| GAME 11: #13/14 Illinois State (7-3, 4-2 MVFC) at #15/16 South Dakota State (7-3, 3-3) |
| When | Saturday, Nov. 15 | 2 p.m. [Senior Day] | ORDER TICKETS | |
| Where | Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium | Brookings, S.D. | |
| TV | Midco Sports | ESPN+ | |
| Radio | Jackrabbits All Access (free audio) | Jackrabbit Sports Network | |
| Live Stats | GoJacksLive.livestats.us | |
| Game Notes | SDSU | Illinois State | Missouri Valley Football Conference | |
| Game Program | Digital Game Program | |
| Social Media | Twitter | Facebook | #GoJacks | |
In a game that will likely have major playoff implications for both squads, the South Dakota State football team closes out the home portion of its schedule Saturday by hosting Illinois State.
Kickoff for the Senior Day matchup between nationally ranked squads is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. Pre-game ceremonies honoring the Jackrabbit football senior class will begin at approximately 1:40 p.m.
The Jackrabbits will look to end a three-game losing streak as they enter the matchup with a 7-3 overall record and a 3-3 mark in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. SDSU dropped to 15th in the American Football Coaches Association poll and 16th in the Stats Perform media rankings following a 24-17 loss Nov. 8 at South Dakota.
Illinois State, meanwhile, is on a three-game winning streak that has the Redbirds 7-3 overall and with a 4-2 record in conference play. ISU posted a 52-20 home victory over Indiana State last week, propelling the Redbirds into the 13th spot in this week’s coaches’ poll and No. 14 in the Stats Perform rankings.
THE SERIES: Saturday’s game marks the 13th meeting on the gridiron between SDSU and Illinois State, a series that dates back to when the Jackrabbits joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference at the start of the 2008 season. The Jackrabbits will be hosting Illinois State for the first time since 2022.
SDSU took a 7-5 series lead and claimed its second consecutive victory in the series with a 40-21 road victory on Oct. 7, 2023. The Jackrabbits raced out to a 20-0 first-quarter lead and salted the game away behind a potent rushing attack that racked up 374 yards.
Isaiah Davis led the Jacks with 197 yards on 20 carries, including touchdown runs of 3 and 2 yards, while Amar Johnson also topped the century mark with 106 yards on only 11 attempts.
SDSU actually built its big early lead through the air as Mark Gronowski connected on touchdown passes to Jadon and Jaxon Janke of 31 and 60 yards, respectively. Gronowski provided the final tally of the opening quarter with a 13-yard scoring run.
UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY: South Dakota State will attempt to end a pair of rare losing streaks when it hosts Illinois State this weekend.
The Jackrabbits have dropped three games in a row in the same season for the first time since the 2013 campaign, when SDSU suffered setbacks in succession against Nebraska (59-20), North Dakota State (20-0) and Southern Illinois (27-24).
SDSU also has fallen in consecutive home games for the first time since 2021, when the Jackrabbits were defeated in October contests against Southern Illinois (42-41, OT) and Northern Iowa (26-17).
YEAR 22 IN FCS: The 2025 season marks the 22nd year South Dakota State has competed in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Since joining the Division I ranks in 2004, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 191-85 record (.692 winning percentage).
In the decade of the 2020s, SDSU has put together a 67-13 record, which is good for an .838 winning percentage.
MVFC MILESTONE: South Dakota State’s 35-30 win at Youngstown State on Oct. 4 marked the Jackrabbits’ 100th victory in Missouri Valley Football Conference play.
The 2025 season marks the Jackrabbits’ 18th 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 102-38 record (.729 winning percentage) in MVFC games and have won six or more league games 10 times. SDSU claimed three league titles in a row, winning outright championships in 2022 and 2023, while finishing in a three-way tie for the top spot in 2024 with North Dakota State and South Dakota.
Since the start of the 2022 season, SDSU has compiled a 26-3 record in league play, including putting together a 19-game league winning streak from November 2021 until October 2024.
The Jackrabbits also shared league titles in 2016 and during the 2020-21 spring season.
NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER: South Dakota State has a history of finishing strong down the stretch of regular seasons in recent years.
Since starting their run of consecutive playoff appearances in 2012, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 32-8 record in regular season games played during the month of November and have added four more playoff victories for an overall mark of 36-8 (.818 winning percentage).
