Jackrabbits Continue Stretch Run at North Dakota

November 6, 2024 Travis Kriens Local, Regional and National Sport stories

 GAME 10: #3/3 South Dakota State (7-2, 4-1 MVFC) at #21/23 North Dakota (5-4, 2-3 MVFC)
 When  Saturday, Nov. 9 | 1 p.m.
 Where  Alerus Center | Grand Forks, North Dakota
 TV  Midco Sports
 Radio  Jackrabbits All Access (free audio) | Jackrabbit Sports Network
 Live Stats  GoJacksLive.com
 Game Notes  SDSU | North Dakota | Missouri Valley Football Conference | FCS Insider
 Social Media  Twitter | Facebook | #GoJacks

The South Dakota State University football team ventures north for the second time in less than a month as it squares off against the University of North Dakota Saturday afternoon.

Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The game will be televised by Midco Sports.

The Jackrabbits enter the week with a 7-2 overall record and a 4-1 mark in league play after sweeping a two-game homestand. SDSU outlasted in-state rival and fourth-ranked South Dakota, 20-17 in overtime, on Oct. 26, then cruised to a 52-6 victory over Murray State on Nov. 2. The victories kept SDSU in the No. 3 spot in this week’s rankings conducted by both Stats Perform and the American Football Coaches Association.

The Jackrabbits also stand third in the first rankings of the season by the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee.

North Dakota, meanwhile, dropped back-to-back road games to fall to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the MVFC. The Fighting Hawks lost a 41-40 overtime decision at Youngstown State on Oct. 26 before Indiana State held on for a 35-31 victory on its home field last week.

Despite the recent setbacks, the Fighting Hawks remain in the national rankings at No. 21 in this week’s Stats Perform media poll and No. 23 in the coaches’ poll.

UND is undefeated at the Alerus Center this season with a 5-0 record that included four home games in succession in September.

THE SERIES: Saturday’s game will mark the 90th meeting between South Dakota State and North Dakota on the football field. UND leads the overall series 47-37-5.

The two schools first met in 1906, with South Dakota State recording a 5-4 victory. UND and SDSU met every year from 1922 until 2003 as members of the North Central Conference, with the exception of 1943-47 due to World War II.

This week’s contest also will mark the seventh game between the two programs in their respective Division I eras. SDSU has won five of those six previous matchups, including the last three.

During the 2023 season, South Dakota State unleashed an efficient offense coupled with a swarming defense to record a 42-21 victory before a sellout crowd of 19,231 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on Sept. 30, 2023. Isaiah Davis scored on three short touchdown runs as the Jackrabbits found the end zone on six of their first seven offensive possessions. SDSU ran for 266 yards and passed for another 167 while limiting the Fighting Hawks to 234 yards of total offense.

In their last trip to Grand Forks, the Jackrabbits recorded a 49-35 come-from-behind road victory on Oct. 21, 2022. UND built a 14-0 lead seven minutes into the game, but SDSU scored 42 of the next 49 points, starting with a 31-yard interception return for touchdown by DyShawn Gales, to gain the upper hand.

UND’s last win in the series came on its home field during the 2020-21 spring slate, when the Fighting Hawks posted a 28-17 victory on Feb. 27, 2021. It was the Jackrabbits’ lone regular season loss in that abbreviated spring campaign, one in which SDSU went on to play in the national championship game for the first time.

YEAR 21 IN FCS: The 2024 season marks the 21st season South Dakota State has competed in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Since joining the Division I ranks in 2004, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 179-81 record (.688 winning percentage).

In the decade of the 2020s, SDSU has put together a 55-9 record, which is good for an .859 winning percentage. Included in that record is an active 26-game home winning streak (including FCS playoff games) that dates back to October 2021.

VALLEY SEASON NO. 17: The 2024 season is South Dakota State’s 17th as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Since joining the league in 2008, SDSU is the only program in that span to not have a losing season in conference play.

The Jackrabbits hold a 96-35 record (.733 winning percentage) in MVFC games and have won six or more league games eight times. SDSU has claimed the league title four times: previously earning a share of league titles in 2016 and during the 2020-21 spring season before running the table with an 8-0 record in conference play en route to outright conference championships in both 2022 and 2023.

Earlier this season, SDSU matched the MVFC record with 19 consecutive victories — a streak that spanned from the final game of the 2021 league slate until ending Oct. 19 at North Dakota State. The Bison previously held the mark between the 2017 season and 2020-21 spring campaign.

NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER: South Dakota State has a history of finishing strong down the stretch of seasons in recent years.

