Berry has record-setting day in Jackrabbit win

Saturday, November 8

Brookings, S.D.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

6-4 , 5-1

Illinois State

3-6 , 2-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Illinois State

South Dakota State

11/8/2008 1:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

Senior quarterback Ryan Berry threw for seven touchdowns, setting four records in the process, as South Dakota State defeated Illinois State, 52-21 Saturday afternoon in a Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup at a blustery Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

The Jackrabbits improved to 6-4 overall and remained in title contention with a 5-1 league record. Illinois State dropped to 3-6 overall, 2-4 in the MVFC.

SDSU scored on its first seven offensive possessions, including all six first-half drives. A Chris Johnson interception on the Redbirds' opening drive gave the Jackrabbits the ball at the ISU 35. From there, Berry connected with tight end. Colin Cochart on an 11-yard touchdown pass to cap a six-play drive.

After holding the Redbirds three-and-out on their next three possessions as they headed into the wind, SDSU built the lead to 24-0 at the end of the first quarter. Berry hooked up with Glen Fox on a 51-yard touchdown pass at the 7:43 mark, then again found Cochart open for a 40-yard touchdown 1 minute, 24 seconds later. The touchdown pass was Berry's 48th of his career, breaking the previous record of 47 held by Brad Nelson, who played from 2001-04.

Peter Reifenrath closed out the first-half scoring with a 27-yard field goal.

Each team scored a pair of touchdowns in the second quarter. ISU cracked the scoring column on its opening drive of the period, sustaining an eight-play, 73-yard drive that was finished off by a 6-yard touchdown pass from Kevin Brockway to Eyad Salem.

The Jackrabbits came right back to make the score 31-7 as Kyle Minett scored on an 8-yard screen pass from Berry.

ISU put together another solid drive before Walter Mendenhall scored from a yard out.

However, the SDSU offensive onslaught continued in the closing minutes of the first half as Berry threw his fifth touchdown pass of the half, a 16-yarder to Fox with 36 seconds remaining to go up 38-14 at intermission.

In the second half, Berry put his name alone in the SDSU record book with his sixth touchdown pass of the game, a 4-yarder to Fox.

Following a 70-yard touchdown pass by Brockway to Warren McCarty midway through the third quarter, SDSU closed out the scoring as Berry hooked up with Mike Steffen for a 3-yard score early in the fourth quarter. Berry's seventh touchdown pass of the day set a new Missouri Valley Football Conference single-game record as he finished the day 17-of-29 for 237 yards, setting the Jackrabbit career record for completions with 477.

Minett also had a productive day in the Jackrabbit backfield, gaining 161 yards on 25 carries as he crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the season.

Overall, SDSU threw for 237 yards and gained another 199 on the ground as the Jackrabbits held a 436-255 advantage in total offense.

Fox led Jackrabbit receivers with six catches for 92 yards and three touchdowns. Cochart added three receptions for 66 yards and two scores.

For Illinois State, Brockway was 11-of-28 passing for 169 yards and was picked off three times. He also was sacked four times, including twice by backup defensive end Jake Steffen.

Isaiah Jackson led the Jackrabbits with nine tackles.

Mendenhall carried 22 times for 73 yards for Illinois State, and Salem recorded a team-high seven receptions for 71 yards.

Tom Nelson recorded a game-high 13 tackles for the Redbirds.

SDSU travels to Southern Illinois next Saturday (Nov. 15). Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. in Carbondale, Ill.

Notes: SDSU finished the home season with a 4-2 record ... attendance was a season-low 3,276 ... SDSU's 52 points are a season high ... dating back to their Nov. 1 game against Missouri State, the Jackrabbits went three halves without punting, until Dean Priddy punted four times in the second half ... Minett has posted three consecutive 100-yard games on the ground and six this season ... linebackers accounted for all three Jackrabbit interceptions ? Chris Johnson, Derek Domino and Dirk Kool ... Kool's interception was on Illinois State's final offensive play of the day and was returned 65 yards to the Redbird 3-yard line ... the game was televised nationally on Fox College Sports Atlantic ... Illinois State was limited to two yards of total offense in the first quarter ... JaRon Harris did not catch a pass in the game for SDSU ... fellow Watertown native Dan Fjeldheim previously held the Jackrabbit career completions record with 460 from 1999-2002