BLACK HILLS STATE  at  No. 14 Western Colorado   SATURDAY, OCT. 14 // 1 P.M. // GUNNISON, COLO. // KATY O. RADY FIELD Live Stream / Live Stats / Radio / Game Notes / Tickets

Black Hills State football hits the road again to take on No. 14 Western Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. in Gunnison, Colo.

The Yellow Jackets got back into the win column last weekend with a 34-24 win over New Mexico Highlands and now sit at 4-2 overall and 3-1 in RMAC.

Yellow Jackets Ranked
This season, BHSU ranks top-25 nationally in six different statistical categories, including 12th in fewest intercepted passes (2), 17th in passing efficiency (168.5), 18th in passing offense (271.0), and 23rd in both completion percentage (65.3%) and fewest turnovers lost (6).

Among individual ranks, Tanner Clarkson sits seventh in the nation in total offense per game (311.5), ninth in yards per passing attempt (9.6), 12th in passing efficiency (169.3), 13th in passing yards (1,613) and 14th in passing yards per game (268.8).

Hasaan Williams is 19th nationally in receptions per game (6.0), 24th in receiving yards (500), and 25th in receiving touchdowns (5).

Nolan Susel ranks 13th in the nation in total touchdowns (9) and 20th in total points scored (54). TJ Chukwurah is sixth in the nation in yards per catch (24.8).

Coleman Chapman's average of 1.3 field goals per game ranks him 11th in the nation.

Defensively, Zechariah Rodriguez-Brown ranks 20th in the nation, averaging 1.3 pass breakups per game.

No. 14 Western Colorado
The Mountaineers are an undefeated 6-0 this year, including 4-0 in RMAC play having earned non-conference wins over West Texas A&M and Texas Permian Basin.

In the RMAC, they have moved past No. 22 CSU Pueblo (30-14), Chadron State (35-17), Colorado Mesa (43-7) and South Dakota Mines (43-20).

WCU has been rolling on all cylinders, leading the RMAC in 15 statistical categories, and top-10 nationally in five, including third in team passing efficiency defense (84.62), fourth in turnover margin (1.67), fifth in turnovers gained (16), sixth in blocked punts (3) and eighth in time of possession per game (33:45).

Series History
The Yellow Jackets are 3-7 all-time against the Mountaineers in their ten meetings dating back to 2012. Although, BHSU has lost each of their last four matchups, last beating WCU in a 40-0 win in Spearfish in 2017.

Coverage
Yellow Jacket fans can catch Steve Ammerman on KDSJ 980 AM/103.5 FM, or live online at https://listen.streamon.fm/kdsjam. Ammerman is the voice of the Yellow Jacket Athletics and can be heard for every football, and women's and men's basketball game throughout the year.

A live video stream of the game can be viewed free at rmacnetwork.com/bhsu.

Yellow Jackets' Last Time Out
Black Hills State football took down New Mexico Highlands, 34-24, on Saturday's homecoming game.

The Yellow Jackets (4-2, 3-1 RMAC) got back to business on offense with 397 total yards on the day.

Tanner Clarkson finished the day with 15 completions on 24 attempts for 250 yards and two touchdowns. He was also tied with Nolan Susel as the leading rusher with two touchdowns and 69 net yards on 12 rushes to finish with four total touchdowns.

Susel had 10 carries for 69 yards and a touchdown. He also made a 6-yard touchdown catch.

TJ Chukwurah had five catches in the game for 149 yards and a touchdown, including a career-best 98-yard reception that he took to the house.

Mitch McKibbin hauled in three passes for 42 yards, and Hasaan Williams had three receptions for 35 yards.

On defense, Raymond Iglesias led the way with seven total tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss, while also forcing a fumble.

Sebastian O'Farrell forced a fumble as well to go along with three tackles.

Zecheriah Rodriguez-Brown made six tackles and broke up two passes, while Ryder Blair had four tackles and two hurries.

Cole Marquez recovered a fumble and Aric Eades recorded a sack.

