Yellow Jackets top SD Mines

BHSU & SDM move to 2-1 on season

By Jeff Budlong, Journal staff Sunday, September 21, 2008

SPEARFISH — Tony Dill snatched the ball out of the air and started heading up field. Dill was determined not to let a South Dakota School of Mines player or the 15-yard line stop him this time.

As the Black Hills State University defensive back raced into the end zone not only did he give his team a 19-0 lead, but he finally redeemed himself with his teammates.

“I have never intercepted a ball for a touchdown in my life and last year I got an interception against Valley City and it looked like I tripped over the 15-yard line on my way to a touchdown,” Dill said.  “I have been getting stuff about that from all of my roommates who play football. So (the touchdown) was awesome.”

Dill’s 45-yard interception return was one of two for the Yellow Jacket defense in the first half as they downed the Hardrockers, 33-13, to cap off a successful Swarm Days on Saturday at Lyle Hare Stadium.

Mines made the game competitive throughout, but the Yellow Jackets’ (2-1 overall) defense was able to force SDSM&T quarterback Nick Russell out of his comfort zone, forcing the freshman into three interceptions.

“You can’t give teams two touchdowns,” Mines head coach Dan Kratzer said. “We have a lot of confidence in (Russell) and there will be a time where he doesn’t press those throws or we read the hot receiver and get it to another guy.”

The game started well enough for the Hardrockers

(2-1 overall) as defensive back Eric Yeash picked off Drew Hodgs, but when SDSM&T could not convert the turnover into points the Yellow Jackets went to work. Tanner Ehrlich took a pass from Hodgs to the outside and raced 50 yards for the score and the 7-0 first quarter lead.

The ’Rockers’ defense kept the Yellow Jackets from building on their lead, but BHSU’s defense got into the act by putting pressure on Russell, who had his pass tipped and intercepted by Darrell Neiman before he raced 50 yards to score.

Dill would add the exclamation point to the first half for the defense going in from 45 yards out with just 1 minute, 13 seconds left before halftime.

“It is not uncommon for us to have to give up a few first downs to get our defense up to game speed,” BHSU head coach John Scott said. “I wish this is the one that would have counted … because by the end of the game everyone was spent and they have continued to gain everyone’s respect.”

Ehrlich was at it again to open the second half as he carried the ball on five of the six plays of the Yellow Jackets’ opening drive which included a 42-yard burst and was capped by a 2-yard plunge into the end zone making the score 26-0. Ehrlich finished his day with 119 yards on 18 carries and his one reception for 50 yards.

“We had real good play calling and I think we kept everyone guessing about what was coming next,” Ehrlich said of his big day a week after struggling against Northwestern Oklahoma State University. “The offensive line and wide receivers blocked well today.”

Scott knows how important his running back is to the team’s success.

“I still don’t think I give him enough touches yet,” Scott said. “Some offenses, a guy like that would touch it 40 times, but we spread it out a little more. If he can get a little room he is very instinctive and he takes the pressure off.”

The Mines offense would finally get on the board late in the third quarter when it strung together a 10-play drive that went 55 yards and ended with Russell diving into the end zone from 1-yard out. Russell’s day ended with a 32-of-51 effort for 254 yards and one touchdown through the air and another on the ground.

Russell’s scoring strike came when he connected with Jason Beilstein from 21 yards out for the final score of the game. Beilstein was Russell’s favorite target in the game, connecting with him 12 times for 107 yards.

Kratzer was not pleased his team lost but saw some positive things that has him believing his team can do better when the two Dakota Athletic Conference teams matchup again in seven weeks — with a conference win on the line.

“To compete and not give up in the second half was important to us,” Kratzer said. “Black Hills State is a top-notch program … we are just trying to catch up. We did some things well, but we didn’t do them well enough to win the ballgame.”

Both teams open up conference play next week with BHSU traveling to Mayville State while Mines also opens away from home against Dakota State.