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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jackrabbits prepare for playoff opener
11/27/2014 10:24:00 PM | Football
The South Dakota State University football team will make its third consecutive appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, meeting Montana State in first-round action Saturday.
Kickoff is slated for 2 p.m. Mountain Time (3 p.m. Central) at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana. The game is scheduled to be televised on ESPN3.com and on a pay-per-view basis through ESPN Gameplan (check with cable or satellite provider for availability).
Both squads received at-large bids to the 24-team playoff and enter the matchup with 8-4 overall records. South Dakota State finished fourth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 5-3 league mark, while Montana State tied for second in the Big Sky Conference at 6-2 in league play.
The winner of Saturday's game will advance to face No. 2 seed and three-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State on Dec. 6 in Fargo.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the 13th meeting on the gridiron between South Dakota State and Montana State, a series that dates back to a 33-14 Bobcat victory in 1956.
Montana State holds a 10-2 series advantage, with 11 of the 12 meetings taking place between 1956 and 1966. The Jackrabbits' last win in the series was a 9-6 victory on Sept. 14, 1963, in a game played in Great Falls, Montana.
The most recent matchup between the two squads came during SDSU's inaugural season in the Football Championship Subdivision, on Oct. 23, 2004, when Montana State's E.J. Cochrane kicked a 22-yard field goal with two seconds remaining to lift the Bobcats to a 27-24 victory in Bozeman.
Montana State led 24-10 with just under five minutes to play before the Jackrabbits scored a pair of touchdowns 23 seconds apart. Brad Nelson hit Chris Molitor for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 1 minute and 12 seconds remaining, and after a successful onside kick, Brian Janecek scored on a 44-yard pass from Nelson with 49 seconds to play.
The Bobcats, however, drove the length of the field, putting together an eight-play, 69-yard drive behind quarterback Travis Lulay for the winning score. Lulay was 4-for-4 passing for 59 yards, including a 28-yarder to Chaz Guinn, on the game-winning drive.
PLAYOFF HISTORY: South Dakota State will be playing a Big Sky Conference foe for the fourth time in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, when it meets Montana State on Saturday. The Jackrabbits are 1-2 against Big Sky opponents in previous matchups, including splitting road matchups at Northern Arizona and Eastern Washington in 2013.
Overall, in FCS playoff games, the Jackrabbits hold a 2-3 record after winning first-round matchups in both 2012 and 2013. SDSU has received an at-large bid in all four of its playoff appearances, starting in 2009.
Following are the Jackrabbits' FCS playoff results:
• 2009: Montana 61, South Dakota State 48 (Nov. 28, 2009, at Missoula, Mont.)
• 2012: South Dakota State 58, Eastern Illinois 10 (Nov. 24, 2012, at Brookings, S.D.)
• 2012: North Dakota State 28, South Dakota State 3 (Dec. 1, 2012, at Fargo, N.D.)
• 2013: South Dakota State 26, Northern Arizona 7 (Nov. 30, 2013, at Flagstaff, Ariz.)
• 2013: Eastern Washington 41, South Dakota State 17 (Dec. 7, 2013, at Cheney, Wash.)
In addition, South Dakota State qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1979, falling 50-7 at Youngstown State in opening-round action.
CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are five captains:
• T.J. Lally, Jr., linebacker, Chicago, Ill.;
• Jason Schneider, Sr., wide receiver, Andover, Minn.;
• Jack Sherlock, Sr., defensive back, Chicago, Ill.;
• Austin Sumner, Sr., quarterback, Brandon, S.D.;
• Zach Zenner, Sr., running back, Eagan, Minn.
Sumner has been selected as a team captain for the third season and Zenner is in his second year as a captain.
RABBITS RANKED: The South Dakota State University football team moved up in both major Football Championship Subdivision polls this week following its victory over in-state rival South Dakota on Nov. 22. The Jackrabbits rose two spots to 13th in FCS Coaches' poll and gained two spots to 14th in the Sports Network media poll.
The Jackrabbits entered the 2014 campaign with their second-consecutive preseason top-10 national ranking as an FCS member. SDSU was ranked 10th in both the Sports Network FCS coaches preseason polls and rose to as high as ninth before an Oct. 4 loss at Illinois State. SDSU been ranked in both polls every week since Oct. 29, 2012.
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: South Dakota State will be facing a ranked FCS opponent for the sixth time this season, when it travels to Montana State on Saturday.
