Jacks win Great West championship

Saturday, November 17

Brookings, S.D.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

7-4 , 4-0

North Dakota State

10-1 , 3-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

North Dakota State

South Dakota State

Photo by: Ty Carlson

11/17/2007 1:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

Cory Koenig scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 42-yard run midway through the fourth quarter and the Jackrabbits made big plays on special teams to defeat previously undefeated North Dakota State and claim both the Great West Football Conference and the Dakota Marker with a 29-24 victory Saturday at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

The game was played before an SDSU-record crowd of 16,345. In claiming their first conference title since 1963, sealed by a Brock Gentile interception in the closing minutes, the Jackrabbits improved to 7-4 overall and 4-0 in the GWFC. NDSU, which came into the game ranked No. 1 in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches Poll and second in the media poll, ended the year 10-1 overall and 3-1 in league play.

SDSU grabbed the early momentum, taking the opening kickoff and marching 53 yards on nine plays before settling for a 31-yard Parker Douglass field goal. Koenig opened the drive with a 32-yard run.

The Jackrabbits held NDSU to three plays and out on the first Bison possession before freshman Cole Brodie broke through and blocked a Mike Dragosavich punt. Andrew Hoogeveen fell on the loose ball at NDSU 8.

Two plays later, Koenig scored from a yard out with 8:55 remaining in the first quarter.

The Bison got on the board on their next possession as Shawn Bibeau capped a 13-play, 78-yard drive with a 25-yard field goal.

SDSU responded with a 29-yard field goal by Douglass, then appeared on the verge of breaking the game open as Paul Aanonson fielded a punt at his own 6, then broke through the Bison defense for a 94-yard touchdown. Aanonson, one of 18 Jackrabbit seniors, set the Jackrabbit single-season record for punt return yards on the play.

NDSU tallied the final score of the first half on a 1-yard plunge by Tyler Roehl, pulling the Bison to within 10 at 20-10.

The Jackrabbits regained the momentum on the opening kickoff of the second half. Brian Fischer forced and recovered a Shamen Washington fumble at the NDSU 18. However, the Jackrabbit drive stalled and SDSU had to settle for Douglass' third field goal of the day, this one from 27 yards.

The Bison stormed back to score the next two touchdowns and take a momentary 24-23 lead. After a Jackrabbit fumble, Tyler Roehl scored from two yards out with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, then the Bison scored on their first possession of the fourth quarter on a 6-yard pass from Steve Walker to Jerimiah Wurzbacher.

With the Bison defense clamping down and the Jackrabbit offense struggling, SDSU mounted one last drive. Ryan Berry hooked up with Glen Fox for 20 yards on third-and-11, then completed a pass to Chris Doblar for nine yards that gave the Jackrabbits fourth-and-one from the NDSU 42. With the Bison stacking the line of scrimmage, Koenig made the first defender miss and scampered for what would be the decisive score with 9:10 remaining in the game. The two-point coversion failed.

But there was whole lot of game to be played.

NDSU was on the march toward retaking the lead until Jimmy Rogers delivered a ball-jarring hit on Tyler Roehl, which was recovered at the SDSU 24 by Justin Kubesh.

The Jackrabbits then proceeded to chew up six minutes of the clock with a 13-play drive. SDSU would come up empty, however, as Douglass missed wide right on a 41-yard field goal attempt.

NDSU took over at its own 24 with just under two minutes remaining, but the last Bison drive ended when Gentile made a diving interception at the Jackrabbit 38-yard line with 1:19 to play.

Koenig finished the game with 131 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. Kyle Minett added 60 yards on 10 carries.

Berry completed 14-of-23 pass attempts for 104 yards. Doblar led the receiving corps with five receptions for 41 yards. Fox, Chris Wagner and Koenig each caught three passes.

Rogers finished with a game-high 13 tackles. Chris Johnson added 12 stops, with Danny Batten and Justin Kubesh each adding 10. Two of Batten's tackles were for loss, including a sack.

Walker finished the game 16-of-28 passing for 173 yards. Alex Belquist and Kole Heckendorf each caught five balls for 58 and 54 yards, respectively. Roehl ended the game with 24 carries for 79 yards.

Joe Mays led the Bison defense with 11 tackles.

Notes: The previous record attendance was 16,193, set in 1985 on Hobo Day against the University of South Dakota ... SDSU holds a 9-1 record in the 10 most-attended games in CAS history ... the loss snapped NDSU's 14-game winning streak ... SDSU has won five of the last seven meetings between the two teams in Brookings, including three in a row ... Koenig recorded his fifth consecutive 100-yard game and sixth of the season ... the meeting was the final game between the two schools as members of the Great West Football Conference -- both will join the Gateway Football Conference in 2008 ... SDSU out-gained NDSU 178-105 on the ground and held a narrow 282-278 advantage in total offense