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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jacks close out Coughlin era Saturday
11/4/2015 3:30:00 PM | Football
Saturday marks the end of an era in South Dakota State football as the Jackrabbits host Illinois State in a battle of nationally ranked teams.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. The game will be televised on Sioux Falls-based Midco Sports Net.
The Jackrabbits, who are hosting the final game in the history of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, enter Saturday's matchup with a 6-2 overall record and 3-2 mark in the Missouri Valley Football Conference following a 39-0 shutout win last week at Missouri State. SDSU is ranked 11th this week in both the STATS media poll and Football Championship Subdivision coaches' poll.|
Illinois State, meanwhile, is leading the MVFC with a perfect 5-0 mark in league play and is 7-1 overall. The Redbirds, who reached the national championship game last season and are ranked No. 2 in both major FCS polls this week, have won seven games in a row since a 31-14 setback at Iowa on Sept. 5.
FAREWELL TO COUGHLIN: Coughlin-Alumni Stadium has served as the home of South Dakota State football since 1962.
In its 54 seasons of operation, there have been 288 games against 65 different opponents at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, with SDSU holding a 180-108 record (.625 winning percentage) on its home field. The stadium opened Sept. 22, 1962, when the Jackrabbits dropped a 9-7 decision to Arkansas State.
Since moving to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision in 2004, the Jackrabbits have posted a 49-16 mark (.754 win percentage) at CAS, including a 21-10 record at home against Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents.
The largest crowd ever to see a football game of any kind in South Dakota came through the turnstiles earlier this season, on Oct. 3, 2015, when 17,348 fans watched as the Jackrabbits hosted top-ranked North Dakota State in a battle between two teams ranked in the FCS top 10.
SDSU played its first game under the lights at CAS on Sept. 1, 2001, defeating Ferris State (Mich.), 34-24. The Jackrabbits have gone on to compile a 30-10 record in night games at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
The stadium project was started after Charles Coughlin, a 1909 graduate and former student-athlete, donated $50,000 towards the building of a new stadium to replace State Field. The remaining $250,000 of the original $300,000 cost was raised from alumni, students and friends of SDSU.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the sixth meeting on the gridiron between South Dakota State and Illinois, and is a series that began when the Jackrabbits joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2008.
The Jackrabbits won the first two meetings in the series, while Illinois State has won the last three matchups to hold a 3-2 series advantage. The two squads did not play each other during the 2012 and 2013 seasons as the league expanded to 10 teams and ceased playing a full round-robin slate.
The 2008 matchup between SDSU and Illinois State provided a memorable Coughlin-Alumni Stadium moment as Jackrabbit quarterback Ryan Berry set school and MVFC records in blustery conditions with seven touchdown passes in a 52-21 victory.
Glen Fox caught three touchdown passes (51, 16 and 4 yards), Colin Cochart added a pair of scores (11 and 40 yards), and Kyle Minett (8 yards) and Mike Steffen (3 yards) each caught one touchdown pass.
Illinois State grabbed a 3-2 series advantage with a 45-10 victory over the Jackrabbits in the 2014 MVFC opener for both teams on Oct. 4, 2014, in Normal, Illinois. Redbird running back Marshaun Coprich rushed for 174 yards and four touchdowns, and quarterbackTre Roberson topped the century mark in both rushing and passing.
The Redbirds converted three first-quarter turnovers by SDSU in to 21 points. Jake Wieneke scored the only touchdown for SDSU on a 26-yard pass from Zach Lujan late in the third quarter.
CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are six captains:
• Jimmie Forsythe, Sr., defensive back, Omaha, Neb.;
• Cam Jones, Sr., tight end, Eagan, Minn.;
• T.J. Lally, Sr., linebacker, Chicago, Ill.;
• Zach Lujan, Jr., quarterback, Anchorage, Alaska;
• Jacob Ohnesorge, So., offensive lineman, Waunakee, Wis.;
• J.R. Plote, Sr., defensive end, Phoenix, Ariz.
Lally has been selected as a team captain for the second year in a row.
ELITE COMPANY: South Dakota State is one of only six Football Championship Subdivision programs to reach the playoffs each of the last three seasons.
