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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jackrabbits start second half with Cal Poly
10/14/2008 1:00:00 AM | Football
For the fourth time in as many home games this season, the South Dakota State University football team hosts a ranked opponent.
Saturday, the Jackrabbits welcome former Great West Football Conference opponent Cal Poly to Coughlin-Alumni Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
The 2008 season has been a strange one schedule-wise for the visiting Mustangs, who enter Saturday's game with a 3-1 overall record and are ranked third in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' Poll and fifth in the Sports Network media poll. Cal Poly is coming off its third bye week in five weeks, in part to having its Sept. 13 matchup against McNeese State (La.) canceled because of Hurricane Ike. In their last outing, the Mustangs manhandled South Dakota, 49-22, in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
SDSU also is coming off a much-needed bye week, following a 46-44, triple-overtime Hobo Day setback to then-fourth-ranked McNeese State on Oct. 4. The Jackrabbits are
3-3 overall, but are part of a four-way tie atop the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 2-1 mark in league play. SDSU, ranked 22nd by the coaches and 21st by the media this week, resumes MVFC action next Saturday (Oct. 25) at Indiana State.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the fifth game between Cal Poly and South Dakota State on the gridiron, with the series tied at two games each. All four previous meetings came between 2004 and 2007, when both schools were part of the Great West Football Conference.
Cal Poly, which remains a member of the GWFC, won the first two meetings, winning
14-7 at San Luis Obispo in 2004 and 24-16 in Brookings in 2005. SDSU returned the favor by winning back-to-back games in 2006 and 2007, coming from behind for a 29-28 win at San Luis Obispo in 2006, before posting a 48-35 win at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium last season behind a 259-yard, four-touchdown rushing performance by Cory Koenig.
The two teams are scheduled to renew their rivalry on Oct. 3, 2009, in San Luis Obispo.
BYE-WEEK BOOST: South Dakota State has posted a 3-1 record following a mid-season bye week under head coach John Stiegelmeier. Saturday's game will mark the third season in a row that the Jackrabbits have met Cal Poly following a bye week.
ONLINE COVERAGE: Audio and video coverage of Saturday's game is scheduled to be available via subscription service at GoJacks.com, the official website of SDSU athletics. Monthly subscriptions for the Jackrabbit Extra, which includes live audio and video streaming are available for $9.95 per month or $99.95 for an entire year of coverage. An audio-only subscription also is available for $4.95 per month, with programming consisting only of live radio broadcasts.
A league-wide video package is available for purchase at www.valley-football.org.
Local radio coverage Saturday begins on WNAX 570 AM at 4:30 p.m., with an expanded pre-game show. Steve Imming returns to call the play-by-play and Jerry Oster will once again provide color commentary.
In all, nine of the Jackrabbits' 12 games this season are scheduled to be available via streaming video on the Jackrabbit Extra:
? Aug. 28 at Iowa State
? Sept. 6 Youngstown State
? Sept. 13 Western Illinois
? Oct. 4 McNeese State
? Oct. 18 Cal Poly
? Oct. 25 at Indiana State
? Nov. 1 Missouri State
? Nov. 8 Illinois State
? Nov. 22 North Dakota State
TOUGH AT HOME: Over the years, the Jackrabbits have enjoyed a home-field advantage at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. During John Stiegelmeier's tenure as head coach, SDSU is 50-16 (.758 winning percentage) in games played at CAS, while currently putting together a seven-game winning streak at home.
SDSU's winning percentage is even higher in home night games. Since lights were installed prior to the 2001 season, the Jackrabbits have posted a 17-4 record, good for an .810 winning percentage. Cal Poly holds one of the night-game wins over the Jackrabbits, a 24-16 victory in 2005.
TRANSITION OVER: The NCAA Division I Management Council Administrative Committee, acting on behalf of the DI Management Council, announced in late June that South Dakota State University has met the requirements to become an active member of NCAA Division I, starting at the beginning of the 2008-09 academic year.
