Full Notes

Setting the Stage: The Black Hills State University football team defeated Western State, 40-0, last weekend to move to 4-3 on the year. The Yellow Jacket defense forced seven turnovers – six interceptions and one fumble – and held the Mountaineers scoreless. Drew Hebel tallied two pick-sixes, while Luis Bach had two interceptions. Trey Fleming made three field goals, and Jacob Parks made a school record 53-yard field goal. Phydell Paris finished with 100 yards rushing and a touchdown, and Jack Walbye had his first career touchdown carry.

Last Meeting: CSU-Pueblo defeated BHSU, 49-14, last season, holding the Yellow Jackets to just 204 total yards of offense. Ryan Hommel threw for 122 yards and one touchdown, while Phydell Paris ran for a touchdown. Defensively, Travis Groves totaled 13 tackles, and Luis Bach had nine tackles.

About Colorado State University-Pueblo: The Thunderwolves are 5-1 in RMAC play, most recently falling to Fort Lewis, 35-24, for their first conference loss. They fell into a 21-0 hole, and were never able to recover. Quarterback Rex Dausin threw for 98 yards, a touchdown, and an interception, while Gunnar Lamphere had 153 passing yards, with two touchdowns and an interception. Osha Washington had 111 receiving yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Brandon Payer had a game-high 13 tackles, and also tallied a sack. CSU-Pueblo has previously defeated two ranked teams, then No. 16 Colorado Mines (38-7) and then No. 8 Colorado Mesa (30-24).  

Series History: BHSU is 0-5 all-time against CSU-Pueblo.  

Coverage: Yellow Jacket fans can catch Steve Ammerman on the call on The Eagle, 95.9 and 96.3 FM. A free webcast can be found via Stretch Internet, the official video provider for RMAC Sports.

Temperature: The five-day forecast shows Saturday's temperature around kickoff to be 64 degrees. There is a 15 percent chance of precipitation, with a wind at 13 mph.

General Notebook

Players of the Week: Drew Hebel and Trey Fleming were each named RMAC Players of the Week for their play against Western State. Hebel, who had two pick-sixes in the game, earned Defensive Player of the Week honors, while Fleming was the Special Teams POTW after going 4-for-4 on PATs, and 3-for-4 in field goals.

Far out: True freshman Jacob Parks kicked a 53-yard field goal against Western State, which set a school record. The previous long by a Yellow Jacket was 48 yards, which happened in 1971 and 1979. The 53-yarder is also the longest this year in the RMAC.

Shutout: The Black Hills State football team held Western State scoreless in the game last weekend. The Yellow Jackets won, 40-0, holding an opponent scoreless for the first time since 2012, when they beat Fort Lewis, 23-0 (Nov. 10).

Second half team: The difference between the first and second half performances of BHSU so far this season is stark. The Yellow Jackets have outscored their six opponents, 132-47, in the second half of their games, while being outscored, 162-95, in the first half. In the four wins for the Green and Gold this season, the offense has put up 96 points in the second half, while allowing just 16.

South Dakota Hold 'em: For the last four games, the Yellow Jacket defense has been extremely stingy, particularly in the second half. BHSU held SD Mines to zero points, and just 66 yards of offense in the second half. The team followed that performance up by allowing just six points and 149 yards against New Mexico Highlands in the second half. Against No. 21 Colorado Mesa, the Green and Gold outscored the Mavericks, 20-14, in the second half, including a 20-0 edge in the fourth quarter, and against Western State, BHSU won the second half battle, 17-0.

Rank and file: After seven weeks of play, the Green and Gold are ranked in the top-five of the RMAC in several categories. BHSU is fourth in passing offense (256.5) and third in first downs (24.7). The Yellow Jackets are also third in pass defense efficiency (110.9), second in kickoff returns (25.5), first in interceptions (13), second in opponent first downs (17.9), first in opponent third-down conversion (27.8), and first in turnover margin (+7).

Take it away: After finishing the 2016 season with the second most interceptions in the nation, the Yellow Jackets are again putting up big numbers. BHSU has 13 interceptions through seven games. The Green and Gold defense had three interceptions against Adams State in week one, two against South Dakota Mines, one in the game at New Mexico Highlands, one against Colorado Mesa, and six against Western State. Sam Garcia and Drew Hebel lead the squad with three interceptions each. Hebel returned two of his picks for touchdowns. Luis Bach has two interceptions, while JJ Kilgore, Jarrell Ganaway, Josh Gurnaby, Chris James, and Dimitri Butts each have recorded a pick.

50 points: Black Hills State put up 50 points at New Mexico Highlands on September 30. This was the first time the Yellow Jackets had scored 50 points since a 50-48 victory over Western State on November 23, 2013.

Next man up: The injury bug has struck the Yellow Jackets this season. Three different quarterbacks have played in a game, while three different starting linebacking corps have played.

Depth Charge: Last year's initial depth chart shows that experience has been growing with 18 juniors and nine seniors listed on the depth chart. This season, the depth chart shows 14 juniors and 14 seniors. Those players, who experienced the success of last year, will look for more this year. There are eight sophomores and 10 freshman, nine of which are redshirt freshman, on the depth chart.

Win First: The Yellow Jackets won their season-opener for the second consecutive year, when they beat Adams State, 47-41, in double overtime. BHSU defeated Adams State, 34-33, in Alamosa, Colorado, last year for their first season-opening win since the 2008 season when the Green and Gold, then an NAIA school, upset NCAA Division II Southwest Minnesota State 21-14 on September 6, 2008.

Captains: The Yellow Jacket captains, as chosen by their teammates, are Phydell Paris, Shandon Jones, JJ Kilgore, and Thayer Sauter. Paris earned the Captain nod for the third-straight year, while Kilgore is a Captain for the second-consecutive season.

Rushing King: Senior Phydell Paris owns every major rushing record at Black Hills State. He ranked second last year in the conference with 1,314 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns. He finished the season ranked number eight at the NCAA Division II level in rushing yards per game (131.4).

RMAC Honors: The 2016 season led to several Yellow Jackets being honored by the conference. Head coach John Reiners was named the Coach of the Year, while Drew Hebel was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Joining Hebel on the All-RMAC First Team were Shandon Jones and Phydell Paris. Earning Second Team honors were offensive lineman Andrew Blaylock and defensive tackle Cody Benne. On the Honorable Mention team were Isaiah Birkel, Travis Groves, Ryan Hommel, and Thayer Sauter. All but Benne and Groves return to BHSU in 2017.