Setting the Stage: The Black Hills State University football team fell to Western State Colorado University, 28-6, last weekend on the road. The Mountaineers scored 14 points in the first three minutes, and led 28-0 at halftime. The Yellow Jackets outscored Western, 6-0, in the second half, scoring a touchdown in the third quarter. Tyler Hammons threw for 168 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Zane Lindsey, who had 15 yards receiving. Payten Gilmore rushed for 118 yards, his second game this year reaching the century mark. Defensively, Drew Hebel led the Yellow Jackets with 12 tackles. Josh Gurnaby and Austin each tallied 10 tackles. Chris James and Jarrell Ganaway both had an interception in the game.
Last Meeting: BHSU fell to CSU-Pueblo, 49-0, last season. Ryan Hommel threw for 81 yards, while Phydell Paris had 49 rushing yards and Erick Hairston-Belcher had 50 receiving yards. Defensively, Josh Gurnaby had 16 tackles, while Austin Goddard had 11 tackles.
About Colorado State University-Pueblo: The Thunderwolves are currently ranked No. 12 in the nation with an 8-1 record (7-1 RMAC). The lone loss came at the hands of Colorado School of Mines, 35-21, who was then unranked, but now sit at No. 6 in the nation. Most recently, the Thunderwolves defeated Fort Lewis, 39-0. Senior quarterback has thrown for 1,144 yards, averaging 143.0 per game. Marche Dennard leads CSUP in rushing, averaging 87.0 yards per game. Defensively, Brandon Payer, the RMAC Defensive Academic Player of the Year, leads the team with 81 tackles.
Series History: BHSU is 0-6 all-time against CSU-Pueblo.
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 41 degrees in Spearfish. There is a 50 percent chance of precipitation, with a wind at 17 mph.
General Notebook
Jeep Raffle Final Chance: Raffle tickets for a new 2018 Jeep Wrangler are on sale now. Tickets are $50, and only 999 will be sold. The drawing will occur during the game against the Thunderwolves, so make sure to get your tickets today. See bhsuathletics.com for more information and to enter online.
Senior Day: Saturday's game against CSU-Pueblo is the final home game of 2018, and will be Senior Day for 15 Yellow Jacket players. Chris James, Ryan Hommel, Dimitri Butts, Taran Whelchel, Trey Fleming, Luis Bach, Jess Edens, Drew Hebel, Shane Brooks, Jack Mazurie, Austin Goddard, Kolten Johnson, Clayton Dry, Zane Lindsey, and Marquise Clayton will all be honored for their contributions to the program prior to the game.
Academic Honors: One Yellow Jackets were named to the RMAC Academic First Team this week, while nine others made the Honor Roll. Bailey Rosenstrauch earned First Team honors. Luis Bach, Jake Basinger, Jess Edens, Austin Goddard, Jarett Jenson, Jack Mazurie, Trig Olson, Jacob Phelan, and Dylan Reiners all were named to the RMAC Honor Roll.
A New Rushing King: Payten Gilmore broke the BHSU single-game rushing record on Oct. 13 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).
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.
