No. 9 Jacks move on to Youngstown State

10/28/2009 10:15:00 AM | Football

By: SDSU Sports Info

The South Dakota State University football team will put its undefeated league record and No. 9 national ranking on the line Saturday at Youngstown State in a key Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup.
Kickoff is slated for 4:07 p.m. Eastern Time (3:07 p.m. Central) at Stambaugh Stadium in Youngstown, Ohio.
The Jackrabbits enter the matchup tied atop the league standings with Southern Illinois at 5-0, following a 24-14 victory over then-sixth-ranked Northern Iowa last week. Overall, SDSU is 6-1 after putting together its second three-game winning streak of the season.
Youngstown State, meanwhile, comes into its homecoming game 4-3 overall and 2-2 in league play. The Penguins have alternated wins and losses in their last four games - all MVFC contests - and are coming off a 27-8 loss at Southern Illinois on Oct. 24.
SDSU will be in search of its first 7-1 start since 1963. That Jackrabbit squad lost the second game of the season at Nebraska, then reeled off eight consecutive victories to finish the season 9-1 and earn the North Central Conference title.
The last time the Jackrabbits opened the season with a 6-1 record was 1979, when SDSU made its lone postseason appearance, falling at Youngstown State, 50-7, in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs. SDSU's pursuit of a 7-1 start that season was thwarted with a 38-14 defeat at North Dakota State in Game 8.

THE SERIES: Saturday's matchup will mark the 11th meeting between SDSU and Youngstown State on the gridiron. The series dates back to 1942, when Youngstown State posted a 14-0 shutout in Brookings.
SDSU evened the series last season with a 40-7 victory on Sept. 6, 2008, at Coughlin-Alumni State in what was the Jackrabbits' inaugural Missouri Valley Football Conference game. It also was the first game between league opponents in the newly named Missouri Valley Football Conference.

TELEVISED GAME: Saturday's game has been selected as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Game of the Week and will be carried on a variety of television outlets.
Live coverage begins at 3 p.m. Central Time on Sioux Falls-based KDLT-TV, Comcast SportsNet Chicago (DirecTV Channel 665, Dish Network Channel 429) and MyYTV in Youngstown, Ohio. The game can be viewed on a tape-delayed basis at 10:30 p.m. Saturday on Fox College Sports Central and at 2 a.m. Sunday on Fox Sports Midwest.

ONLINE COVERAGE: Audio 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.
Radio coverage Saturday begins on WNAX 570 AM at 1:30 p.m. Central Time, with an expanded pre-game show. Steve Imming returns to call the play-by-play, with Tyler Merriam providing color commentary.

JACKRABBIT INSIDER: Throughout the 2009 football season, head coach John Stiegelmeier will be a guest on the "Jackrabbit Insider," a weekly behind-the-scenes look at South Dakota State University athletics.
The half-hour television show which features interviews with Jackrabbit coaches and student-athletes, airs Sundays at 10:35 p.m., following KSFY ActionNews. The show also can be viewed online at GoJacks.com.

ATTENDANCE UP: The Jackrabbits have drawn an average of 14,003 fans through their first four home games, with one more regular season games remaining at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium this season. Overall, SDSU ranks 12th in the Football Championship Subdivision for home attendance.
SDSU is on pace to shatter the single-season average attendance record of 11,218 set in 2007, when the Jackrabbits won the Great West Football Conference championship.
Eleven of the last 16 games played at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium have drawn crowds of more than 10,000 fans, including all seven games played in September over the last three seasons.

HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE: The South Dakota State University football team has enjoyed a home-field advantage at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium since making the move to the Football Championship Subdivision level.
Since joining the FCS ranks at the start of the 2004 season, the Jackrabbits have posted a 25-6 mark at CAS, including a perfect 7-0 record in Missouri Valley Football Conference games.
Lights were installed at CAS prior to the 2001 season and SDSU has turned in a 20-5 record in home night games.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are five senior captains:
*Danny Batten, defensive end, Gilbert, Ariz.;
*Glen Fox, wide receiver, Fairfax, Iowa;
*Chris Johnson, linebacker, Council Bluffs, Iowa;
*Nate Koskovich, offensive lineman, Kingsley, Iowa; and
*Jimmy Rogers, linebacker, Chandler, Ariz.

