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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jacks open home season with Illinois State
9/15/2010 5:43:00 PM | Football
The South Dakota State University football team opens the home portion of its 2010 schedule Saturday night, hosting Illinois State in the 15th Annual Cereal Bowl.
Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. A pre-game barbecue will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. directly south of the stadium. Barbecue tickets are $7 per person, with proceeds supporting scholarships in the SDSU Plant Science Department and Jackrabbit Athletics.
Saturday's matchup features two of the top three teams in the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll. SDSU, which was picked second, is 0-1 after dropping a 26-3 decision at nationally ranked Delaware in its season opener on Sept. 11. The Jackrabbits enter the week ranked 20th in the Sports Network poll and 21st in the FCS Coaches' poll.
Illinois State, which was tabbed third in the preseason poll, is 1-1 after splitting a pair of non-conference games to open the season. The Redbirds are receiving votes in both major national polls this week.
THE SERIES: The Jackrabbits lead the all-time series with Illinois State, 2-0, a rivalry that began when SDSU joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference at the start of the 2008 season.
SDSU won the initial meeting in the series, 52-21, behind a record-setting day by quarterback Ryan Berry on Nov. 8, 2008, at a blustery Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. Berry threw for a school- and MVFC-record seven touchdowns, including five in the first half. Glen Fox caught three touchdown passes and Colin Cochart added a pair of receiving touchdowns.
The Jackrabbits led 24-0 after one quarter and 38-14 at halftime.
Berry, who also set the SDSU career record for career touchdown passes in the game, finished the day 17-of-29 passing for 237 yards. Kyle Minett added 161 yards on the ground on 25 carries.
SDSU moved to 2-0 against the Redbirds with a 38-17 victory on Sept. 26, 2009, in Normal, Ill.
Minett, who earned MVFC Player of the Week honors, led a balanced Jackrabbit offensive attack with 146 yards on 21 carries. Quarterback Ryan Crawford completed 17-of-28 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns.
Illinois State led 10-7 before the Jackrabbits reeled off 31 consecutive points, book-ended by a pair of Minett touchdown runs. His 64-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter sealed the victory.
MEDIA 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 of select games are available for $11.95 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.
Local radio coverage Saturday begins on flagship station 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, with Tyler Merriam providing color commentary. The game also can be heard on the following Jackrabbit Sports Network stations, starting at 5:30 p.m.:
• Belle Fourche: KBFS 1450 AM
• Brookings: KJJQ 910 AM
• Mobridge: KOLY 1300 AM
• Pierre: KGFX 1060 AM
• Rapid City: KRKI 99.5 FM
• Watertown: KWAT 950 AM
ABOUT THE CEREAL BOWL: Saturday's game marks the 15th Cereal Bowl game to be played at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. Starting with a 28-17 victory over the University of South Dakota in the inaugural Cereal Bowl game in 1996, the Jackrabbits have compiled an 11-3 record in the game showcasing South Dakota State University's ties to agriculture.
Following are the scores from the previous 14 Cereal Bowl games:
1996: South Dakota W, 28-17
1997: North Dakota State W, 34-27
1998: South Dakota W, 24-10
1999: North Dakota State L, 7-28
2000: Wayne State (Neb.) W, 65-3
2001: Ferris State (Mich.) W, 34-24
2002: Chadron State (Neb.) W, 28-15
2003: Northwest Missouri St. W, 20-0
2004: Winona State (Minn.) W, 45-20
2005: Valparaiso (Ind.) W, 69-6
2006: Wisconsin-La Crosse L, 3-17
2007: Northern Iowa L, 17-31
2008: Youngstown St. (Ohio) W, 40-7
2009: Georgia Southern W, 44-6
The Cereal Bowl is SDSU's recognition of the state's commodity groups for their long and generous support in areas of research, scholarships and facilities to the state's Land-Grant institution. Commodity groups include:
• South Dakota Wheat Commission
• South Dakota Crop Improvement Association
• South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council
• South Dakota Corn Utilization Council
• South Dakota Oilseeds Council
HOME OPENERS: The Jackrabbits will attempt to win a home opener for the third year in a row. SDSU opened the 2008 campaign with a 40-7 drubbing of a convincing 44-6 home victory over Georgia Southern on Sept. 12, 2009.
