First-place Black Hills State football hits the road for the second straight weekend as they travel to play New Mexico Highlands on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 12 p.m.
BHSU is currently 5-0 to start the season for the first time since 1951, 71 years ago, when the team finished the season 6-2. The team now looks to make it a 6-0 start to the season, something that the BHSU football program has only done three times in program history (1934, 1935, 1951).
The Yellow Jackets currently sit first among RMAC teams, allowing only 17.8 points per game. The BHSU defense has surrendered only 11 touchdowns and four field goals up to this point in the season.
The offense is fourth in the RMAC averaging 28.4 points per game while having scored 18 touchdowns (fourth in RMAC) and kicking six field goals (first).
New Mexico Highlands
The Cowboys sit fifth in the RMAC, sporting a 2-1 conference record and 2-2 overall. NMHU's lone loss in the RMAC came at the hands of South Dakota Mines on Sept. 24 (41-27), while earning victories over Fort Lewis (27-3) and Adams State (23-21).
NMHU ranks middle of the pack in the RMAC, sitting sixth defensively with 24.8 points allowed per game, and seventh offensively, scoring 23.8 per game.
The team does lead the RMAC in rushing yards per game with an average of 179.3, and red zone defense, allowing points on only 69.2 percent of red zone attempts. NMHU also ranks third in the league in third down conversions at a 44.8 percent clip.
Series History
Black Hills State is 5-4 all-time against NMHU dating back to the 2012 season. BHSU won three straight from 2016 to 2018, but have since lost the last two meetings, including last year's 24-10 loss in Spearfish.
League Leaders
Nolan Susel ranks tied for first in the RMAC with eight total touchdowns this season and total rushing touchdowns (7). He also sits first in total rushing yards (406) and rushing attempts (91), and second in rushing yards per game (81.2).
Receiving,
Hasaan Williams ranks second in the RMAC in receptions per game with (6.6) and total receptions (33), while ranking fourth in receiving yards (394) and receiving yards per game (78.8). Williams also has the third-most receiving touchdowns in the league with four.
Redshirt freshman receiver
TJ Chukwurah is currently averaging 19.9 yards per catch, good for second in the RMAC.
Special teams has also been a bright spot this season, as redshirt freshman kicker
Coleman Chapman leads the league with six field goals this season, and ranks sixth in the RMAC in all offensive scoring with 34 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,
Klaus Souffrant is tied for third with seven broken up passes, and
Deunte Moody is sixth with six this season.
Souffrant's three interceptions this season also ranks him tied for first in the RMAC.
Aaron Thiele ranks sixth in the conference with 35 total tackles this season, and seventh with 7.0 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.
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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