VALLEY PREVIEW: The South Dakota State University football team was picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference race, in a preseason poll announced in conjunction with the league's annual media day in July.
Defending co-champions Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois were voted as the top two teams. UNI garnered 26 of the 36 first-place votes to finish with 314 points, followed by SIU with nine first-place votes and 281 points. The Jackrabbits tallied 231 points, while North Dakota State picked up one first-place vote and 206 points to finish fourth in the poll.
Rounding out the poll were: Western Illinois, 174 points; Youngstown State, 171 points; Missouri State, 111 points; Illinois State, 90 points , and Indiana State, 42 points. The poll was tabulated on votes by league coaches, sports information directors and media representatives.
Individually, five SDSU players were named to the all-Missouri Valley Preseason Team. Seniors Danny Batten and Jimmy Rogers were honored on the defensive side of the ball, while junior running back Kyle Minett and senior wide receiver Glen Fox represented the offense. Kicker Peter Reifenrath completed the Jackrabbit contingent.
A defensive end from Gilbert, Ariz., Batten was a first-team all-MVC selection during the 2008 season, during which he recorded 75 tackles, including team bests with eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. Batten also has received second-team preseason All-America honors from the Sports Network and has been named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
Rogers, a linebacker from Chandler, Ariz., has led the team in tackles each of the past two seasons, including 93 in 2008, when he earned second-team all-conference honors.
Minett, a Ruthton, Minn., native, was a dual threat in the backfield for the Jackrabbits in 2008, leading the team with 1,289 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, while adding 44 receptions for 415 yards and four scores. Six times Minett topped the 100-yard mark in earning second-team all-MVFC recognition last season.
Fox is the team's top returning wide receiver, recording 66 receptions for 792 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008. The Fairfax, Iowa, native was a second-team all-conference pick last season.
Reifenrath was a pleasant surprise for the Jackrabbits in 2008, earning second-team all-MVFC recognition after converting 16-of-22 field goal attempts. A junior from Decorah, Iowa, Reifenrath was 5-of-7 on field goals 40 yards or longer en route to 84 total points.

RABBITS RANKED: For the third year in a row, South Dakota State appeared in the preseason national rankings for the Football Championship Subdivision.
The Jackrabbits began the season ranked 22nd in the Sports Network poll and 23rd in the preseason poll conducted by the Football Championship Subdivision coaches. SDSU has since achieved its highest ranking in a national poll, climbing to ninth in both the Sports Network and FCS Coaches' polls this week. The Jackrabbits moved up two spots in the Sports Network poll and four spots in the coaches' poll.
Last season, SDSU was 19th in the Sports Network preseason poll and 20th in the coaches' poll. The Jackrabbits climbed to their highest FCS ranking - 12th - before falling to Northern Iowa in late September.
Following is a week-by-week look at the Jackrabbits in the 2009 polls:

VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: Playing a ranked opponent is nothing new for the Jackrabbit football team, which has taken on some of the nation's elite FCS programs since moving up from Division I at the start of the 2004 season.
In its five-plus seasons at the FCS level, SDSU has played 27 games against ranked opponents and compiled a 9-18 overall record.
Last week's game versus Northern Iowa marked the Jackrabbits' first win over a ranked opponent this season.