The Jackrabbits are 2-3 against ranked foes — all Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents — so far this season.
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 11 seasons at the FCS level, SDSU has played 52 games against ranked FCS opponents, going 19-33.
STEADY SYROVATKA: Senior kicker Justin Syrovatka was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance in the Jackrabbits' regular season finale and victory over the University of South Dakota on Nov. 22.
A senior from Sioux Falls, Syrovatka tied a career high with three field goals as part of the Jackrabbits' 37-14 victory over their in-state rivals in the South Dakota Showdown Series. He kicked field goals of 32, 21 and 34 yards to extend his streak of consecutively made field goal attempts to 13. Syrovatka has missed only one kick all season, going 16-for-17 on field goals and 42-of-42 on extra-point attempts as he added four PATs in the victory over USD.
As part of a record-setting day on Nov. 15, Syrovatka went 8-for-8 on extra-point attempts, breaking the school record of 135 set by Parker Douglass from 2004-07. Syrovatka also broke his own school record for most consecutive PATs made to start a season, surpassing his 33 consecutive PATs to kick off the 2013 campaign.
Syrovatka is on track to become the most accurate kicker in Jackrabbit football history. His career field goal percentage of 75.4 percent (52-of-69) currently stands as the best in program history, while his 98.6 percent mark on PATs (146-of-148) also tops the all-time SDSU charts.
In addition, Syrovatka's 52 career field goals are second among active Football Championship Subdivision kickers.He also ranks second in career field goals at SDSU, trailing Douglass, who made 62 field goals.
Syrovatka holds the Jackrabbit record for consecutive field goals made with 15. His streak began on Oct. 11, 2012, in a victory over Western Illinois. He made his last 12 field goal attempts of the 2012 season and first three attempts of the 2013 campaign, going 7-for-7 from 20-29 yards, 3-for-3 on field goals of 30-39 yards and 5-for-5 from 40-plus yards. His streak ended when he missed a 29-yard attempt at Nebraska on Sept. 21, 2013.
The previous Jackrabbit record for consecutive made field goal attempts was 13, which was set by Parker Douglass between the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Syrovatka's current streak is 13 consecutive made field goal attempts, including a 44-yard field goal with 1 minute, 47 seconds to play in the game at Northern Iowa on Oct. 18 that provided the winning margin in a 31-28 Jackrabbit victory. He has made a field goal in all 12 games this season and 14 games in a row dating back to the 2013 FCS playoffs.
Syrovatka also put together a streak of 47 consecutively made PATs, which ended Nov. 9, 2013, against Indiana State. His current streak is 58 — eight shy of the record of 66 set by Douglass from 2005-07.
WIENEKE A RICE FINALIST: Jackrabbit wide receiver Jake Wieneke was named Wednesday as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year and also recently named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which is presented to the top freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision.
A redshirt freshman from Maple Grove, Minnesota, Wieneke has recorded seven 100-yard receiving games so far this season. He opened his collegiate career by catching six passes for 107 yards, including a 45-yarder in the third quarter, in the Jackrabbits' season opener at nationally ranked Missouri. Wieneke became the first Jackrabbit freshman in the Division I era to top the 100-yard receiving mark in a game, and the first since current receivers coach Josh Davis accomplished the feat three times during the 2002 season.
Wieneke is the third Jackrabbit in the four seasons the Jerry Rice Award has been presented to be under consideration for the award, joining Austin Sumner (2011) and T.J. Lally (2012).
LUJAN FILLS IN: Sophomore Zach Lujan stepped in for an injured Austin Sumner and led the Jackrabbits on two scoring drives in the Aug. 30 season opener at Missouri, including a touchdown drive to open the second half and pull SDSU to within 21-18. A native of Anchorage, Alaska, who played last season at Chabot College (Calif.), Lujan completed 21-of-28 passes for 239 yards with one interception at Mizzou.
Lujan started seven games for the Jackrabbits, helping lead the team to five victories. In his first career start, Sept. 6 against Cal Poly, Lujan finished the night 12-of-20 passing for 236 yards and three touchdowns.
Lujan went on to establish a new season-high in yards in three of four Missouri Valley Football Conference games, including a 329-yard performance on 28-of-42 passing with two touchdowns in his last start, Oct. 25 against Youngstown State.
ZENNER FOR PAYTON: South Dakota State University running back Zach Zenner is one of 25 players currenlty under consideration for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the top player in the Football Championship Subdivision by The Sports Network.
