Jackrabbits fend off WIU in Beef Bowl

Saturday, October 9

Brookings, S.D.

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

1-4 , 1-2

Western Illinois

4-2 , 2-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Western Illinois	0	7	7	15	29
South Dakota State	0	7	7	19	33

10/9/2010 11:54:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

South Dakota State scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner on a 13-yard pass from Thomas O'Brien to Colin Cochart with 1 minute, 36 seconds remaining, to lift the Jackrabbits to a 33-29 victory over 20th-ranked Western Illinois Saturday night at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

Playing before a Beef Bowl crowd of 11,353, SDSU picked up its first win of the season, improving to 1-4 overall and 1-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Leathernecks dropped to 4-2 overall, 2-1 in league play.

Western Illinois missed out on a pair of potential scoring opportunities in the first quarter, missing a 27-yard field goal on its opening drive and being stopped on a fourth-down play from the SDSU 24 on its next possession.

The Jackrabbits capitalized after taking over on downs, marching 75 yards on 12 plays before Kyle Minett crossed the goal line from 2 yards outs. For Minett, it was his first touchdown of the season and the first first-half score by SDSU this season.

WIU knotted the game at 7-all in the final minute of the first half as Lito Senatus caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Matt Barr to cap an eight-play, 93-yard drive that took only 1:28 off the clock. A screen pass from Barr to Bryce Flowers on third-and-15 covered 35 yards and kept the drive alive as the Leathernecks moved into SDSU territory.

Minett, who topped the 100-yard mark for the fourth consecutive game and 18th time in his career, gave the Jackrabbits the lead midway through the third quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run.

The Fighting Leathernecks came right back to tie the game on a 9-yard pass from Barr to Senatus with 3:37 remaining in the third quarter, then took the lead on the second play of the fourth quarter as Terriun Crump broke through the Jackrabbit defense on a 46-yard pass play from Barr.

Crump ended the night with 10 catches for 183 yards, with Senatus adding 10 receptions for 125 yards.

SDSU answered behind the passing of O'Brien and running of backup running back Tyler Duffy. O'Brien completed all three pass attempts for 51 yards and Duffy gained the other 31 yards on the 10-play drive, including a 1-yard leap into the end zone. However, a low snap on the point-after try prevented the Jackrabbits from tying the game.

The Jackrabbit defense held on the next WIU possession and the special teams unit came up big as Cole Brodie put SDSU at the Leatherneck 22 with a 35-yard punt return. Five plays later, Minett scored his third touchdown of the night, from 2 yards out, with 6:54 to play. SDSU missed the two-point conversion to keep the score at 26-21.

Once again, WIU answered to take the lead. Bryce Flowers recorded gains of 14 and 16 yards to move the ball deep into Jackrabbit territory before Barr connected with Josh Gableman on a 4-yard scoring strike. The Leathernecks converted the two-point conversion to go up 29-26.

Brodie again came through on special teams, returning the ensuing kickoff 32 yards and had another 15 yards tacked on by a personal foul penalty to give the Jackrabbits the ball at their own 47 with 4:23 to play. Minett ground out 18 yards before O'Brien connected with Tyrel Kool for another 18 yards to put the ball at the WIU 17. On second down, O'Brien found Cochart across the middle for the decisive score.

Western Illinois wasn't done, however. Barr converted a fourth-and-10 with a 20-yard scramble to the Leatherneck 34 and moved into SDSU territory on an 18-yard pass to Senatus. On first-and-10 from the Jackrabbit 36, Corey Jeske sacked Barr for a loss of 19 yards. WIU got the ball back to the SDSU 32, but Barr's last-second pass to the end zone was knocked down by Chris Tracy to seal the victory for the Jackrabbits.

Barr accounted for 382 of Western Illinois' 542 yards of total offense, completing 26-of-44 passes for 351 yards and four touchdowns, and adding 31 yards on 12 carries. Flowers led the Leathernecks with 91 yards on 13 carries.

For SDSU, Minett finished the game with a season-high 143 yards on 26 carries. Duffy added career highs of 15 carries and 76 yards.

Kool led the Jackrabbit receivers with seven catches for 85 yards. O'Brien ended the night 18-of-28 passing for 206 yards.

Defensively, Jeske led the Jackrabbits with a career-high 17 tackles. Darryl Jackson added nine stops.

Kyle Glazier led all players with 21 tackles for Western Illinois.

SDSU continues league play Oct. 16 at Southern Illinois. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. in Carbondale, Ill.

NOTES: The all-time series is tied at four games apiece, with SDSU winning the last three meetings ... six of the eight meetings between SDSU and WIU have been decided by seven points or less ... O'Brien was 5-of-6 passing for 82 yards in the fourth quarter ... the Jackrabbits did not allow a sack for the third consecutive game ... Minett upped his career rushing total to 3,613 yards, moving with 100 yards of passing Anthony Watson (3,712 yards from 2003-06) for second place on the SDSU career charts ... Minett was named the Outstanding Player of the Beef Bowl for the second time (2007, 2010) ... SDSU improved to 25-19 in Beef Bowl games, extending its winning streak to five ... the Jackrabbits were 7-of-12 on third-down attempts and scored all five times they entered the red zone .. SDSU tallied 378 yards of total offense, including a season-best 172 on the ground ... SDSU improved to 10-22 against ranked FCS opponents since joining the subdivision at the start of the 2004 season ... every league team has at least one loss in conference play as both Northern Iowa and Western Illinois lost on Saturday