BLACK HILLS STATE  at  Colorado Mesa   SATURDAY, NOV. 6 // 1 P.M. // GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. // STOCKER STADIUM Live Stream / Live Stats / Radio / Game Notes

Black Hills State football heads down to Grand Junction, Colo. this weekend as they take on Colorado Mesa on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m.

The Yellow Jackets (4-5, 2-5 RMAC) are looking to erase their 4-game skid as they face the Mavericks (6-2, 5-2 RMAC).

Last Time Out
Black Hills State football fell to the Hardrockers last weekend, 13-10 in the 136th Black Hills Brawl at Lyle Hare Stadium.

The Yellow Jackets (4-5, 2-5 RMAC) had a strong defensive showing, totaling three turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

BHSU had four different players with double-digit tackles, led by Ryder Blair with 18. Aaron Thiele finished with 14 tackles, while Doodles Quinones had 11 and Lathen Stevens had 10.

Stevens also hauled in one interception on the day, and Lovenski Simon had the other.

Colorado Mesa
The Mavericks are currently 6-2 overall this season, and winners of three over their last four games. CMU is in fourth place in the RMAC with a conference record of 5-2. Most recently, CMU is coming off a 23-9 loss to No. 20 Western Colorado last weekend in Gunnison, Colo.

Series History
BHSU is 2-7 all-time against Colorado Mesa, coming away with wins in 2016 and 2018. The last meeting between the two teams came last season as the Yellow Jackets fell to CMU, 56-7 in one of only two games played in the pandemic shortened season.

Weather Forecast
According to the 10-day weather forecast, the weather on Saturday, November 6 in Grand Junction, Colo. projects sunny skies with a high of 68 degrees and a low of 39.

Coverage
Yellow Jacket fans can catch Steve Ammerman on The Eagle Country at 95.9/96.3 FM or live online at MyEagleCountry.com. Ammerman is the voice of the Yellow Jacket Athletics and can be heard for every football and women's/men's basketball game throughout the year.

Homecoming Comeback
BHSU trailed Adams State 24-3 at halftime of their Sept. 25 matchup before winning 51-48 in double overtime. Overcoming the 21-point deficit is the team's largest comeback since a 28-point comeback on Sept. 2, 2017 - also against Adams State. That season, BHSU had three wins in which they came back from down at least 18 points.

Largest Comebacks Since 2012 (Division II Era):
Down 28 points - Sept. 2, 2017 vs. Adams State (W, 47-41 2OT)
Down 21 points - Sept. 25, 2021 vs. Adams State (W, 51-48 2OT)
Down 18 points - Sept. 23, 2017 vs. South Dakota Mines (W, 25-24)
Down 18 points - Sept. 30, 2017 @ N.M. Highlands (W, 50-40)

First for Breske
Since being hired on as head coach in 2019, Josh Breske had only 2 games under his belt entering the 2021 season. After a wait of nearly two years, Breske earned the first win of his head coaching career on Sept. 2 in a 30-24 victory over Dickinson State.

Breakout Year for Collier
RB Matthew Collier entered this year with only 22 total yards in his collegiate career, all accumulated in 2019. Now in his junior season, he's scored six touchdowns while accumulating 837 rushing yards. He's run for over 100 yards, five times this season, totaling 174 against Adams State (9/25), 125 against Dickinson State (9/2), 103 at Fort Lewis (10/2), 125 against Colorado Mines (10/9), and 111 against New Mexico Highlands (10/23).

RMAC All-Academic
Black Hills State football had three student-athletes named RMAC All-Academic First Team and 13 named to the RMAC Honor Roll list for their efforts this season

Offensive lineman Nate Clay, running back Nolan Susel, and linebacker Aaron Thiele all received First Team honors.

Those named to the Honor Roll were Ryder Blair, Claysen Davis, Chance Eben, Jarrell Ganaway, Kielar Harpham, Toby Jacobs, Favour Maurice, Troy Mittelstedter, Jordan Pace, Cameron Reiman, Morgan Tigner, Trey Tremblay and Jamin Wurtz.

Captains
The Green and Gold Captains for the 2021 season are Jacob Parks, Kielar Harpham, Keyshawn Farmer, Cody Hooker, Clayton Koch, Lathan Stevens, Jarrell Ganaway, Joseph Moraga and Jordan Pace.

Key Returners
Some with the help of the covid year, key returning seniors include WR Kielar Harpham, DL Jarrell Ganaway, OL Joseph Moraga, LB Cody Hooker and K Jacob Parks who holds the school record for longest field goal (53 yards).

Key returning juniors include S Bailey Rosenstrauch, DB Brady Morris, OL Sam Ambrogio and WR Jordan Pace.

Quarterback Chance Eben leads the returning sophomore class along with WR Hasaan Williams and WR Mitch McKibbon, OL Troy Mittelstedter, DL Morgan Tigner and DL Nikolas Arnold.