Road swing ends at Western Illinois

Saturday, October 28

Macomb, Ill.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Western Illinois

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

10/24/2017 3:25:00 PM | Football

By: Jason Hove

GAME 8: #8/11 South Dakota State (5-2, 2-2 MVFC) at #12/14 Western Illinois (5-2, 2-2 MVFC)

When	Saturday, Oct. 28 \| 1 p.m. Central Time
Where	Hanson Field \| Macomb, Illinois
TV	ESPN3.com
Radio	J ackrabbits All-Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	GoLeathernecks.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Western Illinois \| Missouri Valley Football Conference
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #LastPlay

The South Dakota State University football team begins the second half of the Missouri Valley Football Conference season Saturday afternoon by traveling to Western Illinois for a key matchup between nationally ranked teams.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Hanson Field in Macomb, Illinois. The game will be televised through ESPN3.com and the WatchESPN app.
Both squads enter Saturday's contest with 5-2 overall records and 2-2 marks in the MVFC. The Jackrabbits, ranked in a tie for eighth place in the FCS Coaches' Poll and 11th in the STATS FCS media survey, posted a 62-30 road win at Missouri State last week, while No. 12/14 Western Illinois dropped a 24-12 decision at second-ranked North Dakota State on Oct. 21.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the 15th meeting on the gridiron between the Jackrabbits and Western Illinois, a series that dates back to a 28-21 Fighting Leatherneck victory at SDSU's Coughlin-Alumni Stadium in 1976. Overall, SDSU leads the all-time series by a 9-5 count on the strength of a seven-game winning streak from 2008-14.
Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision, SDSU?holds an 8-2 series advantage. Both of Western Illinois' victories since 2007 have been in overtime games on its home field. The Leathernecks claimed a 29-26, four-overtime victory in the 2007 season opener, adding a 30-24 double-overtime win in the 2015 regular season finale.

FCS WIN NO. 100: South Dakota State recorded its 100th win as a Football Championship Subdivision program with a 62-30 victory at Missouri State on Oct. 21. Since moving to the FCS ranks at the start of the 2004 season, the Jackrabbits have posted a 100-63 overall record (.613 winning percentage). SDSU has turned in a winning record in 11 of 13 full seasons and has compiled a 51-25 mark (.671 winning percentage) in Missouri Valley Football Conference games.

VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004, the Jackrabbits have posted a 27-39 overall record against ranked FCS opponents. SDSU is 0-1 against ranked FCS opponents so far during the 2017 season, dropping a 19-7 decision at Youngstown State on Sept. 30.
Of the 66 previous matchups against a ranked opponent, 33 have been in a regular season Missouri Valley Football Conference game. The Jackrabbits have compiled a 17-16 record in those matchups.

RABBITS RANKED: For the fourth time in five years, the South Dakota State University football team entered a season with a top-10 national ranking. The Jackrabbits attained their highest-ever ranking in a Football Championship Subdivision poll, checking in at No. 4 in the 2017 STATS FCS Preseason Poll, which was released in early August. SDSU also was ranked sixth in the preseason FCS Coaches' Poll.
With their win last week at Missouri State, the Jackrabbits climbed back up both major polls, gaining five spots to a tie for eighth in coaches' poll and two spots to 11th in the STATS FCS media poll. SDSU had spent four weeks ranked fourth in both major polls prior to their 19-7 loss at Youngstown State on Sept. 30.
Defending national champion James Madison holds the top spot in both national polls, followed by North Dakota State and Jacksonville State.
Four other MVFC squads are included in this week's top 25 of the STATS media poll: South Dakota (sixth), Western Illinois (12th), Illinois State (16th) and Youngstown State (21st). Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois are receiving votes. Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois are receiving votes.
SDSU's previous highest ranking was a fifth-place showing over three weeks during the 2015 season. The Jackrabbits' previous high ranking in a preseason poll was sixth in 2013.
SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 73 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012.