SCOUTING YOUNGSTOWN STATE: Youngstown State will attempt to keep its playoff hopes alive as it faces a top-10 opponent for the second consecutive week.
Last week, the Penguins dropped a 24-8 decision at third-ranked Southern Illinois to drop to 2-2 in league play and 4-3 overall. Youngstown State is receiving votes in the Sports Network poll this week.
YSU leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in pass defense at 167.1 yards allowed per game, and is ranked second in the league for total defense — behind SDSU — as it allows an average of 289.3 yards per game.
Strong safety Sir Demarco Bledsoe leads the team with with 57 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, and also holds the team lead with four pass breakups. Linebackers Deonta Tate and Na'eem Outler rank second and third in stops with 34 and 33, respectively.
The Penguins have regained the services of All-America defensive lineman Mychal Savage, who missed most of the 2008 season due to injury. Savage has posted 25 tackles so far this season, including recording team highs with seven tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Lenny Wicks has two of the team's nine interceptions and has added 24 tackles.
The 24 points scored by Southern Illinois last week was the highest point total the Penguins had given up since a 38-3 loss to Pittsburgh (Pa.) in the season opener Sept. 5.
Offensively, Youngstown State features a balanced attack. The running game has been paced by Kevin Smith, who has gained a team-best 555 yards and scored three touchdowns. Dana Brown has added 263 yards on the ground.
Quarterback Brandon Summers has completed 63.4 percent (130-of-205) of his passes for 1,379 yards. He has thrown 11 touchdown passes this season, but also has been intercepted 11 times. Summers can be a dual threat offensively as he has a 73-yard run to his credit this year.
Summers throws to a talented group of receivers, three of whom have 20 or more catches this season. Donald Jones ranks secondin the league with 49 receptions — an average of seven per game — for 510 yards and four touchdowns. Dominique Barnes has tallied 38 catches for 428 yards and four scores, while also leading the team in kickoff returns.
Aaron Pitts rounds out the trio of receivers with 20 catches for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
Punter Ben Nowicki has averaged a solid 41.1 yards per attempt this season, while kicker Stephen Blose is 4-for-9 on field goals. Blose kick a career-best 48-yarder to account for the Penguins' points in the loss to Pittsburgh.

LAST MEETING: South Dakota State opened Missouri Valley Football Conference play with a convincing 40-7 victory over 14th-ranked Youngstown State (Ohio) in the 13th Annual Cereal Bowl on Sept. 6, 2008.
The game was played before a Cereal Bowl-record crowd of 11,832.
SDSU set the tone offensively on the first play from scrimmage as quarterback Ryan Berry hooked up with tight end Colin Cochart on a 34-yard pass play to put the Jackrabbits inside the YSU 30-yard line. The Jackrabbit drive stalled inside the 5 before settling for a 20-yard field goal by Peter Reifenrath.
The Jackrabbit defense also made its mark early as Brock Campbell intercepted a pass on the Penguins' first possession and returned the ball 14 yards to the Jackrabbit 42. Five plays later, Berry scored on a quarterback keeper from a yard out to make the score 10-0 with 7:05 remaining in the first quarter. Berry and Cochart again hooked up on a long pass play — this time for 47 yards — to set up the touchdown.
SDSU began to turn the game into a rout early in the second quarter. On the second play of the period, Berry found JaRon Harris behind the Penguin defense for a 34-yard touchdown.
The Jackrabbit defense then got into the scoring act as Brian Fischer sacked quarterback Brandon Summers in the end zone for a safety.
After taking over at midfield after the free kick, SDSU marched 50 yards on eight plays to build the lead to 27-0 going into halftime. Kyle Minett scored on an 8-yard run and added the two-point conversion.
SDSU limited the Penguins to two first downs in the first half and four punts.
Youngstown State put together its only scoring drive of the game on the opening possession of the second half. Jabari Scott capped a methodical 14-play, 74-yard drive with a 2-yard run.
However, the Jackrabbits took little time to answer as Minett scored from 53 yards out on the second play of the drive. The sophomore running back from Ruthton, Minn., posted his third career 100-yard game and second this season with 14 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught a game-high six passes for 65 yards.
Tyler Duffy capped the scoring in the fourth quarter with an 8-yard run.
Berry ended the night 19-of-30 passing for 319 yards and a touchdown. As a team, the Jackrabbits had a 301-yard margin, rolling up 506 yards of total offense, compared to 205 by YSU.
Jimmy Rogers led the Jackrabbit defense with 13 tackles. Conrad Kjerstad added nine stops and a pair of interceptions.
Scott led the YSU running game with 64 yards on 10 carries. Summers completed 9-of-17 passes for 60 yards, with Todd Rowan adding 6-of-10 passing for 38 yards. Derrick Bush caught four passes for 38 yards.