In John Stiegelmeier's 13 previous seasons as head coach, SDSU is 10-3 in home openers, including an eight-game winning streak from 1998-2005. Overall, the Jackrabbits are 34-14 in home openers at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, including a 29-4 mark since 1977.
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 25-7 mark at CAS, including a 7-1 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.
Overall, SDSU has compiled a 158-98 record in 48 seasons at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
VALLEY PREVIEW: The Jackrabbits were picked to finish in second place in the 2010 Missouri Valley Football Conference race, according to a poll conducted by league coaches, sports information directors and media that was released in early August.
SDSU finished the 2009 season as league runner-up with a 7-1 conference record and 8-4 overall mark. SDSU made its first postseason appearance in 30 years and first as a member of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, falling to top-seeded Montana in the opening round.
Defending champion Southern Illinois was picked to repeat, gaining 30 of the 36 first-place votes to tally 313 points. SDSU was next with 252 points, including a pair of first-place votes, followed by Illinois State with 249 points and three first-place votes.
The middle third of the preseason poll consisted of Northern Iowa, fourth with 244 points and one first-place vote; Missouri State, fifth with 164 points, and North Dakota State, sixth with 151 points.
The bottom third of the poll included Youngstown State (130 points), Western Illinois (70) and Indiana State (47).
In addition, five Jackrabbit players were named to the MVFC Preseason Team. On offense, senior center Ryan McKnight and senior running back Kyle Minett were recognized.
A first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection in 2009, McKnight started all 12 games for the Jackrabbits' playoff-qualifying squad and was an integral part of an offense that averaged 27.8 points and 341.2 yards of total offense per game. Last week, the Sioux Falls native was named to the Sports Network Preseason All-America First Team.
Minett, a native of Ruthton, Minn., has been named to the Walter Payton Award watch list for the top offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision, as well as to the Sports Network Preseason All-America Third Team. Minett enters his senior season third among returning FCS backs and fourth on the SDSU career charts with 3,069 career rushing yards. A two-time second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection, he has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, rushing for 1,304 yards and 16 TDs last season, when he was named to the Associated Press All-America Third Team.
The defensive unit includes senior linebacker Derek Domino and senior strong safety Conrad Kjerstad.
Domino posted a team-high 100 tackles in 2009, earning first-team all-MVFC honors. The Spring Lake Park, Minn., native also shared the team lead with five interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
Kjerstad ranked third on the team with 81 tackles and shared team-high honors with five interceptions. A second-team all-league selection in 2009, the Wall native enters his senior season with 10 interceptions — four away from tying the SDSU career mark.
SDSU also was represented on special teams as senior punter Dean Priddy was named to the MVFC Preseason Team. An Eden Prairie, Minn., native, Priddy averaged a career-best 41.2 yards per punt in earning second-team all-MVFC honors. Priddy landed 19 of his 60 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line and notched eight punts of 50 yards or more.
Senior tight end Colin Cochart recevied honorable mention recognition. The team's top returning receiver, the Kewaunee, Wis., product led the team with five touchdown catches last season, while adding 26 receptions for 240 yards.
CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are four senior captains:
• Cole Brodie, defensive back, Dacula, Ga.;
• Conrad Kjerstad, defensive back, Wall;
• Ryan McKnight, offensive lineman, Sioux Falls;
• Kyle Minett, running back, Ruthton, Minn.
RABBITS RANKED: For the fourth year in a row, South Dakota State appeared in the preseason national rankings for the Football Championship Subdivision, checking in at No. 9 in the Sports Network/Fathead.com media poll and 10th in the FCS Coaches' poll.