Previously a member of Division II, SDSU successfully completed the five-year process of moving its athletics programs to comply with Division I membership requirements. Requirements include compliance with Division I rules for the final four years, meeting minimum financial aid and contest scheduling limits, engaging in a rules compliance review and successfully completing the athletics certification process.
SDSU officials submitted an extensive self-study to the NCAA in the spring of 2007 and a peer-review team completed the information gathering during a visit to the Brookings campus in October 2007.
VALLEY FOOTBALL IN 2008: South Dakota State has been picked to finish sixth out of nine teams as it begins play in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season, according to a preseason poll conducted by league coaches, media and sports information directors and which was released at the league's media day in July.
Fellow league newcomer North Dakota State was tabbed as the preseason favorite, garnering 13 first-place votes and 289 points. Defending league champion Northern Iowa received the most first-place votes, 15, but ranked second with 275 points. The next three teams were separated by eight points as Youngstown State (Ohio) was third with 209 points, Western Illinois was fourth with 202 points and Southern Illinois fifth at 201.
SDSU led the lower half of the league rankings with 149 points, followed by Missouri State with 105, Illinois State at 104 and Indiana State with 41.
Individually, senior offensive lineman Kevin Robling was the lone Jackrabbit named to the 2008 Missouri Valley Football Conference Preseason Team. A native of Jordan, Minn., Robling started all 11 games at center for SDSU in 2007, earning second-team all-Great West Football Conference honors.
Four other Jackrabbit players received honorable mention recognition on the preseason team: senior quarterback Ryan Berry, senior defensive lineman Eric Schroeder, junior defensive end Danny Batten and junior linebacker Jimmy Rogers.
Among national publications, SDSU was picked to finish third in Valley Football by Lindy's Sports Annuals, while The Sporting News also tabbed the Jacks to finish sixth.
RABBITS RANKED: For the second year in a row, South Dakota State appeared in the preseason national rankings of the Football Championship Subdivision.
The Jackrabbits were ranked 19th in the Sports Network poll and 20th in the poll
conducted by the Football Championship Subdivision coaches. Last season, the rankings were reversed as SDSU was 19th in the preseason coaches' poll and 20th in the Sports Network poll.
In this week's polls, the Jackrabbits moved up four spots to 21st in the Sports Network poll and gained one spot in the FCS Coaches' Poll to 22nd. SDSU's rankings of 12th in the Sports Network poll and 13th in the FCS Coaches' Poll on Sept. 15 were the program's highest since moving to the Division I FCS ranks in 2004.
DIFFICULT DOZEN: For the first time in the 111-year history of Jackrabbit football, SDSU will play a regular season slate consisting of 12 games.
As it has throughout its move to the Football Championship Subdivision, SDSU will again play a challenging schedule. Six of the Jackrabbits' opponents are currently ranked, including four other Missouri Valley Football Conference members in the FCS Coaches top 25. North Dakota State is sixth, Northern Iowa stands 10th, Southern Illinois is ranked 11th and Western Illinois checks in at No. 22.
Two non-conference opponents, fourth-ranked McNeese State and eighth-ranked Cal Poly, also appear in this week's poll.
The Jackrabbits will play four of their ranked opponents at home, starting with games against Youngstown State in the Cereal Bowl on Sept. 6 and Western Illinois in the Sept. 13 Beef Bowl. The matchup with McNeese State is scheduled for the Hobo Day game on Oct. 4, with the game against Cal Poly set for Oct. 18.
James Madison (Va.) holds the top spot in both the FCS Coaches' and Sports Network polls this week.
In its four-plus seasons competing at the FCS level, SDSU has squared off against ranked opponents 22 times and holds a 7-15 record following the loss to McNeese State (La.).
CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are four senior captains:
? Ryan Berry, quarterback, Watertown, S.D.;
? Brock Campbell, defensive back, Cherokee, Iowa;
? Kevin Robling, offensive lineman, Jordan, Minn.;
? Eric Schroeder, defensive tackle, Stewartville, Minn.
OVERTIME UNKIND: SDSU's 46-44 triple-overtime loss to McNeese State (La.) on Oct. 4 dropped the Jackrabbits to 1-4 in overtime games. The Jackrabbits have lost four overtime games in a row after defeating Nebraska-Omaha, 30-27, in double overtime during the 1998 season.