SDSU went 4-0 in the month of November during the 2024 season and previously posted a 3-0 mark in November five times in that span, with 2019 (2-2) and 2024 (0-2) being the only time in the last 14 seasons the Jackrabbits have dropped more than one game in the next-to-last month of the calendar year.
PLAYOFF REGULARS: South Dakota State made its 15th postseason appearance in its football history in 2024, with 14 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 fell 50-7 at Youngstown State.
The Jackrabbits have compiled a 24-13 record in the playoffs and made their 13th straight appearance in the FCS playoffs, including advancing to at least the semifinal round for the fifth season in a row and seventh time in the last eight 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: South Dakota State is one of only two Football Championship Subdivision programs to reach the playoffs each of the last 13 seasons. The Jackrabbits secured the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s automatic bid to the 2024 playoffs, assuring SDSU of its 13th consecutive postseason appearance and 14th overall at the FCS level.
MVFC rival North Dakota State holds the longest active streak with 15 consecutive trips to the playoffs after gaining an at-large berth to the 2024 tournament.
RANKINGS STREAK: By being ranked in the in each of the 12 Stats Perform FCS polls of the 2025 campaign, SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 186 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 following their regular season loss at North Dakota State on Oct. 19, 2024.
This week marks the first time that the Jackrabbits have not been in the top 10 of the Stats Perform poll since the final regular season poll of the 2021 season — a total of 56 polls.
CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team are six first-time team captains:
- Quinten Christensen, Jr., offensive lineman, Wessington Springs;
- Kobe Clayborne, Sr., defensive lineman, Sioux City, Iowa;
- Logan Green, Jr., defensive tackle, Northboro, Iowa;
- Sam Hagen, Sr., offensive lineman, Fordville, North Dakota.;
- Chase Mason, Sr., quarterback, Hurley;
- Joe Ollman, Jr., linebacker, Mequon, Wisconsin.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Four South Dakota State football players received preseason recognition on the 2025 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team.
Representing the Jackrabbit offense on the second team was lineman Quinten Christensen.
A junior from Wessington Springs, Christensen started all 15 games of the 2024 season at left tackle for a squad that averaged 236.1 yards per game on the ground and allowed only eight sacks the entire year.
Defensive lineman Kobe Clayborne also earned second-team team recognition following a 2024 season in which he tied for the team lead with 4.5 sacks. A starter in the final 13 games of the year, the senior from Sioux City, Iowa, finished his first season at SDSU with 34 total tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.
Incoming transfer Julius Loughridge also earned second-team recognition as an all-purpose back. Loughridge previously excelled at the FCS level at Fordham, where he racked up 3,005 rushing yards over three seasons, including posting back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns in 2023 (1,146 yards) and 2024 (1,044). The Houston, Texas, native also caught 21 passes for 155 yards last season.
Rounding out the Jackrabbit selections was third-team long snapper Kaydon Olivia. A native of Schertz, Texas, Olivia has been a key member of SDSU’s placekicking and punting units on special teams. With Olivia leading the operation, the Jackrabbits ranked second among FCS teams for net punting in 2024 with an average of 43.04 yards per attempt and converted 97 percent of their extra-point tries (138-of-142) over the past two seasons.
In addition, Loughridge has been named to the official watch list for the 2025 Walter Payton Award and Clayborne has been included on the initial listing of 2025 Buck Buchanan Award candidates. Those awards, which are presented to the top offensive and defensive players in the FCS, respectively, will be announced Jan. 3, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee.
MASON AT THE HELM: Dual-threat quarterback Chase Mason has helped lead the Jackrabbits to victories in each of his first seven career starts.
A senior from Hurley, Mason has been efficient by completing a combined 111-of-169 passes for 1,419 yards and 11 touchdowns against only one interception. Mason completed at least 17 passes in each of the Jackrabbits’ first four games highlighted by a Sept. 27 performance against Mercyhurst in which he set career highs for completions (21) and passing yards (321) while tossing a career-best three touchdowns for the second time this season.
In addition, Mason has carried the ball 60 times for 165 net yards and four touchdowns thus far in 2025.
Mason has not seen action since being injured on the opening drive of SDSU’s Oct. 18 game at Murray State and his status for Saturday’s game against Illinois State will be determined later in the week.
