Jacks return to league play at UNI

BROOKINGS, S.D. — Two teams seeking to end losing streaks and position themselves in the thick of the Missouri Valley Football Conference race square off Saturday, when Northern Iowa hosts South Dakota State.
Kickoff is set for 4:05 p.m. at the UNI-Dome on the Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls.
The Panthers, ranked 17th in this week's Sports Network/Fathead.com media poll and 22nd in the FCS coaches' poll, enter the matchup with a 1-2 overall record. After a season-opening win against Missouri Valley Football Conference rival North Dakota State on Sept. 11, UNI has dropped its last two games. The Panthers dropped a 22-20 home decision to No. 6 Stephen F. Austin (Texas) on Sept. 18, before falling 27-0 at Iowa State last weekend.
SDSU, meanwhile, is in search of its first win. The Jackrabbits are 0-3, including an 0-1 mark in conference play. SDSU also lost to a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent from the Big 12 Conference last weekend, falling 17-3 at nationally ranked Nebraska on Sept. 25.

THE SERIES: Saturday's matchup will mark the 45th meeting between SDSU and UNI on the gridiron. The two squads met regularly from the time the series started in 1935 until UNI (formerly Iowa Teachers College) left the North Central Conference in the late 1970s to join the Division I ranks.
UNI holds a 25-17-2 advantage in the series, although the Jackrabbits claimed a 24-14 victory at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium in 2009. Previously, SDSU's last victory in the series was a 14-7 home victory during the 1979 season.
The Panthers had won the first three meetings since the rivalry resumed in 2006, including a 34-20 victory during the 2008 season in Cedar Falls, Iowa. SDSU's last victory at the UNI-Dome was a 10-9 decision in 1978.

MEDIA 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 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 2:30 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 3:30 p.m. CT:
• 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
Saturday's game also is scheduled to be televised on the Mediacom cable system (Channel 10). Coverage begins at 4 p.m.

JACKRABBIT INSIDER: Throughout the 2010 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 10:30 p.m. on Sioux Falls-based KTTW FOX 7. The show is also broadcast on FOX Sports North at 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and on FOX College Sports Central at 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Online, the show can be viewed at GoJacks.com.

SLOW STARTS: South Dakota State's 0-3 start to the 2010 campaign marks the third time in five seasons the Jackrabbits have gone winless through their first three games.
In both 2006 and 2007, SDSU rebounded to contend for conference titles. The 2006 squad reeled off seven consecutive victories after an 0-3 start to set up a showdown with North Dakota State for the Great West Football Conference championship — a game the Bison eventually won 41-28 at the Fargodome.
In 2007, the Jackrabbits won six of their final seven games, including their final five contests, to claim the GWFC title. SDSU defeated previously unbeaten North Dakota State, 29-24, in the season finale to win their first league title in football in 44 years.
The last time SDSU started the season 0-4 was in 1969, en route to a 3-7 mark in Dave Kragthorpe's only season as head coach.

SLOW STARTS, PART II: The Jackrabbits have yet to produce any points in the first halves of games so far this season. Through the first three games, SDSU has been outscored 51-0 in the first half.
The Jackrabbits hold a 20-16 scoring advantage in the second half of games, allowing only one touchdown.

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 25-8 mark at CAS, including a 7-2 record in Missouri Valley Football Conference games.
Lights were installed at CAS prior to the 2001 season and SDSU has turned in a 20-6 record in home night games.
Overall, SDSU has compiled a 158-99 record in 49 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 included 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, but has since suffered a career-ending injury.
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 back-to-back losses to start the season, the Jackrabbits fell out of the top 25, but remain among the top teams receiving votes in both polls.
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 Football Championship Subdivision 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 FCS opponents and compiled a 9-21 overall record.

