CHADRON – The Chadron State College football team hopes to get back on the victory trail Saturday, when it visits Black Hills State for the first time since 1994. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m.
 
This will be the 69th game in the rivalry that dates back to 1912, the year after Chadron State opened. However, no games were played between the Eagles and the Yellow Jackets from 1995 until last year, when Black Hills State joined the RMAC and came to Chadron. The Eagles own a 53-14-2 record against the Yellow Jackets and haven't lost to them since 1986.
 
After losing 51-42 to Colorado State-Pueblo last Saturday, the Eagles are 4-2 for the season and 3-1 in the conference. It's probable that the Eagles will need to win their five remaining games in order to reach the playoffs. That quest will start Saturday.
 
Black Hills State has had a rough season, but a win over the Eagles would brighten the situation. The Yellow Jackets are 0-5 overall and have lost their three of their RMAC games. The game they were to host on Oct. 5 against Western State was cancelled after the northern Black Hills received up to 40 inches of snow.
 
The game Saturday will have lots of dynamics. Chadron State head coach Jay Long was an assistant coach at the Black Hills State for nine years and the head coach for three years before he was hired as the Eagles' head coach a year ago. CSC defensive coordinator Jeff Larson had those duties at Black Hills for three years before he came to Chadron State with Long.
 
In addition, four of the Eagles' graduate assistant coaches played and coached at Black Hills before coming to CSC. They are Josh Breske, Richard Fairhead, Kyle King and Josh Redden.
 
On the other side of the coin, Black Hills State head coach John Reiners was the Eagles' head track coach for 11 seasons and helped coach the CSC football team for 15 years before he resigned in early 2009 to join Long's football staff in Spearfish.  When Long accepted the offer to come to CSC, Reiners was appointed the Yellow Jackets' head coach.
 
Since the game with Western State had to be called off, this will be just the second game at home this season for Black Hills State.
 
The Yellow Jackets opened the 2013 schedule in Texas, where Angelo State won 38-26. South Dakota Mines then beat Black Hills 43-35 in Rapid City. In RMAC play, Colorado Mines topped the Jackets 62-22 in Spearfish on Sept. 21.  Since then, they have lost 49-11 to Colorado Mesa and 49-43 at Adams State last Saturday.
 
Like Chadron State's game with CSU-Pueblo, the game between Black Hills and Adams State was a shootout. The Grizzlies led 36-22 after scoring on the first play of the fourth quarter and 42-29 after returning a fumble 47 yards for a touchdown with 12:17 remaining. But the Yellow Jackets scored twice in the final 3:32 to take a 43-42 lead. However, Adams State then drove 75 yards in 11 plays to score the winning TD with 52 seconds left.
 
The Jackets have struggled with their running game, but have a strong passing attack led by quarterback Ward Anderson, a 6-3, 200-pound junior from Wheatland, Wyo. He threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns against Adams State and for the season has completed 112 of 207 passes for 1,290 yards and 10 touchdowns.
 
Anderson also is the Jackets' leading rusher with 128 yards, 78 of them against Adams State. On the season, Black Hills is averaging 95.8 yards rushing and 272.8 passing. The opponents have averaged 280.5 on the ground and 308.2 through the air.
 
Chadron State is averaging 191.7 yards rushing and 296.3 passing. The opponents have averaged 166.0 yards on the ground and 227.3 through the air.
 
After catching six passes for 166 yards and a touchdown Saturday, Chadron State's Nathan Ross shares the Eagles' all-time touchdown receiving record. He has caught 22 to tie Jay Rhoades and Cody Brooks for the lead. He's also third on the career yardage list with 2,205 yards. Brooks is the all-time leader with 2,941 and Jess Clarke is second with 2,486.