Playoff run begins with Northern Iowa

Saturday, December 2

Brookings, S.D.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Northern Iowa

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Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

11/29/2017 1:01:00 PM | Football

By: Jason Hove

GAME 12: #20/21 Northern Iowa (8-4) at #6/6 South Dakota State (9-2)

When	Saturday, Dec. 2 \| 2 p.m. Central Time	FCS Playoffs – Second Round
Where	Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium \| Brookings, South Dakota
TV	ESPN3.com
Radio	J ackrabbits All-Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	To be determined
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Northern Iowa \| Missouri Valley Football Conference
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #LastPlay

BROOKINGS, S.D. — The fifth-seeded South Dakota State University football team will make its 2017 Football Championship Subdivision playoff debut Saturday afternoon by hosting Missouri Valley Football Conference rival Northern Iowa in second-round action.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The game will be televised exclusively on ESPN3.com.
The Jackrabbits enter the matchup with a 9-2 overall record that included tying for second place in the MVFC regular season race with UNI at 6-2. SDSU has won five games in a row, including the last four against ranked opponents, since suffering a 38-18 Hobo Day setback at the hands of the Panthers on Oct. 14. The Jackrabbits ended the regular season ranked sixth in both the STATS FCS media and FCS Coaches' polls.
Northern Iowa, meanwhile, improved to 8-4 overall with a 46-7 home victory over Monmouth in opening-round action Nov. 25. The Panthers, who are ranked 20th in the media poll and 21st by the coaches, have won six of their last seven games, with the lone defeat a 30-14 decision Oct. 28 at North Dakota State.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the 53rd meeting on the gridiron between South Dakota State and Northern Iowa. The two squads met regularly from the time the series started in 1935 until UNI (formerly Iowa Teachers College) left the North Central Conference in the late 1970s to join the Division I ranks.
UNI holds a 30-20-2 advantage in the series, including an 8-4 advantage since SDSU joined the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004. The road team has won each of the last four meetings, starting with a 31-28 Jackrabbit victory in Cedar Falls, Iowa, during the 2014 season.
Saturday's game will mark the first-ever postseason meeting between SDSU and UNI.
In the previous matchup this season, South Dakota State dug itself an early hole with multiple uncharacteristic mistakes and couldn't recover in falling, 38-18.
UNI led 17-0 after one quarter, cracking the scoring column with a field goal after a muffed punt. The Panthers also took advantage of a short field following an interception to push the margin to 10-0, then put together a six-play, 48-yard drive that was capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by Marcus Weymiller.
The Jackrabbits twice pulled within two scores, the last on a 19-yard touchdown catch by Dallas Goedert late in the third quarter.

PLAYOFF HISTORY: South Dakota State is making its sixth consecutive appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and seventh overall since 2009. The Jackrabbits have compiled a 4-6 playoff record, winning contests in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016. SDSU has previously hosted two playoff games, defeating Eastern Illinois by a 58-10 in 2012, and downing Villanova, 10-7, last season. The victory against Villanova, on Dec. 3, 2016, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, was decided on a 40-yard field goal by Chase Vinatieri with 1 minute and 21 seconds remaining in the game.
Of SDSU's 10 previous FCS playoff games, eight have against either Big Sky (2-3) or Missouri Valley Football Conference (0-3) opponents.
Prior to moving to Division I and the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004, SDSU made only one appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs (1979).

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

NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER: South Dakota State continued its tradition of finishing the league schedule strong since becoming a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Since joining the MVFC in 2008, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 23-6 record against league foes in the month of November, including a 2-0 mark in 2011 and 3-0 records in 2013, 2016 and 2017.

VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004, the Jackrabbits have posted a 31-39 overall record against ranked FCS opponents. SDSU is 4-1 against ranked FCS opponents so far during the 2017 season, dropping a 19-7 decision at Youngstown State on Sept. 30 before posting four consecutive wins over Western Illinois (52-24), North Dakota State (33-21), Illinois State (27-24) and South Dakota (31-28) to close out the regular season.
Of the 70 previous matchups against a ranked opponent, 37 have been in a regular season Missouri Valley Football Conference game. The Jackrabbits have compiled a 21-16 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.
On the strength of their five-game winning streak, the Jackrabbits ended the regular season ranked sixth in both the FCS Coaches' and STATS FCS media polls.
Defending national champion James Madison holds the top spot in both national polls, followed by Jacksonville State and Central Arkansas.
Five other MVFC squads were included in the top 25 of the final regular season STATS media poll: North Dakota State (fourth), Western Illinois (ninth), South Dakota (16th), Northern Iowa (20th) and Illinois State (23rd). Youngstown State received votes.
SDSU had spent four weeks ranked fourth in both major polls prior to their 19-7 loss at Youngstown State on Sept. 30. The Jackrabbits' previous highest ranking was a fifth-place showing over three weeks during the 2015 season. SDSU's previous high ranking in a preseason poll was sixth in 2013.
SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 77 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012.

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 104-63 overall record (.623 winning percentage).
SDSU has now turned in a winning record in 12 of 14 full seasons and has compiled a 55-25 mark (.688 winning percentage) in Missouri Valley Football Conference games.

MVFC AWARDS: A number of Jackrabbit student-athletes have received recognition — both athletically and academically — this week from the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
MVFC All-Conference Release
MVFC All-Newcomer Release
MVFC All-Academic Team

AWARD FINALISTS: Three Jackrabbit football players have named finalists for top awards within the Football Championship Subdivision.
The duo of junior quarterback Taryn Christion and senior tight end Dallas Goedert were among 25 finalists for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award, which is presented to the subdivision's top offensive player. Both were finalists for the award in 2016, with Christion posting a seventh-place finish and Goedert 14th.
Senior wide receiver Jake Wieneke was on the Payton Award Watch List throughout the 2017 season, but did not make the final cut. Wieneke was 10th in the 2016 Payton Award balloting.
On the other side of the ball, linebacker Christian Rozeboom in included in the list of finalists for the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award for the top defensive player in the FCS. Rozeboom finished as runner-up for the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award as the subdivision's top freshman in 2016.
The awards will be presented Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the FCS national title game.

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.

RED-ZONE OFFENSE: During its current five-game winning streak, the South Dakota State offense has made the most of its opportunities deep in opposing territory. Over the last five games, the Jackrabbits have made 23 trips into the red zone and come away with points each time, scoring 20 touchdowns and three field goals.
Sophomore running back Mikey Daniel has been a big part of the red-zone offense, scoring seven rushing touchdowns over the last five games. Daniel had his streak of a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games snapped in the Nov. 11 win over Illinois State. He leads the squad with 10 rushing touchdowns.

THIRD-DOWN EFFICIENCY: After leading the Football Championship Subdivision for the two weeks entering November, South Dakota State currently ranks sixth by converting on 49.2 percent (65-of-132) of its third-down attempts.
The Jackrabbits also have been efficient on third downs on the defensive side of the ball over the last seven games, limiting the opposition to a success rate of 32.1percent (27-of-84). SDSU limited Illinois State to 2-of-11 on third-down plays in their Nov. 11 meeting.
SDSU also is 8-for-14 (57.1 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, SDSU ranks 15th among FCS teams in fewest penalties committed per game with an average of 5.09, and stands 16th in fewest penalty yards per game at 43.64.

TURNOVER MARK TIED: The Jackrabbit defense came up with five turnovers — three interceptions and two fumbles — in its 33-21 victory over North Dakota State on Nov. 4, tying the program mark for most takeaways against a Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent. SDSU previously forced five turnovers in a league game against Missouri State on Sept. 29, 2012, recording four interceptions and a fumble recovery in a 17-7 home win.
SDSU has forced at least one turnover in every game in 2017 and is plus-4 (18-14) in turnover margin for the season.

ELUSIVE 10^TH WIN: South Dakota State will try again for its first 10-win season in program history when it takes the field Saturday against Northern Iowa.
The Jackrabbits have now won nine games in a season eight times. In each of the last five nine-win seasons, SDSU's bid for a 10th victory came up short in postseason play.

