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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jackrabbits host McNeese on Hobo Day
9/30/2008 1:15:00 AM | Football
The South Dakota State University football team reaches the halfway point of the 2008 season Saturday, hosting fourth-ranked McNeese State (La.) in the 95th Hobo Day game.
Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
Only $16 reserved tickets are currently available at the Jackrabbit Ticket Office and online at GoJacks.com. A limited number of $12 general admission tickets will go on sale at the stadium ticket booth when gates open at noon on Saturday.
The Jackrabbits, ranked 20th in this week's Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' Poll and 23rd in the Sports Network media poll, enter the non-conference matchup with a 3-2 overall record following a 50-48 come-from-behind victory at Stephen F. Austin (Texas) on Sept. 27. SDSU is 2-1 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play, but will not take on another league opponent until playing at Indiana State on Oct. 25.
McNeese State, ranked fourth in both polls, is 2-1 on the season, but has yet to play a Division I FCS squad. The Cowboys' lone loss came in the season opener Aug. 30 at North Carolina. After a three-week layoff that included the cancellation of a game against Cal Poly due to Hurricane Ike, the Cowboys showed no signs of rust as they pounded Southern Virginia, 63-7, Sept. 27, in Lake Charles.
THE SERIES: Saturday's matchup will mark the completion of a home-and-home series between South Dakota State and McNeese State.
SDSU won the initial meeting during the 2006 campaign, winning 20-17 in dramatic fashion in Lake Charles. Trailing 17-6, SDSU rallied for 14 points in the final five minutes, including a 46-yard field goal by Parker Douglass with 14 seconds remaining in the game, to earn the victory.
SOUTHLAND SPRINGBOARD: The Jackrabbits have fared well against Southland Conference teams, posting a 7-1 record against the league since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision ranks in 2004. SDSU lost its first-ever game against an SLC opponent, falling to Texas State, 42-12, in 2005, but has reeled off seven consecutive wins against the league.
The Jackrabbits defeated Nicholls State (La.), McNeese State and Central Arkansas in 2006 as they won seven of the last eight games of the season. In 2007, the Jackrabbits started the season 0-3 before posting consecutive home wins over Texas State and Stephen F. Austin en route to another 7-4 mark that included a victory at Central Arkansas in November.
HOBO DAY: Hobo Day, South Dakota State University's annual homecoming celebration, dates back to 1912. Saturday's game is the 95th Hobo Day game as no game was played in 1918 due to World War I and the 1943 game was played between two Army special training teams.
Overall, SDSU is 55-34-5 on Hobo Day, winning five in a row and 10 of 12. The Jackrabbits' last Hobo Day loss was a 21-13 setback to North Dakota in 2002.
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 12:30 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 50-15 (.769 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.
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.
The Jackrabbits stayed even at 18th in the FCS Coaches' Poll this week, but dropped three spots to 23rd in the Sports Network poll. 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 21 times and holds a 7-14 record following the loss at Northern Iowa.
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.
LAST WEEK: Kyle Minett scored from a yard out as time expired, lifting South Dakota State to a 50-48 victory over Stephen F. Austin in non-conference football action Sept. 27 at Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches, Texas.
In the largest comeback in John Stiegelmeier's 12-year tenure as head coach, the 20th-ranked Jackrabbits rallied from 28 points down midway through the third quarter for the victory.
SDSU trailed 34-6 with 9 minutes, 9 seconds left in the third quarter before scoring on four consecutive possessions.
Ryan Berry engineered the comeback, scrambling for a 10-yard touchdown run with 5 minutes, 2 seconds remaining in the third quarter. On the next drive, Minett scored his first touchdown of the game with 31 seconds remaining in the quarter.
The momentum stayed with the Jackrabbits in the fourth quarter. On the first play of the final stanza, Danny Batten picked off a Jeremy Moses pass and returned it 24 yards to the SFA 15. SDSU struck again quickly as Berry connected with Glen Fox on the Jackrabbits' first play for a 15-yard touchdown.
General Parnell then recorded his second interception of the game, stepping in front of a Moses pass and returning it 22 yards to the Lumberjack 10. Two plays later, Minett found paydirt from a yard out to eventually knot the game at 34-all.
SDSU grabbed the lead with a six-play, 29-yard drive set up by an Adam Fritz interception. JaRon Harris scored from 16 yards out on a wide receiver screen pass from Berry with 5:24 remaining.
The Jackrabbits' first lead of the game lasted all of 12 seconds as Vincent Pervis returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to re-tie the game.
SDSU appeared on the verge of sealing the victory on its next possession. A nine-play, 37-yard drive stalled before Peter Reifenrath nailed a 42-yard field goal to go ahead 44-41 with 1:19 left.
The Jackrabbit kickoff rolled out of bounds, setting up the Lumberjacks at their own 40. Five plays later, Moses connected with Tyrone Ross on a 14-yard touchdown pass with 41 seconds to play.
The comeback finally became complete as Berry and Minett moved the Jackrabbits back down the field. With the ball at their own 44 with two timeouts remaining, Berry completed a 24-yard pass to Matt Hylland for 24 yards. Following an incomplete pass, Berry found Harris for 14 yards and Minett for 16 more to move the ball to SFA 2. The Lumberjacks were called for offsides, setting SDSU up at the 1-yard line with two seconds left.