The five other programs to play in the postseason each year since 2012 include:
• North Dakota State
• Eastern Washington
• Coastal Carolina (S.C.)
• Sam Houston State (Texas)
• New Hampshire
RABBITS RANKED: The South Dakota State University football team vaulted into the top 10 of both major Football Championships Subdivision polls following its season-opening Sept. 5 at Kansas. The Jackrabbits have climbed to as high as fifth in the STATS media poll and sixth in the FCS coaches' rankings this season, and currently stand 11th in both of this week's STATS media and FCS coaches polls.
SDSU has been ranked in both FCS polls every week since Oct. 29, 2012.
DEFENSE NEVER RESTS: The South Dakota State defense is in the midst of its most stingy stretch in terms of points allowed in more than 50 years. Over their last four games, the Jackrabbits have allowed a total of 25 points (6.3 points per game), including only two touchdowns. That marks the fewest points allowed over a four-game span since the 1962 squad — whose members will be honorary captains for Saturday's game — surrendered a combined 13 points en route to four straight victories and a North Central Conference title.
For the season, the Jackrabbits rank fourth among FCS squads for scoring defense with an average of 13.9 points allowed per game.
In addition, the Jackrabbits have yet to allow an FCS team to pass for more than 200 yards in a game this season, and has twice held the opposition to under 100 yards passing (43 by Robert Morris (Pa.) on Sept. 26 and 89 by Missouri State on Oct. 31).
SDSU enters the week seventh in the FCS ranks by allowing an average of 151.6 passing yards per game.
TURNOVERS TELL THE STORY: South Dakota State enters the week leading the Football Championship Subdivision in fewest turnovers lost with only two this season. The Jackrabbits have not turned the ball over in seven of their eight games, with the two turnovers a pair of interceptions against Robert Morris (Pa.) on Sept. 26. SDSU is the only FCS team not to lose a fumble so far during the 2015 season.
The Jackrabbits rank eighth in turnover margin at plus-1.13 per game and plus-9 for the season. SDSU has forced 11 turnovers (6 interceptions, 5 fumbles). The Jackrabbits have scored 45 points (6 touchdowns, 1 field goal) off its opponents' 11 turnovers.
SACK ATTACK: South Dakota State entered its Oct. 10 game against Indiana State with only three sacks as a team, but the Jackrabbits racked up six sacks against the Sycamores in a 24-7 victory. Senior defensive end J.R. Plote led the way with two sacks, with reserve defensive ends Chase Kern and Jared Blum each tallying one.
SDSU's sack total was the most in a game since recording seven in a 2013 playoff victory at Northern Arizona.
LALLY NEAR THE TOP IN TACKLES: Senior linebacker T.J. Lally currently ranks fourth among active Football Championship Subdivision players in career tackles.
A native of Chicago, Lally has tallied 368 career stops, putting him behind Drake (Iowa) linebacker John Hugunin with 394 tackles, followed by Donald Payne of Stetston (Fla.) with 381 and Donelle Williams of Presbyterian (S.C.) with 373 stops.
Lally, who has started all 49 games of his Jackrabbit career, has finished either first or second on the team in tackles each of his first three seasons and has posted a pair of 100-tackle campaigns.
Lally registered 107 tackles during his redshirt freshman season in 2012 to rank second on the team, and added a team-best 117 tackles during the 2014 season.
Lally's 362 tackles are the most by a Jackrabbit in the Division I era and third most in program history, trailing Greg Osmundson (1986-89) with 435 and J.D. Alexander (1971-74) with 393.
BOBBIT LEADING DEFENSE: Linebacker Jesse Bobbit leads the Jackrabbit defense with 71 tackles this season on the strength of four double-digit performances. A junior from Palatine, Illinois, Bobbit recorded 10 tackles in the Sept. 5 season-opening win at Kansas. He later tallied double figures in tackles in back-to-back weeks, notching 11 in a win over Robert Morris (Pa.) and tying a career high with 13 tackles Oct. 3 against North Dakota State. He also forced a fumble against the Bison.
Bobbit ranked third on the team with 90 tackles in 2014 and has started 22 games in a row.