While serving as an understudy to 2023 Walter Payton Award winner and two-time All-American Mark Gronowski, Mason saw action in 19 games over the past two seasons. He showed previous play-making ability both throwing and running the football, including completing 17-of-26 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 464 yards and six touchdowns during the 2024 campaign.
In averaging 10.1 yards per carry a season ago, Mason broke off touchdown runs of 38 and 48 yards against Youngstown State, followed by a 66-yarder a week later in the regular season matchup against North Dakota State.
O’GROSKE STARTS FAST: Wide receiver Lofton O’Groske put together a series of strong showings in what was shaping up to be a breakthrough sophomore season.
A native of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, O’Groske tallied team highs of 25 catches, 312 receiving yards and three touchdowns in nonconference action, but has dealt with injuries during Missouri Valley Football Conference play. After missing games against Youngstown State and Northern Iowa to open the league slate, he was held without a catch in his return to the lineup Oct. 18 at Murray State. He accounted for the lone Jackrabbit touchdown Oct. 25 against North Dakota State on a 17-yard reception, but later left that game due to injury and remains sidelined indefinitely.
O’Groske matched a previous single-game career high with five receptions in the Aug. 30 season opener against Sacramento State, while adding 31 rushing yards and a touchdown on three rushing attempts. He then established new career bests with 12 receptions, 133 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the Sept. 6 double-overtime victory at Montana State.
His 12 catches at Montana State are tied for the third-most in a game by an SDSU receiver and the most by a Jackrabbit player since Dallas Goedert recorded a dozen receptions at Southern Illinois in 2016.
BULLOCK COMING ON STRONG: Transfer wide receiver Alex Bullock has emerged as the top pass-catching threat for the Jackrabbits during the 2025 season.
The Omaha native who previously played at Nebraska currently leads the team with 52 receptions and 675 receiving yards, averaging 13 yards per catch. He has caught at least five passes in seven of SDSU’s 10 games this season, including tallying career highs with 10 receptions for 162 yards Oct. 4 at Youngstown State. Bullock posted his second 100-yard receiving game of the season with 107 yards on seven catches Nov. 1 against Indiana State.
Bullock also is tied for for the team lead with four touchdown receptions after scoring on 27-yard pass plays in each of the last two weeks versus Indiana State and at South Dakota. He previously caught touchdown passes in back-to-back games against Drake (9 yards) and Mercyhurst (28 yards) in September.
SMITH STEPS UP: Redshirt freshman Jack Smith has taken on a more prominent role in a couple different areas in recent weeks.
The Sioux Falls native currently ranks fourth on the squad with 23 receptions for 288 yards. He also stands third on the team with three touchdown receptions — two of which (10 and 46 yards) came in the Jackrabbits’ Oct. 18 win at Murray State.
Last week at South Dakota, Smith recorded a career-high 197 all-purpose yards. He started the game in the backfield as scored on a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. Smith ended the game with 82 rushing yards on three carries, along with 61 receiving yards on a career-best six receptions and an additional 54 yards on two kickoff returns.
Smith currently ranks third on the team with 652 all-purpose yards for the season.
LOUGHRIDGE DOES THE HEAVY LIFTING: Jackrabbit running back Julius Loughride turned in a second half for the ages in South Dakota State’s come-from-behind victory at Youngstown State on Oct. 4
A Houston native, Loughridge rushed for 145 yards and four touchdowns in the second half as SDSU overcame a 17-7 halftime deficit. In the third quarter alone, he rushed for 93 yards while scoring on runs of 3, 14 and 2 yards in a 21-point stanza.
For the game, he rushed 25 times for 176 yards and capped the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Loughridge’s four-touchdown performance marked the fourth by a Jackrabbit running back in the Division I era and was the first by a Jackrabbit running back since Mikey Daniel at Missouri State in 2017.
MR. EFFICIENCY: South Dakota State tight end/fullback Andrew Gustad has produced every time his number has thus far during the 2025 season.
A junior from Volin, South Dakota, Gustad has either gained a first down or scored a touchdown on all seven of his touches through six games. He has picked up a first down on all five of his short-yardage rushing attempts for a total of 14 yards and scored on touchdowns on each of his receptions — 4 yards in the season opener against Sacramento State and 11 yards last week versus Northern Iowa.