LAST WEEK: South Dakota State continued its home mastery of Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents, defeating sixth-ranked Northern Iowa 24-14 Oct. 24 at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
A Hobo Day crowd of 15,523 — the fourth-largest in stadium history — watched as the 11th-ranked Jackrabbits improved to 6-1 overall and kept pace with Southern Illinois atop the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings at 5-0. SDSU also stayed perfect at home against league opponents since joining the league last season, upping its record to 7-0.
UNI dropped its second consecutive game, falling to 5-3 overall, 3-2 in league play.
SDSU took advantage of early Panther mistakes to build an early lead. On the first play from scrimmage, UNI fumbled the handoff, with Jackrabbit linebacker Jimmy Rogers falling on the loose ball at UNI 37. Seven plays later, Peter Reifenrath put the Jackrabbits on the board at the 12with a 23-yard field goal.
After a short UNI punt gave SDSU the ball in Panther territory, Reifenrath capped a nine-play, 40-yard drive with a 26-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter to put the Jackrabbits up 6-0.
UNI posted the first touchdown of the game at the 6:21 mark of the second quarter, marching 80 yards on 12 plays. Walter Payton Award nominee Pat Grace finished off the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.
After the Panthers turned the ball over for the third time in the first half, SDSU appeared on the verge of taking a halftime lead. Taking over at the UNI 24 following an interception by Jake Steffen, SDSU moved to the 2-yard line before Kyle Minett was stripped of the ball by L.J. Fort.
SDSU regained the lead on its second possession of the first half. On the first play of the drive, redshirt freshman quarterback Thomas O'Brien hooked up with Glen Fox down the left sideline for a 63-yard scoring strike. The touchdown was the longest passing play of the season for the Jackrabbits, who made the score 14-7 as O'Brien connected with Colin Cochart on the two-point conversion.
UNI came back with another 80-yard scoring drive. The Panthers needed only six plays before Grace again found paydirt, this time from two yards out with 9:20 to play in the third quarter.
The rest of the game belonged to the Jackrabbits, who responded by taking the lead for good on their next possession. Kyle Harris, who missed earlier from 50 yards, connected from 49 yards out with 5:03 left in the third quarter to cap a 10-play, 46-yard drive.The Jackrabbits put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter with their longest scoring drive of the season. After taking over on their own 7-yard line, O'Brien led the Jackrabbits on the 10-play march by completing 5-of-6 passes for 32 yards and Kyle Minett broke off a 59-yard run to set SDSU up first-and-goal a thte UNI 3. After Minett gained two yards on a pair of carries, O'Brien found Cochart for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 3:43 remaining.
SDSU, which came into the game with the top scoring defense in the Football Championship Subdivision, held UNI off the board the rest of the way. Over their final four possessions, the Panthers were forced to punt twice, turned the ball over on downs and had the clock run out.
Derek Domino led the Jackrabbits with 11 tackles, with Chris Johnson adding seven.
O'Brien finished the game 26-of-37 passing for 285 yards and two touchdowns — all career highs. The Winona, Minn., native connected with eight different receivers, including Fox, who caught five passes for 99 yards. Mike Steffen and Saunders Montague added five receptions each for SDSU, gaining 59 and 37 yards, respectively.
Minett posted the 12th 100-yard game of his career and fifth this season, gaining 105 yards on 22 carries.
For UNI, Grace ended the afternoon 21-of-38 passing for 215 yards and was intercepted twice. Carlos Anderson gained 79 yards on 13 carries, while D.P. Eyman recorded nine catches for 76 yards.
SDSU held a 429-327 advantage in total yards despite running two fewer plays, 72-70, than the Panthers.
UNI was led defensively by Josh Mahoney with 11 tackles. Quentin Scott made 10 stops.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: For the fourth time this season, the South Dakota State University football team has had two players honored as Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week following a Jackrabbit victory.
Honored following SDSU's 24-14 Hobo Day victory over Northern Iowa on Oct. 24 were special teams player of the week Kyle Harris and offensive lineman of the week Ryan McKnight.
A sophomore kicker from Florissant, Mo., Harris booted a go-ahead 49-yard field goal in the third quarter. He also kept UNI's kickoff return unit in check, recording two touchbacks and notching a tackle on the opening kickoff. Harris also was honored by the league after the Jackrabbits' season-opening win over Georgia Southern on Sept. 12.
McKnight, a junior center from Sioux Falls, led an offensive line that paved the way for 429 yards of total offense against UNI. SDSU did not allow a sack in 37 passing attempts and averaged 6.1 yards per play.
Other MVFC players of the week this season include:
• Sept. 12 vs. Georgia Southern: Kyle Harris (special teams), Derek Domino (defense);
• Sept. 26 at Illinois State: Kyle Minett (offense), Jake Steffen (defense);
• Oct. 10 at Missouri State: General Parnell (defense), Dean Priddy (special teams)