ELITE COMPANY: South Dakota State is one of only four Football Championship Subdivision programs to reach the playoffs each of the last five seasons.
The three other programs to play in the postseason each year since 2012 include:
• New Hampshire
• North Dakota State
• Sam Houston State (Texas)

VALLEY PREVIEW: Last year's Missouri Valley Football Conference co-champions were picked to be on a collision course again in 2017. A single vote separated top pick North Dakota State from second-place South Dakota State in the MVFC pre-season poll, which was released July 25. It marked the tightest vote for a pre-season favorite in league history.
NDSU picked up 21 of 40 first-place votes and a total of 380 points, while the Jackrabbits earned the other 19 first-place votes and 379 points. Youngstown State was tabbed third with 290 points.
In nine previous seasons as a league member, SDSU has finished at or higher than its preseason selection seven times. In 2016, the Jackrabbits were picked to finish third before winning a share of their first-ever MVFC title.
Northern Iowa (255 points) and Illinois State (246) completed the upper half of the poll, which was conducted among league coaches and sports information directors, as well as select media.
Rounding out the poll were Western Illinois (188), South Dakota (182), Southern Illinois (132), Missouri State (81) and Indiana State (67).
The league is coming off a season in which four teams — NDSU, SDSU, YSU and Illinois State — represented the conference in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The MVFC has had four or more playoff teams in three straight years.
Additionally, 10 South Dakota State University players, including a league-best nine first-team selections, were named to the 2017 Missouri Valley Football Conference Preseason Team.
Seven of the Jackrabbits' selections came on the offensive side of the ball, highlighted by returning MVFC Offensive Player of the Year Taryn Christion. A junior quarterback from Sioux Falls, Christion set a school record with 3,714 passing yards and tied a program mark with 30 touchdown passes in 2016. He also ran for 335 yards and six scores.
Two of Christion's primary targets from a year ago and fellow first-team all-MVFC honors, senior tight end Dallas Goedert and senior wide receiver Jake Wieneke, also return. A Britton native, Goedert established a new Jackrabbit single-season record with 92 receptions, while tallying 1,293 receiving yards and 11 scores in 2016 en route to being named a unanimous All-America selection.
Wieneke earned All-America honors for the third season in a row after catching 78 passes for 1,316 yards and matching his own school record with 16 touchdowns in 2016.
Another leader from the Jackrabbits' potent offensive attack, senior running back Brady Mengarelli, also was named to the MVFC Preseason Team. Mengarelli has led the team in rushing each of the past two seasons, including 754 yards in 2016. He also contributed 34 receptions for 333 yards last season.
Completing the Jackrabbits selections on offense were fullback Kane Louscher, center Jacob Ohnesorge and tackle Charlie Harmon. Ohnesorge was a first-team all-conference selection in 2016 and later received All-America recognition from HERO Sports.
The defensive contingent for the Jackrabbits is comprised of senior defensive tackle Kellen Soulek and sophomore linebacker Christian Rozeboom. A Yankton native, Soulek led the team in 2016 with 10 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks en route to second-team all-MVFC honors.
Rozeboom, a native of Sioux Center, Iowa, was named MVFC Freshman of the Year in 2016 and finished second in the voting for the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision after racking up a team-best 132 tackles and adding three sacks and a pair of interceptions.
Rounding out the Jackrabbits' preseason all-MVFC selections was junior punter Brady Hale, who earned honorable mention recognition. Hale averaged 42.6 yards per attempt on 47 punts a season ago.

NATIONAL AWARD WATCH LISTS: Four Jackrabbit football players have been included in preseason watch lists for top awards within the Football Championship Subdivision.
An unprecedented three SDSU football players who were finalists for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award last season are again included in thewatch list for the 2017 award. Representing the Jackrabbits on the list for the top offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision are junior quarterback Taryn Christion, senior wide receiver Jake Wieneke and senior tight end Dallas Goedert.
Christion was the highest finisher among the Jackrabbit trio in the 2016 balloting with a seventh-place finish. Wieneke finished 10th, with Goedert placing 14th.
On the other side of the ball, linebacker Christian Rozeboom was included in the preseason watch list for the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award for the top defensive player in the FCS.
The watch lists for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award and STATS?FCS?Buck Buchanan Award will be updated periodically throughout the 2017 season. The awards will be presented Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the FCS national title game.
All four players were also named to the STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team. Goedert, Wieneke and senior center Jacob Ohnesorge were honored on the first-team offense, with Rozeboom earning first-team distinction on the defensive side of the ball.
Christion and senior fullback Kane Louscher were both third-team selections on offense.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are six captains:
• Taryn Christion, Jr., quarterback, Sioux Falls, S.D.;
• Dallas Goedert, Sr., tight end, Britton, S.D.;
• Brady Mengarelli, Sr., running back, Prescott, Ariz.;
• Jacob Ohnesorge, Sr., offensive lineman, Waunakee, Wis.;
• Christian Rozeboom, So., linebacker, Sioux Center, Iowa, and
• Jake Wieneke, Sr., wide receiver, Maple Grove, Minn.
Ohnesorge, who is a two-time MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week this season, is in his third season as a team captain, joining former quarterback Austin Sumner (2010-13) as the only three-time captain in program history. Mengarelli is in his second season as a captain, while the four other captains are all in their first years.

