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11/5/2014 4:29:00 PM | Football
Two nationally ranked teams with playoff aspirations meet Saturday afternoon, when the South Dakota State University football team travels to Indiana State in Missouri Valley Football Conference action.
Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. Eastern Time (noon Central Time) at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana.
The 22nd-ranked Jackrabbits, 5-4 overall and 2-3 in league play, will be in search of ending a two-game losing streak. SDSU led at halftime of its Nov. 1 matchup at top-ranked North Dakota State before falling 37-17.
Indiana State, meanwhile, has been moving up the polls on the strength on a two-game winning streak. The Sycamores, ranked 17th in the Sports Network media poll and 19th in the FCS Coaches' poll, improved to 6-3 overall and 3-2 in the MVFC with a 20-18 home victory over Missouri State on Nov. 1.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the seventh matchup on the gridiron between South Dakota State and Indiana State, a series that dates back to when the Jackrabbits joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference at the start of the 2008 season.
SDSU holds a 4-2 series advantage on the strength of winning the last two matchups. The Jackrabbits won the first two meetings before Indiana State posted consecutive wins during the 2010 and 2011 campaigns.
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.
JACKS PICKED SECOND IN MVFC: The South Dakota State University football team has been picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference during the 2014 season, according to a preseason poll released in late July.
Three-time defending national champion North Dakota State again was tabbed as the conference favorite in the poll, which was conducted by the league's coaches, sports information directors and select media representatives. NDSU has won 33 consecutive games entering the weekend.
The Bison earned 24 of a possible 39 first-place votes and 370 total points. South Dakota State was picked second in the poll after tying for second place and representing the league in the FCS playoffs a year ago. The Jackrabbits received eight first-place votes.
Perennial FCS power Northern Iowa was selected third in the poll after going 7-5 last year, with Youngstown State and Southern Illinois completing the upper-half of the poll.
Illinois State and Missouri State were picked sixth and seventh, respectively, with South Dakota, Western Illinois and Indiana State completing the 10-team poll.
A preseason favorite has claimed the league crown 16 times (in 28 previous polls). North Dakota State was picked to win the league last season.
In addition, six Jackrabbit players were named to the MVFC Preseason Team. Leading the SDSU contingent was senior running back Zach Zenner, who already holds the league record for career all-purpose yards and rushing yards. Zenner has rushed for 2,000-plus yards in back-to-back seasons.
Fellow senior Austin Sumner was tabbed as the quarterback on the preseason team. An honorable mention all-MVFC honoree in 2013, Sumner threw for 2,999 yards en route to setting SDSU career records for completions, yards and attempts.
Sumner's primary target a season ago, Jason Schneider, also was honored on the preseason team. Schneider set a Jackrabbit single-season record with 78 receptions for 1,088 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2013 to earn first-team all-MVFC honors.
Completing the Jackrabbits' selections on the offensive side of the ball was offensive lineman Trevor Greger. A senior, Greger started 33 consecutive games at right tackle since his redshirt freshman season in 2011.
Sophomore Cole Langer, a member of the MVFC Newcomer Team in 2013, was selected to the preseason team after a freshman season in which he recorded 35 tackles.
Honorable mention selection T.J. Lally rounded out the Jackrabbit preseason honorees. A junior linebacker, Lally finished second on the team in tackles each of his first two seasons, including 89 stops in 2013.
North Dakota State led the league with eight selections to the preseason team, followed by SDSU and UNI with six.
RABBITS RANKED: The South Dakota State University football team fell in both major Football Championship Subdivision polls this week following its road loss Nov. 1 at North Dakota State. The Jackrabbits fell four spots to 22nd in the Sports Network media poll, while falling three spots to No. 22 in the FCS Coaches' 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.
Three-time defending national champion and Missouri Valley Football Conference rival North Dakota State again holds the top spot in both polls.
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: South Dakota State will be facing a ranked FCS opponent for the fifth time this season, when it travels to Indiana State on Saturday.
The Jackrabbits are 1-3 against ranked foes — all Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents — so far this season. SDSU has lost decisions to Illinois State, Youngstown State and North Dakota State, while scoring a 31-28 victory at Northern Iowa on Oct. 18.
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 51 games against ranked FCS opponents, going 18-33.
STEADY SYROVATKA: South Dakota State kicker Justin Syrovatka is building off some record-setting performances during his first three seasons.