Since starting its run of consecutive playoff appearances in 2012, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 29-6 record in regular season games played during the month of November and have added four more playoff victories for an overall mark of 33-6 (.846 winning percentage).

SDSU has gone 3-0 in the month of November five times in that span, with 2019 (2-2) being the only time in the last dozen years the Jackrabbits have dropped more than one game in the next-to-last month of the calendar year.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: South Dakota State made its 14th postseason appearance in its football history in 2023, with 13 of those berths coming as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision. SDSU’s lone appearance in the NCAA Division II football playoffs came in 1979, when the Jacks dropped a 50-7 decision at Youngstown State.

The Jackrabbits have compiled a 22-12 record in the playoffs and made their 12th straight appearance in the FCS playoffs, including advancing to at least the semifinal round for the fourth season in a row and sixth time in the last seven seasons. SDSU made its first appearance in a national title game during the 2020-21 spring season, falling to Sam Houston, 23-21, then claimed its first-ever national championship in football with a 45-21 victory over North Dakota State in January 2023. The Jacks repeated as national champions during the 2023 campaign with a 23-3 victory over Montana.

SDSU advanced to the FCS national title game each of the three years it held the No. 1 overall seed in the playoff field (16 teams in 2020-21, 24 teams in 2022 & 2023).

ELITE COMPANY: Heading into the 2023 postseason, South Dakota State was one of only two Football Championship Subdivision programs to reach the playoffs each of the last 12 seasons. The Jackrabbits secured the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s automatic bid to the 2023 playoffs, assuring SDSU of its 12th consecutive postseason appearance and 13th overall at the FCS level.

MVFC rival North Dakota State holds the longest active streak with 14 consecutive trips to the playoffs after gaining an at-large berth to the 2023 tournament.

RANKINGS STREAK: By being ranked first in the final Stats Perform FCS poll of the 2023 season and maintaining a top-three showing through the first 10 polls of 2024, SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 170 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012.

The Jackrabbits held the top spot in 29 consecutive polls from Oct. 17, 2022, until relinquishing the top spot this week following their loss at North Dakota State.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team are six captains:

Bock and Gronowski are both in their third seasons in the role, while the other four captains are first-time captains.

GRONOWSKI A DOUBLE FINALIST: South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski has been named a finalist for a pair of college football scholar-athlete awards.

Last week, the Jackrabbit signal-caller was announced as one of 13 finalists — one from each of the conferences that makes up the Football Championship Subdivision  — for the 2024 FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award.

The award is presented annually to an FCS student-athlete who exemplifies excellence on the field, in the classroom and across the community. The values embody the leadership and integrity championed by Doris Robinson, a former school teacher and the wife of legendary Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson.

A native of Naperville, Illinois, Gronowski has been a four-year starter for the Jackrabbits, leading the program to a combined 43-5 record and back-to-back FCS national championships. He was honored as the recipient of the 2023 Walter Payton Award, as well as the FCS Athletics Directors Association’s Offensive Player of the Year last season after leading the subdivision in passing efficiency with a 179.6 rating.

The career totals for the three-time team captain include 8,974 passing yards and 81 touchdowns, while accounting for another 1,653 rushing yards and 31 scores.

In the classroom, Gronowski compiled a 3.76 grade-point average while graduating this past spring with a degree in mechanical engineering. The 2023 FCS ADA Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a second-team selection to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Team, he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in engineering management.

He also has been active in his communities as a youth flag football coach and a Special Olympics volunteer.

The award winner will be announced on Dec. 10, then honored at the Stats Perform FCS National Awards Banquet on Jan. 4 in Frisco, Texas.

A week earlier, Gronowski was selected as one of 16 finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is awarded to the top scholar-athlete in all divisions of college football.

Each of the Campbell Trophy finalists will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the 2024 National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments. The winner of the Campbell Trophy, who will receive a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship, will be announced Dec. 10 at the 66th NFF Annual Awards Dinner in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Gronowski is the fifth Jackrabbit football player to earn the distinction of being a Campbell Trophy finalist, joining Ryan Berry (2008), Zach Zenner (2014), Jake Wieneke (2017) and Taryn Christion (2018).

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: South Dakota State was well-represented on the 2024 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team with six selections. The honor squad was announced in early August and included first-team selections Mark Gronowski and Adam Bock from the Jackrabbits.

