The Dixie State football team is set to play host to South Dakota Mines on Saturday at 6 p.m., at Legend Solar Stadium, as the two teams will match up for the third time on the gridiron.
Live coverage is scheduled on television, radio and online at the Dixie State Stretch Internet Portal, with Keric Seegmiller providing play-by-play and Andy Thompson offering analysis and color commentary.
Last meeting
Dixie State rushed for a school and Great Northwest Athletic Conference record 589 yards on 67 carries (another school record) en route to a 48-25 win over the Hardrockers in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Halloween in 2015. Sophomore Blake Barney led the charge with 291 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 27 carries, while junior Colton Olson and senior Robert Metz recorded nine tackles each to help DSU to its first win over the Hardrockers.
All-time vs. SD Mines
Saturday’s game marks the third meeting between Dixie State and South Dakota Mines. The teams first met on Nov. 1, 2014, in St. George, in a game that saw both teams score 40 points or more and amass a combined 998 yards of total offense. The game went to overtime, where the Hardrockers held on for a 41-40 victory. The Trailblazers responded in 2015, rolling to a record-setting 48-25 victory on Halloween in Rapid City. The series is currently tied at 1-1.
Know your foe
South Dakota Mines enters the game with a 1-0 overall record after a 64-41 non-conference win over William Jewell on Saturday. The Hardrockers exploded for 607 yards of total offense, as quarterback Jake Sullivan finished the game 21-of-29 for 258 yards passing and five touchdowns. Sullivan also led the team in rushing with 132 yards and another touchdown on 13 carries.
Defensive back Triston Brown led the way defensively with a team-high 10 tackles, while defensive back Jamir Moore and linebacker Jake Fitzgerald each finished with seven tackles.
Season-opening win
Thursday’s 21-14 win over New Mexico Highlands marks just the second time Dixie State has opened the season with a win. DSU recorded its first season-opening win in 2009, a 37-28 victory over Adams State. Thursday’s win also marks the first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory for DSU. The Trailblazers look for their first 2-0 start in program history on Saturday.
Military and First Responders Night
In honor of active military, reserves, veterans and first responders, Dixie State Athletics is hosting its Second-Annual Military and First Responders Appreciation Night at DSU's home football game vs. South Dakota School of Mines this Saturday.
Fans who show their military or first responders identification will receive five complementary general admission tickets to Saturday's game. Tickets may be picked up in advance at the DSU Cox Auditorium Box Office or at Legend Solar Stadium on game day.
Next up
The Trailblazers hit the road for the first time in 2016 with a trip to Spearfish, South Dakota, and their first matchup with Black Hills State on Saturday, Sept. 17. Kickoff is set for noon MT.
Keric Seegmiller is Assistant Coordinator of Media Relations at Dixie State University and the Voice of Trailblazer Athletics. Contact him at keric.seegmiller@dixie.edu.