TOP-10 DEFENSE: South Dakota State enters Saturday's game leading the Missouri Valley Football Conference in a number of defensive statistical categories.
The Jackrabbits have allowed an average of only 12.57 points in their first seven games of the season, a figure that also ranks fifth in the Football Championship Subdivision. SDSU has outscored the opposition by a 65-10 margin in the third quarters of games in 2009.
In addition, SDSU leads the MVFC in rushing defense (92.3 yards per game), pass efficiency defense (91.68) and total defense (275.43 ypg).
While ranking third nationally in pass efficiency defense, the Jackrabbits also rank in a tie for fifth with 13 interceptions.

THIRD-DOWN EFFICIENCY: A key to the Jackrabbits' success on offense this season has been the team's ability to convert on third down.
Through seven games, SDSU has converted 41.49 percent (39-of-94) of its third-down attempts, ranking 29th in the Football Championship Subdivision. Three of the five touchdowns the Jackrabbits scored Sept. 26 at Illinois State came on third-down plays, including Kyle Minett's 64-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter on a third-and-13 play. Minett's first touchdown of the game, an 11-yard run in the second quarter, was set up by SDSU converting on third-and-8 and third-and-9 earlier in the drive.
All three of the Jackrabbits' touchdowns at Missouri State came on third down, including a 23-yard pass from Thomas O'Brien to Saunders Montague on a third-and-16 play in the first quarter.

LIMITING MISTAKES: The Jackrabbits enter Saturday's matchup against Youngstown State as the least-penalized team in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
SDSU has committed only 28 penalties this season — an average of four per game — to rank third in the Football Championship Subdivision for fewest penalties. In addition, the Jackrabbits rank 12th for fewest penalty yards with an average of 40.57 yards per game.
The Jackrabbits also have won the turnover battle so far this season, recording eight more takeaways than their opponents, 15-7. SDSU has turned the ball over offensively only once in the last three games, after committing a season-high three turnovers in its lone loss of the season, Oct. 3 at Cal Poly.

BATTEN ON BUCHANAN LIST: South Dakota State University defensive end Danny Batten remains on the watch list for the Division I Football Championship Subdivision's top defensive player.
A senior from Gilbert, Ariz., Batten was one of 20 players to be considered on the preseason watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented by the Sports Network. The watch list will be revised again in November before the final ballot is announced.
Voting from a panel of FCS sports information directors, writers, broadcasters and other football experts will be conducted after the regular season ends. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 30 and will be invited to the 23rd annual Sports Network Awards banquet on Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, Tenn., the night before the NCAA Division I championship game. The Walter Payton Award and the Eddie Robinson Award will also be presented that evening.
Batten stepped into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2006 and has started 40 of the 41 games he has played. He earned honorable mention All-America recognition each of the past two seasons while earning first-team all-Great West Football Conference honors in 2007 and first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference accolades in 2008. Batten ranked fourth on the team with 75 total tackles in 2008 and led the team with eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
He currently ranks fourth on the team with 45 tackles, while leading the squad with 11.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.The Northern Iowa game was the first game this season in which he did not record a tackle for loss.
Besides being named to the preseason Buchanan watch list, Batten has been chosen as a second-team preseason All-American by both the Sports Network and College Sporting News.

