Jackrabbits host SIU on Hobo Day

Saturday, October 5

Brookings, S.D.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Southern Illinois

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Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

10/2/2019 9:00:00 AM | Football

GAME 5: Southern Illinois (2-2, 0-0 MVFC) at #3/3 South Dakota State (3-1, 0-0)

When	Saturday, Oct. 5 \| 2 p.m. Central	106th Hobo Day Game \| ORDER TICKETS
Where	Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium \| Brookings, South Dakota
TV	My UTV (Sioux Falls) \| CW of the Black Hills (KCLO, Rapid City) \| ESPN + \| Jackrabbits All-Access ($)
Radio	J ackrabbits All-Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	SDSU \| S outhern I llinois \| Missouri Valley Football Conference \| SIU Scouting Report
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #LastPlay

The South Dakota State University football concludes a four-game homestand Saturday afternoon by hosting Southern Illinois in the 106th Hobo Day Game. Saturday's contest also serves as the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. The Hobo Day parade, which precedes the game and begins on campus on Medary Avenue, starts at 9:30 a.m.

The Jackrabbits, who continue to hold the No. 3 spot in both the STATS FCS media poll and FCS coaches' rankings, enter Saturday's game with a 3-1 record. SDSU ran its home winning streak to 14 games with a 43-7 victory over Southern Utah on Sept. 21.

Southern Illinois also is coming off its lone bye week of the regular season and comes into the matchup with a 2-2 overall mark. The Salukis played a pair of Football Bowl Subdivision opponents during the nonconference slate and came away with a split by defeating Massachusetts, 45-20, before falling at Arkansas State, 41-28, two weeks ago.

SIU has received votes in the FCS?polls this season, but is currently outside the top 25.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game marks the 10th meeting on the gridiron between SDSU and Southern Illinois, a series that dates back to when the Jackrabbits joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference at the start of the 2008 season. By winning the last three meetings and six of the last seven, the Jackrabbits hold a 6-3 series advantage.

SIU won each of the first two meetings between the two squads, with its last win in the series a 27-24 Hobo Day victory on Oct. 5, 2013, at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

The two teams have met one other time on Hobo Day, with SDSU recording a 45-34 victory in 2011.

SDSU has put up big offensive numbers in each of the last three matchups, eclipsing the 500-yard mark in total offense in each game. In a 45-39 Jackrabbit road victory on Oct. 8, 2016, Taryn Christion threw for a school-record 466 yards, completing 32-of-51 passes with five touchdowns.

In the 2017 meeting, Oct. 7 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, the Jackrabbits ran for a season-high 368 yards as part of a 584-total-yard effort in a 49-14 victory. Brady Mengarelli ran for a career-high 220 yards and two touchdowns, while Christion threw four touchdown passes — two of which went to Marquise Lewis.

The two squads combined for 95 points and 1,195 yards of total offense in the 2018 matchup before SDSU prevailed, 57-38, on Nov. 10 in Carbondale. Redshirt freshman Pierre Strong, Jr. carried 14 times for 188 yards and scored three times, with fellow running back Mikey Daniel and wide receiver Cade Johnson each scoring twice.

The Jackrabbits also blocked a punt for a touchdown as Don Gardner recorded the block and Jadon Janke recovered in the end zone.

LEAGUE OPENERS: South Dakota State will attempt to reverse a trend in its opening game of the Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule. Since joining the league in 2008, the Jackrabbits are 4-7 in league openers and have lost seven of their last nine initial games against an MVFC opponent, including each of the last two.

However, getting off to a slow start has not hindered the Jackrabbits in making the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs each of the last seven years and eight times overall.

SDSU is the only MVFC program to have not had a losing season in league play since 2008. SDSU has compiled a 61-27 record against MVFC opponents since joining the league, with its worst finish being back-to-back 4-4 campaigns in 2010 and 2011.

HOBO DAY HISTORY: Saturday's game against Southern Illinois will mark the 106th Hobo Day Game at South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits have compiled a 61-39-5 record in their homecoming game, which dates back to 1912, including a 10-5 mark in the Division I era (since 2008).

HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE: South Dakota State carries a 14-game home winning streak into Saturday's game and has compiled a 23-2 mark at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium since the facility opened in 2016.