HENRY THE NEXT MAN UP: Redshirt freshman Jack Henry became the third different quarterback to start a game for the Jackrabbits this season when he went under center Nov. 8 at South Dakota.
The Dell Rapids native, who appeared in a reserve role each of the two previous weeks, ended the afternoon 13-of-24 passing for 139 yards and an interception. He also threw his first collegiate touchdown pass — a 27-yarder to Alex Bullock — in successfully executing the two-minute drill late in the first half. In addition, Henry ran nine times for 30 yards.
Chase Mason started the first seven games at quarterback, with Luke Marble taking over starting duties in games against North Dakota State and Indiana State.
BALL-CONTROL OFFENSE: South Dakota State has ranked among the Football Championship Subdivision leaders in time of possession throughout the 2025 season. The Jacks currently rank fifth among FCS programs with an average of 33 minutes and 8 seconds per game after a season-best 41:12 Nov. 1 against Indiana State. That bettered the team’s previous high of 41:06 in the 2025 season opener versus Sacramento State.
The Jackrabbits held the ball at least five minutes more than the opposition in each of their first four games this season.
HIGH VOLUME: The Jackrabbits ran 92 offensive plays in their Nov. 1 game against Indiana State, setting a team record in that category in the Division I era (since 2004). SDSU accumulated 441 yards of total offense in the game.
The previous SDSU record for offensive plays in a Division I game was 91 in a 2016 loss at Illinois State.
9-FOR-9: South Dakota State possessed the ball nine times in its 51-7 victory against Mercyhurst on Sept. 27 and came away with points on all nine drives — three field goals and six touchdowns.
Starting quarterback Chase Mason directed the offense on the first eight drives before redshirt freshman signal-caller Luke Marble made his Jackrabbit debut and engineered a 14-play, 67-yard drive that took more than nine minutes off the clock before ending in James Basinger’s second 1-yard touchdown run of the game. Marble was 3-for-3 passing for 22 yards and added a 7-yard carry in his first collegiate action.
TAKE THAT BALL AWAY: South Dakota State ranked among the best in taking the ball away from the opposition during the first half of the league season.
The Jackrabbits currently rank fourth among FCS programs by forcing 19 turnovers so far this season — 13 interceptions and six fumble recoveries. Eleven of those turnovers have come in Missouri Valley Football Conference action, including five takeaways (4 interceptions, 1 fumble) Oct. 11 against Northern Iowa and another four-interception performance against Murray State a week later.
SDSU also has limited the number of times it has turned the ball over this season, with the Jackrabbits currently ranking seventh in turnover margin at plus-0.90 per game. However, the Jackrabbits have not recorded a takeaway in either of their last two games.
SACK ATTACK: South Dakota State has applied consistent pressure to opposing quarterbacks thus far in 2025, collecting a total of 24 sacks to rank 29th among FCS programs with an average of 2.44 per game.
The Jackrabbits have built their sacks total by committee as 11 different players have registered at least a half-sack. Linebacker Chase Van Tol took over the team lead with four following a two-sack performance Oct. 11 against Northern Iowa and was tied by defensive end Dawson Ripperda in the Oct. 25 game versus North Dakota State.
SDSU notched a season-high four sacks Sept. 13 versus Drake, but was shut out of the category Nov. 1 versus Indiana State for the only time this season.
LINEBACKERS PACE DEFENSE: All in their first year as starters, South Dakota State’s three starting linebackers rank among the Jackrabbits’ top four tacklers.
Junior Cullen McShane enters the week as the team leader with 73 tackles, including a career-best 12 stops at both Montana State and Youngstown State. Fellow junior Joe Ollman stands second with 60 tackles, while sophomore Chase Van Tol ranks fourth with 38 tackles despite missing the last two games due to injury.
Ollman also has forced four fumbles this season and came away with his first career interception Oct. 18 at Murray State.
LEE LEADS SECONDARY: Jalen B. Lee has elevated his play in the Jackrabbit secondary throughout the 2025 season.
Originally a cornerback for the Jackrabbits, Lee has moved to safety this season and currently is tied for the team lead with three interceptions while ranking third in tackles with 41, including 2.5 for loss.
A junior from Wentzville, Missouri, Lee was honored Oct. 20 as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week. He ended two Murray State scoring chances with interceptions inside the 20-yard line as part of a four-interception performance by the Jackrabbit defense. His first interception came at the SDSU 18 on the opening drive of the game while later picking off a pass at the Jackrabbit 15 in the fourth quarter.
