Setting the Stage: Black Hills State and Dickinson State meet on the gridiron for the first time since 2010 when the two squads locked helmets twice, first a regular season matchup that the Yellow Jackets won 19-13, the second meeting was in the DAC Bowl to close the season.
The Yellow Jackets enter today's nonconference contest 5-3 overall, coming off a loss to CSU-Pueblo last Saturday. Overall the Yellow Jackets are led through the air by Ryan Hommel who has tossed 1,744 yards on the season for an average of 218 yards per game, with 11 touchdowns. Phydell Paris controls the ground attack with a 117.4 yards per game average and is inching closer to his second-straight 1,000 yard season with 822 yards on the year. Travis Groves leads the defense with 7.8 tackles per game as Drew Hebel has totaled six interceptions.
Last Meeting: Black Hills State fell 21-0 to No. 11 Dickinson State in the Dakota Athletic Conference DAC Bowl on November 7, 2010. Drew Hodgs was the Yellow Jacket signal caller that day with Bryar DeSanti as the main running back.
About Dickinson State: Dickinson State enters as the No. 12 team in NAIA after defeating No. 23 Dakota State last weekend 31-12 and sits atop the North Star Athletic Association standings with a 5-0 conference record and 7-1 overall. The BlueHawks score 37.9 points per game behind 388.6 yards of total offense. Deploying a two quarterback system Kaler Ray averages 112.5 yards per game while Hayden Gibson tosses for 107.2 yards per game. Thomas Sease leads the defense with 8.5 tackles per game.
Series History: Dating back to 1946, the Yellow Jackets and BlueHawks have met 52 times with the Yellow Jackets winning 20 times, DSU taking 30 games with two ties.
Coverage: Yellow Jacket fans can catch Steve Ammerman on the call on The Eagle, 95.9/96.3 FM, or live online at MyEagleCountry.com. Ammerman is the voice of Yellow Jacket Athletics and can be heard on every football and men's/women's basketball game throughout the season.
Temperature: The five-day outlook shows partly cloudy skies and a high of 59 degrees.
GENERAL NOTEBOOK
Looking for a Sixth Win: Black Hills State, who is looking to win its sixth game of 2016, last won five games in a single season in 2010. The Yellow Jackets have already set a new standard for wins in a single season during the NCAA era.
Football and Smarts: Three members of the Yellow Jacket football team were named RMAC First Team All-Academic this past week. Phydell Paris was named to the squad for the second-straight year while JJ Kilgore and Jess Edens earned the nod for the first time. Paris owns a 3.36 GPA in psychology while Kilgore has a 3.51 in business administration and Edens a 3.72 in elementary education.
Career Rushing Record: Phydell Paris is inching closer to the career-rushing record which is held by Jeff Englund with 2,835 yards from 1988-91. Paris passed Carlton Leath for second all-time against New Mexico Highlands and has totaled 2,565 rushing yards over his career.
Third in the Nation: The Yellow Jackets rank third in the nation with 17 interceptions on the season. That toal is more than four times the amount they had during the 2015 season. Drew Hebel leads the team with six interceptions.
12th in the Nation: Black Hills State ranks 12th in the nation by giving up just 1 sack per game. That total leads the RMAC with an offensive line that has also blocked for a rushing attack that set a new school record in rush yards in a single game against New Mexico Highlands.
