Black Hills State football returns home after two straight weeks on the road to now host Western Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 15 at 12 p.m.
BHSU is currently 5-1 to start the season, the program's best start since 1951, when the team finished the season 6-2. The team also received votes on the Week 6 AFCA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll for the second time in program history, and the first time since Oct 10, 2016. The team now looks to make it a 6-1 start to the season, something that the BHSU football program has only done eight times in program history.
The Yellow Jackets currently sit second in the RMAC, allowing only 19.8 points per game which is good for second in the league. The BHSU defense has surrendered 14 touchdowns and seven field goals up to this point in the season.
The offense is fourth in the RMAC averaging 28.3 points per game while having scored 22 touchdowns (fourth in RMAC) and kicking six field goals (t-fourth).
Western Colorado
The Mountaineers sit fifth in the RMAC, sporting a 3-1 conference record and 3-3 overall. WCU's lone loss in the RMAC came at the hands of South Dakota Mines on Oct. 8 (38-10), while earning victories over CSU Pueblo (17-10), Chadron State (56-28) and Colorado Mesa (42-34, 2OT).
WCU ranks middle of the pack in the RMAC, sitting sixth defensively with 31.3 points allowed per game, and offensively, scoring 27.0 per game. The Mountaineers does have a strength on special teams, averaging an RMAC-leading 25.3 yards on kickoff returns. The team is also first with a perfect 19-of-19 on PATs, and with 19 touchbacks.
Series History
Black Hills State is 3-6 all-time against WCU dating back to the 2012 season. BHSU has lost the last three meetings between the two teams, last winning in 2017 with a 40-0 victory.
League Leaders
Nolan Susel ranks tied for second in the RMAC with eight total touchdowns this season and total rushing touchdowns (7). He also sits third in total rushing yards (415), second in rushing attempts (97), and fourth in rushing yards per game (69.2).
Receiving,
Hasaan Williams ranks second in the RMAC in receptions per game with (6.3) and total receptions (38), while ranking seventh in receiving yards (417) and receiving yards per game (69.5). Williams tied for sixth in receiving touchdowns with four.
Redshirt freshman receiver
TJ Chukwurah is currently averaging 20.3 yards per catch, good for fifth in the RMAC.
Special teams has also been a bright spot this season, as redshirt freshman kicker
Coleman Chapman is tied for fourth in the RMAC with six field goals this season, and ranks 10th in the RMAC in all offensive scoring with 38 points scored this season.
Defensively, the Yellow Jackets have three of the top-10 in the RMAC among passes defended.
Lovenski Simon is tied for the league lead with eight breakups this season,
Deunte Moody is tied for fourth with six this season, and
Klaus Souffrant is tied for 10th with four broken up passes.
Souffrant's three interceptions this season also ranks him tied for second in the RMAC.
Aaron Thiele ranks fourth in the conference with 44 total tackles this season, and fifth with 7.3 tackles per game.
RMAC Honors
Week 2, 9/12
Linebacker
Ryder Blair was named Defensive Player of the Week and kicker
Coleman Chapman earned Special Teams Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Week 3, 9/19
Sophomore linebacker
Aaron Thiele was named RMAC Defensive Player of the Week.
Week 4, 9/26
Redshirt freshman kicker
Coleman Chapman was named RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his second time this season.
National Rankings
Black Hills State football received votes on the Week 6 AFCA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll on Oct. 10 for just the second time in program history, and the first time since Oct 10, 2016 - exactly 6 years prior to the day - which also happened to be during a week leading up to a matchup with Western Colorado.
Coverage
Yellow Jacket fans can now catch Steve Ammerman on KDSJ 980 AM/103.5 FM, or live online at https://listen.streamon.fm/kdsjam. Ammerman is the voice of Yellow Jacket Athletics and can be heard for every football, and women's and men's basketball game throughout the year.
-BHSUAthletics.com-
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