Following the season-opening loss at Delaware, the Jackrabbits tumbled to No. 20 in the media poll and 21st in the coaches' poll.
The Jackrabbits began the 2009 season ranked 22nd in the Sports Network poll and 23rd in the preseason poll conducted by the Football Championship Subdivision coaches. SDSU climbed to as high as ninth in the national rankings before finishing the season 11th in both the media and coaches' polls.
In 2008, SDSU opened the season 19th in the Sports Network poll and 20th in the coaches' poll. When opening the 2007 season, the rankings were reversed as SDSU was 19th in the coaches' poll and 20th in the Sports Network rankings.
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 first six seasons at the FCS level, SDSU has played 30 games against ranked opponents and compiled a 9-21 overall record.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE: Illinois State enters Saturday's Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup with high expectations after an impressive end to the 2009 season.
Picked to finish third in the preseason MVFC poll, the Redbirds split a pair of non-conference games to open the 2010 season. Tonight's game will be Illinois State's first against an FCS opponent this season, pulling out a wild 55-54 victory over NCAA Division II member Central Missouri in the season opener on Sept. 2 before falling 37-3 at Big Ten member Northwestern (Ill.) on Sept. 11.
The Redbird offense put up 509 yards of total offense against Missouri State.
Overall, quarterback Matt Brown, the MVFC Freshman of the Year in 2009, has completed 69.2 percent (36-of-52) of his passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns this season. His NCAA efficiency rating stands at 151.01.
Brown's primary target has been Marvon Sanders, who has caught 10 passes for 130 yards. Sophomore Tyrone Walker has added seven receptions for 65 yards. In all, 11 different Redbird players have caught passes so far this season.
Running back Erik Smith, a transfer from Wisconsin, has been a dual threat out of the backfield. Smith leads the team with 118 rushing yards and is averaging 5.9 yards per carry. Smith also has caught seven passes for 56 yards.
Backup Ashton Leggett has rushed for 95 yards with an average of 5.6 yards per carry this season, while Clifton Gordon, the team's top returning running back has caught four passes out of the backfield for 85 yards and a touchdown that covered 54 yards.
The backs run behind an experienced offensive line anchored by junior Nick Bledsoe, a second-team all-MVFC performer last season. Starting tackles and seniors Dane Zumbahlen and Chris Riley also return.
Defensively, the Redbirds have struggled as they have allowed an average of 45.5 points and 519.5 yards per game through their first two contests. The pass defense has been of particular concern as Illinois State is allowing 409 yards per game, including 547 in the narrow victory over Central Missouri, and has given up eight passing touchdowns.
Junior linebacker Josh Howe leads the team with 22 tackles and has one of the squad's two interceptions on the season. Sophomore Austin Davis has contributed 21 tackles and a team-best four tackles for loss from his linebacking position, with Mike Zimmer adding 14 stops. Davis also has forced and recovered a fumble.
Returning starters Eric Brunner (10 tackles, one TFL) and Dave Rivas (1 tackle) form the interior of the defensive line.
In the secondary, senior Kelvyn Hemphill has played in 33 games — the most among any current Redbird on the depth chart — and has tallied four tackles from his cornerback position. He also has contributed as a kick returner.
At the opposite corner, freshman Marcus Harris has made one tackle and returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown against Central Missouri.
On special teams, senior Steven Fetzer has pulled double duty as kicker and punter. Fetzer is a perfect 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, with a long of 33 yards, and is averaging 39.5 yards per punt. Three of his 11 punts have landed inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
In the return game, Ben Ericksen is averaging 169 all-purpose yards per game. Ericksen returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown against Missouri State and is averaging 29.7 yards per return overall.
MINETT ON PAYTON LIST: South Dakota State University running back Kyle Minett is one of 20 players named to the preseason watch list for the 2010 Walter Payton Award, which is awarded to the top offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
A native of Ruthton, Minn., Minett entered his senior season third among returning FCS backs and fourth on the SDSU career charts with 3,069 career rushing yards, a total that climbed to 3,101 yards after a 14-carry, 32-yard performance in the season opener at Delaware. A two-time second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection, he has posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, rushing for 1,289 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2008 and 1,304 yards and 16 TDs last season. In addition, Minett has 79 career receptions for 720 yards and seven scores.
