to lose 38-5, but I thought our kids were very resilient and played to the end.
The Yellow Jackets will travel to Golden, Colo. to face off against Colorado School of Mines next Saturday. It will be BHSU's first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.
"There is a lot of things we can learn from this; we have got to become a better football team as far as eliminating those mistakes, but if we can eliminate those, we will become a good football team. I truly believe that," said Reiners. "We are going to get back to the drawing board when we get back and get ready for Colorado School of Mines headed into the RMAC."
