RAPID CITY, S.D. – The South Dakota Mines football team is coming off back-to-back victories as they have started to mesh and find their groove on both sides of the ball.
This weekend, they are back on the road as they are headed to Durango to take on Fort Lewis on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. matchup.
GAME INFORMATION
New Mexico Highlands:
Date/Time: Sept. 28 / 2:00 PM MT
Site: Durango, Colo.
Stadium: Ray Dennison Memorial Field
Series Overall: South Dakota Mines leads 5-3.
Streak: South Dakota Mines Won 5
Last Meeting: South Dakota Mines won in Rapid City, 48-10 (10/21/23).
Watch Live: RMAC Network
SECOND HALF DOMINATION
Going into halftime against New Mexico Highlands, the Hardrockers were locked in a tight battle, however, the second half was a different story as South Dakota Mines' defense pitched a shutout, while the offense continued to keep the foot on the gas as SDM outscored New Mexico Highlands 20-0 in the second half,
COMPLIMENTARY FOOTBALL
South Dakota Mines has been doing a great job of playing complimentary football over the past couple of weeks. They have been getting significant contributions offensively, defensively and on special teams.
For the season, the Hardrockers are fourth in the RMAC in rushing and passing yards per game.
The aforementioned defensive unit has been getting after quarterbacks all season long, leading the conference in sacks with 13 in just four games and has been helping the defense turn teams over as the Hardrockers are third in interceptions (three) and tied for first in fumbles recovered (three) among RMAC teams.
IN THE REDZONE
The Hardrockers' offense and defense have had success in the redzone as they are 20th nationally on offense, scoring on 93.8% of their opportunities, while on defense, they are 35th nationally, allowing the other team to score on just 65% of opportunities in the redzone.
TERRIFIC TAYLOR
Connor Taylor has been a phenomenal kicker throughout his career for South Dakota Mines as he is the all-time leader at the school in made PATs with 127 while being just 11 points short of tying the all-time school record there along with five made field goals short of tying that record.
Taylor has been stellar throughout his career and has continued that this season, while also adding punting duties.
He is fresh off of winning the RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week award after hitting two field goals in two attempts, booting six kickoffs for touchbacks, converting four PATs and averaging 47 yards per punt.
WESTBROOK RUNS WILD
Orlando Westbrook-Sanchez III forced to step into action due to injury, has been extremely productive the last two weeks as he has averaged 6.6 yards per carry, totaling 218 rushing yards on 33 attempts.
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis is not a program that's had a ton of success in recent years, losing 40 games straight until defeating Arizona Christian at home on 9/14.
Currently, the Skyhawks stand with that as their lone victory, falling to William Jewell and Black Hills State to sit at 1-2 overall.
Despite, not having a ton of success, Fort Lewis does certain things well and has some athletes that the Hardrockers will need to slow down.
As a team, the Skyhawks are top five in the RMAC in third down and fourth down conversion percentages with 35% and 50%.
They are not a heavily penalized team as they are also top five in the league in total penalties and penalty yardage.
Defensively, the Skyhawks allow 117.3 passing yards per game, a number that is fifth nationally at the Division II level.
Run defense is another story as they are allowing nearly 250 yards of rushing per game to their opponents.
Hunter Villavicencio is one of the best punters nationally after having a great season last year, which continues as he averages 43.1 yards per punt, putting him second in the RMAC and 21st at the Division II level.
Jacob Penney is one of their leading tacklers as he is averaging 13 per game and has 39 total tackles on the season to lead the RMAC.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following this matchup, the 139th Black Hills Brawl is on deck as the Yellow Jackets from Black Hills State visit O'Harra stadium for one of the biggest rivalries in Division II football as the Homestake trophy is on the line in a game set for a 5:00 kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 5.
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.