Lee also tied his previous career high with six tackles in the Oct. 18 game at Murray State, then established a new personal standard with nine stops (five solo) a week later against North Dakota State.
STADER REACHES MILESTONE: Kicker Eli Stader reached a milestone Sept. 6 at Montana State as he topped the 500-point mark for his career.
Now with 550 career points, Stader spent the first five years of his collegiate career at Northwestern College (Iowa), where he was a four-time all-Great Plains Athletic Conference selection and an NAIA All-American in 2024. He set school records with 62 field goals and 300 extra points at Northwestern, while adding a two-point conversion. A native of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, Stader connected on five field goals of 50 or more yards, including a school-record 60-yarder in 2024.
Stader has scored a team-high 62 points so far this season by going 10-for-16 on field goals and making all 32 of his extra-point attempts. He was 3-for-3 on field goals, Sept. 27 against Mercyhurst, then connected on season-long 44- and 46-yarders Nov. 1 versus Indiana State.
BLANKING THE OPPOSITION: Five Jackrabbit victories during their run of success during the 2020s have come by way of a shutout.
SDSU’s most recent shutout was a 41-0 whitewashing at Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 21, 2024. The game against Southeastern Louisiana was also the middle of a three-game stretch in which the Jackrabbits did not allow a touchdown, sandwiched between a 24-3 victory over Augustana and a 41-3 win at Northern Iowa.
Although SDSU has yet to pitch a shutout this season, the Jacks have held two foes — Sacramento State (W, 20-3) and Northern Iowa (W, 31-3) — out of the end zone.
In repeating as national champion in 2023, the Jackrabbits posted a trio of shutouts — two of which came in playoff games. SDSU notched a 34-0 victory at Youngstown State late in the 2023 regular season before recording home shutouts against Mercer (41-0) and Albany (59-0) as the Jackrabbits outscored the opposition by a 146-15 margin in the postseason.
The first SDSU shutout of the decade was a 44-0 victory at Indiana State to open the Missouri Valley Conference season in 2021.
LONELY AT THE TOP: South Dakota State currently ranks third among Foootball Championship Subdivision squads in net punting, albeit with a small sample size thanks to not having an attempt in back-to-back games against Drake and Mercyhurst.
The Jackrabbits’ 36 punt attempts in 2025 have resulted in a net average of 42.06 yards. In his first season as the Jackrabbits’ punter, Max Pelham is averaging an MVFC-best 49.2 yards per punt and has landed nine of his attempts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.
Pelham averaged a career-best 54 yards on six punts Oct. 18 at Murray State, including a career-long 68-yarder, then booted another 60-yarder en route to a 49-yard average over five punts Oct. 25 versus North Dakota State.
COORDINATORS RETURN: While the entire coaching staff turned over between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, several coaches with ties to South Dakota State are once again on the Jackrabbit sideline and coaching booth, including all three coordinators.
Offensive coordinator Eric Eidsness is back for his third stint in the role. Eidsness, who also coaches the quarterbacks, served as the Jackrabbits’ offensive coordinator on two previous occasions — from 1999 until 2003 while SDSU competed at the NCAA Division II level and again from 2010-18. The Jackrabbits made seven straight trips to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs to close out his second go-around, including back-to-back semifinal berths in 2017 and 2018.
He also held the title of associate head coach under John Stiegelmeier from 2015-18.
With Eidsness directing the offense, the Jackrabbits have posted prolific numbers in both the running and passing games. SDSU has consistently re-written the record book under Eidsness’ watch, including establishing 28 new single-game, season and career marks during the 2016 campaign and 15 more in 2017. Among the team records set in 2017 were scoring (521 points), total offense (6,141 yards) and total offense per game (438.6), the last of which had stood for 66 years (437.7 ypg in 1951).
Most recently, Eidsness worked in similar coaching roles for six seasons at Northern Illinois. The Huskies played in three bowl games, including posting wins in the Camilla Bowl in 2023 and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2024.
Defensive coordinator Brian Bergstrom is back in Brookings after a three-year stint as head coach at Winona State. He previously was a member of the Jackrabbit
defensive coaching staff for five seasons.