BUTLER SETS PUNT RETURN MARK: Jackrabbit punt returner Je Ryan Butler set one career punt return record and is poised to set another SDSU career standard this season. A senior from Tempe, Arizona, Butler has totaled 68 career punt returns, surpassing the previous mark of 63 set by Paul Aanonson from 2004-07.
In addition, Butler has totaled 699 career punt return yards and enters Saturday's game against Missouri State 100 yards away from breaking Aanonson record of 798 yards.
A preseason all-MVFC pick as a return specialist, Butler averaged 13.2 yards on 28 punt returns a season ago. He took over the Jackrabbits' punt return duties midway through the 2013 season.
Butler, who also is a starting cornerback, leads active Jackrabbit players with nine career interceptions, adding to his total Oct. 17 at Youngstown State. His nine pickoffs rank in a tie for 12th among active FCS players.
CARLSON HONORED BY MVFC: South Dakota State University kicker Jay Carlson was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after a career-best performance in the Jackrabbits' Oct. 31 victory at Missouri State.
A senior from Parkville, Missouri, Carlson set a career high with four field goals in SDSU's 39-0 road win. Three of Carlson's field goals were from 40-plus yards – two from 41 yards and a career-long 47-yarder – with his first field goal of the game coming from 34 yards. He became the first Jackrabbit kicker since Parker Douglass in a four-overtime game at Western Illinois in 2007 to kick four field goals in a game. By going 4-for-5 on field goals – he missed a 49-yarder on the final play of the first half – Carlson improved to 12-of-17 on field-goal attempts this season.
LUJAN UNDER CENTER: Junior quarterback Zach Lujan became the fastest Jackrabbit to throw for 1,000 yards in a season, reaching the mark in the third game of the 2015 season.
A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Lujan named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for a career-high 395 yards in a 34-10 home victory over Robert Morris (Pa.) on Sept. 26. Lujan's yardage total tied for the second most in a game in program history and upped his season yardage total to 1,002 yards in only three games. He sat out games against Indiana State (Oct. 10) and Youngstown State (Oct. 17) before returning to the starting lineup Oct. 24 against Northern Iowa, although he played only two offensive series.
Lujan began the season by completing 17-of-33 passes for 293 yards and tied a career high with three touchdown passes in a Sept. 5 win at Kansas. Two of Lujan's completions came on fourth-down attempts, including a 23-yard strike to tight end Dallas Goedert on fourth-and-5 from the KU 29 that set up SDSU's final touchdown with 6:18 to play in the game. His other fourth-down completion came in the third quarter, extending a drive that led to a field goal.
Lujan threw two more touchdown passes — both to Jake Wieneke — in a 55-10 home win over Southern Utah the following week. He ended the night 19-of-27 passing for 314 yards, marking his third career 300-yard game.
The junior signal-caller played a key role in the Jackrabbits reaching the FCS playoffs a season ago. Lujan stepped in for an injured Austin Sumner and led the Jackrabbits to a 5-2 record as the starter. He took over early in the 2014 season opener at Missouri after career passing leader Austin Sumner was injured, leading SDSU on two scoring drives. He held lead a touchdown drive to open the second half and pull SDSU to within 21-18. A native of Anchorage, Alaska, who played the 2013 season at Chabot College (Calif.), Lujan completed 21-of-28 passes for 239 yards with one interception at Mizzou.
A member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team, Lujan led the team with 1,943 passing yards and completed 61 percent (147-of-241) of his pass attempts. 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 2014 start, Oct. 25 against Youngstown State.
WIENEKE ADDED TO WATCH LIST: South Dakota State University wide receiver Jake Wieneke has been added to the official watch list for the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year award.
A sophomore from Maple Grove, Minnesota, Wieneke ranks among the FCS leaders with 47 receptions for 942 yards and eight touchdowns through eight games. He caught two touchdown passes in each of the Jackrabbits' first three games, which included an 11-reception, 205-yard performance against Southern Utah on Sept. 12. Wieneke became the first SDSU player in 19 seasons to top 200 receiving yards in a game.
