Sumner leads Jacks on record-setting day

Saturday, November 15

Brookings, S.D.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

7-4 , 4-3

Western Illinois

4-7 , 2-5

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Western Illinois

South Dakota State

Jackrabbits ready for rematch with Bison

11/15/2014 7:43:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

South Dakota State University quarterback Austin Sumner threw for a career-high six touchdowns, setting the school record for career touchdown passes in the process, in leading the Jackrabbits to a 59-24 victory over Western Illinois Saturday at snowy Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

With their second victory in a row, the 19^th-ranked Jackrabbits improved to 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Western Illinois dropped to 4-7 overall, 2-5 in league play.

Walter Payton Award candidate Zach Zenner opened the scoring on a 67-yard touchdown run with 10 minutes and 10 seconds to play in the first quarter — his first of three touchdowns on the day. On the play, Zenner crossed the 6,000-yard mark for career rushing.

After recovering a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, the Jackrabbits turned to the air to build a 14-0 lead on Sumner's first touchdown pass of the day — a 14-yard strike to Jason Schneider.

WIU got on the board via a 41-yard touchdown pass from Trenton Norvell to Lance Lenoir late in the first quarter, but the Jackrabbit lead grew to 28-10 midway through the second stanza on back-to-back touchdowns by Zenner. The senior running back scored from 18 yards out on a direct snap for his first touchdown of the quarter, then took a swing pass from Sumner 40 yards to paydirt for his final touchdown of the day.

The Fighting Leathernecks drew to within 28-17 moments later on a 23-yard touchdown run by J.C. Baker, but SDSU again countered with a quick four-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 21-yard touchdown pass to Schneider that tied Ryan Berry's career record of 56 touchdown passes set from 2005-08.

Sumner took over sole possession of the Jackrabbit record with three third-quarter touchdown passes to Jerry Rice Award candidate Jake Wieneke. The first score covered 11 yards to finish off a nine-play, 73-yard drive on the opening drive of the second half.

A redshirt freshman from Maple Grove, Minnesota, Wieneke added another 11-yard touchdown reception, followed by a 22-yarder in the final minute of the third quarter. Wieneke, who set an SDSU single season record with his 14^th touchdown reception, ended the game with 10 receptions for 159 yards, while Schneider added seven catches for 114 yards.

Zenner ended the afternoon with 132 yards on 17 carries, while Sumner completed 21-of-37 passes for 366 yards.

For the second week in a row, the Jackrabbits piled up a season high for total yards with 547, compared to 402 by WIU.

Baker paced the Fighting Leathernecks with 97 yards on 21 carries. Norvell completed 14-of-27 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns, the last of which was a 33-yarder to Hi-C Scott in the third quarter. Lenoir collected seven catches for 82 yards, with Joey Borsellino adding six receptions for 99 yards.

Sophomore safety Nick Mears racked up a game-high 12 tackles to lead the Jackrabbit defense. Linebackers T.J. Lally and Jesse Bobbit each notched nine stops, as did David Griffith for Western Illinois.

The Jackrabbits close out the regular season by hosting South Dakota next Saturday (Nov. 22) in the South Dakota Showdown Series. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

NOTES: SDSU leads the all-time series, 8-4, and has won all seven meetings between the two teams as Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents … the Jackrabbits' 59 points were the most against an MVFC, surpassing the 52 against Illinois State in 2008, and the most in any game since scoring 64 against Missouri-Rolla in 2005 … Zenner became the first Jackrabbit player to rush for 1,500 yards in three consecutive seasons and ended the day with 1,558 yards for the season and 6,087 yards for his career … Sumner's 366 passing yards were his second-highest total and eighth most in a game by a Jackrabbit quarterback … Wieneke topped the 100-yard mark in receiving yards for the sixth time this season … Wieneke has caught a touchdown pass in all seven MVFC games … Wieneke became the first freshman in league history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season, ending the day with 1,141 yards … the previous single-season record for touchdown receptions was 13 by Jeff Tiefenthaler in 1985 … Justin Syrovatka closed out the SDSU scoring with a 20-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, giving the senior kicker a field goal in all 11 games this season and 13 in a row dating back to 2013 … Syrovatka is 13-of-14 on field goals this season …. Syrovatka also set a new Jackrabbit career record for extra points with 142 (142-of-144 in career), passing Parker Douglass (135 PATs from 2004-07) … Jake Gentile and Nick Farina each recorded their first career interceptions for the Jackrabbits ... attendance was 3,204