All five of the Jackrabbits' overtime games have gone at least two overtimes.
1998: vs. Nebraska-Omaha W, 30-27 (2 OT)
2002: at Augustana (S.D.) L, 33-39 (3 OT)
2004: at Southern Utah L, 17-23 (2 OT)
2007: at Western Illinois L, 26-29 (4 OT)
2008: vs. McNeese State (La.) L, 44-46 (3 OT)
LAST TIME VS. CAL POLY: Cory Koenig rushed for career highs of 259 yards and four touchdowns to lead South Dakota State to a 48-35 victory over 19th-ranked Cal Poly in the Jackrabbits' Great West Football Conference opener on Oct. 20, 2007, at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium
The Jackrabbits got an immediate boost as Adam Monke returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown.
Cal Poly came right back to knot the game at 7-all on its first offensive possession, marching 68 yards on 10 plays. Jon Hall capped the drive with a 2-yard run that was set up by a 28-yard pass from Jonthan Dally to Ramses Barden that gave the Mustangs the ball at the SDSU 7.
The Mustangs appeared on the verge of taking the lead on their next possession, but Dally was stripped of the football by Jimmy Rogers and Danny Batten recovered the fumble at the Jackrabbit 6.
From there, the Jackrabbits put together an 11-play, 94-yard drive. Koenig picked up 80 of those yards on his own, breaking through the Cal Poly line on third-and-one for a 32-yard touchdown run with 59 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Cal Poly came back to tie the game again on its first possession of the second quarter as Dally scampered 22 yards for a score.
SDSU came back to take the lead for good with two second-quarter touchdowns of its own. Kyle Minett scored the first TD on a 10-yard pass from Ryan Berry at the 7:32 mark, then the Jackrabbits converted another Cal Poly fumble deep in SDSU territory into points. Again on third-and-one, Koenig ran through the Mustang defense for a 46-yard touchdown, giving SDSU a 28-14 halftime edge.
In the second half, Cal Poly made good on its first offensive possession, scoring on a 4-yard run by Dally to finish off a five-play, 74-yard drive.
After SDSU blocked a Cal Poly field goal attempt late in the third quarter, the Jackrabbits turned another mistake into a touchdown. This time, on third-and-four, Koenig broke through the line for a 52-yard TD run.
The Jackrabbits tallied two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Berry hit JaRon Harris for a 25-yard scoring play on the first drive of the quarter to make it 41-21, then Koenig scored his final touchdown of the game on an 11-yard run with 5:52 remaining in th game.
Cal Poly also scored twice in the fourth quarter, the first on a Ramses Barden 22-yard reception from Dally that made the score 41-28. The Mustangs closed out the scoring with a 1-yard run with 3:08 remaining in the game.
The two teams combined for 699 yards of rushing, with Cal Poly holding a 387-312 advantage.
Koenig gained his 259 yards on only 21 carries, an average of 12.3 yards per play. Kyle Minett added 54 yards on 13 carries.
Dally paced Cal Poly with 30 carries for 153 yards and completed 7-of-15 throws for 115 yards. Ryan Mole contributed 112 yards on 12 carries, while Barden caught three balls for 56 yards.
The Jackrabbits also were efficient in the passing game as Berry completed 13-of-20 passes for 121 yards and the two touchdowns. Chris Doblar recorded four receptions for 34 yards.
Defensively, two of SDSU's leading tacklers came from the defensive line. Eric Schroeder led the way with 13 tackles and Mitch Pontrelli added 11 tackles, including two sacks, and blocked the field goal attempt. Linebacker Jimmy Rogers also tallied 11 tackles, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
SCOUTING CAL POLY: One of the most prolific offenses in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision will be on the field Saturday as Cal Poly enters Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
The Mustangs enter tonight's game with the fifth-best offense in the FCS, averaging 459.3 yards and 39.5 points per game.
