Jacks seek to retain Dakota Marker

The Dakota Marker will be up for grabs as the South Dakota State and North Dakota State football teams close out the 2008 season Saturday night.
Kickoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Fargodome in Fargo, N.D.
The Jackrabbits will attempt to maintain sole possession of third place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and post their third consecutive seven-win season as they enter the season finale with a 6-5 overall record, 5-2 in league play.
NDSU, which has won three straight, is 6-4 overall, 4-3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison are ranked 24th in this week's Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' poll.
Both teams are receiving votes in the Sports Network media poll.

THE SERIES: Saturday's matchup will mark the 95th time South Dakota State and North Dakota State have met on the gridiron, with NDSU leading the series 51-38-5.
The home team has won all four previous Dakota Marker games.
The series dates back to 1903, when NDSU opened the series by handing the Jackrabbits their worst loss in school history, 85-0, in Fargo. With both schools charter members of the North Central Conference and continuing through the transition to Divison I athletics as members of the Great West Football Conference, the Jackrabbits and Bison have played every year since 1919 except from 1943-45 due to World War II.
SDSU held the upper hand in the series until 1964, when the Bison began a stretch of winning 27 of 29 games, including 17 in a row from 1976-92. The Jackrabbits finally ended the streak in 1993 with a 42-30 victory at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. In fact, SDSU has won five of the last seven games played in Brookings, including the last three ? in 2002, 2004 and 2007.
The 2004 meeting was the inaugural Dakota Marker game, one in which SDSU scored 10 fourth-quarter points to pull out a 24-21 victory. Brad Nelson's 36-yard touchdown pass to Chris Molitor with 39 seconds remaining in the game proved to be the difference.
Saturday's game is the first between the two squads as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

THE DAKOTA MARKER: The Dakota Marker is a replica of the 7-foot by 10-inch square red quartzite monuments that define the border between South Dakota and North Dakota.
The original idea for the trophy came from the Blue Key Honor Society at NDSU. The student associations at both schools share dual ownership of the trophy.
Creation of the trophy coincided with SDSU's and NDSU's entry into NCAA Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision).
The Dakota Marker stands about three feet tall with the letters “SD” on one side and “ND”on the other side, just like its 720 namesakes that dot the 366-mile border.
Following are the scores of the four previous Dakota Marker games:
2004: South Dakota State ? Coughlin-Alumni Stadium ? 24-21
2005: North Dakota State ? Fargo, N.D. ? 41-17
2006: North Dakota State ? Fargo, N.D. ? 41-28
2007: South Dakota State ? Coughlin-Alumni Stadium ? 29-24

MEDIA COVERAGE: Fans will have a variety of options with which to follow Saturday's game.
Local radio coverage Saturday begins on WNAX 570 AM at 4:30 p.m. Central Time, with an expanded pre-game show. Steve Imming returns to call the play-by-play and Jerry Oster will once again provide color commentary.
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.
The game also is slated to be televised regionally. Fargo-based KVLY-TV will produce the broadcast that will be shown on the North Dakota NBC TV Network, as well as on Sioux Falls-based KSFY-TV. Television coverage begins at 6 p.m.
In addition, the Dakota Marker game has been selected as the FCS Game of the Week and will be aired on a tape-delayed basis on 1530 AM WCKY in Cincinnati, Ohio, starting at 10 p.m. Central Time Saturday. The station's night-time coverage area includes much of the eastern half of the United States.

SCOUTING NORTH DAKOTA STATE: The preseason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference, North Dakota State will attempt to move into a tie for third place in the league standings Saturday night.
The Bison lead the league in total defense and rank seventh in the Football Championship Subdivision by surrendering only 256 yards per game. Against the pass, NDSU is the top-ranked team in FCS play, allowing just 115.5 yards per game.
Senior linebacker Ramon Humber leads the Bison with 83 tackles through 10 games, with fellow linebacker Mike Maresh adding 7.8 stops per game. Humber also is one of three Bison players in the top 10 in the league for sacks with four. Nick Compton also has four sacks, with Joe Lardinois contributing a team-high five sacks.
The secondary is led by senior Nick Schommer, who leads the MVFC with 11 passes defended, including three interceptions.
Offensively, the Bison feature a balanced attack that ranks second behind SDSU for yards per game.
The ground game features two of the top nine rushers in the league as Tyler Roehl enters the game fourth in the MVFC with an average of 102 yards per game. Junior Pat Paschall has been an effective second option, averaging 5.7 yards per carry and 66 yards per game.
Through the air, junior Nick Mertens has completed nearly 59 percent of his passes for 1,765 yards. He has tallied 15 touchdown passes against 14 interceptions.
The primary receiver the past few seasons has been senior Kole Heckendorf, who has a team-best 36 recptions for 648 yards and four touchdowns.
The NDSU special teams unit is led by kicker Shawn Bibeau, who has made a league-best 14 field goals in 19 tries. Punter John Prelvitz is averaging 39 yards per attempt.