WORKING OVERTIME: Since overtime rules were implemented in college football in 1996, the Jackrabbits have played five overtime games. SDSU won its first-ever overtime contest, a 30-27, double-overtime decision on Hobo Day against Nebraska-Omaha, but has lost its last four extended games.
Following is a history of SDSU's overtime games:
• Oct. 17, 1998 vs. Nebraska-Omaha    W, 30-27        2 OT
• Oct. 19, 2002, at Augustana (S.D.)    L, 33-39        3 OT
• Nov. 13, 2004, at Southern Utah        L, 17-23        2 OT
• Aug. 30, 2007, at Western Illinois        L, 26-39        4 OT
• Oct. 4, 2008, vs. McNeese State (La.)    L, 44-46        3 OT

SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA: Northern Iowa has its sights set on a return to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs after failing to make the 16-team field a year ago.
On offense, UNI has big-play potential. All three of the Panthers' touchdowns in their Sept. 18 loss to Stephen F. Austin (Texas) covered at least 75 yards: a 75-yard run by Tirrell Rennie, a 99-yard kickoff return by Carlos Anderson and an 83-yard pass from Rennie to Jarred Herring.
Rennie leads the team with 308 yards rushing and a touchdown, while also completing 49 percent (24-of-49) of his passes for 436 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Zach Davis has seen action at quarterback in two games, going 12-of-21 passing for 170 yards and an interception.
Anderson has averaged 7.9 yards per carry, tallying 268 yards on 34 carries with a touchdown.
Josh Collins and Schylar Oordt led the receiving corps with nine catches each. As a team, the Panthers are averaging 16.8 yards per reception this season.
Defensively, the Panthers are the top-ranked team against the run in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, allowing only 52 yards per game, thanks in large part to 17 sacks through the first three contests. James Conley leads the defensive unit with 24 total tackles, including six tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Jamar Thompson has added 23 tackles, while Ben Boothby leads the team with four sacks.
The UNI defense allowed only 13 points and 210 yards of total offense in a 27-0 shutout loss at Iowa State last week. Both of the Cyclones' second-half touchdowns came on interception returns, covering 94 and 25 yards.
UNI has been susceptible to turnovers this season, losing seven fumbles and throwing four interceptions.
On special teams, Kyle Bernard is averaging 44.9 yards per punt, including a 75-yarder. Billy Hallgren has made 3-of-6 field goal attempts.

LAST MEETING: 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 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 with 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 at the 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.

LAST WEEK: The South Dakota State University football team battled throughout with nationally ranked Nebraska before falling 17-3 before a crowd of 85,573 on Sept. 25 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb..
The Jackrabbits dropped to 0-3 on the season, while the Cornhuskers, ranked sixth in the Associated Press poll and seventh in the USA Today coaches' poll, improved to 4-0.
The game was scoreless through one quarter although the Jackrabbits controlled the opening 15 minutes. SDSU gained two first downs on the opening drive before being forced to punt. On Nebraska's first play from scrimmage, Anthony Wise forced Cornhusker quarterback Taylor Martinez to fumble and Winston Wright fell on the loose football to give the Jackrabbits the ball at the Nebraska 24.
After an 8-yard pass from Thomas O'Brien to Aaron Rollin, the Jackrabbits were set up first and goal from the 2-yard line. An illegal motion penalty negated a touchdown and SDSU was later stuffed on successive plays from the 1-yard line to thwart the drive.
Following three-and-outs by each team, Nebraska cracked the scoring column in the opening minute of the second quarter. After scrambling for 33 yards earlier in the drive, Martinez connected with Mike McNeill on a 64-yard pass play on the first play of the second stanza that gave the Cornhuskers first and goal from the Jackrabbit 3. On the next play, Rex Burkhead found paydirt to cap a six-play, 96-yard drive, and the ensuing Alex Henery extra point gave Nebraska a 7-0 lead.
The Cornhuskers' big-play offense struck again moments later as Martinez hit Kyle Reed along the right sideline for a 33-yard touchdown with 10:46 to play in the half.
SDSU forced its second turnover of the game late in the first half as Dirk Kool picked off a pass that was returned seven yards to the Jackrabbit 47. However, the Jackrabbits failed to pick up a first down and the half ended 14-0 in favor of Nebraska.
The Jackrabbits got on the board on their second possession of the second half with a 12-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a 35-yard field goal by Kyle Harris. Walter Payton Award candidate Kyle Minett gained 42 yards on the ground during the drive, including a 26-yard jaunt that pushed SDSU out of the shadow of its own goal line.
Nebraska answered with a field goal of its own on the first snap of the fourth quarter, a 30-yarder by Henery that culminated an 11-play, 52-yard drive.
The momentum appeared to shift back in the Jackrabbits' favor as Derek Domino intercepted a Martinez pass that he returned for an apparent touchdown. However, SDSU was flagged for an illegal block during the return, spotting the ball back at the Jackrabbit 33. The Jackrabbits advanced into Nebraska territory on a 33-yard pass from O'Brien to Tyrel Kool, but O'Brien was intercepted two plays later at the Cornhusker 1-yard line by Alfonzo Dennard.
The Huskers held a 345-236 advantage in total offense, gaining 205 on the ground. Martinez gained 75 yards on 13 carries, with Burkhead adding 66 yards on 14 carries. Martinez also completed 6-of-14 passes for 140 yards, with Brandon Kinnie leading the way with three receptions for 34 yards.
Minett, a senior running back from Ruthton, Minn., paced the Jackrabbit offense with 112 yards on 28 carries and added a team-high five receptions for 14 yards. O'Brien finished the night 12-of-28 passing for 95 yards.
Domino led the Jackrabbit defense with a career-high 16 tackles, including two for loss. Fellow linebacker Mike Lien added 11 stops.
Levonte Davis made a game-high 19 tackles for Nebraska.