Bergstrom first joined the SDSU coaching staff in 2017 as safeties coach and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2019, positions he held through the 2021 season under John Stiegelmeier. SDSU qualified for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs each of his five seasons in Brookings, including a national title game appearance during the 2020-21 spring season and semifinal berths in 2017, 2018 and the 2021 fall campaign.
Special teams coordinator Isaiah Jackson is new to the SDSU coaching staff, but played linebacker for the Jackrabbits from 2006-09. He ranked fifth on the team with 63 tackles in 2008 and tied for seventh with 52 stops as a senior in 2009, when the Jackrabbits made their first-ever appearance in the FCS playoffs.
For the past eight seasons, Jackson served on the coaching staff at UC Davis, which won a Big Sky Conference championship in 2018 and earned berths in the FCS playoffs three times (2018, 2021, 2024). He primarily coached the linebackers before moving to special teams coordinator in 2024.
In addition, tight ends coach Vince Benedetto also is a former Jackrabbit student-athlete. He lettered from 2010-13 before embarking on a successful coaching career at the high school level, highlighted by winning a state championship at Sioux Falls Jefferson in 2022.
THE 12TH MAN: South Dakota State has benefited from large crowds coming off the program’s back-to-back national championships. In 2023, the Jackrabbits averaged 18,208 fans for regular season games, followed by another record-setting year in 2024 with an average attendance of 18,504 over six regular season home games.
Since the start of the 2023 season, 13 games have been sellouts, starting when 19,332 fans came out for the for Sept. 9, 2023, showdown against Montana State. 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 2023 Dakota Marker game against North Dakota State, which was a rematch from the 2022 FCS national championship game, drew a then-record 19,431 fans.
SDSU also set program playoff attendance records in all three postseason games it hosted in 2023, highlighted by a crowd of 12,265 in the semifinals against UAlbany.
Large crowds continued to fill Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in 2024 as the first four Jackrabbit home games of 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 venue’s history at the time.
Following suit, the first five home games of the 2025 season were announced as sellouts, with 19,163 fans filing into the stadium for the Aug. 30 opener against Sacramento State. That came two nights after a crowd of about 22,000 attended the Jacks Bash 3 concert featuring country music stars Ty Myers, Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton.
A stadium-record crowd of 19,477 filed into the stadium for the Oct. 25 Dakota Marker matchup against North Dakota State in a game that pitted the two top-ranked teams in the FCS. That helped raise the season average attendance to 18,679.
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 Jacks defeated Drake, 56-28.
SDSU has gone on to post a 65-9 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its 10 seasons of operation, including a 16-1 mark in FCS playoff games.
The Jacks put together a 33-game home winning streak (including playoff games) that started with a 27-19 victory over North Dakota State on Nov. 6, 2021, and ended with a loss to the rival Bison on Oct. 25, 2025.
In 2024, the Jacks completed their fifth undefeated season while playing at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, compiling an 8-0 record. SDSU previously posted perfect home records in 2018 (7-0), the 2020-21 spring season (5-0) and both 2022 and 2023 (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.
MVFC 40-YEAR TEAM: South Dakota State is well-represented on the Missouri Valley Football Conference 40-Year Team, which was selected via a fan vote and announced following the 2024 season. A total of 33 former Jackrabbit players received recognition on the squad and are as follows:
- Quarterbacks (3): Taryn Christion, Mark Gronowski, Austin Sumner;
- Running Backs (5): Isaiah Davis, Amar Johnson, Kyle Minett, Pierre Strong Jr., Zach Zenner;
- Wide Receivers (5): Jadon Janke, Jaxon Janke, Cade Johnson, Jason Schneider, Jake Wieneke;
- Tight Ends (3): Dallas Goedert, Zach Heins, Tucker Kraft;
- Offensive Linemen (5): Garret Greenfield, Mason McCormick, Gus Miller, Jacob Ohnesorge, Bryan Witzmann;
- Defensive Linemen (2): Danny Batten, Caleb Sanders;
- Linebackers (3): Adam Bock, Derek Domino, Christian Rozeboom;
- Defensive Backs (2): Jordan Brown, Don Gardner;
- Kickers (3): Hunter Dustman, Justin Syrovatka, Chase Vinatieri;
- Punter (1): Hunter Dustman
JACKS IN THE PROS: Six former South Dakota State standouts appeared on 2025 National Football League opening day rosters, continuing the Jackrabbits’ long tradition of developing players into pro prospects.