On the final play, Berry rolled right on an option play before pitching the ball to Minett, who dragged a defender across the goal line for the game-winner.
Minett finished the game with a career-high 33 carries for 103 yards and three touchdowns, while also catching seven passes for 92 yards. Berry ended the night 30-of-44 for 350 yards and two scores. Glen Fox led the receiving corps with nine catches for 103 yards.
The teams traded field goals on their respective opening drives of the game. SFA opened the scoring by taking the opening kickoff 77 yards on eight plays before a 27-yard field goal by Cory Long. SDSU responded with a 36-yard field goal from Peter Reifenrath with 7:56 remaining in the first quarter to cap a nine-play, 32-yard drive.
The Lumberjacks regained the lead following an interception. Taking over at the SDSU 31, Jeremy Moses hooked up with Tyrone Ross from eight yards out for the first touchdown of the game. After another SDSU turnover, SFA put together a six-play, 46-yard drive that ended with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Moses to Dominique Edison.
SDSU closed the gap to 17-6 on a 34-yard field goal by Reifenrath at the 5:30 mark of the second quarter, but the Lumberjacks came right back with another touchdown to push the margin to 24-6 on a 10-yard pass by Moses to Tyrel Williams.
The Jackrabbits appeared on the verge of putting points on the board at the end of the first half, moving to the SFA 14. However, back-to-back sacks moved the ball back to the 22 and Reifenrath's 39-yard field goal attempt on the final play of the half was blocked.
Berry was sacked five times in the first half, including three times by Tim Knicky. The Jackrabbits were 0-for-8 on third-down attempts in the opening 30 minutes.
Things went from bad to worse early in the second half for the Jackrabbits, who fumbled the opening kick at their own 36. The SDSU defense held the Lumberjacks, but Long kicked a 45-yard field goal to run the score to 27-6.
SDSU again drove deep into SFA territory before being stopped on fourth down, when Berry was sacked for the seventh time in the game and fumbled at the Lumberjack 43.
SFA quickly made the Jackrabbits pay for their latest miscue, scoring on a 42-yard pass from Moses to Aaron Rhea with 9:01 remaining in the third quarter.
Moses finished the game 34-of-51 for 370 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions. Duane Brooks caught nine passes for 107 yards. SFA was limited to minus-4 yards rushing.
Derek Domino led the Jackrabbit defense with eight tackles.
Jabar Williams led all players with 19 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, for SFA.
MINETT HONORED: Jackrabbit running back Kyle Minett was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his game-winning performance in SDSU's 50-48 come-from-behind victory over Stephen F. Austin (Texas) on Sept. 27.
A sophomore from Ruthton, Minn., Minett rushed a career-high 33 times for 103 yards and three second-half touchdowns, including the game-winning 1-yard TD on the final play of the game. Minett scored on runs of 5, 1 and 1 yards and also caught seven passes for 92 yards as SDSU rallied from a 34-6 third-quarter deficit. He has scored a touchdown in all five games this season.
LAST TIME VS. McNEESE: South Dakota State rallied for 14 points in the final five minutes of the game, including a 46-yard field goal by Parker Douglass with 14 seconds remaining, as the Jackrabbits pulled out a 20-17 victory over 16th-ranked McNeese State (La.), on Sept. 30, 2006, in Lake Charles, La.
Trailing 17-6 entering the fourth quarter, quarterback Andy Kardoes, who was shaken up in the second quarter, returned to the SDSU huddle and led the Jacks on a scoring drive capped by Douglass' third field goal, from 32 yards out.
The SDSU defense, which held McNeese to 61 yards of total offense in the second half, forced the Cowboys to punt on their next possession.
Kardoes then led another quick scoring drive as he scrambled for seven yards on the opening play of the drive and had another 15 yards tacked on after a personal foul penalty against the Cowboys. Kardoes then hooked up with JaRon Harris on a 40-yard bomb to the left corner of the end zone to pull the Jacks within two at 17-15.
With the Jacks going for the game-tying two-point conversion, Kardoes lofted a pass to Luke Greving to knot the game at 17-all.
SDSU clamped down on defense again, forcing another McNeese three-and-out. Taking over at their own 26 with no timeouts and 59 seconds left, the Jackrabbits moved into McNeese territory as Kardoes completed passes of 19 and 11 yards, respectively, to Harris and Chris Doblar. Anthony Watson then rushed for seven yards and Doblar added eight yards with another reception to the McNeese 29, setting up Douglass' heroics, which gave SDSU its first lead since 3-0 in the first quarter.
McNeese had taken a 10-7 lead in the second quarter on a Jamie Leonard 5-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys extended the lead to 17-6 as Chris Thomas capped a five-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard run.
McNeese was flagged for 19 penalties, costing the Cowboys 174 yards.
SCOUTING McNEESE: The McNeese State University football team ventures north for its first game against a Division I Football Championship Subdivision opponent this season.
