SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University football team will kick-off the 2024 league schedule on Saturday afternoon when they welcome Fort Lewis College to Lyle Hare Stadium for Swarm Days and the Beef Bowl, presented by Build Your Base and the South Dakota Beef Industry. The Yellow Jackets and Skyhawks are set to kick-off at 2 p.m. as BHSU searches for their third consecutive win in an RMAC opener.
 
GAME DETAILS
Date & Time: Saturday, September 21 at 2 p.m.
Location: Spearfish, S.D. – Lyle Hare Stadium
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State enters their RMAC opener with a record of 1-1, following a loss at NCAA Division I St. Thomas by a score of 24-14.
• The Yellow Jacket defense held the Tommies to some of their lowest outputs in the passing game since their move to DI in 2021, holding them to their lowest pass completion percentage (29.6%), tied for their second fewest completions (8), and third lowest passing yardage (87).
• BHSU was picked to finish fifth in the 2024 RMAC Football Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• The Green & Gold have won two consecutive RMAC openers, defeating Chadron State in 2022 (32-23) and 2023 (55-19), and are 5-6 all-time in RMAC openers which include a 2-1 mark during the Josh Breske era.
• Black Hills State is averaging 19.0 points per game with 235.5 passing and 25.0 rushing yards per game, accumulating an average of 260.5 yards of total offense through two games. The Yellow Jacket offense has scored four touchdowns through the air and one on the ground during the season.
• Luke Duby has been the lone quarterback to play in each of this season two games, completing 39-of-73 passes for 471 yards and four touchdowns while throwing two interceptions.
• Cameron Goods has been the featured running back in the Yellow Jacket offense, carrying the ball 20 times for a net gain of 46 yards this season and one touchdown.
• TJ Chukwurah has caught a team-high eight passes thus far in 2024 for a team-leading 117 yards receiving and one touchdown. Additional receivers to haul in a touchdown pass include Goods, Connor Boyd, and Kelby Olson.
• On the defensive side of the ball Black Hills State has held their opponents to 19.0 points per game with 179.0 passing and 70.5 rushing yards per game, accumulating an average of 249.5 yards of total offense through two games. BHSU has tallied 115.0 tackles with 15.0 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 sacks. The Yellow Jacket defense has forced one turnover this year, picking off one pass in the season opener.
• Mylic Ritche has been the leading force for the BHSU defensive line, collecting 16.0 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks through only two games. Another player for opposing offenses to be aware of up front is Cooper Brown, who has recorded 9.0 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and has tallied four quarterback hurries and forced one fumble.
• The Black Hills State leader in the secondary is Nicc Quinones as he is second on the team with 11.0 tackles and has recorded one interception while breaking up one pass.
• Rounding out the trio of Yellow Jackets to reach double digits in tackles this season is linebacker Sebastian O'Farrell who has tallied 10.0 on the year.
• Josh Breske is in his fifth season as the head coach at Black Hills State, guiding the Yellow Jackets to a record of 18-19 during his career.

FORT LEWIS STORYLINES

• Fort Lewis enters their RMAC opener with a record of 1-1, following a 17-12 home win over Arizona Christian last weekend, snapping the longest active losing streak in college football at 40 games. The Skyhawks last win prior to this season was a 28-9 conference win over Adams State in 2019.
• FLC was picked to finish tenth in the 2024 RMAC Football Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Fort Lewis is averaging 18.5 points per game with 149.0 passing and 2183.5 rushing yards per game, accumulating an average of 332.5 yards of total offense through two games. The Skyhawk offense has scored one touchdown through the air and three on the ground during the season.
• Leading the FLC offense is Stone Walker, who has completed 24-of-46 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown, while throwing one interception. He also leads the team with 217 net rushing yards and three touchdowns.
• The featured running back in the Fort Lewis backfield will be Jamal Johnson who has rushed the ball 19 times for 108 net yards, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
• The primary target at wide receiver for FLC is Jamille Humphrey, who has hauled in seven passes for 95 yards receiving. Another player to watch is Christopher Thomas Jr. who has caught six passes for 49 yards and one touchdown.
• On the defensive side of the ball Fort Lewis has held their opponents to 23.5 points per game with 93.0 passing and 270.5 rushing yards per game, accumulating an average of 363.5 yards of total offense through two games. FLC has tallied 113.0 tackles with 12.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks. The Skyhawk defense has forced three turnovers this year, picking off one pass and recovering two fumbles.
• Spearheading the Fort Lewis defense is Jacob Penney who has recorded 26.0 tackles at the linebacker position to go along with 3.5 tackles-for-loss and one forced fumble. Joining Penney at the linebacker position as key contributors is Kalib Davis and Jack Hanenburg who have notched 11.0 and 10.0 tackles respectively, while Hanenburg adds 3.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
• Leading the defensive line for the Skyhawks is Walter Stauffer who has tallied 10.0 tackles, 1.0 tackles-for-loss, and 0.5 sacks.
• The player to watch for the Skyhawks in the secondary is Trenton Sullivan, who has notched 8.0 tackles, 1.0 tackles-for-loss, and 1.0 sack, in addition to one interception.
• Johnny Cox is in his third season as the head coach at Fort Lewis, guiding the Skyhawks to a record of 1-22 during his career.

SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday will mark the 12^th meeting between Black Hills State and Fort Lewis as RMAC foes on the gridiron, with the Yellow Jackets holding an 8-3 lead in the series.
• BHSU earned their fourth consecutive victory in the series with a 34-20 win on October 28, 2023, at Ray Dennison Memorial Field in Durango, Colorado.