GOLDEN, Colo. – The Black Hills State University football team fell to No. 17-ranked Colorado School of Mines, 52-7, on Saturday afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets (0-2, 0-2 RMAC) got the ball first and started off hot, getting two first downs and advancing 24 yards, before the Oredigger (2-0, 2-0 RMAC) defense firmed up and forced a punt. The nationally ranked Mines team then mechanically moved down the field, using over five minutes on the clock on a 12 play, 83-yard touchdown drive to get on the board first.
A week after allowing negative rushing yards, Mines would hold the Green and Gold to just one first down the rest of the first quarter. The home team would score on five of its six first half possessions to hold a 35-0 lead at the break.
Keeping the momentum, the Orediggers started the second half with the ball, and marched downfield in six plays to score on a 36-yard touchdown pass from John Matocha to Brandon Farmer. After a punt, the Yellow Jacket defense caused Mines' first turnover of the day, when Lathen Stevens forced a fumble, and Clayton Koch covered it up to give BHSU the ball. The Orediggers would add a field goal on its next possession to stretch the lead to 45-0.
In the second half, the Yellow Jackets continued to struggle to move the ball. However, after Mines scored again to make it 52-0, BHSU got the ball back with 10:32 to play. After a penalty and a 40-yard pass to Jordan Pace got things going, the Green and Gold eventually got into the red zone for the first time all game. The Orediggers were called for a penalty on a field goal try, giving the Yellow Jackets a first-and-goal, and Andrew Tovar would connect with Kielar Harpham for a 13-yard touchdown to get BHSU on the board.
Tovar threw for 172 yards and a touchdown, while Harpham caught five passes for 52 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Josh Gurnaby recorded 13 tackles, including one for a loss. Stevens had eight tackles and a forced fumble.
For the Orediggers, freshman quarterback Matocha threw for 249 yards and three scores, while Josh Odam rushed for 95 yard, and Cameron Mayberry had 84 yards rushing.
The Yellow Jackets will next return home to host Adams State University on September 21. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 1 p.m.
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Black Hills State is located in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, sponsoring 13 NCAA sports with membership in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the NCAA emerging sport of women's triathlon and NIRA rodeo. For all information regarding Yellow Jacket Athletics, please visit BHSUAthletics.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @BHSUAthletics.
---BHSUAthletics.com---