A 6-foot, 220-pound senior, Zenner is the only three-time finalist in the pool of players being considered for this year's award. A native of Eagan, Minnesota, Zenner placed seventh in the balloting in 2012 and sixth in 2013. The Walter Payton Award is to be presented for the 28th time on Dec. 15. The award is selected by a panel of more than 150 sports information directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.
During the 2013 season, Zenner became only the second player in FCS history to rush for 2,000 yards in two separate seasons, gaining 2,015 yards and scoring 25 touchdows — 23 rushing, two receiving — as the Jackrabbits made a return trip to the postseason. He burst onto the FCS scene in 2012 by leading the nation in rushing with 2,044 yards — an average of 157.2 yards per game.
In addition, Zenner moved into a pair of Football Championship Subdivision career top 20s during South Dakota State's victory over Wisconsin-Oshkosh on Sept. 20. The active career leader among all current NCAA football players in both categories, Zenner has since moved into fourth place for FCS career rushing with 6,163 yards and also upped his career all-purpose yardage total to 7,751 yards to also rank fourth all-time. Both of his yardage totals are Missouri Valley Football Conference records, as are his 62 career total touchdowns (55 rushing, 7 receiving) and 55 career rushing touchdowns. Current Northern Iowa running back David Johnson is right behind with 59 career touchdowns (45 rushing, 13 receiving, 1 kickoff return).
Zenner has crossed the 100-yard mark 30 times in the team's 39 games over the past two-plus seasons, including seven performances of 200-plus yards. He currently ranks sixth among FCS backs this season with an average of 136.2 yards per game.
For updates throughout the 2014 season, follow via Twitter by using the hashtag #ZennerForPayton.
MORE AWARDS FOR ZENNER: Jackrabbit running back Zach Zenner has added to his list of accolades this by being named to the 2014 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, as well as a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy.
A senior from Eagan, Minnesota, Zenner was presented his Allstate AFCA Good Works award during an event Sept. 23 at Hillcrest Elementary School in Brookings. Zenner has served a key role in numerous community service events as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, including Summit League Food Fight (yearly competition among league schools for donations to local food pantry), Project Joy (holiday toy drive) and campus cleanup. He also has worked the past three years with the State-a-Thon event to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network and has devoted countless hours to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, including coaching children on fundamental football skills, leading devotionals at FCA Power Camp and speaking to area youth groups at other FCA events.
This past winter, Zenner served as a student-athlete ambassador, testifying before state House and Senate Appropriations committees as the state Legislature debated passage of a bill to authorize construction of a new on-campus football stadium.
Zenner's lengthy community service résumé extends beyond the campus and local community as he was one of 25 SDSU student-athletes who traveled to Harmons, Jamaica, in March 2014 on a mission trip to help build two homes and interact with members of the village through the Won by One organization.
Zenner is the second Jackrabbit student-athlete in as many years to be named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, joining 2013 honoree Winston Wright.
On Oct. 30, Zenner was one of 17 student-athletes named to the 2014 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Team, also becoming a finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy award to the top scholar-athlete in college football.
Each member of the 2014 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and will be honored during ceremonies Dec. 9 at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. The winner of the Campbell Trophy will receive a $7,000 increase in postgraduate funds for a total of $25,000. Zenner was one of 17 finalists selected from a poll of 169 semifinalists.
Nominated by their schools, which are limited to one nominee each, candidates must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship. The class is selected each year by the NFF Awards Committee, which is comprised of a nationally recognized group of media, College Football Hall of Famers and athletics administrators.
Zenner has earned All-America accolades for his efforts both on the field and in the classroom during a record-setting career at South Dakota State. One of only two players in Football Championship Subdivision history to rush for 2,000 yards in two separate seasons, Zenner was a consensus All-American in both 2012 and 2013 and is a two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award. He has again topped the 1,000-yard mark during the 2014 season in adding to his Missouri Valley Football Conference records for career rushing and all-purpose yards.
A biology/pre-medicine major, Zenner has compiled a 3.86 grade-point average. He was selected to the Capital One Academic All-America Second Team in 2012, before receiving first-team honors in 2013. Zenner plans to attend medical school following graduation.
Zenner is the second Jackrabbit student-athlete to be honored as a National Scholar-Athlete, joining Ryan Berry in 2008.
