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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jacks host Sycamores in Beef Bowl
9/28/2011 3:08:00 PM | Football
The South Dakota State University football team will play its first home game in nearly a month Saturday night, hosting nationally ranked Indiana State in the 45th Annual Beef Bowl.
Kickoff is slated for 6:05 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. The game will be televised on Midco Sports Net.
A pre-game barbecue will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. south of the stadium. Barbecue tickets, which are $8 per person, can be purchased at the door. Proceeds from the barbecue benefit undergraduate scholarships in the Animal and Range Sciences Department at SDSU. At halftime, Denny Everson, Yankton, will be recognized as the recipient of the Friend of the Beef Industry Award.
The Jackrabbits will be in search of ending a three-game losing streak. SDSU enters Saturday's matchup 1-3 overall and 0-1 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play following a 20-13 setback in the league opener Sept. 24 at Illinois State.
Indiana State, meanwhile, is on a three-game winning streak and has cracked the Football Championship Subdivision rankings for the first time in 15 years, checking in at No. 23 in the FCS Coaches' poll and 24th in the Sports Network media poll. The Sycamores are 3-1 overall and 1-0 in league play after holding on for a 37-35 home win over Youngstown State in their MVFC opener on Sept. 24.
Kickoff is slated for 6:05 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. The game will be televised on Midco Sports Net.
A pre-game barbecue will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. south of the stadium. Barbecue tickets, which are $8 per person, can be purchased at the door. Proceeds from the barbecue benefit undergraduate scholarships in the Animal and Range Sciences Department at SDSU. At halftime, Denny Everson, Yankton, will be recognized as the recipient of the Friend of the Beef Industry Award.
The Jackrabbits will be in search of ending a three-game losing streak. SDSU enters Saturday's matchup 1-3 overall and 0-1 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play following a 20-13 setback in the league opener Sept. 24 at Illinois State.
Indiana State, meanwhile, is on a three-game winning streak and has cracked the Football Championship Subdivision rankings for the first time in 15 years, checking in at No. 23 in the FCS Coaches' poll and 24th in the Sports Network media poll. The Sycamores are 3-1 overall and 1-0 in league play after holding on for a 37-35 home win over Youngstown State in their MVFC opener on Sept. 24.
ONLINE COVERAGE: Audio and video coverage of Saturday's game is scheduled to be available via the Jackrabbit Extra 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 $11.95 per month or $99.95 for an entire year of coverage.
Local radio coverage Saturday begins on Jackrabbit Sports Network flagship station WNAX 570 AM at 4:30 p.m., with an expanded pre-game show. Tyler Merriam will call the play-by-play, with former Jackrabbit player Mike Struck providing color commentary and Scotty Kwas providing sideline updates.
Coverage across the Jackrabbit Sports Network begins at 5:30 p.m. Network affiliates include:
* KJJQ 910 AM-Brookings
* KRKI 99.1 FM-Rapid City
* KGFX 1060 AM-Pierre
* KOLY 1300 AM-Mobridge
* KBFS 1450 AM-Belle Fourche
* KSDR 1480 AM-Watertown
THE SERIES: Saturday's matchup marks the fourth meeting on the gridiron between South Dakota State and Indiana State, with SDSU holding a 2-1 series advantage. The series dates back to 2008, when the Jackrabbits joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The Jackrabbits won each of the first two meetings handily, before Indiana State cracked the win column with a home victory in 2010.
Following are the results from the three previous matchups:
2008: South Dakota State 49, Indiana State 9 (at Terre Haute, Ind.)
2009: South Dakota State 41, Indiana State 0 (at Brookings, S.D.)
2010: Indiana State 41, South Dakota State 30 (at Terre Haute, Ind.)
BEEF BOWL HISTORY: South Dakota State University is home to the original Beef Bowl.
The Beef Bowl was started as SDSU's way of recognizing those individuals and firms involved in the beef industry in South Dakota, which contributes more than $3 billion annually to the state's economy.
Outside of Hobo Day, SDSU's annual homecoming celebration, the Beef Bowl usually ranks second for home game attendance. More than 10,000 people have attended each of the last six Beef Bowls and nine times overall.
The Jackrabbit have compiled a 25-19 record in the Beef Bowl and have won each of the last five Beef Bowl games.
LAST MEETING: Darrius Gates scored a school-record five touchdowns to lead Indiana State to a 41-30 victory over South Dakota State in Missouri Valley Football Conference action on Oct. 30, 2010, at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Sycamores improved to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in league play, remaining undefeated at home. SDSU, which saw its three-game winning streak end, dropped to 3-5 overall and 3-3 in the MVFC.