Gronowski, the reigning Walter Payton Award winner as the top offensive player in the FCS ranks a year ago, returns for his senior season after throwing for 3,058 yards and 29 touchdowns against only five interceptions in 2023. The Naperville, Illinois, native led the FCS in quarterback rating at 179.67 while completing 68.1 percent (209-of-307) of his passes. In addition, Gronowski ran for 402 yards and eight touchdowns in helping lead the Jackrabbits to a 15-0 record in 2023.

Gronowski is again on the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List, while Bock returns to the Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List after being a finalist for the top defensive player in FCS in 2021.

A senior linebacker from Solon, Iowa, Bock ranked third on the team last season with 65 tackles despite missing five games due to injury. A two-time first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection and a second-team All-America honoree in 2021, Bock has tallied more than 400 career tackles.

Receiving second-team honors on the Stats Perform preseason squad were offensive lineman Gus Miller and punt returner Tucker Large. The FCS winner of the 2023 Rimington Award as the top center and a Brookings native, Miller played a key role within an offensive line that helped pave the way for the Jackrabbits to average 37.3 points and 449.9 yards of total offense per game.

Large, a junior from Sioux Falls, averaged 18.9 yards per punt return attempt last season and set an SDSU single-game record with 159 yards versus Drake. Also a starting safety for the Jackrabbits, Large ranked second on the team with four interceptions and added 49 tackles.

Rounding out the Jackrabbit contingent on the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team were third-team honorees Dalys Beanum and Amar Johnson. Beanum, a senior cornerback from Omaha, is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he recorded a team-best five interceptions while also contributing 29 tackles and two pass breakups.

Johnson made the squad as an all-purpose back after ranking second on the team in 2023 with 1,205 all-purpose yards (80.3 ypg). A senior from O’Fallon, Missouri, Johnson finished second on the squad with 801 rushing yards (6.3 ypc), while also averaging 23.5 yards on kickoff returns and catching 12 passes for 122 yards.

GRONOWSKI A DUAL THREAT: South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski reached another milestone early in the 2024 season by accounting for the 100th touchdown of his career.

Gronowski enters Saturday’s game at North Dakota having been a part of 114 touchdowns — 82 passing, 31 rushing and 1 receiving. So far this season he has thrown 12 touchdown passes and rushed for four more. Overall, he has accounted for at least one touchdown in 43 of 49 career starts.

Gronowski had a streak of passing and rushing for a touchdown in 11 straight games come to an end Oct. 21, 2023, at Southern Illinois, and has now accomplished the feat 23 times after passing for two touchdowns and running for another Oct. 12 versus Youngstown State. The Jackrabbits have a 44-5 record in Gronowski’s 49 career starts, including an 11-1 mark in postseason games.

In addition, Gronowski moved into second place on the career total offense charts at SDSU in the 2024 home opener versus Incarnate Word and passed the 10,000-yard mark Oct. 5 at Northern Iowa. Now with 10,818 yards of total offense, he also ranks third in career passing yards with 9,144. Gronowski stands 315 passing yards away from overtaking Austin Sumner (9,458 yards from 2011-14) for second place in school history.

During the 2023 season, Gronowski became the third SDSU quarterback to top 5,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in his career, joining Taryn Christion (11,535 passing/1,515 rushing from 2015-18) and Ted Wahl (6,016 passing/1,229 rushing from 1985-88).

WILDE LEADS NEW-LOOK RECEIVING CORPS: Sophomore wide receiver Griffin Wilde has turned in a series of strong performances during the 2024 season.

In the season opener at Oklahoma State, Wilde established new career highs with seven receptions and 150 receiving yards. The Sioux Falls native scored his first touchdown of the season on a 60-yard pass play in the fourth quarter and added catches of 21 and 33 yards to set up the Jackrabbits’ first touchdown of the game.

Wilde bettered his receptions total a week later in the Sept. 7 home opener versus Incarnate Word, hauling in 10 catches — on 10 targets — for 106 yards. He also recorded the first two-touchdown game of his young career, scoring on pass plays of 11 and 25 yards in the second half.

With team highs of 44 receptions and 571 receiving yards through eight games, Wilde currently ranks 45th among Football Championship Subdivision receivers with an average of 4.9 catches per game and 48th with 571 receiving yards.

O’GROSKE STEPS UP: True freshman Lofton O’Groske has earned a spot in the rotation at wide receiver during league play and put together his top performance of the season last week against Murray State.

After catching one pass in three of his first four outings, O’Groske hauled in five receptions for 50 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown that capped the scoring in the Jackrabbits’ 52-6 victory over Murray State on Nov. 2.