OFF TO THE RACES — AGAIN: Jackrabbit running back Zach Zenner scored on a 75-yard touchdown run on his first carry of the season, Aug. 30 at Missouri. It marked the third season in a row that Zenner scored on one of his first two carries of the season. In 2012, he scored on a school-record 99-yard run on his second carry at Kansas, followed by a 36-yard run on his second attempt in the 2013 season opener versus Butler.
Zenner finished the game at Missouri with 103 yards on 17 carries. He has 12 career touchdown runs of at least 50 yards after his 94-yard touchdown run Nov. 8 at Indiana State and a 67-yard touchdown burst Nov. 15 versus Western Illinois.
LALLY RACKING UP THE TACKLES: Junior linebacker T.J. Lally has solidified his hold on the team lead in tackles in recent weeks.
A native of the Chicago area, Lally has totaled 43 tackles over the last four games to up his team lead to 95. His 20 tackles at North Dakota State on Nov. 1 were the most by a Jackrabbit player in the Division I era, which dates back to 2004.
Lally followed that performance with a team-high 10 tackles in a Nov. 8 win at Indiana State. It was the 10th time Lally has recorded double digits in tackles during his Jackrabbit career.
GREGER STREAK ENDS: Right tackle Trevor Greger had his consecutive games started streak end at 33 when he sat out the Sept. 20 game against Wisconsin-Oshkosh due to injury.
A senior from Wagner, Greger started the final three games of the 2011 season at right tackle, and extended his streak by starting all 13 games of the 2012 season and all 14 contests in 2013. His streak reached 33 as he drew a starting assignment in the Jackrabbits' first three games of the 2014 campaign.
Greger, who was tabbed as a 2014 preseason all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection, returned to the lineup Oct. 4 at Illinois State and has now started 41 of the Jackrabbits' last 42 games.
YOUTH MOVEMENT: Three true freshmen have been impact performers on the defensive side of the ball this season for the Jackrabbits.
The Jackrabbit secondary has been bolstered by the addition of cornerback Trey Carr. The Omaha native leads the team with nine pass breakups and ranks second with two interceptions. He also has contributed on special teams, posting a team-best 26-yard average on eight kickoff returns.
At linebacker, J.T. Hassell made his first career start at linebacker Nov. 1 at North Dakota State after playing in a reserve role the first eight games of the season. The Titusville, Florida, native recorded his first career interception in the game at NDSU, along with notching a career-best eight tackles. He has 35 stops on the season, including his first career sack and forced fumble Nov. 8 at Indiana State.
Defensive end Chase Kern made his collegiate debut in the Oct. 4 conference opener at Illinois State and has posted a pair of sacks and eight total tackles over the last seven games. The Sioux City, Iowa, product's first sack came in his home debut Oct. 11 against Missouri State.
ACADEMIC HONORS: Six South Dakota State University football student-athletes, highlighted by repeat selections Jason Schneider and Zach Zenner, were named Nov. 6 to the Capital One Academic All-District 6 Team. The Jackrabbits' recorded the most selections among all University Division members across seven districts and all six honorees will advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration later this month.
A senior running back from Eagan, Minnesota, Zenner was nameded to the academic honor squad for the third consecutive year after posting a 3.86 grade-point average as a biology/pre-medicine major. Zenner has crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the third consecutive season with 1,634 yards through 12 games. He is one of only two players in Football Championship Subdivision history to rush for 2,000 yards in two separate seasons and currently ranks fourth in FCS career rushing yards with 6,163.
Zenner has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America Team each of the past two seasons, earning second-team honors in 2012 and first-team accolades in 2013.
A senior wide receiver from Andover, Minn., Schneider earned his second consecutive selection with a 3.98 GPA while majoring in pharmacy. He set a Jackrabbit single-season record with 78 receptions in 2013, and has tallied 53 receptions for 764 yards and six touchdowns so far this season.
Schneider also was a first-team selection to the Capital One Academic All-America Team in 2013.
Also earning academic all-district honors for the second time was offensive lineman Nick Purcell, who previously earned a spot on the squad in 2012. A senior from Rapid City, Purcell has compiled a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in biology and pre-medicine. He has started 11 games over the past two seasons, including the first eight games of the 2014 campaign.
Three other Jackrabbits — Cole Langer, Nick Mears and Ethan Sawyer — were honored for the first time.
Langer, a sophomore from Dell Rapids, made the honor squad with a 3.78 GPA while majoring in mechanical engineering. A member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team in 2013, Langer has started all 12 games so far in 2014 and has registered 41 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, from his defensive tackle position.
