SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Yellow Jackets will look to try to get back in the win column after starting 1-5 for the first time in the Josh Breske era. They will now head on the road to face #5/6 Western Colorado in Gunnison and will look to win their first matchup versus the Mountaineers since 2017. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a loss in their rival matchup, the Black Hills Brawl.
 
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Date/Time/Location: Saturday, October 11 / 1 p.m. / Gunnsion, Colo. / Mojo Field at Mountaineer Bowl at the Rady Family Sports Complex
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online at the link above.
RMAC Network: Beginning in the 2025-26 season the RMAC Network will now move to Pay-Per-View. Fans can purchase a single game pass ($10), monthly ($25) or annual subscription ($130). Individuals with bhsu.edu or yellowjackets.bhsu.edu email address can still take advantage of the Peak Pricing Promotion by using the code Y26-RMACEDU.
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State currently sits at 1-5 (1-3 RMAC) on the season after a 36-27 loss to #RV/-- Colorado School of Mines last Saturday during Swarm Days, snapping a 5-game win streak during the Yellow Jackets' homecoming games. They lost the 140^th Black Hills Brawl to SDM 27-13 keeping the streak of visiting teams winning alive.
• Last week senior linebacker, Sebastian O'Farrell was announced as a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, otherwise known as the "Academic Heisman" for his work in the classroom and on the field.
• The Yellow Jacket's two non-conference opponents are a combined 5-3 this season as Sioux Falls is 3-2 and No. 10/14 Grand Valley State is 2-1.
• The Yellow Jackets finished tied for fifth in the RMAC a year ago and are predicted to finish tied for fifth in the standings in 2025 in the preseason coaches' poll.
• Black Hills State is coming off their third consecutive winning season in 2024, extending the longest stretch for the program in their NCAA Division II era (2011-present) and marking the longest stretch since they posted six straight from 2005-10.
• Returning starting quarterback Luke Duby has completed 136-of-206 passing attempts for 1,352 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions this season. Against GVSU he completed 38-of-51 passing attempts for 359 yards and three touchdowns, setting new career-best marks for completions, attempts, yards, and touchdowns. After 118 yards through the air against the Hardrockers last weekend, he has notched eight career 200-yard passing games and two 300-yard passing games in his career. Nationally he is 12th in NCAA Division II in completions per game (22.6), 16th in passing touchdowns (12), 17th in passing yards (1,352), 19th in completion percentage (0.660), 41st in points responsible for (78), and 40th in passing yards per game (225.3).
• Danny Davis and Cameron Goods provide a one-two punch at running back for the Yellow Jackets, rushing for 231 and 221 yards respectively on the season. Davis has averaged 4.1 yards per carry on 53 attempts and has found the end zone twice on the ground. He ran for a season-high 72 yards against Chadron State. Goods has averaged 4.1 yards per carry on 50 attempts and has found the end zone once. He ran for a season-high 75 yards in last week's game against Mines. The pair has also been active in the passing game as Goods has hauled in 22 receptions for 149 yards, while Davis has caught 17 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
• Black Hills State has shown the importance of TJ Chukwurah's return at the wide receiver position as he notched three straight 100-yard receiving games to begin the year and remains tied for the lead in NCAA Division II and is tied for second among all divisions of NCAA football (FBS, FCS, DII, and DIII) with ten receiving touchdowns. Through just six games, his ten receiving touchdowns has already marked the Black Hills State single-season record in the DII era, breaking his own record of eight set in 2023. Against GVSU he set career-bests of 12 receptions and 182 receiving yards, while the three receiving touchdowns matched a career-high. He is the only player in the school's DII history to have multiple three receiving touchdown games, having done so now three times. This year he has tallied 37 receptions for 579 yards, and ten touchdowns. He also ranks sixth in NCAA Division II in receiving yards (579), fourth in total points scored (60) and first in total touchdowns (10), tenth in receiving yards per game (96.5), 15th in receptions per game (6.2) and eight in scoring (10.0).
• A young offensive line, anchored by redshirt senior and 2024 First Team All-RMAC selection, Jayson Rouse, stepped up to the task against Sioux Falls, not allowing a sack in the season opener. The game marked the fifth time since the start of the 2024 season that the Yellow Jacket o-line has not surrendered a sack in a game. In last week's game against the Orediggers, the offensive line only gave up one sack.
• While the defensive line continues to be spearheaded by returners with Kellen Collier, a 2024 First Team All-RMAC selection, and Cooper Brown, the 2022 RMAC Defensive Freshman of the Year, both Isaiah Morales and Hershel Craig III have also made an impact. Collier currently has 32.0 total tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, and three quarterback hurries. Morales is tied for the team with 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks in addition to 16.0 total tackles on the year. Brown also has 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks to go along with six quarterback hurries, while Craig has posted 4.0 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack, and six quarterback hurries.
• Rune Tepolt has emerged as the player to watch on the defense from the linebacker position, totaling a team-high 44.0 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, and three quarterback hurries. In the previous week's loss to Colorado School of Mines he notched a new career-high of 11.0 tackles in a game, becoming one of two Yellow Jackets to reach the double-digit mark in tackles in the game, the first two this year.
• Jack Gentile leads the BHSU secondary with 36.0 total tackles, while he also adds 0.5 tackles-for-loss and a pair of pass break-ups. Against Mines two weeks ago he notched a season-high 10.0 total tackles and then matched it with 10.0 tackles in the loss to South Dakota Mines, joining Tepolt as the only players to reach double digit tackles in a game this season. Other notable players in the secondary include Jaheim Roper and Terrence Curtis who each have 25.0 and 28.0 total tackles this year respectively, while Roper also adds three pass break-ups and one interception.
• Joshua Faulkner has snagged a team-best two interceptions this season, both coming in the two of the last three match-ups against Fort Lewis and Mines. The Yellow Jacket offense has gone on to find the end zone the ensuing drive after both of his interceptions, converting the turnovers into six points.
• Mason Crosby has played a key role on special teams, averaging 42.2 yards per punt, booting five over 50 yards, and pinning four inside the 20-yard line. Furthermore, of his four punts inside the 20-yard line, three of those have pinned the opposing offense's starting position inside their own 5-yard line. Against Chadron State he recorded a 73-yard punt, which is tied for the eighth-longest in NCAA Division II this season, and pinned a pair of punts inside the 5-yard line, en route to being named the RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week on September 15.
• Josh Breske is in his sixth season as the head coach at his alma mater and is now tied as the third-longest active tenured coach in the RMAC. Additionally, he is just the tenth coach in school history to reach the 6-year threshold. His six wins in 2024 brought him into the top-10 all-time in Yellow Jacket history, and he now boasts a career record of 24-28 guiding the program, currently ranking ninth in victories. Last month's win at Fort Lewis marked his 50th game at the helm of the program.