FAST STARTS: Up until spotting Northern Iowa a 17-0 lead on Oct. 14, South Dakota State had dominated the first quarter of games so far this season. Despite recently faltering, the Jackrabbits have outscored opponents by a 76-34 margin in the first quarter. Through seven games, the Jackrabbits have scored on 12 of their 19 first-quarter possessions, kicking one field goal and scoring 11 touchdowns.
The Jackrabbits scored on all five of their offensive possessions in the first half of their Oct. 7 game versus Southern Illinois in building a 35-0 halftime lead.

THIRD-DOWN SUCCESS: Through six games, the South Dakota State offense ranks second in the Football Championship Subdivision in third-down conversion percentage. The Jackrabbits have converted 44-of-80 third-down attempts for a success rate of 55 percent so far this season, including 11-of-15 attempts versus Southern Illinois on Oct. 7.
SDSU also is 5-for-7 (71 percent) on fourth-down attempts in 2017.

PENALTY-FREE ZONE: The Jackrabbits committed only one penalty for 15 yards in their Sept. 30 matchup at Youngstown State. It marked the fifth time in the Division I era (since 2004) that SDSU committed only one penalty in a game.
For the season, the Jackrabbits rank eighth among FCS teams in fewest penalties committed with 30 and stand eighth in fewest penalty yards with 260.

NEW SCORING MARK: The Jackrabbits' 62 points in their Oct. 21 victory at Missouri State marked their most points against a Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent since joining the league in 2008. SDSU's previous high-scoring output was 59 points in a home win over Western Illinois during the 2014 season.

GROUND-BASED ATTACK: South Dakota State rushed for a Division I-era-best seven touchdowns in its Oct. 21 victory at Missouri State. The Jackrabbits had scored six rushing touchdowns on three previous occasions in the D-I era (since 2004), including the 2016 matchup versus Missouri State.
Jackrabbit running back Mikey Daniel rushed for four touchdowns in last week's contest, becoming the first SDSU player to accomplish the feat since Zach Zenner at Montana State in a 2014 FCS playoff game. Daniel scored on three 1-yard runs and added a 2-yard score as he upped his team-leading rushing touchdowns total to seven.

JOHNSON HONORED: South Dakota State University wide receiver/kick returner Cade Johnson was named Oct. 22 as Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week, one day after a breakthrough performance in a win against Missouri State.
A redshirt freshman from Papillion, Nebraska, Johnson made the most of his limited opportunities, racking up 136 all-purpose yards on only three touches in the Jackrabbits' 62-30 victory. He returned the opening kickoff 61 yards to set up a touchdown, then tallied catches of 68 and 7 yards, the latter of which resulted in his first career receiving touchdown late in the first half.
Johnson currently leads the MVFC in kickoff returns with an average of 28.9 yards per return, a figure that ranks ninth in the Football Championship Subdivision.

CHRISTION MOVING ON UP: Junior quarterback Taryn Christion has moved into the top three of three different career categories in recent weeks. Christion has moved into the No. 2 spot for both career passing yards and total offense at SDSU, passing Ted Wahl (1985-88) in both categories in recent weeks. Christion comes into this weekend's matchup at Western Illinois with career totals of 6,668 passing yards and 7,617 yards of total offense. Austin Sumner holds the SDSU career passing record with 9,458 yards from 2011-14, and also holds the career total offense mark of 9,284 yards.
In addition, Christion took over the No. 3 spot in career touchdown passes in the Oct. 7 game against Southern Illinois and enters Saturday's contest with 53 after a two-touchdown performance at Missouri State last week. He passed Brad Nelson (47 touchdowns from 2001-04) and trails Ryan Berry (56 touchdown passes from 2005-08) for second place..