MINETT LEADS RUNNING GAME: Junior Kyle Minett is again handling the bulk of the duties at running back for South Dakota State this season.
Last season, Minett earned second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors after ranking second in the league with 1,289 yards rushing — an average of 107.4 yards per game. His rushing total was the sixth highest in school history and the most by a Jackrabbit at the FCS level.
After tallying 799 yards in the first seven games of the 2009 season, Minett enters this weekend with 2,564 career rushing yards. He cracked the Jackrabbit top 10 for career rushing Sept. 26 at Illinois State, and has since moved into seventh place after passing Rick Wegher (2,293 yards from 1981-84) Oct. 10 at Missouri State. Minett needs 35 yards to pass Darwin Gonnerman (2,598 yards from 1966-68) to take over sixth place.
Minett has posted 12 career 100-yard games, including five times this season and each of the last three games. He currently ranks fourth in the Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 114.1 yards per game.
In addition, Minett posted the third-highest point total in school history with 112, scoring 18 touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions in 2008. Four of his touchdowns came through the air, ranking third on the team with 44 receptions for 415 yards.
He has scored 36 career touchdowns — 29 rushing and seven receiving — and currently ranks in a tie for seventh in scoring this season with an average of 9.43 points per game despite having his streak of 11 consecutive games in which he scored a touchdown snapped last week against Northern Iowa.
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.

FOX TOPS CENTURY MARK: Senior wide receiver Glen Fox reached a career milestone in the Sept. 19 game against Indiana State as he recorded the 100th reception of his career.
By recording a team-best 36 receptions through the first six games, Fox has moved into seventh place on the Jackrabbit career receptions chart with 126. He needs one reception to tie Dennis Thomas (127 receptions from 1982-85) for sixth place and two catches to match Darren Baartman's fifth-place total 128 receptions from 1988-91.
In addition, Fox reached 1,500 career receiving yards in the Oct. 24 Hobo Day victory over Northern Iowa, recording a season-best 99 yards on five receptions, including a 63-yard touchdown. The scoring strike was the longest passing play of the season for SDSU.
Fox played in the Jackrabbit secondary and on special teams during his freshman season in 2006.

CRAWFORD BACK AT THE HELM: Senior Ryan Crawford made a successful first career start in the Sept. 12 season opener against Georgia Southern, completing 15-of-21 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Crawford's totals for completions and attempts matched his career totals entering the season.
The Outstanding Player of the 43rd Annual Beef Bowl, Crawford completed 21-of-27 passes for a career-high 239 yards and two touchdowns in the Sept. 19 game versus Indiana State. He went 70 pass attempts before throwing his first collegiate interception, which came on his first attempt of the fourth quarter against the Sycamores.
Crawford currently has a passing efficiency rating of 157.51 this season, and has completed 67.4 percent of his passes this season and 68.2 percent for his career.
Crawford, who suffered a knee injury at Cal Poly and missed the last three games, could return to action this Saturday at Youngstown State. Redshirt freshman Thomas O'Brien has started the last three games in place of Crawford.
A senior from Oro Valley, Ariz., Crawford entered fall camp as the quarterback with the most experience in a Jackrabbit uniform. During the 2008 season, Crawford played in six games and completed 14-of-20 passes — 70 percent — for 106 yards and one touchdown. His most extensive playing time came in the season finale at North Dakota State as he stepped in for an injured Ryan Berry and completed 10-of-13 passes for 50 yards and a score.
Junior transfer Lee Mondol and freshman Mike Whittier also were in competition for the starting nod in fall camp.

O'BRIEN BACKS UP: Redshirt freshman Thomas O'Brien has helped lead the Jackrabbits to victories in each of his first three career starts while playing in place of an injured Ryan Crawford.
In wins over Missouri State, North Dakota State and Northern Iowa, O'Brien completed a combined 53-of-79 passes — 67.1 percent — for 615 yards and four touchdowns. His best outing came Oct. 24 against Northern Iowa as he set career highs with 26 completions on 37 attempts for 285 yards and two touchdowns.
O'Brien did not throw an interception in any of his three starts and his quarterback efficiency rating was 149.19.