 
#5/6 WESTERN COLORADO STORYLINES

• Western Colorado enters the game with a record of 5-0 (3-0 RMAC) on the year and are ranked #5/6 in the country after outscoring all three RMAC opponents faced this year 124-19. They won both of their non-conference games by a combined score of 83-41.
• After finishing last season 11-2 (8-1 RMAC) for a second-place finish in the conference standings, the Mountaineers have been picked to finish in a tie for first with CSU Pueblo in the preseason coaches' poll. They received 76 points with five first place votes.
• Drew Nash has been the primary quarterback for the Mountaineers playing in four games and completing 65 of his 101 passes for 837 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also has 43 rushes for 223 yards and five rushing touchdowns. His last game played was two weeks ago versus New Mexico Highlands where he went 13-21 for 141 yards and a touchdown. Josiah Ray started last weeks game versus Fort Lewis and went 19-28 for 206 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception.
• Isaiah Jones has been the primary ball handler at the RB position for WCU. He has 60 carries for 308 yards and a touchdown with 5.1 yards per rush this season to go along with two catches for 44 yards. In last week's game versus NMHU, Jones had 15 carries for 75 yards.
• Caden Measner has been the top receiver for the Moutaineers this year catching 21 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns. He had 104 yards receiving versus Adams State two weeks ago and has had a touchdown in every game but one this season. He only had three catches for 16 yards and a touchdown versus Fort Lewis last week.
• Ian Loomis has been the key piece of the Western defense this year. He leads the team with 38.0, tackles-for-loss with 6.0, sacks with 3.0, interceptions with one, and he also has one pass break up this year as well. He had eight tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack last week versus Fort Lewis.
• Jas Bains is in his 15^th season with Western Colorado. After only having one winning season in his first ten years, Bains has had winning seasons in each of the last five years leading up to him having a career record of 70-83.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• This meeting marks the 13^th meeting between the two teams. WCU holds the matchup lead 9-3 and has won nine of the last ten matchups versus the Yellow Jackets. They have won the last six in a row.
• The Yellow Jackets lost last year 35-14 after WCU went in to halftime up 28-7 with three TD passes and one TD run after the Yellow Jackets scored on a block field goal late in the first quarter.