A sophomore from Milbank, Mears has settled into a starting role at safety this season and ranks second on the team with 80 tackles and third on the squad with six pass breakups. An economics major, Mears has a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Sawyer, a senior punter from Brandon, earned a spot on the Academic All-District Team with a 3.88 GPA as a biology/pre-medicine major. He has handled the punting duties for the Jackrabbits for three seasons, averaging 39.3 yards per punt this season and landing 16 of his 47 attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Selections to the Capital One Academic All-District 6 Team are determined by a vote of members of the College Sports Information Directors of America in Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Candidates must be at least a sophomore in athletic and academic standing, a starter or key reserve on her team and carry at least a 3.3 GPA. Team members are selected by position with a total of 24 players named to the honor squad.
In addition, the Jackrabbits were presented their sixth consecutive Missouri Valley Football Conference Team Academic Award on Oct. 25. SDSU compiled a team GPA of 3.03 during the 2013-14 academic year.
JACKRABBIT BLOODLINES: Sophomore defensive tackle Cole Langer leads a group of South Dakota State football players with Jackrabbit bloodlines.
Langer, a native of Dell Rapids, South Dakota, is a third-generation Jackrabbit student-athlete. His grandfather, Jim Langer, is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a standout career with the Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings. The starting center for the undefeated Dolphins team in 1972, Jim Langer earned all-conference honors in football at South Dakota State as a linebacker in 1969 and was an All-America selection in baseball as an outfielder that same year.
In addition, Cole Langer's father, Tracy, was an all-conference catcher in baseball for the Jackrabbits from 1989-92. Tracy's brothers, Craig and Russ, also played baseball at South Dakota State.
Several other Jackrabbits have extensive Jackrabbit bloodlines, including junior offensive lineman Taylor Bloom, sophomore offensive lineman Seth Lansman and redshirt freshman linebacker Austin Benson, all of whom have both parents as former SDSU student-athletes.
Bloom's father, Tom, lettered in football from 1987-90 and was a team captain during his senior season. His mother, Angie, played softball at SDSU.
Lansman's father, Howard, lettered in football from 1984-85, while his mother, Tara (Tessier) was a standout women's basketball player from 1985-88. Tara Lansman was inducted into the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame on Oct. 11.
Benson's father, Chuck, lettered on Jackrabbit football teams from 1975-78 and served as a team captain as a senior, and his mother, JoElle (Byre), competed in women's basketball from 1983-85. In addition, his younger sister, Ellie, was a member of the Jackrabbit volleyball squad this fall.
NEW FACILITIES: The South Dakota State University football program is expected to benefit greatly from the addition of two new facilities.
The Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex, which opened earlier this month, will serve as the indoor practice facility for the Jackrabbit football team and a number of ther Jackrabbit squads. The complex, which features 100 yards of soy-based AstroTurf, also will house a 300-meter indoor track and expanded areas for strength and conditioning, sports medicine and coaches' offices.
A dedication ceremony for the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex was held Oct. 11.
In October 2013, SDSU officials announced lead gifts totaling $12.5 million from Sioux Falls banker Dana Dykhouse and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford toward the construction of a new football stadium. The announcement was made in conjunction with the 100th Hobo Day game at SDSU.
The Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, which will have a seating capacity of 18,500 to 20,000, will replace Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, which has served as the home of Jackrabbit football since 1962. The new stadium will be built on the current Coughlin-Alumni Stadium site, with completion scheduled for the summer of 2016. A ceremonial groundbreaking for the new stadium was held during the Oct. 25 Hobo Day game.
The estimated $65 million project was approved by the South Dakota Legislature this past winter and signed into law by Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Construction will be done in phases, with the east and south sides of the stadium scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2015 and the west side finished in 2016.
Plans call for the stadium to be funded through private gifts and long-term revenue streams, including concessions and suite, loge box and ticket sales. The intention is to secure bonds to finance up to two-thirds of the project's construction with bonds, with the remaining third coming from private support.
CLOCK MANAGEMENT: The Jackrabbit offense has displayed a ball-control attack this season that has led to the unit ranking eighth among FCS squads for time of possession with an average of 32 minutes and 29 seconds per game.
SDSU held an edge in time of possession 11 times, including each of first eight games of the 2014 season. The Jackrabbits have turned in six games with at least an eight-minute advantage. The biggest disparity came in the Sept. 13 matchup at Southern Utah, where the Jackrabbits held the ball 13 minutes and 42 seconds (36:42 to 23:18) longer than SUU.
