Jackrabbits face YSU in top-five clash

Saturday, September 30

Youngstown, Ohio

7 p.m. ET

South Dakota State University

Youngstown State

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

9/25/2017 4:41:00 PM | Football

By: Jason Hove

GAME 4: #4/4 South Dakota State (3-0, 0-0 MVFC) at #5/6 Youngstown State (2-1, 0-0 MVFC)

When	Saturday, Sept. 30 \| 6 p.m. Central Time	MVFC Opener
Where	Stambaugh Stadium \| Youngstown, Ohio
TV	ESPN3.com
Radio	Jackrabbits All-Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	YSUSports.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Youngstown State \| Missouri Valley Football Conference
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #LastPlay

BROOKINGS, S.D. — The South Dakota State University football team begins defense of its Missouri Valley Football Conference title by traveling Saturday to Youngstown State for a battle between top-five nationally ranked teams.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. Central) at Stambaugh Stadium in Youngstown, Ohio. The game can be viewed on ESPN3.com.
The fourth-ranked Jackrabbits completed an undefeated nonconference slate with a 3-0 record by downing Drake, 51-10, Sept. 16 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
Youngstown State, meanwhile, enters Saturday's game with a 2-1 overall record. The Penguins, ranked fifth by the FCS coaches and sixth in the STATS media poll, opened the 2017 campaign with a 28-21 overtime loss at Pittsburgh in the season opener, followed by home wins against Robert Morris (Pa.) (30-0) and Central Connecticut State (59-9).
Both teams are coming off their lone bye week of the regular season.
SDSU earned a share of its first-ever MVFC regular season title last season with a 7-1 record in league play. Youngstown State finished 6-2 in league play for a third-place finish and went on to make a run to the national championship game in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the 19th meeting on the gridiron between SDSU and Youngstown State, a series that dates back to the 1942 season. The Jackrabbits hold a 12-6 series advantage on the strength of winning eight of the nine matchups between the two programs as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
In last season's matchup, Oct. 22, 2016, in the first Hobo Day game at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, the Jackrabbits scored two touchdowns in the first half and held Youngstown State out of the end zone until the fourth quarter en route to a 24-10 win.

MVFC OPENERS: Since joining the MVFC in 2008, the Jackrabbits are 4-5 in league openers. SDSU ended a three-game losing streak in MVFC openers last season with a 52-14 home victory over Western Illinois on Oct. 1, 2016, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
Saturday's game with Youngstown State will mark the second time the two squads have kicked off MVFC play against each other. SDSU defeated YSU, 40-7, in the Jackrabbits' first-ever MVFC game on Sept. 6, 2008, at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

FAST STARTS – PART 1: With its 51-10 win over Drake on Sept. 16, the South Dakota State University football team improved to 3-0 for the fourth time in the Division I era (since 2004). The Jackrabbits also won their first three games of a season in 2009, 2013 and 2015. In each of those three previous seasons, SDSU qualified for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

FAST STARTS – PART 2: South Dakota State has dominated the first quarter of games so far this season, outscoring opponents by a 44-0 margin. Through three games, the Jackabbits have scored on seven of their eight first-quarter possessions, kicking one field goal and scoring six touchdowns.
SDSU has gone on to score in all 12 quarters played in 2017.

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)

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.
For the fourth week in a row, the Jackrabbits are ranked fourth in both major polls.
Defending national champion James Madison holds the top spot in both national polls, followed by North Dakota State and Sam Houston State.
Four other MVFC squads are included in this week's top 25 of the STATS media poll: Youngstown State (sixth), South Dakota (10th), Illinois State (12th) and Western Illinois (13). 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 69 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012.

VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004, the Jackrabbits have posted a 27-38 overall record against ranked FCS opponents. SDSU went 4-1 against ranked FCS?opponents during the 2016
season, defeating Western Illinois, North Dakota State, Youngstown State and Villanova. The lone loss came in a playoff rematch at North Dakota State.
Of the 65 previous matchups against a ranked opponent, 32 have been in a regular season Missouri Valley Football Conference game. The Jackrabbits have compiled a 17-15 record in those matchups.

VALLEY PREVIEW: Last year's Missouri Valley Football Conference co-champions appear to be on a collision course again in 2017. A single vote separates top pick North Dakota State from second-place South Dakota State in the MVFC pre-season poll, which was released July 25. It marks 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, Youngstown State and Illinois State — represented the conference in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The MVFC has had four or more playoff teams in three straight seasons.
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 touchdowns.
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 the initial watch 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 championship 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 was named MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week for his performance in the Jackrabbits' Sept. 16 win over Drake, 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 in the leadership role.

VINATIERI HONORED: South Dakota State University kicker Chase Vinatieri was honored as Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in the Jackrabbits' 31-27 road win at Montana State on Sept. 9. Two days later, the Jackrabbit kicker was named STATS FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week.
A sophomore from Sioux Falls, Vinatieri booted a career-long 47-yard field goal and scored what proved to be the decisive touchdown on a fake field goal to lift the fourth-ranked Jackrabbits to the victory. Vinatieri's field goal gave SDSU an early 10-0 lead, and he lined up for what would be another career long of 48 yards late in the game. Instead, Vinatieri took a pitch from holder Brady Hale and rolled around right end for a 31-yard touchdown run with 4:26 left. He also made all four of his extra-point tries for a total of 13 points and recorded touchbacks on five of his six kickoffs to limit the Montana State return game.