CHRISTION MOVING ON UP: Junior quarterback Taryn Christion is poised to again rewrite the Jackrabbit record book this week. The Sioux Falls native enters Saturday's game tied for the SDSU career lead in touchdown passes with 65, matching the record set by Austin Sumner (2011-14) with a three-touchdown performance at South Dakota on Nov. 18. Christion has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 10 of 11 games this season.
The SDSU signal-caller also is in range of establishing a new Jackrabbit career mark for total offense. Christion has tallied 8,965 yards of total offense, putting him 320 away from surpassing the standard of 9,284 yards previously set by Sumner.
Christion, who set 11 Jackrabbit records during the 2016 season, also ranks second in career passing yards with 7,854 yards, trailing the 9,458 yards accumulated by Sumner.

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 2,517 rushing yards in his career, overtaking Rick Wegher (2,293 yards from 1981-84) in the Oct. 21 matchup at Missouri State.He stands 82 yards from passing the late Darwin Gonnerman (2,598 rushing yards from 1996-68) for eighth place in program history.
Mengarelli moved into position for his top-10 ranking 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 689 yards, while averaging 6.3 yards per carry.

IRONMAN STREAK: All-America center Jacob Ohnesorge is expected to make his 51st consecutive start in Saturday's game, a mark that is the most by Jackrabbit offensive lineman in a career. Two-time All-America tackle Bryan Witzmann, who is currently a starter for the Kansas City Chiefs, first set the SDSU?record with 49 starts from 2010-13.
The Jackrabbit record for career starts by any player is 53 by linebacker T.J. Lally from 2012-15.

GOEDERT SETS TIGHT END MARK: All-America tight end Dallas Goedert became the top receiving tight end in Missouri Valley Football Conference history during SDSU's victory over North Dakota State on Nov. 4.
A senior from Britton, Goedert upped his career receiving total to 2,843 yards with an 11-catch, 117-yard performance Nov. 18 at South Dakota. Goedert surpassed the previous mark of 2,601 yards compiled by Southern Illinois' MyCole Pruitt from 2011-14.
Goedert currently leads all Division I — FCS and FBS — tight ends with 966 receiving yards this season. He has topped the 100-yard mark six times in 2017.

GOEDERT SELECTED FOR SENIOR BOWL: South Dakota State University tight end Dallas Goedert has accepted an invitation to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl following the conclusion of the 2017 season.
A Britton native, Goedert is a two-time all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection and was a unanimous Football Championship Subdivision All-America honoree in 2016. He caught a school record 92 passes for 1,293 yards and 11 touchdowns last season en route to being named a finalist for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award. He again leads the team in receptions this season with 60 for 966 yards and five scores.
Goedert's 2,843 career receiving yards rank fourth in school history. He also is third in program history with 186 receptions.
The Senior Bowl is scheduled to be played Saturday, Jan. 27, 2018, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. The game is scheduled to be televised on NFL Network, with kickoff set for 1:30 p.m.

WIENEKE REACHES MORE MILESTONES: Jackrabbit wide receiver Jake Wieneke has taken over third place in a pair of Football Championship Subdivision career categories in recent weeks.
In notching his 16th career multi-touchdown game with a two-touchdown outing Nov. 18 at South Dakota, Wieneke upped his career total to 56, passing former Elon standout Terrell Hudgins (2006-09). Wieneke's 56 career touchdown receptions are both SDSU and MVFC career marks.
A three-time All-American, Wieneke has caught a touchdown pass in 33 of 50 career games, including six of nine this season. His 13 receiving touchdowns this season are the fifth most in the FCS.
Most recently, Wieneke moved past Jerry Rice (4,693 yards for Mississippi Valley State from 1981-84) for third in FCS history and enters the week with with 4,862 yards. His receiving yardage total also are SDSU?and league records.
The Maple Grove, Minnesota, native established a new Jackrabbit career mark for receptions in the 2017 season opener and enters Saturday's game with 269 — 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 (Western Illinois, 2013-16) is the MVFC career leader with 273 receptions.
Wieneke also is fourth among active FCS players in career receptions, trailing Lehigh's Troy Pelletier with 328, Justin Watson of Penn with 286 and Yeddidiah Louis of Sam Houston State with 271.

LOWERING THE BOOM: South Dakota State linebacker Christian Rozeboom turned in the 14th double-digit tackling performance of his career — and seventh this
season — with a 14-tackle outing Nov. 18 at South Dakota.
A sophomore, Rozeboom currently leads the Jackrabbits in tackles this season with 107, after posting a team-high 132 tackles in 2016.

HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS: During its current five-game winning streak, South Dakota State has dominated the third quarter by outscoring its opponents by a 52-14 margin. In 17 defensive possessions, the Jackrabbits have forced four turnovers (three fumbles, one interception) in the third quarter of those games, while forcing a pair of turnovers on downs and nine punts.

BLOCK THAT KICK: The Jackrabbits have been strong on special teams throughout the 2017 season and currently rank 10th in the Football Championship Subdivision with five blocked kicks. SDSU recorded a blocked kick — two extra points and a punt — in each of its first three games, then ran its total to five with a blocked punt by Lance Eide on the first possession of the second half Nov. 18 at South Dakota.
SDSU blocked a total of three kicks in 2016.

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).

TEAM ACADEMIC PROWESS: 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.

ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: Led by repeat selections Jake Wieneke and Brady Mengarelli, South Dakota State placed five players on the CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 Football Team, which was announced Nov. 16. The Jackrabbits' five selections were the most within the district and will advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.
Wieneke, a senior wide receiver from Maple Grove, Minnesota, has compiled a 3.62 cumulative grade-point average while majoring in physical education/teacher education. A three-time academic all-district selection, Wieneke was a first-team Academic All-America selection in 2016, after earning second-team recognition in 2015.
A senior running back from Prescott, Arizona, Mengarelli earned academic all-district honors for the second year in a row, posting a 3.60 GPA in exercise science. Mengarelli was the Jackrabbits' leading rusher each of the previous two seasons and again leads the team with 689 rushing yards through 11 games in 2017.
First-time selections to the Academic All-District 6 Team from SDSU were linebacker Dalton Cox, safety Nick Farina and offensive lineman Wes Genant.
Cox, a junior from Aberdeen, has turned in a perfect 4.0 GPA as an economics/entrepreneurial studies major. He has started five games this season at the outside linebacker positions and ranks in a tie for fourth on the squad with 39 tackles.
Farina earned a spot on the team with a 3.62 GPA while majoring in exercise science. The senior from Phoenix has started all 10 of the games in which he has played, recording 37 tackles and a fumble recovery. He ranks sixth on the team in tackles.
A sophomore from Parkston, Genant has started all 10 games at right guard for a Jackrabbit offense that is averaging 38.1 points and 455.4 yards of total offense per game. Genant was honored with a 3.97 GPA as a biochemistry major.

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 Good Works Team in the last five years, joining Winston Wright (2013) and Zach Zenner (2014).

WIENEKE A CAMPBELL FINALIST: South Dakota State University wide receiver Jake Wieneke was named Nov. 1 as one of 13 finalists for 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by Fidelity Investments®. The trophy recognizes the top football scholar-athlete in the nation.
By being named a Campbell Trophy finalist, Wieneke will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as a member of the National Football Foundation's National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists, who were selected from a pool of 181 nominees across all divisions of college football, will be honored at the 60th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Dec. 5 in New York City. One member of the National Scholar-Athlete Class will be declared the winner of the 28th William V. Campbell Trophy® and have his postgraduate scholarship increased to $25,000.
A senior from Maple Grove, Minnesota, Wieneke has excelled both on the field and in the classroom during his Jackrabbit career. He received All-America honors each of his first three seasons in what has been a record-setting career.
His 1,472 receiving yards in 2015 set an MVFC single-season record, while his 13 touchdown catches so far this season stand fifth in the FCS ranks. He tied an SDSU single-game record with four touchdown receptions in the 2017 season opener against Duquesne.
A physical education/teacher education major, Wieneke has been honored on the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team each of the past two seasons, earning second-team honors in 2015 and first-team recognition in 2016. He also was a member of the FCS Athletics Directors Association Academic All-Star Team as a junior.
Wieneke is the third SDSU student-athlete to be honored as a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, joining Ryan Berry (2008) 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 winner of Saturday's game advances to the FCS quarterfinals and will take on the winner between No. 4 Central Arkansas and New Hampshire. The quarterfinal will be played Dec. 8 or 9 at the home of the highest remaining seed.

-GoJacks.com-