VORHEES, MASON JOIN CENTURY CLUB: Redshirt freshman running back Kirby Vorhees and backup quarterback Chase Mason have both put together breakout performances running the ball in recent weeks.

In a Sept. 21 game at Southeastern Louisiana, Kirby Vorhees topped the 100-yard mark for the first time in his collegiate career as he ended the night with 179 yards on only five carries while scoring touchdowns (20, 22 and 80 yards) on his first three attempts. Vorhees entered that game with 72 career rushing yards.

Mason put up similar numbers in the Oct. 12 Hobo Day game against Youngstown State as he tallied a career-best 161 yards on five carries with two touchdowns. Mason scored on runs of 38 and 48 yards before adding another run of 69 yards later in the contest. He followed his performance against YSU with a 66-yard run for the lone Jackrabbit touchdown Oct. 19 at North Dakota State.

Vorhees and Mason became the 19th and 20th different Jackrabbit players — 17 running backs and three quarterbacks — to rush for 100-plus yards in a game since SDSU moved to Division I at the start of the 2024 season. Mason’s 169 yards versus Youngstown State stand as the most rushing yards by a Jackrabbit quarterback in the D-I era, surpassing the mark of 142 yards by Mark Gronowski in an FCS playoff game against Southern Illinois in the spring of 2021.

In all, Jackrabbit players have combined to rush for 100 or more yards in a game 157 times in the D-I era.

ANGEL-IC PERFORMANCES: Angel Johnson became the fourth different Jackrabbit to rush for 100 yards in a game this season when he tallied a career-best 132 yards on only seven carries Nov. 2 against Murray State. Johnson scored on 67-yard run late in the first quarter to put SDSU ahead 14-3.

Of Johnson’s nine career touchdowns, six have covered 50 or more yards, including all three this season. Following is a list of his explosive scoring plays in a Jackrabbit uniform:

  • 66-yard touchdown run vs. Drake – Sept. 16, 2023;
  • 50-yard touchdown run vs. North Dakota – Sept. 30, 2023;
  • 80-yard touchdown run vs. Mercer – Dec. 2, 2023 (FCS Playoffs);
  • 66-yard touchdown pass at Northern Iowa – Oct. 5, 2024;
  • 99-yard kickoff return for touchdown vs. Youngstown State – Oct. 12, 2024, and
  • 67-yard touchdown run vs. Murray State – Nov. 2, 2024

WOODS IMPRESSES IN DEBUT: True freshman Maxwell Woods turned in a strong all-around performance in his Sept. 14 collegiate debut versus Augustana.

The native of Carver, Minnesota, racked up 89 all-purpose yards on nine touches. He tallied 61 rushing yards on six carries, including breaking off a 44-yard run on his second carry of the night. Woods also contributed two receptions for nine yards and a kickoff return for 19 yards.

Woods returned to the lineup Nov. 2 against Murray State, contributing 40 rushing yards on a career-high 11 carries and adding two more receptions for four yards.

BOTH ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM: The Jackrabbits wrapped up the 2023 season by ranking in the top six of the Football Championship Subdivision in both scoring offense (sixth, 37.3 points per game) and scoring defense (first, 9.3 points per game). SDSU scored 20 or more points in 28 of the 29 games in their long winning streak and has now held the opposition to 10 points or less 13 times over the last two seasons. SDSU has held the opposition out of the end zone 10 times in that span.

The Jackrabbits pitched a shutout in three of their last six games of the 2023 season and added a 41-0 whitewashing of Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 21 for their fourth shutout in a 10-game span

Overall, the Jacks outscored the opposition, 146-15, in four playoff games last season, allowing only one touchdown.

SDSU currently ranks second in scoring defense with an average of 13.7 points allowed per game and stands sixth in rushing defense by giving up 99.3 yards per contest. The Jackrabbits also hold the fourth spot in total defense by allowing 286.0 yards per game.

LOCK-DOWN DEFENSE: The Jackrabbit defense continued to clamp down on the opposition early in the 2024 season, including putting together a three-game stretch in which it did not allow a touchdown.

The total of six points allowed on field goals by Augustana (Sept. 14) and Northern Iowa (Oct. 5) around a Sept. 21 shutout at Southeastern Louisiana matched the fewest points allowed by an SDSU squad over a three-game span in 62 years. During the 1962 season, the Jackrabbits turned in back-to-back shutouts against North Dakota (26-0) and South Dakota (24-0) before recording a 17-6 victory at North Dakota State. The Jacks allowed only 70 points that entire season en route to a 7-2-1 record and a share of the North Central Conference title.