WIENEKE MOVES TO THE TOP: All-America wide receiver Jake Wieneke vaulted into the top 10 of two different Football Championship Subdivision career categories with a record-setting performance in the Jackrabbits' season-opening win over Duquesne on Aug. 31.
Coupled with a four-reception, 33-yard outing Sept. 16 versus Drake, Wieneke now ranks fifth in FCS history with 4,365 receiving yards.
Wieneke's school-record-tying four touchdowns against Duquesne upped his career total to 47, and currently ranks seventh in the FCS annals with 48.
The Maple Grove, Minnesota, native holds both SDSU and Missouri Valley Football Conference career records for receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He established a new Jackrabbit career mark for receptions in the season opener and enters Saturday's game with 238.

MENGARELLI MOVES TOWARD TOP 10: Running back Brady Mengarelli is poised to move into the Jackrabbit top 10 for career rushing in the coming weeks.
A senior from Prescott, Arizona, Mengarelli has tallied 1,924 rushing yards, putting him 243 yards away from tying Gary Maffett (2,167 yards from 1990-94) for 10th place in program history. Mengarelli rushed nine times for 61 yards and a touchdown in SDSU's season-opening win over Duquesne on Aug. 31. He ran for the final 44 yards of a six-play, 60-yard drive, capping the march with a 3-yard touchdown run.
Mengarelli was SDSU's leading rusher each of the past two seasons, gaining 742 yards in 2015 and 754 yards in 2016. He is averaging 5.7 yards per carry for his career.

CHRISTION NAMED CFPA WINNER: Jackrabbit quarterback Taryn Christion received honorable mention recognition as a College Football Performance Awards FCS?National Performer of the Week during the opening week of play.
A junior from Sioux Falls, Christion completed 17-of-26 passes for 254 yards and threw a career-high five touchdown passes for the third time in his career. Christion also led the Jackrabbits with 96 yards on three carries, including a career-long 90-yard run that set up SDSU's second touchdown of the game.

CHRISTION INTO TOP FIVES: Jackrabbit quarterback Taryn Christion has moved into the top five of three different categories in program history only two games into his junior season. Entering play this week, Christion ranks fourth in passing yards (5,692), fourth in touchdown passes (44) and fifth in total offense (6,537).
In 20 career starts, Christion has led the Jackrabbits to a 15-5 record. He currently leads SDSU in rushing with 163 yards through three games, a total highlighted by a career-long 90-yard run Aug. 31 versus Duquesne.

BALANCED ATTACK: South Dakota State achieved nearly a perfect 50-50 balance between rushing and passing in the season opener versus Duquesne. The Jackrabbits rolled up 609 yards of total offense — 308 through the air and 301 on the ground. Five different players recorded carries in the contest and 10 different Jackrabbits caught at least one pass.

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.

BLOCK THAT KICK: The Jackrabbit special teams unit has come up with a blocked kick in each of the first three games of the 2017 season. In the Aug. 31 opener against Duquesne, defensive lineman Kellen Soulek blocked an extra-point try. A week later, at Montana State, Christian Rozeboom blocked a key PAT attempt that kept the score 31-27 in the final minutes.
SDSU's third blocked kick of the season was a blocked punt by Larenzo Williams in the Sept. 16 win against Drake.
The Jackrabbits blocked three kicks — two punts and a field goal — all last season.

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 a member of the MVFC. Commissioner Patty Viverito will present the Jackrabbits with their latest academic award during the Oct. 7 game versus Southern Illinois.
Also during the 2016 season, Jackrabbit football student-athletes Nick Mears and Jake Wieneke were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team. Mears was a repeat selection to the first team, while Wieneke moved up from the second team in 2015.

WIENEKE SELECTED FOR 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 Thursday, 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.

DANA J. DYKHOUSE STADIUM: Jackrabbit football moved into a new home in September of 2016 with the completion of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
The stadium, which was constructed in phases on the site of SDSU's previous home field, Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, seats 19,340 spectators and cost $65 million to build. The stadium is being funded through private gifts and long-term revenue streams, including concessions and suite, loge box and ticket sales. Bonds are financing nearly two-thirds of the project's construction, with the remaining dollars coming from private support. Lead gifts totaling $12.5 million from Sioux Falls banker Dana Dykhouse and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford were announced in October 2013.
The stadium officially opened Sept. 8, 2016, featuring a concert by country music superstars Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Lee Brice as part of the Jacks Bash opening weekend. The first football game was two days later, on Sept. 10, when the Jackrabbits defeated Drake, 56-28. SDSU went on to post a 6-1 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during the 2016 season.
Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium was designed by Kansas City-based Crawford Architects, with the construction firm JE Dunn serving as the project manager at risk and Henry Carlson Company of Sioux Falls serving as general contractor. The stadium recently won the 2017 Alliant Build America Award from the Associated General Contractors of America South Dakota Building Chapter. As a result of winning the state award, the stadium advances to a national competition, which will announce the winners in 2018.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits return to Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium Oct. 7 for their Missouri Valley Football Conference home opener against Southern Illinois. Kickoff for the annual Hall of Fame game is set for 6 p.m.
The 2017 Hall of Fame class of Pat Dorn (wrestling), Nancy Gieske (cross country/ track and field), Josh Ranek (football), Trevor Schulte (baseball) and Kiri (Johnson) Solberg (cross country/track and field) will be honored at a luncheon earlier in the day and again at halftime of the football game.
The game is part of the MVFC television package and can be viewed exclusively on ESPN3.com.

-GoJacks.com-