LAST MEETING: 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 Nov. 17, 2007, 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.

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 52-17 (.754 winning percentage) in games played at CAS. After losing two consecutive home games for the first time since 2000, the Jackrabbits got back on the winning track with a 43-13 victory over Missouri State on Nov. 1.
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 17-5 record, good for a .772 winning percentage. The Jackrabbits' last home opponent, Cal Poly, has recorded two of the night-game victories by opponents (2005, 2008).

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 study during a campus visit in October 2007.

VALLEY FOOTBALL IN 2008: South Dakota State was picked to finish sixth out of nine teams as it began 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.

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 is again playing a challenging schedule. Six of the Jackrabbits' opponents are currently ranked, including four other Missouri Valley Football Conference members in the either the FCS Coaches or Sports Network top 25. Northern Iowa is fourth in the coaches' poll, Southern Illinois stands ninth and North Dakota State is 24th. Western Illinois holds the No. 23 spot in the Sports Network poll, but has dropped out of the coaches' poll in the last two weeks
Two non-conference opponents, third-ranked Cal Poly and 13th-ranked McNeese State (La.), also appear in this week's coaches' poll.
The Jackrabbits played 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 was the Hobo Day game on Oct. 4, with the game against Cal Poly played on Oct. 18.
James Madison (Va.) again 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 24 times and holds a 7-17 record following the loss Nov. 15 at Southern Illinois.

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.

FAST STARTS: In each of their five Missouri Valley Football Conference victories, South Dakota State has been dominant in the first half.
Overall, the Jackrabbits have outscored their conference opponents 148-69 in the first half. Three times SDSU has posted first-half shutouts: SDSU led Youngstown State 27-0 at the half in their Sept. 6 matchup; the Jackrabbits took a 24-0 halftime lead against Western Illinois on Sept. 13; and SDSU led 16-0 going into intermission at Indiana State on Oct. 25.
A Missouri State touchdown in the final minute of the first half Nov. 1 prevented a fourth Jackrabbit first-half shutout.,
SDSU has trailed at halftime in both of its conference losses: 14-3 at Northern Iowa on Sept. 20 and 35-21 last week at Southern Illinois.

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 74-56 record (.569 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.
After graduating from SDSU with degrees in mathematics and physical education, Stiegelmeier enrolled in graduate school at the University of Northern Iowa, where he served on the coaching staff of a Panther squad which posted a 7-4 mark in 1981.
Stiegelmeier coached at Eau Claire (Wis.) North High School from 1981-84, then returned to his home state as defensive coordinator, secondary coach and recruiting
coordinator at Northern State University from 1984-87. Northern was 8-3 in his last season with the Wolves and finished fourth in the nation in total defense.
After NSU, Stiegelmeier went back to school, enrolling at the University of Wisconsin, where he was a graduate assistant on the staff headed by Don Morton while working on his doctorate.
Stiegelemeier returned to his alma mater in July 1988, joining Wayne Haensel's Jackrabbit coaching staff as secondary coach and recruiting coordinator. After Haensel stepped down following the 1990 season, Stiegelmeier was elevated to defensive coordinator by new head coach Mike Daly.
In six seasons as defensive coordinator, Stiegelmeier helped guide the Jackrabbits to a 41-23 record, turning in a winning record in all six seasons, including five seven-win seasons. That track record of success helped Stiegelmeier secure his first head coaching position in December 1996, when he was named Daly's successor.
The Stiegelmeier era opened in style Sept. 13, 1997, as the Jackrabbits recorded a 17-7 victory at UC Davis. Although SDSU finished Stiegelmeier's first season with a 4-6 record, the foundation was laid for future success. The Jackrabbits posted a 6-5 record during the 1998 season and broke through with an 8-3 overall mark and a 6-3, fourth-place showing in the North Central Conference.
Led by Harlon Hill candidate Josh Ranek, SDSU posted its most victories in 20 years in 1999 and was ranked 15th in the final NCAA Division II regular season poll, despite being picked sixth in the NCC race by both the coaches and media. That season, Stiegelmeier was named North Central Conference Coach of the Year.
SDSU went on to post upper-division finishes in the NCC three of its last four years before moving into the ranks of Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) in 2004.