MENGARELLI MAKES TOP-10 RUN: Senior running back Brady Mengarelli moved into the Jackrabbit career top 10 for rushing in the Oct. 14 game against Northern Iowa. A native of Prescott, Arizona, Mengarelli has since moved into ninth place with 2,311 rushing yards in his career, overtaking Rick Wegher (2,293 yards from 1981-84) last week.
Mengarelli moved into position with a career-high 220 yards in a win over Southern Illinois on Oct. 7. He led the Jackrabbits in rushing during both the 2015 and 2016 seasons and again leads the team this year with 483 yards. He is averaging 7.4 yards per carry.

CENTURY CITY: For the first time in more than a year, South Dakota State had a rusher and receiver each with more than 100 yards in the same game in the Jackrabbits' 62-30 win at Missouri State on Oct. 21. Brady Mengarelli gained 115 yards on only 11 carries, including a career-long 57-yard touchdown, while Dallas Goedert hauled in eight catches for 170 yards, highlighted by a 42-yard score.
The last time the Jackrabbits had a rushing-receiving tandem with 100 yards each was in SDSU's victory at top-ranked North Dakota State on Oct. 15, 2016. In that game, quarterback Taryn Christion rushed 20 times for 141 yards and Goedert caught 11 balls for 150 yards. Jake Wieneke added six receptions for 108 yards.

WIENEKE REACHES MORE MILESTONES: Jackrabbit wide receiver Jake Wieneke took over sole possession of fourth place in Football Championship Subdivision history for touchdown receptions with an 11-yard score Oct. 14 against Northern Iowa. A senior from Maple Grove, Minnesota, Wieneke recorded his 51st career touchdown catch, breaking a four-way tie with Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State, 1981-84), John Matthews (San Diego, 2005-08) and Ramses Barden (Cal Poly, 2005-08). His 51 career touchdown receptions are both SDSU and MVFC career marks.
A three-time All-American, Wieneke has caught a touchdown pass in 31 of 46 career games, including five of seven this season. He has recorded two or more scores in a game 14 times.
Coupled with a three-reception, 61-yard outing Missouri State, Wieneke now ranks fifth in FCS history with a school- and league-record 4,574 receiving yards. He established a new Jackrabbit career mark for receptions in the 2017 season opener and enters Saturday's game with 252 — a mark that now ranks second in MVFC history after passing both Northern Iowa's Eddie Berlin (249 receptions from 1997-2000) and former Illinois State standout Tyrone Walker (250 receptions from 2009-12) in the Jackrabbits' Oct. 21 victory at Missouri State.
Lance Lenoir, who played at Western Illinois from 2013-16 is the MVFC career leader with 273 receptions.
Wieneke also is second among active FCS players in career receptions, trailing Lehigh's Troy Pelletier with 284.

BALL-HAWKING BACKHAUS: Linebacker Logan Backhaus had his hand in his team-leading third takeaway of the season when he forced a fumble in the Jackrabbits' Oct. 15 game against Northern Iowa. A redshirt freshman, Backhaus shares the team lead with two interceptions and ranks fourth on the squad with 27 tackles. He tied a career high with seven tackles and recorded his first career sack in the game against UNI.
Backhaus missed last week's game at Missouri State due to injury, but could return to the lineup in this week's contest at Western Illinois.

LOWERING THE BOOM: South Dakota State linebacker Christian Rozeboom turned in the 11th double-digit tackling performance of his career Oct. 21 at Missouri State. Rozeboom's game-high 18 tackles were a season high and were two shy of his career high set in a 2016 game at Southern Illinois.
A sophomore, Rozeboom currently leads the Jackrabbits in tackles this season with 67, after posting a team-high 132 tackles in 2016.

BLOCK THAT KICK: The Jackrabbits have been strong on special teams throughout the 2017 season and currently rank third in the Football Championship Subdivision with four blocked kicks. SDSU recorded a blocked kick — two extra points and a punt — in each of its first three games, than ran its total to four with a blocked punt by Alex Romenesko on the opening possession of the Oct. 7 game against Southern Illinois.
SDSU blocked a total of three kicks in 2016.

