DURANGO, Colo. – October 28, 2017 – Freshman kicker Ben Raybon accounted for 14 of the Skyhawks 44 points Saturday afternoon to help the Fort Lewis College football team to a 44-35 home win over South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at Ray Dennison Memorial Field.  The win was the Skyhawks fourth of the season as they move to 4-4 in league games and 4-5 overall.
 
The Hardrockers drop to 4-5 on the season and 3-5 in RMAC games.
 
FLC's first drive of the game ended in a 50-yard punt by Max Peets, but six plays later the Skyhawks offense was on the field after Daniel Walker intercepted Jake Sullivan at the FLC 47-yard line.  The turnover set up the Skyhawks next scoring drive.  Jake Lowry, who was making his first start under center, completed a 14-yard pass to Ta'Jon Mondy for a 7-0 lead (Raybon extra point).
 
SDSMT tied the game at 5:47 in the first quarter on a 50-yard pass play. 
 
Christian Woo returned the ensuing kickoff 28 yards, followed by a Hardrockers personal foul penalty that started FLC's drive on their own 43-yard line.
 
Tyler Telphy rushed for three yards on the first play of the drive, followed by Lowry's 54-yard connection with Arealous Hughes for a 14-7 lead.
 
Brandon Labrie returned Raybon's kick 78 yards to the FLC 20-yard line.  Three plays later the Hardrockers tied the game at 14-14 as both teams scored 28 points in the first quarter.
 
SDSMT opened the second stanza with a safety, taking away the Skyhawks lead, 16-14.  Jalon Torres sacked Lowry for a loss of 20 yards and two points.
 
The Hardrockers took their largest lead of the game, 23-14, on the next drive after running five plays for 75 yards and seven points.
 
Telphy cut into the lead with his fifth touchdown of the season with 3:22 left in the first half.  Telphy rushed two times on the drive, including a 61-yard run into the endzone.  Raybon's extra point attempt brought FLC within two points, 23-21.
 
With 44 ticks left in the half, SDSMT added three points on a 25-yard field goal, taking a 26-21 lead into halftime.
 
FLC's defense held South Dakota Mines to one first down, eight rushing yards and 20 passing yards and no points in the third quarter.
 
The Skyhawks opened the second half with an on-side kick, recovered by Mondy on the FC 47-yard line.  On third down and 12 yards to go, the Hardrockers were called for a holding penalty, giving FLC a first down on the visitor's 11-yard line.  Three plays later, Raybon put the ball through the uprights from 25 yards out to bring FLC within two points, 26-24.
 
FLC's defense forced SDSMT to turn the ball over on downs on the ensuring drive.  On fourth-and-one on their own 42-yard, the Hardrockers threw an incomplete pass setting up a short field for the Skyhawks.
 
Telphy rushed three times for 31 yards as Raybon closed the drive with a career long 44-yard field goal, giving FLC the lead again, 27-26. 
 
Raybon added three points on the Skyhawks next drive, this time extending his career long to 46-yards with 21 seconds left in the third stanza and a 30-26 FLC lead.
 
Christopher Blanton started the fourth quarter with a quarterback hurry, and then a sack that forced a fumble which was recovered by George Marpaung on the SDSMT 30-yard line.
 
Six plays later, Lowry rushed in from nine yards out, boosting the Skyhawks lead to 11 points, 37-26.
 
A 31-yard field goal by the Hardrockers with 9:51 left in the game made it a one possession game, 37-29.
 
Donell Pleasant III sealed the win for the Skyhawks with 1:26 left in the game.  The Hardrockers threw a pass on fourth-and 16 on their own four-yard line. Pleasant intercepted the pass on the 25-yard line and ran it in for six points.  The pick was Pleasant's fourth of the season and his second pick six.
 
Mines found the endzone on the final play of the game for six points as time expired.
 
The Skyhawks amassed 391 yards of total offense on 66 plays, including 254 rushing yards.  FLC's defense sacked South Dakota Mines seven times and helped FLC score 21 points off of turnovers.
 
Telphy notched his fourth 100-yard rushing game of the season.  He carried the ball 23 times for 170 yards and one score, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. 
 
Lowry completed 8-of-19 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 58 yards and a score.
 
Max Peets punted four times for 177 times, an average of 44.2 yards per punt.  Two of his punts landed inside the 20-yard line. 
 
Along with Raybon's 14 points, he also averaged 61.3 yards on kickoffs (two touchbacks).
 
Isiah Mayberry led FLC with 10 tackles (eight solo).  He added a sack for a loss of seven yards and two of his tackles went for a loss of eight yards. 
 
OJ Thompson registered nine tackles, three of which were sacks for a loss of eight yards.  He also added a forced fumble.
 
The Skyhawks finished with 10 tackles for a loss of 37 yards, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, six pass break ups and two interceptions returns for 25 yards and a touchdown.
 
FLC will play their last road game of the season on Nov. 4 at New Mexico Highlands University.