The current streak began Nov. 4, 2017, with a 33-21 victory over North Dakota State and includes three Football Championship Subdivision playoff games.

SDSU's last home loss was a 38-18 Hobo Day setback against Northern Iowa on Oct. 14, 2017.

RABBITS RANKED: The South Dakota State University football team matched its highest-ever ranking in a preseason poll by checking in at No. 3 in the initial STATS FCS media poll of the 2019 season.

The Jackrabbits also were ranked fourth in the preseason coaches' poll conducted by the American Football Coaches Association.

Through September, the Jackrabbits have maintained their No. 3 ranking in the STATS FCS media poll, while moving up one spot to third in the coaches' poll.

SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 98 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012.

ELITE COMPANY: South Dakota State is one of only two Football Championship Subdivision programs to reach the playoffs each of the last seven seasons. North Dakota State holds the longest active streak with nine consecutive trips to the playoffs.

100 FCS WINS: South Dakota State recorded its 100th win as a Football Championship Subdivision program with a 62-30 victory at Missouri State on Oct. 21, 2017. Since moving to the FCS ranks at the start of the 2004 season, the Jackrabbits have posted a 119-68 overall record (.636 winning percentage).

SDSU has turned in a winning record in 13 of 15 full seasons and has compiled a 61-27 mark (.688 winning percentage) in Missouri Valley Football Conference games.

SCORING STREAK: SDSU wrapped up nonconference play by scoring in each of its last 12 quarters en route to three consecutive victories. The Jackrabbits have scored in 14 of 16 quarters thus far this season.

Dating back to the start of the 2018 season, the Jacks have scored in all four quarters in each of their last 13 victories and have averaged 40.8 points per game. In their four losses over that span, SDSU has been blanked in two quarters of each loss.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are six captains:

Adam Anderson, Sr., wide receiver, Orlando, Fla.;
Logan Backhaus, Jr., linebacker, Spirit Lake, Iowa;
Ryan Earith, Sr., defensive end, Papillion, Neb.;
Evan Greeneway, Sr., offensive lineman, Yankton, S.D.;
Christian Rozeboom, Sr., linebacker, Sioux Center, Iowa, and
Luke Sellers, Sr., fullback, Papillion, Neb.

Rozeboom is in his third season as a captain, joining Austin Sumner (2012-14) and Jacob Ohnesorge (2015-17) as the only other three-time captains in program history. All five other captains are in their first seasons in the role.

VALLEY PREVIEW: For the third year in a row, South Dakota State has been picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference race.

The Jackrabbits finished second behind league and Football Championship Subdivision champion North Dakota State, which garnered 32 of 40 first-place votes from a panel that included head coaches, sports information and media members who regularly cover the 10-team league. The Bison tallied 392 points, followed by SDSU with 348 points and four first-place votes. Illinois State (3) and Indiana State also received first-place votes to finish third and fourth in the preseason poll with respective point totals of 289 and 279 points.

Rounding out the top five was Northern Iowa with 266 points.

NDSU has now been tabbed as the preseason favorite eight consecutive seasons and has won eight straight league titles — sharing the title four times, including with the Jackrabbits in 2016.

A pre-season favorite has claimed the league crown 21 times (in 33 previous polls). Valley Football is celebrating its 35th season in 2019.

SDSU has met or exceeded expectations from the preseason poll nine of its first 11 seasons as a member of the MVFC, including recording runner-up finishes each of the last two years.

In 2018, three MVFC teams earned selection to the NCAA Division I Championship, SDSU and North Dakota State advanced to the playoff semifinals, and NDSU won its seventh national championship in eight years.

Counting last year, an MVFC member has reached the FCS semifinals 23 times in the past 23 seasons (and 26 times overall), and the MVFC has had two semifinal teams in four of the past five seasons.

In addition, eight Jackrabbit players, including five first-team selections, were named to the 2019 MVFC Preseason Team.

Senior linebacker Christian Rozeboom led the SDSU honorees. A three-time first-team all-MVFC pick from Sioux Center, Iowa, Rozeboom registered team highs of 105 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss in 2018. He also forced three fumbles and intercepted a pair of passes.