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. He has since moved into third place on the Jackrabbit career rushing list with 3,333 yards, passing Dan Sonnek (3,304 yards from 1984-87) with a 28-carry, 112-yard performance at Nebraska on Sept. 25. A two-time second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection, Minett 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 91 career receptions for 773 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.

O-LINE SHAKEUP: The Jackrabbits shifted a couple players around on the offensive line in the Sept. 25 game against Nebraska — a move that produced some positive results.
Starting center Ryan McKnight moved to left guard in place of Jacob Ludemann and sophomore Will Castle made his first career start as he took over the center duties. The changes contributed to the Jackrabbits rushing for a season-high 141 yards. SDSU also did not allow a sack in the contest to the nationally ranked Cornhuskers in 28 pass attempts.

OH, DOMINO: Senior linebacker Derek Domino has picked up where he left off a season ago, when he emerged as the team's top tackler.
A native of Spring Lake Park, Minn., Domino has tallied a team-high 37 tackles so far this season, including a career-high 16 stops Sept. 25 at Nebraska. Dating back to the 2009 season, when he led the team with 100 tackles, Domino has posted double digits for tackles in four consecutive games and seven times overall. Domino's previous high was 12 tackles, a mark he established three times, including SDSU's 2009 playoff game at Montana.
In addition, Domino upped his career interception total to nine in the game at Nebraska. In 2009, Domino shared the team lead with five interceptions, including one he returned for a 22-yard touchdown at Minnesota. He also picked off two passes Oct. 17 against North Dakota State, returning his first interception of the game 16 yards for a touchdown.
During the 2008 campaign, Domino returned an interception 82 yards for a touchdown in the Hobo Day game against McNeese State (La.).

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.).
In 16 attempts this season, Priddy is averaging 42.5 yards per punt and has landed five attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Combined with outstanding coverage downfield, Priddy's punting has shut down the opposing return game as his net punting average is 39.3 yards, with the opponents tallying a mere 11 yards on seven returns.

KOOL CATCHING ON: Sophomore Tyrel Kool made a seamless transition to wide receiver as 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. He continues to lead the team with 14 receptions and 176 receiving yards, heading into Saturday's game.
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 83-63 record (.568 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 successfully completed “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 logged more than 400 miles on foot before ending his journey Sept. 18 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 are still being 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.

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 continue Missouri Valley Football Conference play by hosting Western Illinois.
Kickoff for the 44th Annual Beef Bowl 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.

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Completed Event: Football at Montana on December 6, 2025 , Loss , 29, to, 50

Completed Event: Football versus New Hampshire on November 29, 2025 , Win , 41, to, 3

Completed Event: Football at North Dakota on November 22, 2025 , Win , 34, to, 31 , OT

Completed Event: Football versus Illinois State on November 15, 2025 , Loss , 21, to, 35

Completed Event: Football at South Dakota on November 8, 2025 , Loss , 17, to, 24

Completed Event: Football versus Indiana State on November 1, 2025 , Loss , 12, to, 24

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