SPEARFISH, S.D. – In a season that is seeing first, the Black Hills State University football team checked another first off the list, defeating No. 13 Colorado Mesa 48-34 Saturday in Lyle Hare Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets, who move into a tie for first place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference with a 5-1 record, defeated its first ranked opponent in the NCAA-era. Colorado Mesa receives its first loss of the season and is also 5-1.

"I'm going to steal a quote from Coach (defensive coordinator Anthony) Kerr, gritty," head coach John Reiners said. "This whole team was gritty. The defense was, the offense was. We had to shore some things up on special teams and I thought we did as the game went on. 

"What an outstanding performance from everyone."

Black Hills State tallied 574 yards of offense with 367 yards through the air and another 207 on the ground. The defense had six takeaways with four interceptions and two fumble recoveries, which turned into 20 points for the Green and Gold.

"We talk about it every week, the three facets of the game that we need to win are turnovers, third down conversions and kicking game," Reiners added. "We won all of them. On third down, we converted 11-of-21 and they were 5-of-14. We were 6-to-1 on turnovers and Alberto (Mastrovito) came in here and got those two field goals."

The Yellow Jackets struck first when Phydell Paris ran untouched for a 38-yard touchdown, capping a 10-play, 76-yard drive. From there, the nations 13^th ranked team flexed its muscle to pull ahead 17-7 beginning with a field goal from Ryan Sheehan from 45 yards out.

After a pooch kick on the kickoff that CMU recovered, David Tann ran 10 yards into the end zone, followed by an 85 yard punt return for a touchdown to end the first quarter with Colorado Mesa leading 17-7. 

Black Hills State answered back with the long ball on its first drive of the second quarter. Ryan Hommel hitShandon Jones for a 73-yard strike. After forcing CMU to punt, the Yellow Jackets took over at their own five-yard line. 

Over the next nine plays, BHSU marched 95 yards for a touchdown with a 20-yard run from Paris and gaining the 21-17 lead.

After Damon Goldhammer intercepted the pass from Sean Rubalcaba, Hommel hit Jones for another touchdown pass, this time a 58-yard strike and a 28-17 lead with 4:43 remaining in the first half.

On the ensuing Colorado Mesa drive, the Mavericks were able to set up Ryan Sheehan for a 38-yard field goal.

With time running down in the first half, the Green and Gold tried to put a drive together but were unsuccessful on their first three attempts into the end zone. However on the third try, from the Colorado Mesa 24 yard line, Jones was interfered with as time expired, so the Yellow Jackets had free play to kick a field goal.

Alberto Mastrovito, playing in his first career game, hit the 25-yard field goal to give Black Hills State a 31-20 lead going into intermission.

Isaiah Birkel got his hands on an interception on the opening CMU drive of the second half, which set up BHSU for another touchdown, this time a 28-yard pass from Hommel to Erick Hairston-Belcher for the 38-20 lead and the only points scored in the third quarter.

Colorado Mesa found the scoreboard with 13:16 to go in the game when backup quarterback Eystin Salum connected with Virnel Moon for a 17-yard touchdown and a 38-27 deficit.

Mastrovito hit a field goal to give BHSU breathing room with 5:31 remaining in the game he knocked his kick through the uprights from 40-yards out.

Black Hills State held Colorado Mesa on a fourth-and-1 with a defensive stand when Goldhammer and Thayer Sauter stopped Salum on the keeper.

Three plays and 59 yards later, Shane Brooks ran into the end zone for the commanding 48-27 lead. Colorado Mesa would find the end zone one more time, this time a Salum 11-yard rush but the Yellow Jackets held on for the 48-34 victory.

"This is a signature win," Reiners said. "We've never beaten a ranked opponent. We've never really beaten anyone that people thought, oh you know you shouldn't beat that team. You have the No. 13 team in the nation come in here and our guys really got after it."

Hommel finished 24-of-40 passing for 367 yards and three touchdowns as Jones had seven receptions for 217 yards and two touchdowns. Hairston-Belcher was on the receiving end of six catches and 59 yards and the third touchdown.

Phydell Paris tallied 104 yards rushing, his fifth game of 100 yards or more this year. Payten Gilmore tallied 70 yards rushing, including a long of 45. 

Mastrovito finished 2-of-2 on field goals and 6-of-6 for a total of 12 points.

Defensively, Travis Groves led the way with 12 tackles and an interception as Luis Bach and Cody Benne each had eight tackles. Benne recorded a sack and 1.5 tackles for a loss. Allan Stubbs, Groves, Birkel and Goldhammer each had an interception on the afternoon as the Yellow Jacket defense held starting CMU quarterback Sean Rubalcaba to 8-of-23 passing for 92 yards and four interceptions. 

Salum accounted for 132 yards rushing for the Mavericks as Blake Nelson led the way with 11 tackles. 

Black Hills State travels to Western State on Saturday for a 1 p.m. kickoff. Western State will be coming off a 13-6 victory at Fort Lewis and a 4-2 record.