Headlining the list are a pair of tight ends — Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles and Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers — who scored two touchdowns apiece Oct. 26 on National Tight Ends Day.
After being selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Goedert has gone on to record 383 receptions for 4,417 yards and 31 touchdowns in eight seasons. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles last season after recording 42 receptions during the regular season and adding 17 more catches during the postseason run.
Goedert posted season highs of 11 receptions and 110 receiving yards Oct. 9 versus the New York Giants and extended his streak of games with a touchdown catch to four.
Thus far in 2025, Goedert has recorded 34 catches for 332 yards and a career-high seven TDs.
Kraft put together a breakthrough second season with the Packers in 2024, tallying 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. A third-round draft choice of Green Bay in 2023, Kraft was on his way to an All-Pro caliber season in 2025 before suffering a season-ending knee injury on Nov. 2. He two 100-yard performances this season, including posting career bests of seven catches, 143 yards and two touchdowns Oct. 26 against the Pittsburgh Steelers en route to 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns.
His career totals include 113 receptions for 1,551 yards and 15 scores.
Linebacker Christian Rozeboom earned a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2021 season and is now in his first season with the Carolina Panthers. A starter in both 2023 and 2024 with the Rams, Rozeboom totaled 214 tackles and two interceptions over the last two seasons, including 135 stops in 2024.
Rozeboom has registered a team-high 81 tackles through 10 games this season, including a season-high 15 at Green Bay on Nov. 2. He now has career totals of 306 tackles and two interceptions.
SDSU had two 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 settled into a starting role at guard during the 2024 season while Davis saw spot duty for the Jets as a rookie.
McCormick and Davis squared off in the 2025 season opener, with Davis rushing two times for 18 yards in a Jets’ loss.
Davis finished his rookie year with 30 carries for 174 yards and a touchdown, as well as notching nine receptions for 75 yards and a score. He added nine kickoffs for 232 yards (25.8 yards per return) and registered seven tackles on special teams in 2024.
Davis had one of his best days as a pro in a comeback win over Cincinnati on Oct. 26, rushing seven times for 65 yards, including a career-long 50-yard carry, and catching five passes for 44 yards. He has returned 11 kickoffs for an average of 29.4 yards per attempt (long of 41) thus far in 2025, while adding 20 carries for 119 yards (5.9 ypc) and 15 receptions for 118 yards.
Another member of the Jackrabbits’ back-to-back national championship teams, Isaiah Stalbird, is in his second season with the New Orleans Saints. Stalbird played mostly on special teams in 2024, notching three tackles. This season, he recorded a pair of tackles in a season-opening performance against Arizona, then notched a career-best four stops Oct. 12 against New England. He has a total of 14 tackles in 10 games in 2025 after matching his career high with four tackles Nov. 9 at Carolina.
In addition, Amar Johnson was activated earlier this month by the Los Angeles Chargers, but did not factor in any statistics before returning to the practice squad. Johnson signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers before joining the Chargers after being one of the Packers’ final training camp cuts.
Several other former Jackrabbit standouts who were among their respective teams’ final cuts, includied: quarterback Chris Oladokun (Kansas City), running back Pierre Strong, Jr. (Cleveland) and cornerback Dalys Beanum (New Orleans). Beanum and Oladokun have since returned to their fall camp teams on the practice squad, while Strong has hooked on with the Packers as a practice player.
Leading 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 played in a total of three Super Bowl games with the Dolphins from 1970-79 before finishing his career with the Minnesota Vikings from 1980-81.
Langer also was a first-team All-Pro four times and was selected to play in six Pro Bowl games. He 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.
DAN JACKSON SHOW: The Dan Jackson Show airs throughout the 2025 season.
The weekly, hour-long show originates in front of a live audience at Cubby’s Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Brookings. Next week’s show will air at 6 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 18) due to Jackrabbit men’s basketball the night before.
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. In addition to radio, broadcasts also will be available for free live viewing on SDSU Athletics’ Facebook and YouTube accounts (@GoJacksSDSU), as well as Midco Sports Plus. Replays of the shows will be televised on Midco Sports linear channels Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits close out the regular season Nov. 22 with a trip to the University of North Dakota. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The 24-team field for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs will be announced at 11 a.m. Central Time on Nov. 23, with television coverage on ESPNU.