SPEARFISH, S.D. – An early 3-game road trip comes to an end for the Black Hills State University football team this week as they travel to Fort Lewis. The Saturday, September 20, contest is set for a 12 p.m. kickoff as the Yellow Jackets look for their first win of the season, and the Skyhawks are set to play their conference opener.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Date/Time/Location: Saturday, September 20 / 12 p.m. / Durango, Colo. / Ray Dennison Memorial Field
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.
KDSJ Radio: Black Hills State football continues to air live on KDSJ Radio with the voice of the Yellow Jackets, Steve Ammerman, giving the play-by-play for all the action.

BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State currently sits at 0-3 on the season after a 28-31 loss at Chadron State for the Battle for the Buckle last week.
• The Yellow Jacket's two non-conference opponents are a combined 5-1 this season as No. 25/-- Sioux Falls is 3-0 and No. 10/15 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.
• Black Hills State is coming off their third consecutive winning season, 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 86-of-120 passing attempts for 836 yards, nine touchdowns, and just three 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 229 yards through the air against the Eagles, he has notched seven career 200-yard passing games and two 300-yard passing games in his career. He currently ranks third in NCAA Division II with 28.67 completions per game and passing touchdowns (9) and is sixth in completion percentage (0.717) and passing yards (836). Duby leads the RMAC in completions per game, completion percentage, passing touchdowns, passing yards, and passing yards per game.
• The rushing game came to life against Chadron State as Danny Davis carried the ball 11 times for 72 yards and a touchdown. He also caught five passes for 18 yards and another touchdown against the Eagles. On the year he has ran the ball 24 times for 134 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry and has one rushing touchdown.
• Black Hills State has shown the importance of TJ Chukwurah's return at the wide receiver position as he has notched three straight 100-yard receiving games to begin the year and leads all divisions of NCAA football (FBS, FCS, DII, and DIII) with seven receiving touchdowns. 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 29 receptions for 438 yards, and seven touchdowns. He leads DII in receiving yards and is fourth in both receptions per game (9.67) and receiving yards per game (140.0).
• 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.
• 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 is currently fourth on the team with 14.0 total tackles, 3.0 tackles-for-loss, and three quarterback hurries. Morales leads the team with 4.0 tackles-for-loss and 3.0 sacks in addition to 6.0 total tackles on the year. Craig has posted 1.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sack, and four quarterback hurries, and Brown has 2.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sack to go along with one quarterback hurry.
• Run Tepolt and Wes Koenig have emerged as two players to watch in the linebacker unit. Tepolt is tied for the team lead with 19.0 tackles and two quarterback hurries. Koenig has added 12.0 total tackles and 1.0 tackle-for-loss through three games already after only having 15.0 total tackles in all 11 games a year ago.
• Terrence Curtis, a redshirt freshman transfer from Kennesaw State, and Beto Ledezma have emerged as the top players in the secondary. Ledezma is tied for the team lead with 19.0 tackles while Curtis is third with 17.0 tackles. Additionally, Curtis was able to block a Laker field goal two weeks ago, marking the sixth consecutive year BHSU has blocked a kick.
• Mason Crosby was named the RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week last week after averaging 46.0 yards per punt on five attempts, pinning two inside the 5-yard line, and notching a pair of 50+ yard punts. His long was a 73-yarder, which was the fourth-longest in NCAA DII this season.
• 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 will be 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 with a career record of 23-26 guiding the program, currently ranking ninth in victories.

FORT LEWIS STORYLINES

• Fort Lewis enters their RMAC opener with a 1-1 record, coming off a 58-10 road win at Arizona Christian two weeks ago.
• The Skyhawks were picked to finish ninth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll earlier this fall, after ending 2024 tied for seventh in the league with a 3-8 (2-7 RMAC) record.
• Jacob Morris has been the primary quarterback for FLC, completing 24-of-41 passing attempts for 295 yards and two touchdowns, while just throwing one interception.
• The trio of Jamal Johnson, KB Broadus, and Jake Jones have each found the end zone once on the ground for Fort Lewis, however, Johnson leads the team with 18 carries for 85 rushing yards this season.
• Solomon Latimer is one of five wide receivers with a team-high five receptions, but he has made the biggest impact in the receiving game with 124 yards and one touchdown.
• Linebacker Jake Penney is the leader on the defense for the Skyhawks, boasting a team-high 24.0 tackles and 2.5 tackles-for-loss, in addition to one forced fumble and fumble recovery.
• In the secondary, Elijah Portela has also made a major impact, making 11.0 tackles with 0.5 tackles-for-loss, in addition to being one of five FLC players with an interception.
• Mj Dailey V has recorded the lone sack of the season for Fort Lewis, occurring against ACU two weeks ago.
• Former Fort Lewis great and RMAC Player of the Year, Johnny Cox is in his fourth year leading his alma mater, guiding the Skyhawks to a 4-30 record during his tenure thus far.

SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday will mark the 13th meeting between Black Hills State and Fort Lewis as RMAC foes on the gridiron, with the Yellow Jackets holding a 9-3 lead in the series.
• BHSU earned their fifth consecutive victory in the series with a 33-7 Swarm Days win last year on September 21, 2024, at Lyle Hare Stadium.
• The Yellow Jackets have won two straight games in Durango, Colorado, defeating the Skyhawks 34-20 in 2023 and 45-17 in 2021.