SDSU went more than 13 consecutive quarters without allowing a touchdown — from the second play of the fourth quarter in the Sept. 7 home opener versus Incarnate Word, with 14 minutes and 22 seconds remaining, until the final minute of the second quarter of the Oct. 12 Hobo Day game versus Youngstown State when Penguin quarterback Beau Brungard scampered into the end zone from 4 yards out.

OWNING THE THIRD: South Dakota State held a huge advantage coming out of the locker room at halftime by outscoring the opposition by a 123-14 margin in the third quarter of games last season. The Jackrabbits solidified that margin by outscoring Montana, 16-0, in the third stanza of the national championship game.

However, that trend was reversed in the 2024 season opener as Oklahoma State outscored the Jackrabbits, 21-7, in the third quarter of the Aug. 31 game. SDSU has since pulled out to an 84-28 advantage in third-quarter scoring this season after tallying a 63-0 combined edge over the last seven games.

MODELS OF EFFICIENCY: South Dakota State made 57 trips into the red zone during the 2023 season and came away with points 55 of those times for an FCS-best 96 percent efficiency rate. The Jacks scored a touchdown on 45 of those trips — 30 rushing, 15 passing — with 10 field goals.

SDSU went 13-for-14 in red-zone trips during the postseason, scoring nine touchdowns with four field goals. The Jackrabbits’ lone red-zone trip in which they did not score ended with a kneel-down to run out the clock against Villanova.

The Jacks had a streak over two seasons of scoring on 70 consecutive drives into the red zone come to end with an interception in the end zone early in the fourth quarter of the Oct. 21, 2023, game at Southern Illinois. Before that, the last time SDSU did not score when inside the opponent’s 20-yard line was on a missed field goal in the second quarter of their Oct. 1, 2022, game versus Western Illinois. SDSU had scored 57 touchdowns and kicked 13 field goals in that span.

In addition, the Jackrabbits led the FCS ranks in both third-down and fourth-down conversions on offense. SDSU converted on an FCS-best 53.5 percent (84-of-157) of its third-down attempts, highlighted by a 9-for-14 performance in the opening round of the playoffs against Mercer.

On fourth down, the Jackrabbits converted 9-of-11 times for 82 percent.

So far this season, SDSU is 30-for-37 in red-zone trips with 25 touchdowns and five field goals, including 6-for-7 with five touchdowns last week against Murray State.

Three of the team’s trips inside the opponents’ 20-yard line this season have ended in run-out-the-clock situations late in games.

The Jacks have converted only twice on fourth-down plays this season, going 2-for-8, but are converting at a 53.3 percent clip (56-of-105) on third-down attempts to rank seventh among FCS squads in 2024. SDSU is a combined 19-for-31 (61.3 percent) on third-down conversions over the last two weeks, going 8-of-16 versus USD and 11-for-15 against Murray State.

OFFENSIVE JUGGERNAUT: South Dakota State put up some astounding numbers on the offensive side of the ball in its Oct. 12 Hobo Day victory over Youngstown State.

The Jackrabbits put a season-high 63 points on the board despite running only 43 offensive plays. SDSU picked up a first down on nearly half of those plays, moving the chains 21 times en route to a season-best 557 yards of total offense.

SDSU’s 406 rushing yards marked the program’s best day on the ground since racking up 446 yards in a 2021 FCS playoff victory over UC Davis. The Jackrabbits averaged 16.2 yards per carry and 13 yards per play versus Youngstown State despite having the football for only 19 minutes and 46 seconds.

PICKING OFF THE COMPETITION: The Jackrabbit defense has continually taken the ball away from the opposition in recent seasons, including leading the Football Championship Subdivision in interceptions two of the last three seasons while ranking second in 2023.

After leading the subdivision with 21 interceptions in 2021, SDSU tallied an FCS-best 18 interceptions in 2022, including two in that season’s national championship game against North Dakota State. Jackrabbit defenders recorded at least one interception in each of their 11 regular season games during the 2022 campaign.

Last year, the Jackrabbits hauled in 19 interceptions to rank second among FCS squads. SDSU tallied three interceptions in its 2023 season opener against Western Oregon (Colby Huerter, Tucker Large, Kolten Tilford) and again in the Dec. 15 semifinal playoff game versus UAlbany (Large, DyShawn Gales, Dalys Beanum).

Beanum recorded an interception in each of SDSU’s four playoff games. Seven of his 12 career interceptions have come in the postseason.

