ALAMOSA, Colo.- South Dakota School of Mines and Adams State University combined for 87 points and more than 1,100 yards of offense Oct. 2 at Rex Stadium. But after 3 ½ hours of play, the Hardrockers had rallied from a 12-point halftime deficit to beat the Grizzlies 45-42 on Hall of Fame weekend.
SDSM improves to 3-2, 1-2 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Grizzlies fell to 0-5, 0-3 in the RMAC.
SDSM's Ahmad Lewis scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and ran for 101 yards. Jayden Johannsen, who threw for 287 yards and two touchdowns, added three rushing touchdowns in the second half.
Tyreik Campbell led the Grizzlies' ground game with 134 yards on 23 carries. He scored a touchdown. John Buksa was 20-for-39 for 348 yards and five touchdowns. His favorite receiver was Bryce Hampton, who caught three for 103 yards and one score. Elijah Harper's two catches totaled 14 yards; both went for touchdowns.
Adams State had a 35-23 lead at the break, but it looked as though South Dakota Mines was going to run away and hide from the Grizzlies at the start. The Hardrockers' first two possessions of the game resulted in touchdowns. Lewis caught a 50-yard pass from Johannsen to finish off a six-play, 75-yard drive that took 2:29 off the block. Lewis scored his second TD on a 5-yard drive. It capped a seven-play, 79-yard drive.
After a first-series punt, the Grizzlies proceeded to score three touchdowns on as many drives. Buksa found Harper in the end zone from 3 yards out. After a SDSM field goal, Campbell scored from a yard out early in the second quarter.
Johannsen threw an 18-yard TD pass to Collin Zur with a bit less than three minutes left in the half to give the Hardrockers a 23-21 lead. On the next possession, Buksa and Ian Fryday teamed up for a 75-yard scoring pass to give the Grizzlies a 28-23 advantage. Buksa and Harper closed out the scoring parade in the first half by hooking up on an 11-yard scoring play.
The second-half scoring began early. Johannsen ran 15 yards for a touchdown after just three minutes of elapsed time in the third quarter. The Grizzlies' lead was five points. Johannsen scored on the Hardrockers' next series, a 16-yard run to put his team up 38-35 with three minutes left in the third quarter.
Johannsen's third rushing touchdown started the fourth quarter. He carried it in from 15 yards out, giving the Hardrockers a 45-35 lead with 10 minutes to play. Buksa threw 25 yards to Q. Garrett for ASU's final points with 3 ½ minutes to play. SDSM was able to chew up all but six seconds of the remaining time. ASU's last play was from its 2-yard line and wound up as a personal foul penalty that the Hardrockers declined to end the game.
Cole Peterson led the Hardrockers' defense with seven total tackles, two of which were solo efforts. Jacob Schwab was close behind with six total tackles, half of which were solos. Abrae Booker-Cumin totaled a game-high 15 tackles, Nine were solos. Riley Taylor finished with 10 total tackles.