Senior quarterback Jonathan Dally has been the model of efficiency for Cal Poly during his two years in San Luis Obispo. After ranking second in the nation for quarterback
efficiency in 2007, when he threw for a school-record 29 touchdowns, Dally leads the category this season. In four games he has completed 63.4 percent (45-of-71) of his passes for 854 yards and eight touchdowns without an interception.
Dally's favorite target has been 6-foot-6 wide receiver Ramses Barden, who last week was selected to play in the East-West Shrine Game. A consensus first-team All-American a year ago, Barden is off to another great start in 2008, leading the FCS in receiving yards per game at 156 as he has topped the 3,000-yard mark for his career. Of his 28 catches, seven have gone for touchdowns.
Dally also is a threat to run the ball as he ranks second on the team with 217 rushing yards. The Mustangs have scored 17-of-19 times in the red zone this season, including 14 touchdowns.
The running game ranks eighth in the FCS with an average of 245.8 yards per game. Senior running back James Noble leads Cal Poly with an average of 86.2 yards per game, while Ryan Mole has contributed 44 yards per game on the ground.
Senior Stephen Field, who started at center each of the past three seasons but has moved to guard in 2008, anchors the offensive line. Sophomore Jason Cox, who started eight games last year, has taken over the center duties.
The Mustang defense, widely regarded as one of the best in the FCS ranks throughout Rich Ellerson's tenure as head coach, has held up its part of the bargain in 2008 after a subpar 2007.
Cal Poly currently ranks second in the FCS with an average of 3.75 sacks per game, tallying 15 in the first four games. Senior defensive end Sean Lawyer leads the team with five sacks and ranks second nationally with 1.25 sacks per game.
Linebacker Fred Hives II is the team's top tackler with an average of 10.25 stops per game to rank in the top 20 nationally.
David Fullerton leads the team with a pair of interceptions and ranks in a tie for fifth on the team with 17 tackles. Fullerton also has averaged 33.9 yards on punts.
On special teams, junior kicker Andrew Gardner is a perfect 21-for-21 on extra points, but has made only 3-of-6 field goal tries with a long of 23 yards.
COACH STIG: John Stiegelmeier has built the South Dakota State University football team into a program on the rise in the ranks of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
The 2007 season, Stiegelmeier's 11th as head coach of the Jackrabbits, was his most successful as SDSU claimed its first conference title since 1963 by winning the Great West Football Conference championship. After starting 0-3 for the second consecutive season, SDSU reeled off seven wins in its final eight games, including a 29-24 victory over previously undefeated North Dakota State the final week of the season, to claim the GWFC title with a 7-4 overall record and 4-0 mark in league play.
In leading SDSU to the GWFC title, Stiegelmeier was named conference coach of the year and was honored by the American Football Coaches Association as the Division I Football Championship Subdivision Region 5 Coach of the Year. In addition, he was one of five finalists in the FCS for the 2007 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.
Overall, Coach Stig has led the Jackrabbits to a 71-54 record (.568 winning percentage). SDSU has posted six consecutive winning seasons, including the school's first four campaigns at the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) level. The Jackrabbits have had a winning record in nine of Stiegelmeier's 11 years as head coach, including four with seven or more victories.
After posting back-to-back 6-5 seasons in 2004 and 2005, the Jackrabbits rose another notch in 2006 as they compiled a 7-4 overall record, finishing the season ranked 21st in the final FCS poll conducted by The Sports Network and 22nd in the College Sporting News coaches' poll. After an 0-3 start, the Jackrabbits rebounded by winning seven consecutive games for the first time since 1963. Three of the victories came in the closing minutes against nationally ranked teams, setting up a showdown with North Dakota State on the final week of the season for both the Dakota Marker and Great West Football Conference title.
Although SDSU fell short in the championship game, the Jackrabbits finished with their most victories since 2003 and their best mark in the three-year history of the GWFC at 3-1.
In 2008, the Jackrabbits will enter another new era in their Division I pursuits as they join the nine-team Missouri Valley Football Conference. With the transition period over, SDSU will be able to qualify for the NCAA postseason either by earning the league's automatic berth as league champion or as an at-large selection.