On special teams, Coleman Chapman was 4-of-4 on extra point tries, and Lovenski Simon had a long kickoff return of 38 yards.

After BHSU's opening possession, a beautiful Derek Webster punt pinned NMHU on their own 3-yard line to set the tone early. The defense held the Cowboys to only one yard before forcing them to punt, retaining favorable field position to get the ball back at the NMHU 40-yard line.

That led to a 5-play, 40-yard scoring drive by the Yellow Jacket offense, which included 35 rushing yards from Clarkson and ended with his 11-yard rush into the endzone to put BHSU ahead 7-0 with 5:42 left in the first.

Then the defense stepped up again, forcing a turnover on downs at the BHSU 2-yard line, putting the offense back on the field, whose first play was a 98-yard catch and run to TJ Chukwurah to extend the lead to 14-0.

On the ensuing kickoff, the NMHU returner was hit by Iglesias who forced the ball out for Cole Marquez to pick up at the Highlands' 19-yard line. That turned into an 11-yard touchdown from Susel to make it 21-0 with 11:31 to go in second quarter.

NMHU would find the end zone at the end of the second quarter, getting on the board and making it a 21-7 game at halftime.

Out of the locker room, NMHU got out to a quick score to cut the Yellow Jacket lead to 21-14. BHSU answered with another touchdown of their own on their very next possession, though, using a 6-yard pass to Susel to make it 28-14.

After a defensive stop, the Yellow Jackets took advantage of a shanked punt at the NMHU 30-yard line, midway through the third. After converting a 2nd and 23 on a 24-yard reception from Chukwurah, Clarkson punched it in for nine yards and extended the lead to 34-14.

NMHU kicked a field goal at beginning of fourth quarter to make it 34-17 before a nearly 9-minute-long, 19-play drive for the Cowboys resulted in a touchdown to draw them within two possessions, 34-24. But by the time the drive ended there were under two minutes to play, and time would eventually expire with BHSU in front, 34-24.

Mountaineers' Last Time Out
Western Colorado improves to 6-0 on the season after a 43-20 win over South Dakota Mines on the road in Rapid City, S.D. 

JUST THE FACTS
Final Score: Western Colorado def. South Dakota Mines 
Records: Western Colorado 6-0, South Dakota Mines 3-3 
Location: O'Harra Stadium, Rapid City, S.D. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Mountaineers' defense shined in the first half by settling down a Hardrockers' offense that averaged 35.2 points per game coming into today's matchup. 

Western Colorado registered three interceptions in the first half including a pick six by Tony Cass in the first quarter. Cass also had another interception in the second quarter, followed by an interception from Andrew Arterburn. The Hardrockers had a total of five turnovers in the first half.

Drew Nash continued to lead a dominant offense, which scored 37 points in the first half. Nash opened the scoring for the Mountaineers with a 62-yard rushing touchdown. 

Drew Montez had a big second quarter registering two touchdowns for a combined 19-yards. Deyvon Butler also registered a touchdown in the first half. 

There was not a lot of scoring in the third quarter as each team collected a touchdown. Western Colorado's Braeden Hogan came up with a four-yard rushing touchdown before Hardrockers quarterback Jayden Johannson answered with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Henry Dryden. 

FIELD NOTES
Drew Nash threw for 245 yards (20-for-39) with two touchdowns and 51 completion percentage. The redshirt sophomore also collected a season-high 107 rushing yards with one touchdown. 

Butler and Hogan combined for 100 rushing yards, while each scored one touchdown. Cole Riters was the Mountaineers leading receiver recording 101-yards over five receptions: he averaged 20.2 yards per reception. 

Defensively, Cass, Arterburn and Kevondrick Carr all came up with interceptions for the Mountaineers. Ricky Freymond and Dylan Cardenas registered a sack apiece in the 43-20 win. 

Kendall Lightfoot recorded 10 tackles with three tackles for loss. Three other Mountaineers had tackles for loss in the game.