RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The South Dakota School of Mines football team will close out the 2019 season Saturday in Durango, Colorado, when the Hardrocker challenge Fort Lewis College in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matchup . The game is slated for a 12 p.m. (MDT) kickoff.
The Hardrockers have been hitting its stride offensively as of late, putting up a season high numbers last week in a heartbreaking loss to Chadron State, falling, 53-48. And the game prior to that against the, then ranked No. 9 Colorado School of Mines, scored 28 points --- the most the Orediggers had allowed all year.
SD Mines place kicker
Enis Sefa had a couple of milestones this past Saturday. He became the all-time leading scorer in Hardrocker history with 184 points as well as most extra points in a career with 103.
A big part of the return to the Hardrocker High Octane Offense has been the chemistry that quarterback
Toby Smith has found with wide receivers
Joe Luebbers,
Carson Hunt and
Anthony Ullrich – who all had touchdowns last week.
Mix in the RMAC's leading rusher in
Ahmad Lewis. He leads the league with 1,266 yards. He is averaging 126.6 per game and 4.6 per carry. He also leads the RMAC in carriers with 274, 96 more than the next running back (Chadron's Elijah Myles 180).
Lewis needs 49 yards to set a new season rushing record. The current record is held by Jim Guthrie, who racked up 1,314 yards during the 1977 season.
It won't be easy however as Fort Lewis has the No. 3 ranked defense in the conference. The Skyhawks allow 106.1 rushing yard a game – so it will be an interesting matchup. The Skyhawks are 3-6 on the season and in the conference. The come into Saturday's game on a four-game skid.
FLC had last week off, but on Nov. 2 fell to CSU-Pueblo, 21-13. Fort Lewis pushed, then ranked, No. 13 Thunderwolves to the brink, striking for a late touchdown and getting the ball back with an opportunity to tie, but had its upset attempt fall just shy as the ThunderWolves held on for the 21-13 final.
Fort Lewis (3-6 overall, 3-6 RMAC) had defeated CSU-Pueblo (8-1 overall, 7-1 RMAC) in each of the two teams' previous meetings at home, the latest coming in 2017 when the Skyhawks claimed a 35-24 victory over the RMAC perennial powers.
Last year, SD Mines earned its first-ever win over the Skyhawks, 35-34, in Rapid City.