Dating back to the start of the 2018 season, the Jackrabbits have intercepted at least one pass in 71 of their last 90 games for a total of 114 pickoffs, the latest being safety Tucker Large’s first interception of the season Nov. 2 against Murray State.

Colby Humphrey came up with the Jackrabbits’ first interception of the season late in the first quarter of the Sept. 14 game versus Augustana, followed by two-interception performances by the team in consecutive games against Southeastern Louisiana and Northern Iowa.

Senior cornerback Steven Arrell notched interceptions in each of the road wins at Southeastern Louisiana and UNI.

DOUBLE-DUTY DUSTMAN: Senior Hunter Dustman has figured prominently in the Jackrabbits’ special teams efforts the past three seasons.

A native of East Bethel, Minnesota, Dustman has handled both the kicking and
punting duties for the Jackrabbits. As the placekicker, he has put together back-to-back 100-point seasons, scoring 113 points in 2022 and 122 points during the 2023 season. He made 18 field goals each of the past two seasons and has eight so far during the 2024 campaign, including two Oct. 5 at Northern Iowa, to stand fourth on the program career charts with 45 field goals.

In addition, Dustman set an SDSU single-season record with 68 extra points in 2023.

A four-time Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week award winner, Dustman has averaged 42.0 yards on 150 career punts. He got off to a solid start to the 2024 season by making both of his field goal attempts (31 and 48 yards) and averaging 48 yards on three punts (long of 53) Aug. 31 at Oklahoma State.

Dustman topped the 300-point plateau for his career last week and currently ranks ninth on the SDSU career scoring charts with 301 points.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: South Dakota State raced out to a 28-0 lead a minute into the second quarter of its 2023 season opener against Western Oregon thanks to a pair of long interception returns for touchdowns by its starting safeties.

First, Colby Huerter hauled in an interception off a deflection by DyShawn Gales for a 54-yard return for touchdown. On the first play of the second quarter, Tucker Large picked off a pass and weaved his way through traffic for a 64-yard score.

It marked the fifth time in the Division I era of Jackrabbit football (since 2004) that SDSU returned two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game. The others:

  • Sept. 29, 2007 vs. Stephen F. Austin – Jimmy Rogers (32 yards, Q2), Conrad Kjerstad (82, Q4);
  • Nov. 10, 2007 vs. Southern Utah — Tyler Koch (45 and 99 yards in Q4);
  • Oct. 1, 2016 vs. Western Illinois – Christian Rozeboom (37 yards, Q3), Dallas Brown (19, Q3);
  • Nov. 27, 2021 vs. UC Davis — Adam Bock (39 yards, Q3), Dalys Beanum (59, Q4).

SDSU also scored two return touchdowns in the Dec. 15 semifinal victory against UAlbany when Tucker Large returned a punt 79 yards to the end zone midway through the second quarter and Jason Freeman scooped up a fumble on the second play of the second half and returned it 34 yards to push the Jackrabbit lead to 42-0.

WORKING OVERTIME: South Dakota State’s 20-17 overtime victory over South Dakota on Oct. 26 marked the first time the Jackrabbits went to an extra session since 2021.

Since overtime rules were implemented in college football in the mid-1990s, SDSU has compiled a 6-6 record in overtime games. The Jacks have now won three of the four overtime contests they have played at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

NO PASSING, NO PROBLEM: South Dakota State mustered only 76 yards on 8-of-19 passing in its 41-0 shutout victory Sept. 21 at Southeastern Louisiana. The Jacks more than made up for their deficiency in the passing game by rushing for a season-high 341 yards.

The Jackrabbits’ 76 passing yards marked their lowest output through the air in a game since an 87-yard outing in the 2022 season opener at Iowa. It also was the fewest passing yards in an SDSU victory since throwing for a mere 70 yards in a 44-3 road win at Southern Illinois during the COVID-altered 2020-21 spring campaign.

BEANUM BOOSTS RETURN GAME: Starting cornerback Dalys Beanum has spelled an injured Tucker Large as the Jackrabbits’ primary punt returner this season and responded by returning a punt 88 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring in South Dakota State’s 41-0 victory at Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 21.

Beanum’s touchdown marked the longest punt return by a Jackrabbit since a 94-yarder for touchdown by Paul Aanonson in the 2007 Great West Football Conference title game against North Dakota State.

SDSU has made a habit out of scoring on punt plays the past two seasons. Over the last 12 games dating back to the 2023 FCS playoffs, the Jacks have scored on four punt plays — two blocked punts and two punt returns.