MOVE THOSE CHAINS: The Jackrabbits established a Division I-era record with 35 first downs in their Oct. 7 game against Southern Illinois. SDSU ran for 17 first downs, while 13 of Taryn Christion's 16 completions went for first downs in the passing game. SDSU also picked up five first downs on SIU penalties.
Previously, the most Jackrabbit first downs in a game since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision was 31 in a losing effort last season at Illinois State.
The single-game school record for first downs is 37, a mark first set in 1984 in a game at Wyoming, and matched a year later versus North Dakota.

YOUTH MOVEMENT: Eight different true freshmen saw action for the Jackrabbits in the Aug. 31 season opener against Duquesne. Most of the newcomers to make their collegiate debuts were linemen as Jack Domandle, Eagan Lickiss and Edward Miller played on the offensive line and Xavier Ward and Daniel Callender played on the defensive line. Linebackers Noah Urbanek and Seven Wilson also made their collegiate debuts, as did tight end Skyler Cavanaugh.
In addition, redshirt freshmen Austin Barrett (defensive tackle) and Logan Backhaus (linebacker) drew starting assignments in their first action as Jackrabbits.

JACKRABBIT BLOODLINES: Several South Dakota State football players have extensive Jackrabbit bloodlines.
Brothers Mason and Tristan Leiseth are both second-generation defensive ends from nearby Hayti. Their father, David, lettered in football for SDSU from 1989-91 and also was a three-time All-American in the shot put.
Three other members of the Jackrabbit freshman class also have strong family ties to South Dakota State Athletics. Quarterback Taryn Christion's mother, Heather, played volleyball at SDSU and fullback Turner Blasius' father, Justin, was an NCAA Division II national wrestling champion.
Sophomore kicker Chase Vinatieri is the nephew of former Jackrabbit and current Indianapolis Colts standout kicker Adam Vinatieri.
Two other sets of brothers are on the 2017 Jackrabbit roster: Jake and Clark Wieneke, along with Jacob and Jordan Brown.
In addition, Jacob and Pete Menage are first cousins. Jacob's late father, Jeff, served as offensive coordinator for the Jackrabbits during Coach Stiegelmeier's first two seasons as head coach (1997-98).

ACADEMIC HONORS: For the ninth season in a row, South Dakota State has claimed the Missouri Valley Football Conference Team Academic Award. The Jackrabbits have received the award every year they have been members of the MVFC. Commissioner Patty Viverito presented the Jackrabbits with their latest academic award during the Oct. 7 game versus Southern Illinois.

WIENEKE NAMED TO GOOD WORKS TEAM: South Dakota State University wide receiver Jake Wieneke is one of 22 college football players named to the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®. The award, which was announced in late September, shines a spotlight on the selflessness and community service displayed by these student-athletes and honors their dedication to volunteerism and enriching the lives of others.
A senior from Maple Grove, Minnesota, Wieneke has continually worked with several community service initiatives since arriving at SDSU in the fall of 2013. He is in his fifth year as serving as a mentor to a student through the Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program and has worked with ESL students at a local elementary school He also has served as a youth group leader at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Brookings and has been active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes by serving as a flag football coach and sports/youth camp counselor.
In addition, Wieneke has taken his devotion to service both regionally and abroad. He has participated in two mission trips to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and also has been a part of a mission trip to Kenya in which he taught in schools, as well as four mission trips to Jamaica — three times to build houses and one to serve people with disabilities who have been abandoned.
The 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® will be invited to New Orleans to participate in a special community service project ahead of the 2018 Allstate® Sugar Bowl®, where the entire team will also be recognized on the field at halftime.
Fans are encouraged to visit ESPN.com/Allstate to vote for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Captain now through Nov. 23. The Team Captain will be honored at this season's The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. Throughout the season, fans can also follow along and join in on the conversation by searching and using #GoodWorksTeam on their social media channels.
The 22-member squad, along with an honorary coach, was pared from a list of 146 nominees across all four-year divisions of college football. The team is divided into 11 members from Football Bowl Subdivision schools, with the other half from the Football Championship Subdivision, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA programs. Wieneke was the lone FCS student-athlete honored on this year's team.
Wieneke is the third Jackrabbit football player to be selected to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team in the last five years, joining Winston Wright (2013) and Zach Zenner (2014).

STIG SHOW: The John Stiegelmeier Radio Show airs each Monday throughout the 2017 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 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 return home Nov. 4 to take on North Dakota State for the Dakota Marker. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.