Fort Lewis College will play their first road game of the season on Saturday at Black Hills State University.  Kick off is slated for 1 p.m.

BHSU holds a 4-1 all-time series lead over the Skyhawks.  FLC is 0-2 when facing the YellowJackets on their home field.  FLC's lone win against BHSU came on Sept. 19, 2015 (48-7).

FLC opened their season at home on Sept. 2, falling to Chadron State College, 24-19, after holding a 16-0 lead.

After trailing 31-3, Black Hills State clawed their way back to a 47-41 home victory in double overtime over Adams State last Saturday. The win gave the Yellow Jackets a season opening victory for the second-consecutive year.

The Skyhawks rushing defense is the best in the league, allowing only 92 yards on the ground and no rushing touchdowns.

FLC will face the top rushing RMAC team.  BHSU has recorded 293 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

BHSU's offense is led by quarterback Ryan Hommel.  Hommel leads the league in total offense with 397 yards, 327 of which have come through the air.  Phydell Paris owns the most all-purpose yards in the RMAC, accounting for 234 yards (189 rushing).

Isaiah Mayberry leads the team in tackles (tied-seventh) and tackles for loss (two-five yards).

Dre Cortez recorded his first career pick six on Saturday.  Cortez returned an interception 30 yards to give FLC a 16-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Freshman kicker Ben Raybon went 2-for-2 in field goal attempts, making both 37-yard attempts in his first collegiate game.  He also averaged 61 yards on five kickoffs (two touchbacks).

Senior running back PJ Hall has 2,719 rushing yards on 553 carries (4.9 yards per carry), and 12 rushing touchdowns.  He is 847 yards shy of tying the all-time rushing record, held by Joe Moore (3,566 yards).

Hall is the fourth running back in school history to rack up at least 1,000 yards in a season.  He carried the ball 230 times for 1,128 yards in 2015, the third most by any FLC back (Scott Stamper-1,206 yards, 1982 and Joe Moore-1,058 yards, 2000).   Drake Griffin set the single season rushing record in 2016 with 1,309 yards.

OJ Thompson was voted to the 2017 RMAC Preseason Team.   A 6-foot-4 defensive lineman, OJ Thompson started all 11 games last season.  He recorded 57 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss of 37 yards, including 4.5 sacks for a loss of 23 yards.  Thompson recovered two fumbles, two of which came against Western State, and made a season high nine tackles at South Dakota Mines in a 53-52 overtime win.

FLC returns four offensive starters (Bo Coleman, PJ Hall, Arealous Hughes and AJ Shaw) from the 2016 campaign, and five defensive starters (Dre Cortez, Ben Hanks, Tyrell Thomas, OJ Thompson, and Daniel Walker).

The Skyhawks received 37 points in the 2017 RMAC Football Preseason Poll and are picked ninth overall.  FLC is behind preseason favorite CSU-Pueblo (93), Colorado Mesa (92), Colo. School of Mines (82), Dixie State (69), Black Hills State (62), South Dakota Mines (51). Western State (43), and Chadron State (41).

The Skyhawks finished the 2016 season with a 4-7 overall record and a 3-7 record in the RMAC, while winning three of their last four games to close out the season.

Senior running back PJ Hall enters the season with 2,639 rushing yards on 537 carries (4.91 yards per carry), and 12 rushing touchdowns.  He is 927 yards shy of tying the all-time rushing record, held by Joe Moore (3,566 yards).

Hall is the fourth running back in school history to rack up at least 1,000 yards in a season.  He carried the ball 230 times for 1,128 yards in 2015, the third most by any FLC back (Scott Stamper-1,206 yards, 1982 and Joe Moore-1,058 yards, 2000).   Drake Griffin set the single season rushing record in 2016 with 1,309 yards.