RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Hardrocker football team opens the season by taking on (RV) CSU Pueblo at home to open the RMAC slate.
GAME INFORMATION
CSU Pueblo
Date/Time: Aug. 29 / 6:00 p.m.
Site: Rapid City, S.D.
Stadium: O'Harra Stadium
Capacity: 5,000
Series Overall: CSU Pueblo leads 7-0.
Streak: CSU Pueblo Won 7
Series at South Dakota Mines: CSU Pueblo leads 4-0.
Streak at South Dakota Mines: CSU Pueblo Won 4
Last Meeting: CSU Pueblo won in Rapid City, 35-28 (Nov. 4, 2023).
Watch Live: RMAC Network
Radio: KOTA 1380 AM/100.7 FM
Buy Tickets: Hardrockers Ticket Central
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
OFFENSE:
South Dakota Mines lost a fair amount of contribution on the offensive side of the ball in
Jayden Johannsen,
Jalen Frye and
Ben Noland, however, plenty of talent and experience returns for the Hardrockers.
At the quarterback position,
Jake Martinelli appears set to take the reins. Despite limited game action, he provides stability, experience and leadership as he heads into his third straight season as a captain and has flashed in limited playing time, completing 13-21 career passes while rushing for 70 yards on seven attempts.
Two of the top three running backs from 2023 return as
Ty Harris (junior) and
Dawson Dunbar (redshirt sophomore) returning. That pair combined for 535 yards on 93 carries for an average of 5.75 yards per tote.
Orlando Westbrook-Sanchez III and
Holden Gilbert also return as seniors to provide experienced depth to the unit.
Despite the loss of Noland at wide receiver, the Hardrockers bring back guys who will be tasked with stepping up to fill the void. A big piece of that is
Henry Dryden, who had a phenomenal season in his own right. The First Team All-RMAC selection and All-Super 4 Region Second Team selection caught 34 passes for a total of 422 yards and seven touchdowns.
In addition to Dryden, returning contributors,
Max Hoatson and
Mason Galbreath bring with them seasons of 42 receptions and 17 receptions and eight combined touchdowns in 2023. The group has additional experience with the returns of
Brayden Schatz,
Colton Grover,
Hayden Shawcroft and
Josh Wolfer.
The offensive line also brings back plenty of experience led by senior center
Keegan Tandy who is set to be flanked by upper classmen
Trevor Griffin and
AJ Kelly on the right side while
Kevin Bruxvoort,
Grant Brehmer,
Jackson Busch and
Max Amicarelli battle it out for spots on the left side. Also pushing Griffin and Kelly are
Jameson Mallon-Echols and
Levi Gunn among others.
The offense has been consistently strong for the Hardrockers over the past three-full seasons, consistently ranking near the top in the RMAC and in the top 25 in NCAA Division II in a myriad of categories, they look to continue that even with turnover in the coaching staff and personnel.
DEFENSE:
On the defensive side, especially among the front seven, the 'Rockers bring back loads of experience and talent and hope to take another step forward.
Among the defensive line,
Caleb Franklin,
Taylor Hojer,
Thomas Fields and
Isaac Engle all return having started games over the past year with Franklin and Hojer having significant experience in both the 2022 and 2023 season.
Franklin and Hojer both earned honorable mention selections in 2023, helping to lead a defense that finished the season second in the RMAC in rushing defense and 15th at the NCAA Division II level.
Caden Vinduska,
Adedokun Alarape,
Adam Durland among others also provide game experience along the front line of the defense.
Possibly the strongest returning group on the roster is the linebacker corps.
Wren Jacobs,
Hunter Newsom and
Jacob Schwab lead the unit as a trio of seniors that has been starting games for the last three seasons. Contributing to the staunch run defense mentioned above, these three know how to find the ball. Newsom finished second in the RMAC with 99 total tackles, averaging 9 per game. Schwab contributed 60 of his own.
The defensive secondary is led by
Kaleb Tischler at the safety position, a three-year starter and All-RMAC honoree.
Elrey Brooks III a.k.a Trey also provides significant experience at the corner position while
Jarin Allen,
Tyree Beasley,
Will Lester and others hope to take advantage of the strength of the front seven.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
Returning for the fourth consecutive year of place kicking is
Connor Taylor. Connor is the career extra points leader at Mines and will likely surpass the all-time points record by seasons-end. A former all-conference selection is joined in returning by his four-year battery mate
Max Wattier at long snapper.
Punter will turnover after the graduation of two primary punters in Johannsen and
Casey Knutsen. It will turnover to the combination of
Kaleb Tischler and Taylor.
SCOUTING CSU PUEBLO:
The Thunderwolves return 21 started and 65 lettermen from the 2023 season when they went 8-3 and 7-2 in conference play, earning them votes in the initial American Football Coaches' Association Poll (AFCA) that was released this week.
On the offensive side of the ball, eight starters return, but Chance Fuller, last year's starting quarterback and one of the best in the RMAC is no longer on the roster as he has become an assistant coach.
Instead, one of Steven Croell or transfers from Western New Mexico and Tulsa, Devin Larsen and Roman Fuller will earn the nod.
In 2023, the Pueblo offense was top 20 nationally at the Division II level in scoring, averaging 42 points per game.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Thunderwolves were strong, finishing in the top 20 nationally in sacks (36), turnover margin (13) and fumbles recovered (11).
A select number of tickets are still available for this game and for the season at the link above.
Fans can find the latest on South Dakota Mines football all year long on X and Instagram (@hardrockerfb), while also following on Facebook at Hardrocker Football. The latest on South Dakota Mines athletics can be found by following us on X at @GoHardrockers, hardrockerathletics on Instagram and Hardrocker Athletics on Facebook.
About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 13 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.
