SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University football team won its third-straight game to improve to 3-0 in a 20-14 victory over Dixie State Saturday at Lyle Hare Stadium.
Ryan Hommel threw for 179 yards and a touchdown while Phydell Paris ran for a season-best 141 yards as the Yellow Jackets move to 3-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and sitting in first place for the third-straight week.
Isaiah Birkel tallied eight tackles and two sacks for 13 yards as Matt Singleton and Thayer Sauter each had eight tackles apiece.
"It was a great team victory," head coach John Reiners said. "Anytime you can go 3-0 is great for the team, and these guys can put a feather in their cap for it. As we move into later in the season, we've still got more work to do but I am very proud of them."
With the Yellow Jackets leading 13-0, Damon Goldhammer got ahold of DSU running back DeJon Coleman and knocked the ball loose. After the ball was loose on the turf, Allan Stubbs snagged the ball and ran it 48 yards for the fumble recovery return touchdown. After Trey Fleming hit the point after attempt, the Yellow Jackets led 20-0 with 5:35 remaining in the third quarter.
Dixie State responded on its next drive when Josh Thompson ran three yards into the end zone and a 20-7 score. The Trailblazers tried to make things interesting with 4:58 remaining in the game when Coleman ran 22 yards into the end zone and pull DSU within six points at 20-14.
Dixie State got the ball back with 2:55 on the clock and tried to mount a drive to either tie the game or take the lead. The Trailblazers marched into Yellow Jacket territory with a first-and-10 from the BHSU 29-yard line. The defense held strong holding to an incomplete pass on first down and a loss of two yards on the second down play. Cody Benne hurried quarterback Josh Thompson into an incomplete pass on third-and-12 setting up a big fourth-down play with 1:36 on the clock.
After each team traded a time out, Thompson fired a pass to Justin Martin, but Travis Groves was there to break up the play and give the Yellow Jackets the ball back to get into victory formation.
Black Hills State got on the scoreboard in the first quarter when Fleming hit a 37-yard field goal. Fleming, also a receiver, caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Hommel in the second quarter and added a chip-shot 19-yard field goal to give the Yellow Jackets the 13-0 lead late in the second quarter.
Black Hills State totaled 384 yards of total offense while holding DSU to 297 yards.
Eriq Swiftwater had six receptions for 65 yards while Shandon Jones had three receptions for 58 yards.
Thompson threw for 253 yards for Dixie State with a touchdown while Clifford Simms was the leading rusher at 46 yards.
The Yellow Jacket defense held DSU to just 44 yards rushing and totaled two interceptions. Drew Hebel snagged his fourth interception in three games as Luis Bach grabbed an interception and returned it for 13 yards. The defense as a whole totaled five sacks and 12 tackles for a loss, backing up DSU by 43 yards.
Black Hills State takes its perfect record to South Dakota Mines on next week, facing the Hardrockers in a Battle for the Homestake Trophy at 6 p.m. in Rapid City, South Dakota.