Stiegelmeier, 51, is the 20th head coach for the Jackrabbits. His tenure of 11-plus years as head coach is the second-longest head coaching stint in school history.
The Selby, S.D., native first became acquainted with the Jackrabbit football program as a student assistant under John Gregory during SDSU's only NCAA playoff season in 1979. With the Jackrabbits' victory at McNeese State (La.) on Sept. 30, 2006, Stiegelmeier passed Gregory (55-50-3 from 1972-81) for sole possession of second place on the SDSU career wins list.
COMEBACK KIDS: SDSU's 28-point comeback at Stephen F. Austin (Texas) on Sept. 27 not only set a school record, but established a new Missouri Valley Football Conference mark for largest comeback.
Throughout John Stiegelmeier's 12-year tenure as head coach, SDSU has made many memorable comebacks. In all games listed below, the Jackrabbits trailed by at least two scores in the second half before rallying for the victory.
? Sept. 16, 2000: SDSU 25, Augustana (S.D.) 24 ? Jackrabbits trailed 24-0 at the half before dominating the second half at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. Josh Ranek scored two touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions to lift SDSU to the victory.
? Sept. 22, 2001: SDSU 30, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 24 ? SDSU again overcame a 24-0 halftime deficit, this time at home. Frank Blalark returned the second half kickoff to jump-start the Jackrabbits, and SDSU held off a Husky first-and-goal situation in the closing minutes.
? Oct. 12, 2002: SDSU 23, Western Washington 19 ? The Jackrabbits trailed 19-3 at halftime at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, then scored three second-half touchdowns. Josh Davis set an SDSU single-game record with 16 receptions, including a 7-yard touchdown.
? Sept. 30, 2006: SDSU 20, McNeese State (La.) 17 ? SDSU rallied for 14 points in the final minutes of the game, which was played in Lake Charles, La. Parker Douglass kicked two field goals, including the game-winning 46-yarder with 14 seconds remaining, in that span, and Andy Kardoes hooked up with JaRon Harris on a 40-yard touchdown pass and two-point conversion to Luke Greving that tied the game at 17-all.
? Oct. 21, 2006: SDSU 29, Cal Poly 28 ? Andy Kardoes and JaRon Harris connected for three touchdown passes in the final eight minutes as SDSU outscored fourth-ranked Cal Poly 23-0 in the fourth quarter. After the final touchdown brought the Jackrabbits to within 28-27 with 1:05 remaining, Kardoes scored the two-point conversion on a quarterback draw.
? Oct. 28, 2006: SDSU 22, UC Davis 21 ? Behind 21-10 entering the fourth quarter, the Jackrabbits' late-game heroics continued as Dusty Snyders scored on a 9-yard pass from Andy Kardoes with 1:08 left in the game. SDSU's Eric Schroeder blocked a short UC Davis field goal earlier in the fourth quarter to keep the Jackrabbits within striking distance.
ATTENDANCE SURGE: The Jackrabbits have seen steady attendance increases since joining the Football Championship Subdivision ranks in 2004.
In its last season as a member of NCAA Division II, 2003, SDSU averaged 5,547 fans over six home dates. Average attendance grew to 9,652 in 2006 and a record 11,218 average attendance in 2007.
The Jackrabbits are on pace to surpass the attendance record this season, averaging 13,912 fans per game through three home dates. All three previous home games have drawn at least 11,000 fans.
BERRY AT THE HELM: Senior Ryan Berry is on a record-setting pace for the Jackrabbits during his senior season.
A Watertown native, Berry is in his second full season as the starting quarterback and is the most experienced returning signal-caller in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Berry has turned in three consecutive games with 300-plus yards passing, marking the first time a Jackrabbit player has accomplished the feat since SDSU moved to the Division I Football Championship Subdivision ranks in 2004. Berry recorded single-game career highs of 32 completions, 53 attempts and 375 yards in a loss Sept. 20 at Northern Iowa, then completed 30-of-44 passes for 350 yards and two TDs a week later at Stephen F. Austin. His third 300-yard game was a 23-of-33, 317-yard performance in which he threw a season-high four touchdowns.