BERRY AT THE HELM: Senior Ryan Berry will play his last collegiate game Saturday with the opportunity to set a couple more school records.
Already the holder of six single-season and career marks, the Watertown native 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 turned in three consecutive games (UNI, SFA, McNeese) 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 versus McNeese State in which he threw for four touchdowns.
Berry has thrown for at least 200 yards in eight consecutive games, upping his career total to 5,943 yards. His 3,026 yards in 2008 are the second-highest single-season total in Jackrabbit history, 115 yards behind Brad Nelson's school record of 3,141 set in 2003. In addition, Berry is only 73 yards from Ted Wahl's career record of 6,016 passing yards from 1985-88.
Berry took over the Jackrabbit career lead in career completions and touchdown passes in the Nov. 8 game against Ilinois State, and enters Saturday's game with respective totals of 506 and 55. His seven touchdown passes versus Illinois State set SDSU and Missouri Valley Football Conference single-game records.
He added four more records to his list of accomplishments last week at Southern Illinois, setting new a Jackrabbit career mark with 823 attempts, while notching single-season records for attempts (384), completions (248) and touchdown passes (29). He is two away from tying the Missouri Valley Football Conference record of 31 touchdown passes in a season.
Over the last eight games, Berry has completed 179-of-289 passes (61.9 percent) for 2,346 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions to move ninth place in the Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 275.1 passing yards per game. He has thrown a touchdown pass in 10 consecutive games and 21 of 24 career starts, during which he has posted a 14-10 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 heading into the season.
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 then-Jackrabbit single-game record with five touchdowns in a 55-42 loss.

DRADDY FINALIST: South Dakota State University quarterback Ryan Berry has been selected as a 2008 National Scholar-Athlete and is one of 15 finalists for the Draddy Trophy, officials from the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame announced Oct. 29.
“We set extremely high standards just to be considered as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete class,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, whose sons Peyton and Eli were NFF National Scholar-Athletes in 1997 and 2003, respectively. “These individuals far exceed even those high standards, defining well-rounded excellence throughout their college careers. They are true ambassadors of our mission and a testament to the positive influence of football's ability to build our nation's future leaders.”
A senior from Watertown, S.D., Berry was named the recipient of the Robert A. Simms National Scholar-Athlete Award and will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship. He will be honored during the 2008 NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on Dec. 9, when the Draddy Trophy, presented by HealthSouth, will be awarded.
The first-ever NFF Scholar-Athlete in the history of SDSU football, Berry was selected as a finalist out of 164 semifinalists from all levels of college football based on his academic and athletic achievements, as well as his community service and leadership. A team captain, Berry has compiled a 3.89 grade-point average while majoring in biology/pre-medicine. He and his teammates have played an active role in the community by
participating in reading programs at local elementary schools and visting area children's hospitals and retirement homes. In addition, he is a member of the SDSU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has served as a volunteer for youth football clinics and the committee's annual Penny Carnival.
The Draddy Trophy was established to honor former NFF Chairman Vincent DePaul Draddy, a former Manhattan College quarterback who developed the Izod and Lacoste brands.

SCORING RECORD: The Jackrabbits established a new single-season scoring record in Saturday's game at Southern Illinois, topping the 400-point mark for the first time in school history.
With 402 points so far this season, the Jackrabbits are averaging 36.5 points per game, which ranks 10th in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The previous record of 394 points was set by the 1993 squad in an 11-game schedule.

HARRIS MOVING UP: Senior wide receiver JaRon Harris has moved into the Jackrabbit top-three for both career receptions and career receiving yards this season.
With 62 receptions for 906 receiving yards, including a single-game career-high 10 receptions against Missouri State on Nov. 1, Harris enters Saturday's matchup with 144 career receptions for 2,181 yards. His receptions total currently ranks third all-time at SDSU, breaking a tie last week with Rusty Lenners (137 receptions from 1993-96) on the Jackrabbit career charts.
Harris led the team with 40 receptions for 664 yards and seven touchdowns in 2007.

