Setting the Stage: The Black Hills State University football team fell in the 133rd Black Hills Brawl, 62-14, to South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The Hardrockers held a 21-7 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, reclaiming the Homestake Trophy. Ryan Hommel threw for 153 yards and a touchdown, while Tyler Hammons threw for 56 yards and a touchdown. Dylan Reiners led the Yellow Jackets with 73 receiving yards. Jordan Pace and Kielar Harpham each caught a touchdown pass. Defensively, Drew Hebel led the way with 14 tackles, while Bailey Rosenstrauch had 13.

Last Meeting: BHSU defeated New Mexico Highlands, 50-40, last season in Las Vegas. The Yellow Jackets were down, 34-20 at halftime, and scored 30 second half points to earn the victory. Ryan Hommel threw for 254 yards and five touchdowns. Phydell Paris rushed for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while also catching a score. Shandon Jones had 124 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. Defensively, JJ Kilgore and Thayer Sauter each had eight tackles.

About New Mexico Highlands: The Cowboys most recently fell to Colorado State University-Pueblo, 48-3, last weekend. NMHU scored first, before the Thunderwolves scored 48-straight points. Danny Cameron threw for 96 yards and was intercepted three times. Dione Alston had 50 yards rushing, while Zach Drew-Toles had 47 receiving yards. Defensively, Malik Brown had 12 tackles to lead the Cowboys. New Mexico Highlands is scoring 30.0 points per game over the season.  

Series History: This Yellow Jackets and Cowboys have met six times. BHSU leads the series, 4-2, and will look to make it three victories in a row.  

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 forecast shows Saturday's temperature around the 1 p.m. kickoff to be 38 degrees in Spearfish. There is a 23 percent chance of precipitation, with a wind at 16 mph.

General Notebook

Hero Appreciation Day: Saturday's game against NMHU will act as Hero Appreciation Day. The community will honor military members, as well those from the fire, ambulance, and police forces. Each person with a proof of military service will receive free admission.

Under the Lights: The Yellow Jackets played two night games this season. The opening game of the year between the Yellow Jackets and the Eagles was played under the lights. It was the first night game for BHSU since September 16, 2017, when the team played at Dixie State. The Green and Gold then played South Dakota Mines at 6 p.m. in Rapid City on Oct. 6.

Safety First: The Yellow Jackets recorded a safety against Chadron State (Sept. 1). It was the first safety for BHSU since Sept. 10, 2016, in a 39-36 win over Fort Lewis.

Captains: The Yellow Jacket captains, as chosen by their teammates, are Ryan Hommel, Payten Gilmore, Luis Bach, and Drew Hebel.

Putting the "Student" in Student-Athlete: Austin Goddard is a nominee for the National Football Foundation Scholar Athlete Award. The senior linebacker currently holds a 3.621 grade point average as an exercise science major. He also is a SAAC representative and four-year member of the football leadership council.

RMAC Honors: The 2017 season led to several Yellow Jackets being honored by the conference. Phydell Paris, Drew Hebel, and Erick Hairston-Belcher were all named All-RMAC Second Team. Thayer Sauter, Austin Goddard, Jarrell Ganaway, Darian Warford, Aaron Montoya, and Shandon Jones all earned Honorable Mention. Hebel, Goddard, and Ganaway return as members of the 2018 squad.

Academic Honors: Two Yellow Jackets were named to the RMAC Academic First Team in 2017, while nine others made the Honor Roll. Phydell Paris and JJ Kilgore earned First Team honors. Luis Bach, Jake Basinger, Jess Edens, Austin Goddard, Jake Phelan, Collin Powers, Dylan Reiners, and Bailey Rosenstrauch all were named to the RMAC Honor Roll.

Jeep Raffle: Raffle tickets for a new 2018 Jeep Wrangler are on sale now. Tickets are $50, and only 999 will be sold. See bhsuathletics.com for more information and to enter online.