The Cowboys, 2-1 overall, lost to Football Bowl Subdivision member North Carolina, 35-27, in the season opener, then posted convincing wins over NCAA Division II power Delta State (Miss.), 52-27, and NAIA squad Southern Virginia, 63-7.
Offensively, McNeese features a balanced attack that is averaging 47.3 points per game. The Cowboys have been especially efficient in the red zone, scoring on 11-of-12 opportunities, with 10 of those scores going on the board as touchdowns.
Junior quarterback Derrick Fourroux has completed 70.4 percent (38-of-54) of his passes this season, totaling 534 yards and six touchdowns against one interception. A three-year starter, Fourroux was a perfect 9-for-9 passing against Southern Virginia for 125 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, three Cowboy quarterbacks combined to go 12-for-12 for 196 yards and three TDs versus Southern Virginia.
Fourroux is protected by a senior-laden offensive line led by all-Southland Conference performers Eman Naghavi and Kyle Link. The Cowboys have allowed only one sack so far this season.
The offensive line also has cleared the way for a Cowboy rushing attack that is averaging 218.3 yards per game on the ground. Todd Pendland leads the running game with 256 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.0 yards per carry. Pendland also has been a threat in the passing game with seven receptions for 67 yards.
Backup Josh Wagner ran 19 times for 107 yards and two scores in his first action of the season against Southern Virginia.
The running game has allowed McNeese to hold nearly a 10-minute advantage in time of possession per game.
Steven Whitehead and Quinten Lawrence possess big-play capabilities from both their wide receiver and kick returning positions. Whitehead has caught a team-best 12 passes with two touchdowns, and is averaging 26.5 yards per kickoff return. Lawrence is averaging 18.8 yards on 10 receptions and returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown against North Carolina.
Also on special teams, Blake Bercegeay has handled both the place-kicking and punting duties for the Cowboys. A senior, Bercegeay is averaging 39.8 yards per punt, but has made only 1-of-3 field goal attempts.
Defensively, the Cowboys have forced nine turnovers in their first three games. Six different players have recorded interceptions, including returns for touchdowns by Darell Jenkins and Jamelle Juneau.
Deron Minor and Josh Quayhagen share the team lead with 16 tackles. Defensive lineman Vaalyn Jackson has tallied a team-best three tackles for loss, including a sack, while Jeremy Haynes has added eight total stops.
McNeese State has won 12 Southland Conference titles ? the most in league history ? since the conference's formation in 1964. The Cowboys have earned at least a share of the league title five of the last seven seasons, including winning outright titles each of the last two years.
Head coach Matt Viator, who took over midway through the 2006 season, has posted a 19-4 career record, including a 12-1 mark in Southland Conference action.
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 70-53 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.
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 Conerence 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 13,107 fans per game through two home dates.
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 posted back-to-back 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 last week at Stephen F. Austin.
The last Jackrabbit signal-caller to compile consecutive 300-yard games was Brad Nelson, who threw for 338 yards against Minnesota State, Mankato and 346 yards at South Dakota in 2003, en route to the SDSU single-season record of 3,141 yards. Through five games this season, Berry has thrown for 1,405 yards
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 11-7, and he has thrown a touchdown pass in 15 of those 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 4,322 yards and needs 342 to pass Shane Bouman (4,663 yards from 1988-91) for seventh place.
HARRIS MOVING UP: Senior wide receiver JaRon Harris cracked the top 10 in career receiving yards last week and will attempt to move into the Jackrabbit top 10 for career receptions Saturday versus McNeese State.
With 27 receptions and 369 receiving yards, Harris enters Saturday's matchup campaign with 109 career receptions for 1,644 yards. After topping the 100-reception mark for his career with a career-best nine receptions Sept. 20 at Northern Iowa, Harris needs three receptions to tie current Cleveland Browns tight end Steve Heiden (112 receptions from 1995-98) for 10th place in catches. He moved past Brock Beran (1,581 yards from 1997-2000) and Nate Millerbernd (1,605 yards from 1994-97) with his six-catch, 75-yard performance Sept. 27 at Stephen F. Austin.
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 with a team-best 27 receptions in 2008.
Wide receiver Glen Fox has tallied 27 catches, while posting back-to-back 100-yard receiving games the past two weeks. Running back Kyle Minett has added 27 receptions for 246 yards.
In addition, junior wide receiver Mike Steffen has contributed 15 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.
Minett has scored a touchdown in all five games this season, scoring twice on runs of 8 and 53 yards against Youngstown State.
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 eighth double-digit tackling performance of his career with 13 stops against Youngstown State (Ohio) on Sept. 6. He currently leads the team with 41 tackles through five 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 four 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 last week. Reserve defensive lineman Steven Bazata has been credited with 1.5 sacks, while Antonio Thompson, Brian Fischer and linebacker Isaiah Jackson each have one sack. Fischer's sack accounted for a safety versus Youngstown State.
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 41.8 yards on 20 punts. He has landed four 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 8-of-10 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 five games, also is 13-of-14 on extra-point tries this season.
A LOOK AHEAD: SDSU will have its lone bye week of the season next week, then return to home action Oct. 18 versus Cal Poly. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m.
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