Through six games this season, Berry has thrown for 1,722 yards, putting him on pace to break Brad Nelson's single-season school record of 3,141 yards in 2003. He also could challenge for the Missouri Valley Football Conference single-season record of 3,469 yards set by Northern Iowa's Ryan Helming, in 1999.
The last Jackrabbit signal-caller to compile consecutive 300-yard games was Nelson, who threw for 338 yards against Minnesota State, Mankato and 346 yards at South Dakota in 2003, en route to the single-season record.
In 2007, Berry was efficient as he started all 11 games, completing 60.1 percent (197-of-328) of his passes with 19 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. His 2,132 yards were the ninth-best single-season total in school history.
Berry's record as a starter at SDSU is 11-8, and he has thrown a touchdown pass in 16 of those 19 starts. During his redshirt freshman season in 2005, he led the Jackrabbits to a victory in the season finale over Northern Colorado. In his first career start, against Georgia Southern, Berry tied a Jackrabbit single-game record with five touchdowns in a 55-42 loss.
Berry moved from outside the top 10 to eighth place on the Jackrabbit career passing yards list in the Sept. 20 game at Northern Iowa. He enters Saturday's game versus McNeese State (La.) with 4,639 yards and needs 25 to pass Shane Bouman (4,663 yards from 1988-91) for seventh place. Mike Busch is sixth with 4,980 yards and Todd McDonald stands fifth with 4,999 yards.
HARRIS MOVING UP: Senior wide receiver JaRon Harris cracked the top 10 in career receiving yards at Stephen F. Austin (Texas) and will moved into the Jackrabbit top 10 for career receptions Oct. 4 versus McNeese State (La.).
With team highs of 35 receptions and 545 receiving yards, including a single-game career-high 176 yards versus Harris enters Saturday's matchup with 117 career receptions for 1,820 yards. His receptions total currently ranks eighth on the Jackrabbit career charts, but likely will move into sixth this weekend as he trails Mike Ethier (118 receptions from 1981-83) and Solomon Johnson (119 receptions from 2001-04) for the seventh and sixth spots, respectively. Harris also stands fifth in career receiving yards, trailing J.D. Berreth (1,868 yards from 1986-88) and Rusty Lenners (1,942 yards from 1993-96) for the fourth and third spots on the chart, respectively.
Harris led the team with 40 receptions for 664 yards and seven touchdowns in 2007.
SHARING THE WEALTH: JaRon Harris is one of three Jackrabbit players to already pass the 30-reception mark this season.
Besides Harris with his 35 receptions and 545 yards, running back Kyle Minett has added 32 catches for 284 yards and Glen Fox has tallied 31 receptions for 355 yards.
In addition, junior wide receiver Mike Steffen has contributed 18 receptions as part of a Jackrabbit receiving corps that features 11 different players with at least one catch this season.
MINETT LEADS RUNNING GAME: Sophomore Kyle Minett has handled the bulk of the duties at running back for South Dakota State this season.
The Ruthton, Minn., native led the team with an average of 6.2 yards per carry in 2007, and ranked second in yards gained with 476. He was named the Outstanding Player of the Beef Bowl as he racked up 134 yards on 11 carries and added a 40-yard touchdown reception in a 38-3 victory over Texas State.
Minett has posted three 100-yard rushing performances this season. He opened 2008 by gaining 111 yards on 22 carries against Iowa State, then tallying 123 yards on 14 carries the next week versus Youngstown State (Ohio).
His third 100-yard game came against Stephen F. Austin (Texas) on Sept. 27, rushing a career-high 33 times for 103 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner from 1 yard out on the final play of the game, to cap a 50-48 come-from-behind Jackrabbit victory. He was honored as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance at Stephen F. Austin, a game in which he added seven receptions for 92 yards.
Minett has scored a touchdown in all six games this season and ranks eighth in the Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 10.33 points per game ? 10 touchdowns and one two-point conversion..
TOP TACKLERS: The SDSU defense returns five of its top six tacklers from last year.
