Jackrabbits cruise past USD, 37-14

Saturday, November 22

Brookings, S.D.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

8-4 , 5-3

South Dakota

2-10 , 0-8

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

South Dakota

South Dakota State

11/22/2014 7:59:00 PM | Football

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

South Dakota State scored on its first five offensive possessions and cruised to a 37-14 victory over the University of South Dakota in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday afternoon at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

In winning the South Dakota Showdown Series for the third consecutive year, the Jackrabbits improved to 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. USD dropped to 2-10 overall and 0-8 in league play.

The Jackrabbits, ranked 15^th in the FCS Coaches' poll and 16^th in the Sports Network media rankings, wasted little time in getting on the board. After Brady Mengarelli returned the opening kickoff 46 yards to the Coyote 49, the Jackrabbits needed only five plays to crack the scoring column. A 27-yard pass play from Austin Sumner to Jake Wieneke was followed by a 10-yard touchdown run by Walter Payton Award candidate Zach Zenner.

SDSU made it 14-0 with 8 minutes and 12 seconds to play in the first quarter on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Sumner to Jason Schneider, capping a five-play, 80-yard drive that included a 41-yard connection between Sumner and Schneider on the second play of the drive.

The Jackrabbits again turned to the air for their third touchdown of the opening quarter as Sumner hooked up with Wieneke from 18 yards out to finish off a six-play, 83-yard drive. Wieneke extended his streak of catching a touchdown pass to all eight MVFC games this season in upping his season total to 15 touchdown receptions.

Justin Syrovatka kicked the first of his three field goals on the day – a 32-yarder -- in the opening minute of the second quarter, and SDSU made it five scores in five possessions as Zenner caught a pass from Sumner in the left flat and motored in from 50 yards out to make the score 31-0.

USD threatened to score three times in the second quarter, but came up empty. The first Coyote drive ended with a missed field goal, followed by turning the ball over on downs at the Jackrabbit 2-yard line. Late in the quarter, Jackrabbit cornerback Je Ryan Butler came up with an interception in the end zone.

Syrovatka accounted for the only Jackrabbit scoring in the second half with field goals of 21 and 34 yards as he improved to 16-of-17 for the season.

SDSU carried its shutout into the fourth quarter, but the Coyotes scored twice on a pair of 10-yard touchdown passes. Kevin Earl and Eric Shufford hooked up the first USD scores, while backup quarterback Ryan Saeger threw a 10-yard touchdown to Josh Hale in the closing minutes.

For the third week in a row, the Jackrabbit offense racked up more than 500 yards, matching a season high with 547 yards. Sumner led the way with a career-high 395 yards on 16-of-28 passing. Zenner added 76 yards on 18 carries and another 53 yards on a pair of receptions.

Wieneke led Jackrabbit receivers with six catches for 177 yards, with Schneider adding four receptions for 85 yards.

For USD, Earl completed 20-of-44 passes for 226 yards. Riley Donovan led Coyote receivers with 94 yards on six catches, with Shufford also tallying six catches for 67 yards.

The Coyote ground game was led by Drew Potter, who gained 103 yards on eight carries. Khorey Kilgore added 82 yards on 17 carries.

Tyson Graham paced the USD defense with a game-high eight tackles. Freshman defensive back Trey Carr led SDSU with six tackles and added a pair of pass breakups.

The Jackrabbits will receive word of their playoff fate during the FCS Selection Show at 10 a.m. Sunday. The selection show will be broadcast on ESPNU.

NOTES: SDSU leads the all-time series 51-50-6 … the Jackrabbits have won the last six meetings overall, dating back to 2001 … Sumner's 395 passing yards were the second most in a game in program history … Sumner crossed the 9,000-yard mark in career passing yards, finishing the day with 9,077… Sumner and Schneider connected on a touchdown pass for the 15^th time in their careers … Zenner moved into fourth place in FCS career all-purpose yards with 7,751 … Wieneke's 177 receiving yards tied for the 10^th most in a game in program history … Wieneke, who recorded his seventh 100-yard game of the season, now has three of the top-12 receiving games in program history … Syrovatka tied a career high with three field goals and has made 13 attempts in a row … Syrovatka has made a field goal in all 12 games this season and 14 in a row dating back to 2013 … attendance was 10,631