Last postseason, Matthew Durrance blocked a Villanova punt and returned it 45 yards for a score. A week later, Tucker Large returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown against UAlbany.

Following Beanum’s punt return for touchdown at Southeastern Louisiana, Noah Thompson added a 49-yard return to paydirt Oct. 5 at Northern Iowa following a block by Cullen McShane.

For good measure, Angel Johnson returned the opening kickoff of the Oct. 12 Hobo Day game against Youngstown State 99 yards for a touchdown. Johnson’s kick return for TD was the first by a Jackrabbit player since Cade Johnson went 99 yards in a 2017 FCS playoff game versus New Hampshire.

FREUND JOINS COACHING STAFF: Danny Freund was hired as co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in January 2024. He is sharing coordinator duties with Ryan Olson, who has been a member of the SDSU coaching staff since 2021 and will retain duties coaching the offensive line.

Freund spent the last dozen years coaching at the University of North Dakota, including serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 2018. He helped lead the Fighting Hawks to five FCS playoff appearances, as well as a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference title during the 2020-21 spring season.

Prior to his role as offensive coordinator, Freund had stints coaching UND’s running backs, fullbacks and wide receivers. He also held the title of associate head coach during the 2023 season, when the Fighting Hawks averaged 34.1 points per game en route to a postseason berth. He was honored by RII Sports Technology with its GRAPHITE Award, which recognizes excellence and efficiency in play-calling.

Freund was a two-year team captain (2007, 2008) as UND made the transition from NCAA Division II, compiling a 16-6 record as the starting quarterback. He set multiple school passing records before embarking on his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2010. Freund returned to Grand Forks and UND in 2011.

THE 12TH MAN: South Dakota State benefited from large crowds throughout the 2023 regular season, averaging 18,208 fans after coming off the program’s first national championship.

The Jackrabbits drew their first of four sellout crowds last season when 19,332 fans came out for the Sept. 9 showdown against Montana State, which at the time tied for the second-largest attendance in the seven-year history of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The crowd played a big role in the game, helping factor in nine false-start penalties by Montana State in the game, including six in the final quarter.

The Nov. 4 Dakota Marker game against North Dakota State, which was a rematch from the 2022 FCS national championship game, drew a stadium-record 19,431 fans.
Two other crowds last season reached sellout status, with 19,357 fans clicking through the turnstiles for the Oct. 14 Hobo Day game versus Northern Iowa and a total of 19,231 fans in attendance for the Sept. 30 league opener with North Dakota.

SDSU also set program playoff attendance records in all three postseason games the Jackrabbits hosted, highlighted by a crowd of 12,265 for the semifinal game against UAlbany.

Large crowds are continuing to fill Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in 2024 as the first four Jackrabbit home games this season were sellouts and rank in the top nine for most-attended games in facility history. The Oct. 26 Interstate Series game versus South Dakota attracted 19,351 fans, making it the fifth-largest crowd in the nine-year history of the venue.

DANA J. DYKHOUSE STADIUM: Jackrabbit football moved into a new home in September of 2016 with the completion of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

The stadium, which was constructed in phases on the site of SDSU’s previous home field, Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, seats 19,340 spectators and cost $65 million to build.

Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium is being funded through private gifts and long-term revenue streams, including concessions and suite, loge box and ticket sales. Bonds are financing nearly two-thirds of the project’s construction, with the remaining dollars coming from private support. Lead gifts totaling $12.5 million from former Jackrabbit football player and Sioux Falls banker Dana Dykhouse and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford were announced in October 2013.

The stadium officially opened Sept. 8, 2016, featuring a concert by country music stars Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Lee Brice as part of the Jacks Bash opening weekend. The first football game was two days later, on Sept. 10, when the Jackrabbits defeated Drake, 56-28.

SDSU has gone on to post a 58-7 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its eight-plus seasons of operation, including a 14-1 mark in FCS playoff games. The Jacks’ current home winning streak is 26 games (including playoff games), with their last home loss a 26-17 setback to Northern Iowa on Oct. 23, 2021.

In 2023, the Jackrabbits completed their fourth undefeated season while playing at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, compiling a 9-0 record. SDSU previously posted perfect home records in 2018 (7-0), the 2020-21 spring season (5-0) and 2022 (9-0).

Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium was designed by Kansas City-based Crawford Architects, with the construction firm JE Dunn serving as the project manager at risk and Henry Carlson Company of Sioux Falls serving as general contractor.