A senior from Sioux Falls, Syrovatka holds the Jackrabbit record for consecutive field goals made with 15. Syrovatka's 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 eight consecutive field goal attempts made as he has gone 11-of-12 this season, 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.
Syrovatka also put together a streak of 47 consecutively made PATs, which ended Nov. 9, 2013, against Indiana State. His 33 consecutive PATs to start the season were a Jackrabbit record, surpassing the 29 by Douglass in 2004. For his career, Syrovatka is 131-of-133 on PATs, including a perfect 27-of-27 in 2014.
In addition, Syrovatka has moved into second place on the Jackrabbit career field goals chart with 47, connecting on at least one field in all nine games this season and 11 in a row dating back to the 2013 campaign. His 47 career field goals are tied for the second most among active Football Championship Subdivision kickers.
Douglass is the Jackrabbits' all-time leader with 62 field goals from 2004-07.
SUMNER RETURNS: South Dakota State starting quarterback Austin Sumner returned to the Jackrabbit starting lineup Nov. 1 at North Dakota for his first action since suffering a broken foot in the season opener at Missouri.
Sumner completed 14-of-28 passes for 187 yards and a touchdown in his return. The career passing leader at SDSU, Sumner hit the 8,000-yard mark for his career in the game and upped his career touchdown total to 51 — five shy of the school record set by Ryan Berry from 2005-08.
Sumner's 8,018 career passing yards rank fourth among cuurent Football Championship Subdivision quarterbacks.
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.
WIENEKE ON RICE WATCH LIST: Jackrabbit wide receiver Jake Wieneke was recently to the initial watch list 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 four 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).
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 two-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 watch list will be updated periodically during the 2014 season, with the Walter Payton Award 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 fifth place for FCS career rushing with 5,762 yards and also upped his career all-purpose yardage total to 7,231 yards to rank ninth all-time. Both of his yardage totals are Missouri Valley Football Conference records, while his 55 career touchdowns (50 rushing, 5 receiving) are tied atop the league record book with Western Illinois' Travis Glasford (2002-05). Current Northern Iowa running back David Johnson is right behind with 54 career touchdowns.
Zenner has crossed the 100-yard mark 28 times in the team's 36 games over the past two-plus seasons, including seven performances of 200-plus yards. He currently ranks eighth among FCS backs this season with an average of 137 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 3.87 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 10 career touchdown runs of at least 50 yards.
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 38 of the Jackrabbits' last 39 games.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Jackrabbit running back Zach Zenner and offensive lineman Dylan Seiter each received Missouri Valley Football Conference Player of the Week honors for their efforts in SDSU's victory over Cal Poly on Sept. 6.
A senior from Eagan, Minn., Zenner rushed 30 times for 193 yards and a touchdown. He also became the career rushing leader in MVFC history, ending the night with 4,825 yards and surpassing the 4,746 yards by Herb Donaldson of Western Illinois from 2005-08.
Zenner also was named a National All-Star by College Sporting News.
Seiter, meanwhile, was tabbed MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week after recording a 1.62 grade and a team-high nine knockdown blocks against Cal Poly.
Redshirt freshman Jake Wieneke joined the list of award winners Oct. 12, when he was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week after recording career highs of eight catches, 183 yards and three touchdowns in the Jackrabbits' 32-28 victory over Missouri State a day earlier.
Wieneke also was named national Co-Freshman of the Week by The Sports Network, and also recognized as FCS National Receiver of the Week by College Football Performance Awards.
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 shares the team lead with two interceptions and ranks second on the squad with five pass breakups. 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 30 stops on the season.
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 five total tackles over the last five games. The Sioux City, Iowa, product's first sack came in his home debut Oct. 11 against Missouri State.
CLOCK MANAGEMENT: The Jackrabbit offense has displayed a ball-control attack this season that has led to the unit ranking ninth among FCS squads for time of possession with an average of 32 minutes and 44 seconds per game.
SDSU held an edge in time of possession in each of first eight games of the 2014 season, including five 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 116-85 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 13 of 17 full seasons, including eight of 10 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.
Coach Stig also was named a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award during the 2007 and 2009 seasons, the latter marking the Jackrabbits' first appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. SDSU also made consecutive FCS playoff appearances in 2012 and 2013, winning an opening-round game each season.
Since moving to Division I at the start of the 2004 season, Stiegelmeier has led the Jackrabbits to a 74-50 record in the FCS era.
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.
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.
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 Jackrabbits return home Nov. 15, hosting Western Illinois on Military Appreciation Day. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.