Wieneke was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS' top freshman during the 2014 season, ending the year with 73 receptions for 1,404 yards and a school-record 16 touchdowns. He also earned All-America honors from The Associated Press and Sports Network.
Currently, 25 players appear on the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year Watch List. The list will be revised periodically throughout the remainder of the 2015 season, with voting for the award taking place at the end of the regular season.
Only 22 games into his collegiate career, Wieneke is radiply moving up the Jackrabbit career receiving charts. He enters Saturday's game with 120 career receptions for 2,346 yards — a total that stands sixth among active FCS players. His average of 106.6 receiving yards per game for his career ranks second among active FCS players.
Wieneke has caught 24 touchdown passes for his career, including two in each of the Jackrabbits' first three games this season, to move into a tie with JaRon Harris (2055-08) for third place on the SDSU charts. Wieneke has caught a touchdown pass in 16 of 22 career games, including 10 of 13 games against Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents.
TIGHT ENDS CATCHING ON: After combining for 16 catches all of last season, South Dakota State tight ends have tallied 35 receptions so far this season for an average of 15.1 yards per catch.
Sophomore Dallas Goedert ranks second on the team with 18 catches for 297 yards and two touchdowns, including the team's longest scoring play of the season at 77 yards in the Sept. 12 win over Southern Utah. senior Cam Jones is next on the squad with 17 catches for 232 yards.
CHRISTION REPEATS AS TOP NEWCOMER: For the second week in a row, true freshman quarterback Taryn Christion was honored as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week on Oct. 19.
Christion improved to 2-0 as the Jackrabbits' starting quarterback, helping lead SDSU to its second consecutive win over a ranked opponent with a 38-8 win at Youngstown State on Oct. 17. Christion completed 8-of-14 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown, and also gained 75 yards on the ground. He scored on a 70-yard run early in the fourth quarter for the middle of three second-half touchdowns for the Jackrabbits.
Christion received both national and conference awards for his efforts in helping lead the Jackrabbits to victory over Indiana State in his collegiate debut on Oct. 10.
A Sioux Falls native, Christion was named STATS National Freshman of the Week on Oct. 12, a day after being named MVFC Newcomer of the Week. Starting in place of an injured Zach Lujan, he accounted for 320 yards of total offense in SDSU's 24-7 home victory. Christion opened the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, then threw his first career touchdown pass – a 34-yarder to Jake Wieneke – later in the quarter. For the game, Christion completed 15-of-24 passes for 221 yards and carried the ball 16 times for 99 yards.
Christion played all but the first two offensive series for the Jackrabbits in their Oct. 24 Hobo Day game against Northern Iowa. He finished the day with 227 yards of total offense (156 passing, 61 rushing). He again saw action off the bench in SDSU's 39-0 victory at Missouri State on Oct. 31.
YOUTH MOVEMENT: Four other true freshmen made their collegiate playing debuts in the Jackrabbits' 41-38 win at Kansas on Sept. 5.
On the offensive side of the ball, guard Matt Clark played most of the fourth quarter and helped lead SDSU on a decisive scoring drive. Defensive tackle Blake Whitsell and cornerback Shakial Taylor also saw playing time in the victory. On special teams, Brady Hale handled the punting duties, averaging 41.6 yards on five attempts, including a 56-yarder on his first collegiate punt.
Two more true freshmen made their initial appearances in a Jackrabbit uniform during the Sept. 12 matchup with Southern Utah. Fullback Luke Sellers and wide receiver Alex Wilde saw action but did not factor into any statistics.
JACKRABBIT INSIDER: Throughout the 2015 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 on demand at GoJacks.com.
STIG SHOW: The John Stiegelmeier Radio Show airs each Monday throughout the 2015 football season.
The show is scheduled to air at 6 p.m. on the Jackrabbit Sports Network, originating with WNAX 570 AM in Yankton. In addition, the weekly show also will be streamed online free of charge at GoJacks.com.
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 close out the regular season and Missouri Valley Football Conference play with consecutive road games. SDSU will square off against in-state rival South Dakota next Saturday (Nov. 14) at the DakotaDome in Vermillion. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
SDSU ends the regular season Nov. 21 at Western Illinois.
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