The second-largest disparity came Oct. 18 at Northern Iowa, where SDSU held the ball for 36:14, compared to 23:46 by UNI. The Jackrabbits put together three touchdown drives of at least 10 plays and five minutes.
WORKING OVERTIME: SDSU's 37-34 double-overtime victory over Northern Iowa on Oct. 26, 2013, upped the Jackrabbits' record in overtime games to 2-0 against Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents. SDSU also defeated Missouri State in a double-overtime game, 43-36, in 2011.
Overall, SDSU is 3-4 in games decided in overtime since the format was adopted in the mid-1990s. The Jackrabbits won their inaugural overtime game, 30-27 in two overtimes against Nebraska-Omaha in the 1998 Hobo Day game.
Following is a complete list of SDSU's overtime games:
1998: SDSU 30, Nebraska-Omaha 27 (2 OT — at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium)
2002: Augustana 39, SDSU 33 (3 OT — at Sioux Falls)
2004: Southern Utah 23, SDSU 17 (2 OT — at Cedar City, Utah)
2007: Western Illinois 29, SDSU 26 (4 OT — at Macomb, Ill.)
2008: McNeese State 46, SDSU 44 (3 OT — at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium)
2011: SDSU 43, Missouri State 36 (2 OT — at Springfield, Mo.)
2013: SDSU 37, Northern Iowa 34 (2 OT — at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium)
COACH STIG HONORED: South Dakota State University head football coach John Stiegelmeier received the 2014 Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence in conjunction with Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremonies on Oct. 11.
Stiegelmeier, who is in his 18th season as Jackrabbit head coach, has compiled a 119-85 career record, passing Ginn atop the SDSU career victories chart earlier this season. Stiegelmeier, who marked his 200th game as head coach on Oct. 25, has led SDSU to a winning record in 14 of 18 seasons, including nine of 11 at the Division I level.
The Selby native was named North Central Conference Coach of the Year in 1999 and Great West Football Conference Coach of the Year in 2007 after leading SDSU to its first conference title at the Division I level and their first league championship in 44 years.
Prior to becoming head coach, Stiegelmeier served as an assistant coach for the Jackrabbit football team from 1988-96. He joined Wayne Haensel's coaching staff as secondary coach and recruiting coordinator before being elevated to defensive coordinator under new head coach Mike Daly in 1991. In six seasons as defensive coordinator, Stiegelmeier helped guide the Jackrabbits to a 41-23 overall record. SDSU turned in a winning record all six seasons, including five seven-win campaigns. That track record of success helped Stiegelmeier secure his first collegiate head coaching position in December 1996, when he was named Daly's successor.
A 1979 graduate of South Dakota State with degrees in mathematics and physical education, Stiegelmeier served as a student assistant for the Jackrabbit team that made its lone appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs. He furthered his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Northern Iowa before coaching at the prep level at Eau Claire (Wis.) North High School from 1981-84. He returned to collegiate coaching as defensive coordinator, secondary coach and recruiting coordinator at Northern State from 1984-87 and later served a stint at the University of Wisconsin while working on his doctorate.
The Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence was first awarded in 1972. Ginn coached Jackrabbit football teams to a 113-89-9 record and won nine North Central Conference titles in 22 seasons from 1947-68.
JACKRABBIT INSIDER: Throughout the 2014 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 p.m. on Sioux Falls-based MyUTV. The show is also broadcast on KELO-TV at 11 p.m. Central Sunday and at 10 p.m. Mountain Time Sunday on KDLO-TV. Online, the show can be viewed at GoJacks.com.
STIG SHOW: The John Stiegelmeier Radio Show airs each Monday throughout the 2014 football season.
The show is scheduled to air at 6 p.m. on the Jackrabbit Sports Network, originating with flagship station WNAX 570 AM in Yankton. In addition, the weekly show also will be streamed online at GoJacks.com as part of the Jackrabbit Extra package.
Hosted by Tyler Merriam, the John Stiegelmeier Radio Show will also feature interviews with Jackrabbit student-athletes and assistant coaches. Jackrabbit fans are encouraged to attend the show in person at Cubby's Sports Bar and Grill, 307 Main Ave., in downtown Brookings.
A LOOK AHEAD: The winner of Saturday's game between SDSU and Montana State will advance to face No. 2 seed and three-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State on Dec. 6 in Fargo, N.D.
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