Indiana State moved the ball at will in the first 20 minutes of the game, scoring on each of their first three drives. The Sycamores took the opening kickoff and drove 89 yards on 12 plays, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by Darrius Gates.
Gates added another 4-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, but ISU missed the extra point to keep the score at 13-0. ISU's second scoring drive covered 86 yards in only seven plays.
The Jackrabbits got on the board on the opening snap of the second quarter as Peter Reifenrath connected on a 30-yard field goal.
ISU extended the lead to 20-3 on Gates' third touchdown of the game, a 16-yard pass from Ronnie Fouch in the far left corner of the end zone with 13 minutes and 24 seconds to play in the second quarter.
SDSU countered with touchdowns on back-to-back drives. Kyle Minett finished off a five-play, 54-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run and Colin Cochart hauled in an 11-yard touchdown pass from Thomas O'Brien with 1:05 to play in the first half. Taking over at its own 46 after recovering a bad exchange, SDSU converted four third-down attempts on its second touchdown drive to pull to within 20-17.
After recovering another fumble on a bad exchange, the Jackrabbits took over at the ISU 24 with 40 seconds left. SDSU moved the ball to the Sycamore 17, but couldn't capitalize as O'Brien's pass was tipped at the goal line and intercepted.
Gates found the end zone for a fourth time on the Sycamores' first drive of the second half, scoring on a 14-yard screen pass from Fouch. Gates' school-record 14th touchdown season capped another long ISU drive, which covered 86 yards on five plays. A 63-yard pass from Fouch to Justin Hilton set up the score.
The Sycamores forced another turnover on the next Jackrabbit possession as O'Brien sacked and fumbled, giving ISU the ball at the Jackrabbit 34. Five plays later, Ben Obaseki - normally a defensive lineman - scored on a 1-yard run that gave the Sycamores a 34-17 lead with 8:44 to play in the third quarter.
SDSU came back with a 10-play, 60-yard scoring drive as Minett scored from two yards out with 4:45 to play in the third.
Gates' fifth touchdown of the day, an 11-yard run early in the fourth quarter, gave Indiana State a 41-24 lead. His record-setting touchdown came after gaining 19 yards on third-and-11 on the previous play.
Just over a minute later, Minett tied a career high with his third touchdown of the day, a 1-yard run on a drive in which he became the first SDSU running back in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. A Walter Payton Award candidate, Minett also crossed the 4,000-yard mark in career rushing during the day.
Minett finished the game with 149 yards on 29 carries. O'Brien finished the game 20-of-41 passing for 169 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Tyrel Kool led the receiving corps with seven catches for 54 yards.
Indiana State ended the day with an even 500 yards of total offense, compared to 339 by the Jackrabbits. Gates totaled 197 all-purpose yards, gaining 143 yards on 23 carries and catching three balls for 39 yards. Bryant Kent led the Sycamores with six catches for 103 yards, while Fouch was an efficient 17-of-24 passing for 284 yards and two scores.
Corey Jeske led the Jackrabbit defense with 14 tackles, with Mike Lien and Anthony Wise adding 11 and 10 stops, respectively. For Indiana State, Larry Carter was the top tackler with 12 stops. Calvin Burnett added 10 tackles, an interception and broke up five passes.
CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are four senior captains:
• Kyle Harris, kicker, Florissant, Mo.;
• Dirk Kool, linebacker, Fairfield, Iowa;
• Mike Lien, linebacker, Castaic, Calif.;
• Jake Steffen, defensive end, Mount Vernon, S.D.
Kool holds the distinction of being the third generation of his family to serve as a captain for the Jackrabbit football team. His late grandfather, Marv, was a team captain in 1951, while his father, Mark, served as a captain on the Jackrabbits' NCAA Division II playoff squad in 1979. Mark Kool later served as an assistant coach at SDSU from 1987-90.
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE: A resurgent Indiana State football team takes to the field Saturday looking to extend its winning streak to four games.
After a season-opening loss at Football Bowl Subdvision perennial power Penn State, the Sycamores reeled off three consecutive victories against Butler (Ind.), FBS foe Western Kentucky and league rival Youngstown State.
In the Youngstown State game, sophomore running back Shakir Bell ran for a school-record 256 yards on only 21 attempts (12.2 yards per carry) and scored four touchdowns. Bell was honored as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the Sports Network National Offensive Player of the Week, after scoring on runs of 62, 39, 61 and 51 yards. His 62-yard touchdown run came on the Sycamores' first play from scrimmage.
