Setting the Stage: The Black Hills State University football defeated New Mexico Highlands, 42-7, to win their first game of the season. The Yellow Jackets forced turnovers on the Cowboys' first two possessions of the games, scoring off of both. The Green and Gold defense held NMHU scoreless over the final 45 minutes of the game. Running back Payten Gilmore set a new school record for single game rushing yards, with 248. He eclipsed the former record, which was set by Phydell Paris also against NMHU in 2016, by four yards.

Last Meeting: BHSU fell to Colorado Mesa, who was then ranked No. 21 in the nation, 49-37, last season. Quarterback Ryan Hommel threw for a career-high 470 yards in the game. He had two passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown. Dylan Reiners and Shandon Jones each caught a touchdown. Phydell Paris had 71 rushing yards and two scores.

About Colorado Mesa: The Mavericks fell to No. 14 ranked CSU-Pueblo, 36-14, last weekend. CMU led, 7-0, before the Thunderwolves went on to outscore the Mavericks, 32-7. Rope Ruel threw for 210 yards and a touchdown, while also throwing an interception. Jonathan Beverly rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown. Peter Anderson caught a score along with 136 receiving yards. Defensively, Tommy Saager had 17 tackles for the Mavericks, while Greyson Matalus had 12 tackles.    

Series History: The Yellow Jackets trail the Mavericks, 1-5, in the all-time series. BHSU defeated CMU in 2016.

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 57 degrees in Spearfish. There is a 0 percent chance of precipitation, with a wind at 6 mph.

General Notebook

A New Rushing King: Payten Gilmore broke the BHSU single-game rushing record on Saturday against New Mexico Highlands. The junior racked up 248 yards, and scored three touchdowns, including a 60-yard score in the third quarter. Gilmore eclipsed the previous record by four yards (Phydell Paris, 244).

Breast Cancer Awareness: Saturday's game against Colorado Mesa will act as the Yellow Jackets' Breast Cancer Awareness Game. Members of the Green and Gold will wear pink spats, and pink BHSU Football long-sleeved shirts will be for sale. The Yellow Jackets will also be joined by honorary captain, Sara Mosset.

Honorary Captain: Spearfish native, Sara Mosset, will act as the Yellow Jackets' honorary captain for Saturday's Breast Cancer Awareness Game. Mosset is the daughter of BHSU Athletic Hall of Fame member, Rick Sperry. Mosset was diagnosed with invasive ductal cell carcinoma in 2017, and has been battling the disease with surgery and chemotherapy.

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.