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.

Up Next
The Yellow Jackets hit the road next weekend at Western Colorado on Saturday, Oct. 14, kicking off at 1 p.m.