JACKS IN THE PROS: Six former Jackrabbit standouts were on opening day  rosters as the 2024 National Football League kicked off in September, continuing the Jackrabbits’ long tradition of developing players into pro prospects.

Headlining the list is tight end Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles. After being selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Goedert has gone on to record 331 receptions for 3,890 yards and 22 touchdowns in seven seasons. In helping lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl during the 2022 season, Goedert caught 55 passes for 702 yards and three touchdowns. He ranks second on the Eagles for receptions (24) and receiving yards (301) during the 2024 season, including posting a career day of 10 catches for 170 yards Sept. 22 against New Orleans.

Also at tight end is second-year pro Tucker Kraft with the Green Bay Packers. A third-round pick in 2023, Kraft turned in a strong second half to his rookie season, finishing the year with 31 catches for 355 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He has emerged as a top target for the Packers by leading the team with five touchdown receptions while ranking third on the squad with 28 catches and 376 receiving yards.

Linebacker Christian Rozeboom earned a Super Bowl ring with the Rams during the 2021 season. A member of the Rams’ practice squad in 2020, Rozeboom made his NFL debut with the Kansas City Chiefs early in 2021 before returning to Los Angeles and seeing action mostly on special teams for the Rams for the remainder of the regular season and postseason.

Rozeboom earned a starting spot in 2023 and ranked fourth on the team with 79 tackles while adding an interception. He has 65 tackles so far in 2024, taking over the team lead after matching his season high with 11 tackles last week versus Seattle.

Running back Pierre Strong, Jr., who was drafted in 2022 by New England, is currently in his second year with the Cleveland Browns. He has seen most of his action special teams, returning 11 kickoffs for 255 yards (23.2 ypr). Strong also has recorded seven receptions for 77 yards and has rushed 17 times for 64 yards in seven games so far this season. For his career, Strong has averaged 5.1 yards per carry while rushing for two touchdowns, and has caught 19 passes for 166 yards.

He had his best game of the season thus far with 78 all-purpose yards Oct. 13 at Philadelphia.

SDSU had two more players selected in the NFL Draft in 2024 when Mason McCormick was taken in the fourth round by Pittsburgh and Isaiah Davis was a fifth-round pick of the New York Jets.

McCormick made his first career start in a Week 4 game against Indianapolis while Davis has registered 18 yards on four carries and has returned seven kickoffs for 179 yards (25.6 ypr) in limited action thus far in 2024.

Six others who played on both Jackrabbit national championship teams later signed as free agents: cornerback DyShawn Gales (Cleveland); offensive tackle Garret Greenfield (Seattle); tight end Zach Heins (Los Angeles Chargers); wide receivers Jadon and Jaxon Janke (Houston), and linebacker/safety Isaiah Stalbird (New Orleans). Greenfield and Stalbird were later assigned to their respective teams’ practice squads, although Greenfield has since signed with the New York Giants.

Stalbird has spent time on the active roster and has been credited with three tackles in three games.

Headlining the list of Jackrabbit pro football alumni are Hall of Famer Jim Langer and the NFL’s career scoring leader, Adam Vinatieri.

Langer who played football at SDSU from 1967-69 and also was an All-American in baseball, played center on every offensive down during the Miami Dolphins’ perfect season in 1972. He was a first-team All-Pro four times and was selected to play in six Pro Bowl games. He played in three Super Bowl games with the Dolphins from 1970-79 before finishing his career with the Minnesota Vikings from 1980-81. Langer passed away in September 2019.

Vinatieri wrapped up his playing career after becoming the NFL’s all-time scoring leader in 2018 as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. Over Vinatieri’s 24 seasons from 1996-2019, his totals include NFL bests of 599-of-715 on field goal attempts, 83.8 percent, and 2,673 career points. He also ranks second in career extra points with 874.

In all, Vinatieri set 15 NFL records, including 21 100-point seasons.

ROGERS SHOW: The Jimmy Rogers Radio Show airs throughout the 2024 season.

The weekly, hour-long show originates in front of a live audience at 6 p.m. Mondays at Cubby’s Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Brookings. Hosted by Tyler Merriam, the show airs along the Jackrabbit Sports Network, including flagship station WNAX 570 AM, and can be heard through the Jackrabbit app and online at GoJacks.com.

Weekly segments include interviews with Jackrabbit coaches, student-athletes and others associated with SDSU football. Fans in attendance can register for prizes.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits close out the home portion of their schedule with a Nov. 16 matchup versus Southern Illinois. Senior Day recognition will begin at approximately 1:35 p.m., with kickoff slated for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

-GoJacks.com-