Minett, who was named to the Associated Press All-America Third Team in 2009, is the first SDSU football player to be nominated for the Walter Payton Award, which is sponsored by Fathead.com and presented by The Sports Network. The Walter Payton Award watch list will be updated on Oct. 4 and 25, with ballots sent to a panel of approximately 200 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries after the regular season on Nov. 22. Three finalists will be announced on Dec. 1 and invited to The Sports Network/Fathead FCS Awards Presentation Jan. 6 — the night before the FCS national championship game — in Frisco, Texas.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Three seniors on the South Dakota State University football team have been named to preseason All-America teams.
Center Ryan McKnight was named to the first team of preseason All-America squads selected by The Sports Network and College Sporting News. The 6-foot-1, 295-pound senior from Sioux Falls, was a first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection in 2009 after starting all 12 games for the Jackrabbits' playoff-qualifying squad and was an integral part of an offense that averaged 27.8 points and 341.2 yards of total offense per game.
Linebacker Derek Domino earned second-team recognition on the CSN squad. A native of Spring Lake Park, Minn., Domino also earned first-team all-MVFC recognition in 2009 after leading the squad with 100 tackles and sharing the team lead with five interceptions. Domino returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns.
Running back Kyle Minett was tabbed as a third-team selection by both The Sports Network and College Sporting News. In 2009, Minett was named to the Associated Press All-America Third Team.
PRIDDY PUNTING: Jackrabbit punter Dean Priddy put together a strong performance in the opening game of the season at Delaware. A senior from Eden Prairie, Minn., Priddy punted four times for an average of 55 yards, with a net punting average of 53.2 yards. His punts traveled 44, 72, 53 and 51 yards, with the 72-yarder a career long that pinned Delaware inside its own 5-yard line late in the first half.
For his efforts, Priddy received co-Punter of the Week recognition from College Football Performance Awards, sharing the honor with Mike Hammonds of Chattanooga (Tenn.).
KOOL CATCHING ON: Sophomore Tyrel Kool made a seamless transition to wide receiver as a he was a standout performer on offense for the Jackrabbits in their season opener at Delaware.
A converted running back, Kool caught a game-high nine passes for 107 yards in a
losing effort, including a leaping 44-yard reception in the fourth quarter. The Yankton native third on the team in rushing in 2009 with 96 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry. He also caught one pass for seven yards during his freshman season.
KJERSTAD CALLS IT QUITS: South Dakota State will play the 2010 season without one of its captains as senior strong safety Conrad Kjerstad has opted not to play due to a neck injury.
“I'm confident it's the right decision, but it isn't an easy one,” said the Wall native who shared the team lead with five interceptions and ranked third in tackles with 81 in earning second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference recognition during the Jackrabbits' playoff-qualifying season in 2009. He was a preseason all-MVFC pick this season.
Kjerstad was diagnosed with a degenerative spinal condition that worsened in recent months. He sat out most of fall camp, briefly participating in non-contact drills before informing the team of his decision last week. He will remain associated with the team as a student coach.
“Obviously we will miss his play-making ability; we will miss his leadership on the field,” head coach John Stiegelmeier said. “We're disappointed for him because he's worked so hard and accomplished so much.”
For his career, Kjerstad tallied 158 tackles and 10 interceptions. He also has excelled in the classroom, earning second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America recognition and being selected to the FCS Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.
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 Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
Overall, Coach Stig has led the Jackrabbits to an 83-61 record (.576 winning percentage). SDSU has posted eight consecutive winning seasons, including the school's first six campaigns at the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) level. The Jackrabbits have had a winning record in 11 of Stiegelmeier's 13 years as head coach, including six with seven or more victories.