Bell also topped the 200-yard mark the previous week at Western Kentucky, tallying 221 yards on 25 carries. For the season, Bell has gained 568 yards on 67 attempts - an average of 8.5 yards per carry.
Besides blocking for Bell, fullback Brock Lough has played a key role in the rushing
attack for Indiana State, averaging 5.5 yards per attempt and scoring three times.
Quarterback Ronnie Fouch returns for his second season as the Sycamores' starter after transferring from the University of Washington. The California native has completed 62.2 percent (51-of-82) of his passes for 753 yards and six touchdowns. Fouch also has been intercepted three times.
Fouch's primary targets so far in 2011 have been wide receiver Justin Hilton and tight end Alex Jones. Hilton leads the team in most receiving categoires with 17 receptions for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Jones has hauled in 11 receptions for 193 yards and a score. Fellow tight end Michael Mardis has displayed big-play ability, averaging 24.2 yards on four catches.
The Sycamores feature a starting offensive line that consists of a redshirt freshman, three juniors and a senior.
Defensively, the Sycamores are led by Buck Buchanan Award candidate Ben Obaseki. A first-team all-MVFC performer last season, Obaseki has tallied 19 tackles, including a sack and three quarterback hurries, from his defensive end position thus far in 2011.
Obaseki plays alongside defensive tackle Rod Hardy, who has tallied 22 tackles and a sack this season.
The Sycamores' three starting linebackers rank among the squad's top five tacklers. Aaron Archie, an honorable mention all-MVFC performer last season, leads the team with 48 tackles and three sacks, while ranking second with 3.5 tackles for loss. Second-team all-conference selection Jacolby Washington is third with 38 stops, while Ryan Roberts, a converted quarterback, is tied for fifth on the team with 27 tackles, but leads the squad with four tackles for loss.
Indiana State returns all four of its starters in the secondary, including first-team all-league safety Alex Sewall. Sewall ranks second on the team with 39 tackles and also has forced a fumble.
Larry King (29 tackles) holds down the other safety spot, while cornerbacks Calvin Burnett (27 tackles) and Larry Carter (17 tackles, 1 interception) round out the starting unit.
On special teams, sophomore kicker Cory Little is 4-of-5 on field goal attempts, with a long of 43. The punting duties have been shared by Lucas Hileman (39.5-yard average) and backup linebacker Santino Davis (40.8-yard average).
Leonard Riston has handled the bulk of the return duties, averaging 29.9 yards on kick returns and 3.4 yards per punt return.
CAS TURNS 50: The 2011 campaign marks the 50th season of football at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. Overall, SDSU has compiled a 163-99 record (.622 winning percentage) on its home field.
The Jackrabbits have enjoyed even more of 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 29-8 mark at CAS, including a 10-2 record in Missouri Valley Football Conference games.
Lights were installed at CAS prior to the 2001 season and SDSU has turned in a 21-6 record in home night games.
A celebration of the history of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium will be observed Oct. 22, when SDSU hosts North Dakota State in the annual Dakota Marker game. Festivities that day will include halftime recognition of the 50-player Coughlin-Alumni Stadium All-Time Team.
SLOW STARTS: The Jackrabbits have had a history of starting season slow, but finishing strong during the Division I era.
2006: 0-3 start; finished season 7-4
2007: 0-3 start; finished season 7-4 (won Great West Football Conference title)
2010: 0-4 start; finished season 5-6
O'BRIEN LEAVES TEAM: South Dakota State starting quarterback Thomas O'Brien has made the decision to leave the team, Jackrabbit head coach John Stiegelmeier announced Sept. 19 during his weekly radio show.
"We're disappointed to lose any player, but our philosophy is to play in the present," Stiegelmeier said. "We wish Thomas nothing but the best."
A junior from Winona, Minn., O'Brien played in 25 career games with 20 starts. He compiled a 4-2 record as a starter in 2009, earning a spot on the MVFC All-Newcomer Team and helping the Jackrabbits to its first appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. His 4,376 career passing yards rank ninth on the all-time SDSU charts, while his 2,236 yards in 2010 also ranked ninth for a single season.