SHARING THE WEALTH: South Dakota State's receiving tandem of JaRon Harris and Glen Fox each reached the 50-reception plateau Nov. 1 versus Missouri State. It marks the first time two players have tallied 50 receptions in the same season in the history of SDSU football.
Fox took over the team lead in receptions Nov. 8 against Illinois State, catching six balls ? three of which were touchdowns. He enters Saturday's game at North Dakota State with 65 catches for 794 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 65 receptions are the third-highest single-season total at SDSU and are five away from the second spot held by Josh Davis (70 receptions in 2002) and eight away from Jeff Tiefenthaler's record of 73 set in 1986.
Harris ranks second on the team with 62 receptions, but leads the squad and the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 906 receiving yards and shares the team-lead with 10 touchdowns. The pair continue to rank first and second in the league for receptions per game.
Two other players have tallied more than 20 receptions this season: running back Kyle Minett has caught 42 passes for 409 yards, and Mike Steffen has added 33 catches for 288 yards. Steffen tallied career highs of eight catches for 82 yards, with a touchdown, last week at Southern Illinois.

COCHART CATCHING ON: Sophomore tight end Colin Cochart has been an additional threat in the passing game in recent games for the Jackrabbits.
Over the last three games, Cochart has tallied 13 receptions for 210 yards and three touchdowns, including scores of 11 and 40 yards in the first quarter against Illinois State on Nov. 8.
For the season, Cochart has 19 receptions for 355 yards and four touchdowns. He is averaging a team-best 18.7 yards per reception.

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 six 100-yard rushing performances this season. He opened 2008 by gaining 111 yards on 22 carries against Iowa State, then tallied 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 topped 100 yards in three of the last four games, setting single-game career highs in the process. He rushed 21 times for 145 yards Oct. 25 at Indiana State, scoring a pair of first-half touchdowns to get back into the scoring column after having his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown snapped Oct. 18 against Cal Poly. He followed that with a 23-carry, 205-yard outing against Missouri State in which he scored on a 56-yard touchdown run ? the longest carry of his career. Minett posted 161 yards on 25 carries against Illinois State on Nov. 8.
Minett topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season against Illinois State and enters Saturday's game with 1,204 yards ? the seventh-highest single-season total in school history. His average of 109.5 yards per game ranks 16th in the Football Championship Subdivision.

PICK SEVEN(TEEN): 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 North Dakota State, SDSU has tallied 17 interceptions to rank in a tie for seventh place among FCS squads. Eleven different players have recorded an interception, led by Conrad Kjerstad with three. Four other players ? Brock Campbell, Derek Domino, Chris Johnson and General Parnell ? have recorded two apiece.
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.

SACK ATTACK: SDSU has gotten after the quarterback in recent games, recording 14 sacks over the last four contests. The Jackrabbits notched a season-high five sacks at Indiana State, three versus Missouri State, four versus Illinois State and two against Southern Illinois.
Eight different defensive linemen have recorded at least a half-sack over the past four games, led by Danny Batten's 4.5 sacks and Jake Steffen's three sacks. Antonio Thompson has added two sacks, one of which went for a safety at Indiana State.

A LOOK AHEAD: Saturday's game concludes the 2008 season for the Jackrabbits.
SDSU is slated to open the 2009 season Sept. 12 at home against Georgia Southern.

Calendar

Upcoming Events

Recent Results

Players Mentioned

Cole Brodie

Colin Cochart

Derek Domino

Brian Fischer

Conrad Kjerstad

Kyle Minett

General Parnell

Jake Steffen

Antonio Thompson

Upcoming Event: Football versus Indiana State on November 1, 2025 at 2 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football at South Dakota on November 8, 2025 at 3 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football versus Illinois State on November 15, 2025 at 2 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football at North Dakota on November 22, 2025 at 1 p.m.

Completed Event: Football versus North Dakota State on October 25, 2025 , Loss , 7, to, 38

Completed Event: Football at Murray State on October 18, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 14

Completed Event: Football versus Northern Iowa on October 11, 2025 , Win , 31, to, 3

Completed Event: Football at Youngstown State on October 4, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 30

Completed Event: Football versus Mercyhurst on September 27, 2025 , Win , 51, to, 7

Completed Event: Football versus Drake on September 13, 2025 , Win , 37, to, 21

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