Leading the way are junior linebackers Jimmy Rogers (110 tackles) and Chris Johnson (106 tackles), who were also the top two tacklers in the Great West Football Conference in 2007. Rogers turned in the ninth double-digit tackling performance of his career with 12 stops against McNeese State (La.) on Oct. 4. He currently leads the team with 53 tackles through six games in 2008.
Senior defensive back Brock Campbell and senior defensive lineman Eric Schroeder tied for fourth on the squad with 68 tackles each, while junior defensive end Danny Batten, an honorable mention All-America selection by the Sports Network, added 67 tackles. Schroeder and Batten combined for 15.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks in 2007.
SACK ATTACK: After not recording a sack in the season opener at Iowa State, the Jackrabbit defense has posted at least one sack in each of the last five games, including three in each of the team's victories over Youngstown State, Western Illinois and Stephen F. Austin (Texas).
Junior defensive end Danny Batten leads the way with 3.5 sacks, while senior defensive end Jason Nobiling notched his first two sacks of the season against Stephen F. Austin. Linebacker Isaiah Jackson has recorded two sacks, with reserve defensive lineman Steven Bazata credited with 1.5 sacks. Antonio Thompson, Brian Fischer and linebacker Chris Johnson each have one sack. Fischer's sack accounted for a safety versus Youngstown State.
STARTING SAFETIES: Each of South Dakota State's starting safeties collected interceptions in the Jackrabbits' 40-7 victory over Youngstown State.
Senior Brock Campbell recorded the first interception of the season, picking off a Penguin pass on their opening possession. Sophomore Conrad Kjerstad later added a pair of INTs, giving him three for his career. Kjerstad also forced a fumble in the season opener at Iowa State.
Campbell added his second interception of the season in the first half of the Sept. 13 game versus Western Illinois, before being injured and missing the last three games. Kjerstad also was injured against WIU, but played against Northern Iowa and McNeese State. Both starting safeties were held out of the Sept. 27 game at Stephen F. Austin, but are expected to play Saturday versus Cal Poly.
PICK SIX: The Jackrabbits have employed an opportunistic defense over the past few years and again rank among the leaders in the Football Championship Subdivision for interceptions.
Heading into Saturday's game with Cal Poly, SDSU has tallied 11 interceptions to rank in a tie for sixth place among FCS squads. Eight different players have recorded an interception, with Conrad Kjerstad, Brock Campbell and General Parnell sharing the team lead with two apiece.
In the Oct. 4 game versus McNeese State (La.), the Jackrabbits picked off a pair of passes, including an 82-yard interception return for touchdown by sophomore linebacker Derek Domino ? the first return for a score by an SDSU player this season.
During the 2007 season, the Jackrabbits notched 19 interceptions, five of which were returned for touchdowns. All-America cornerback Tyler Koch led the Jackrabbits with seven interceptions, three of which he returned for touchdowns.
PRIDDY PUNTING: Sophomore punter Dean Priddy provided a solid performance in the season opener, booting three balls for an average of 51 yards per punt. All three of his punts covered at least 50 yards, measuring 52, 50 and 51 yards, respectively.
For the season, Priddy is averaging 41.1 yards on 22 punts. He has landed five punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line, including a 42-yarder on his final punt of the night against Western Illinois that pinned the Leathernecks at their own 2-yard line with under a minute to play.
REIFENRATH SOLID: Sophomore kicker Peter Reifenrath won the battle for placekicking duties at the end of fall camp and has been a solid contributor on special teams. A native of Decorah, Iowa, Reifenrath has made 9-of-13 field goal attempts, including making career-long 42-yarders at Northern Iowa on Sept. 20 and at Stephen F. Austin (Texas) on Sept. 27.
Reifenrath, who has made a field goal in all six games, ranks in a tie for fifth place in the Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 1.5 field goals made per game. He also is 18-of-19 on extra-point tries this season.
A LOOK AHEAD: SDSU resumes Missouri Valley Football Conference play by traveling to Indiana State on Oct. 25. Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Central) at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Ind.
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