In three starts this season, O'Brien completed 63-of-107 (61.2 percent) passes for 692 yards, along with five touchdowns and seven interceptions. In his final start, Sept. 17 at Cal Poly, O'Brien set career highs for completions and yards as he went 28-of-45 for 376 yards with a pair of touchdowns. However, two of his three interceptions in the contest were returned for touchdowns. O'Brien's 376 yards passing were the fourth-most in a single game by a Jackrabbit quarterback.
SUMNER STARTING: Redshirt freshman Austin Sumner made his first career start at quarterback in last week's game at Illinois State, completing 18-of-32 passes for 194 yards. He also ran for the Jackrabbits' lone offensive touchdown in a 20-13 conference-opening loss.
DUAL THREAT: South Dakota State's Tyrel Kool made the most of his first career start at running back, racking up 107 yards on the ground and another 79 through the air in the Jackrabbits' season opener against Southern Utah on Sept. 3.
A junior from Yankton, Kool began his collegiate career as a running back, but switched to wide receiver during the 2010 season, when he led the team with 64 receptions for 808 yards. His receptions total was fifth-most in a season by a Jackrabbit player, while his receiving yards mark stands 10th in a single season.
Kool's rushing total against Southern Utah marked the 10th time in 11 games a Jackrabbit running back eclipsed the century mark. Kyle Minett ran for 100 yards in eight straight games and Tyler Duffy added a 100-yard outing to close out the 2010 season.
IMPRESSIVE START: Backup running back Zach Zenner has put together a series of impressive all-around performances to start the 2011 season.
A redshirt freshman from Eagan, Minn., Zenner compiled 139 all-purpose yards in the Jackrabbit victory Sept. 3 against Southern Utah. He returned four kickoffs for 74 yards, caught three passes for 24 yards and carried the ball five times for 41 yards. He scored the first touchdown of his career, scampering 27 yards around left end on the final play of the third quarter.
Zenner currently ranks third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with an average of 137.8 all-purpose yards per game.
MOSS CATCHING ON: South Dakota State wide receiver Dale Moss has become a primary target in the Jackrabbit passing game in recent weeks.
After going without a catch the first two weeks, Moss has hauled in 17 receptions for 204 yards over the last two games. The Brandon native recorded eight catches for 106 yards, including a career-long 37-yarder, in the Sept. 17 matchup at Cal Poly to earn Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week honors, followed by a nine-reception, 98-yard outing Sept. 24 at Illinois State.
Moss, who averaged 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds from his guard position during his senior season on the basketball court, possesses tremendous leaping ability as he led the team in blocked shots two seasons and paced the Jackrabbits in offensive rebounds as a senior.
During his senior season at Brandon Valley High School, Moss was an all-state selection after tallying 45 receptions for 573 yards and eight touchdowns.
100-YARD TANDEM: South Dakota State wide receivers Aaron Rollin and Dale Moss became the first Jackrabbit receiving duo to record 100 receiving yards in the same game since 2008, when they combined for 17 catches and 215 yards against Cal Poly. Rollin set a career high with nine catches for 109 yards, with Moss adding career highs of eight receptions and 106 yards.
The last 100-yard receiving tandem for the Jackrabbits were JaRon Harris (9-120) and Glen Fox (6-102) in a losing effort at Northern Iowa on Sept. 20, 2008.
KOOL HONORED: South Dakota State University linebacker Dirk Kool was selected as the first Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week of the season, league officials announced on Sept. 5.
A senior from Fairfield, Iowa, Kool registered a team-high 10 sacks and broke up a pass on the decisive play of the game in helping the Jackrabbits to a 29-28 victory over Southern Utah in the season opener Sept. 3 at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. His 10 tackles were a career high.
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 89-69 record (.563 winning percentage). SDSU has posted eight winning seasons in the last nine years, including six of the school's first seven campaigns at the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) level. The Jackrabbits have had a winning record in 11 of Stiegelmeier's 14 full years as head coach, including six with seven or more victories.
HOME-GROWN TALENT: SDSU has effectively used the services of home-grown talent the past few seasons.
In 2011, three Jackrabbit players hail from Brookings: junior wide receiver Dan Schmidt, sophomore offensive lineman Alex Parker and sophomore running back Mason Winterboer. In all, 28 players on the roster hail from the state of South Dakota.
JACKRABBIT INSIDER: Throughout the 2011 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 6 p.m. Tuesdays and on FOX College Sports Central at 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Online, the show can be viewed at GoJacks.com.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits return to road action Oct. 8, traveling to Youngstown State for a Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. Eastern Time (3 p.m. Central) at Stambaugh Stadium in Youngstown, Ohio.
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