STEFFENS STEP UP: The Jackrabbits have received solid contributions this season from brothers and Mount Vernon natives Mike and Jake Steffen.
Mike Steffen posted career highs with 98 receiving yards — on four receptions — and two touchdowns from his wide receiver position in the season opener against Georgia Southern. Both of his touchdowns came in the third quarter, covering four and 62 yards. The 62-yard scoring play was the longest reception of his career. He added five receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown Sept. 19 versus Indiana State, then posted seven catches for 90 yards at Illinois State last week. He currently leads the team in receiving yards with 514 — an average of 17.7 yards per catch — and shares the team lead with three touchdown receptions.
Jake Steffen made his first career start against Georgia Southern and contributed four tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack. He also was credited with two quarterback hurries. He currently ranks second on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and is third with two sacks, despite missing two games due to a knee injury. He returned to the starting lineup in the Oct. 24 Hobo Day victory over Northern Iowa and recorded his second interception of the season.

TOP TACKLERS RETURN: An experienced Jackrabbit defense returns its top eight tacklers from a year ago. The top three tacklers are the team's starters at linebacker: Jimmy Rogers (93 tackles), Chris Johnson (82 tackles) and Derek Domino (80 tackles).
Also returning are defensive end Danny Batten (75 tackles), linebacker Isaiah Jackson (63), safety Conrad Kjerstad (51) and cornerbacks Cole Brodie (47) and General Parnell (45).

OH, DOMINO: Junior linebacker Derek Domino has emerged as the team's leading tackler in recent weeks.
A junior from Spring Lake Park, Minn., Domino has tallied 60 tackles so far this season and has recorded four games with double figures for tackles. Domino notched a career-high 12 tackles in consecutive weeks, helping the Jackrabbits to league victories over Missouri State and North Dakota State.
In addition, Domino ranks in a tie for second on the team with three interceptions. He picked off two passes Oct. 17 against North Dakota State, returning his first interception of the game 16 yards for a touchdown.
Last season, Domino returned an interception 82 yards for a touchdown in the Hobo Day game against McNeese State (La.).

KNIPS SEMIFINALIST FOR CAMPBELL TROPHY: Jackrabbit offensive lineman Casey Knips has been named a semifinalist for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy, officials from the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced earlier this month.
A senior offensive tackle from Adrian, Minn., Knips is in his second season as a regular starter for the nationally ranked Jackrabbits. He is one of 37 players from the Division I Football Championship Subdivision — and one of 154 players from all divisions of college football to be named a semifinalist.
Nominees must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
Formerly the Draddy Trophy, the award was renamed this fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit and a former player and head coach at Columbia University (N.Y.).
The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 29. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2009 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000, will be announced live at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on December 8 at the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
Last season, Jackrabbit quarterback Ryan Berry became the first SDSU player to be named a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.

COACH STIG: John Stiegelmeier has built the South Dakota State University football team into a consistent winner and a program on the rise in the ranks of the Football Championship Subdivision.
Overall, Coach Stig has led the Jackrabbits to an 81-57 record (.587 winning percentage). With its win last week agianst Northern Iowa, SDSU has secured its eighth consecutive winning season, a streak that includes all six seasons at the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) level. The Jackrabbits have had a winning record in 11 of his 13 years as head coach, including five with seven or more victories.
Stiegelmeier, 52, is the 20th head coach for the Jackrabbits. His tenure of 13 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.

HOMETOWN CONNECTION: SDSU has used the services of home-grown talent the past few seasons.
In 2009, five Jackrabbit players hail from Brookings: senior running back Jordan Paula, junior running back Tyler Duffy, redshirt freshman wide receiver Dan Schmidt, freshman offensive lineman Alex Parker and freshman running back Mason Winterboer.

A LOOK AHEAD: SDSU closes out the home portion of its schedule Nov. 7 against Southern Illinois in a game that will likely play a major role in determining the Missouri Valley Football Conference champion.
Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.