The 2009 season proved to be a memorable one as Stiegelmeier led the Jackrabbits to their first FCS playoff appearance and the program's first postseason appearance in 30 years. The Jackrabbits finished as runner-up in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 7-1 record and finished the season 8-4 overall. SDSU led for much of its playoff game at top-seeded Montana, before falling 61-48 to the eventual national runner-up Grizzlies. Nationally ranked for the entire season, including appearing in the top 10 for two weeks, the Jackrabbits finished the 2009 campaign ranked 11th in both the FCS Coaches' and Sports Network media polls.
THE JACKRABBIT JOURNEY: Former South Dakota State University football player Casey Hillman is embarking on “The Jackrabbit Journey,” a walk across South Dakota to raise money and awareness for the Jackrabbit Athletic Endowment.
A Sioux Falls resident, Hillman began his journey through the Rushmore State in Deadwood on Sept. 4. During his journey he will log more than 400 miles on foot before ending his journey Saturday by walking into Coughlin-Alumni Stadium and presenting the game ball for the opening kickoff of the Jackrabbit football team's home opener against Illinois State.
Hillman lettered as a cornerback for the Jackrabbits from 1998-2001. He was a second-team all-North Central Conference selection in 1999, when he led the team with six interceptions.
Donations will be accepted online through the SDSU Foundation, or by calling (605) 688-6942. Funds should be designated for Athletics/Jackrabbit Club with “The Jackrabbit Journey” included in the comments section.
Following is the planned route:
Saturday, Sept. 4 - Deadwood to Nemo
Sunday, Sept. 5 - Nemo to Rapid City
Monday, Sept. 6 - Rapid City to New Underwood
Tuesday, Sept. 7 - New Underwood to Wall
Wednesday, Sept. 8 - Wall to Philip
Thursday, Sept. 9 - Philip to Midland
Friday, Sept. 10 - Midland to Hayes/Bad River Road area
Saturday, Sept. 11 - Hayes/Bad River Road to Pierre
Sunday, Sept. 12 - Day of rest in Pierre
Monday, Sept. 13 - Pierre to Harrold
Tuesday, Sept. 14 - Harrold to Miller
Wednesday, Sept. 15 - Miller to Huron
Thursday, Sept. 16 - Huron to De Smet
Friday, Sept. 17 - De Smet to Arlington
Saturday, Sept. 18 - Arlington to Brookings
ACADEMIC SUCCESS: The SDSU football team continued to gain conference and national recognition for its academic pursuits during the 2009 season.
Headlining the individual award winners were juniors Kyle Minett and Conrad Kjerstad, who received recognition on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Team within the University Division.
A running back from Ruthton, Minn., Minett was honored on the first team for the second consecutive year with a 3.60 grade-point average while majoring in economics.
Kjerstad, a safety from Wall, earned second-team honors with a 3.93 GPA in agricultural business. He later was named to the 12th annual Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.
Minett and Kjerstad were joined on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team by senior offensive lineman Casey Knips and punter Dean Priddy.
After leading the Missouri Valley Football Conference in team grade-point average during the 2008 season, the Jackrabbits posted a league-best 10 selections, including three first-team honorees, on the 2009 MVFC All-Academic Team, which was announced in December. It marked the fifth consecutive season SDSU led its football conference in all-academic picks.
The league also recognized 52 Jackrabbit players following the conclusion of the 2009-10 academic year on the MVFC Honor Roll for posting a GPA of 3.0 or better while being enrolled in at least 12 hours during the fall. Of those 52 players, 25 qualified for the Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award, which requires a minimum 3.2 GPA for each of the previous two semesters.
In addition, Tyler Duffy, Knips and Priddy received the Presidents Council Academic Award, which requires a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA and within 18 hours of graduation.
NEXT WEEK: The Jackrabbits will return to the road next week, traveling to Nebraska for their lone matchup of the season against a Football Bowl Subdivision team.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. The game will be televised on a pay-per-view basis. Check GoJacks.com for full details.
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