Joining Rozeboom on the defensive unit was defensive end Ryan Earith. A senior from Papillion, Nebraska, Earith posted a team-best 5.5 sacks and added nine tackles for loss en route to receiving second-team all-MVFC accolades in 2018.

On the offensive end, sophomore running back Pierre Strong, Jr. and junior wide receiver Cade Johnson received first-team preseason recognition. Strong gained a team-best 1,116 rushing yards on only 117 carries — an average of 9.5 yards per attempt — and scored 11 touchdowns in being named MVFC Freshman of the Year last season.

Johnson led the league with 1,332 receiving yards — on 67 receptions — and share the lead among Football Championship Subdivision players with a school-record 17 touchdown catches in 2018. He also has excelled on special teams, leading the team each of the past two seasons in kickoff return yards, including an average of 27.2 yards per attempt in 2018.

The special teams unit was represented by junior long snapper Bradey Sorenson.

Also honored on the MVFC Preseason Team were honorable mention selections Evan Greeneway at offensive tackle, Luke Sellers at fullback and Chase Vinatieri at kicker. All three are seniors.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: A Football Championship Subdivision-best five players from SDSU were honored on the STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team.

Leading the Jackrabbit contingent was junior long snapper Bradey Sorenson as a first-team honoree. A Yankton native, Sorenson was perfect on all 149 of his snaps (56 punts, 21 field goal attempts and 72 extra-point tries) during the 2018 season, allowing SDSU to rank in the top 10 nationally for punt return defense and net punting.

Also from the special teams unit, senior kicker Chase Vinatieri was a third-team selection. Vinatieri led the team in 2018 with 114 points, including making 14-of-21 field goal attempts that was highlighted by a school-record-tying 57-yarder. The Sioux Falls native broke his own single-season school record with 66 extra points (in 71 attempts).

Two of SDSU's top offensive playmakers — wide receiver Cade Johnson and running back Pierre Strong, Jr. — were second-team honorees. A junior from Papillion, Nebraska, Johnson established a Jackrabbit single-season record with 17 touchdown catches as part of a 67-reception, 1,332-yard season in 2018. His four touchdown receptions in the Sept. 8 season opener against Montana State tied a single-game school record.

Johnson also appears on the initial watch list for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the top offensive player in the FCS ranks.

A sophomore from Little Rock, Arkansas, Strong emerged in the second half of 2018 to finish with team bests of 1,116 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 9.5 yards per carry, hitting the 1,000-yard mark on his 100th attempt of the season. Strong was honored as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year.

The lone defensive honoree for the Jackrabbits was senior linebacker Christian Rozeboom, who also earned second-team recognition. The Sioux Center, Iowa, native tallied a team-best 105 tackles during the 2018 season, including 10.5 tackles for loss, while adding two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Rozeboom reached double figures in tackles five times.

In addition, Rozeboom has been named to the initial watch list for the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award, which is awarded annually to the subdivision's top defender.

QUARTERBACK SHUFFLE: South Dakota State has started two different quarterbacks through its first four games of the 2019 season.

Redshirt freshman J'Bore Gibbs made his collegiate debut in the Aug. 29 season opener at Minnesota, becoming the first Jackrabbit other than Taryn Christion to start a game at quarterback since 2015.

Gibbs completed 13-of-26 passes for 193 yards and added 16 rushing yards on seven carries. He led SDSU on back-to-back scoring drives in the third quarter for a 21-20 lead, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Heins.

Gibbs sat out the squad's first two home games due to injury, giving way to junior Kanin Nelson. In his first career start, Nelson completed 6-of-8 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown Sept. 7 versus Long Island. He also scored the Jackrabbits' first touchdown on a 2-yard run in the first quarter.

Nelson posted career highs with 159 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-18 passing Sept. 14 against Drake.

Gibbs returned to the lineup Sept. 21 versus Southern Utah and completed 15-of-24 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns.

JOHNSON MOVES INTO TOP 10s: Junior wide receiver Cade Johnson has moved up the career charts in a pair of receiving categories in recent weeks.

With a five-catch, 68-yard performance Sept. 21 against Southern Utah, the junior from Papillion, Nebraska, moved into seventh place on the SDSU career receiving yards chart with 1,957 receiving yards.

Johnson's 30-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter was the 23rd of his career, which is good for fifth in program history.

DANIEL FINDS PAYDIRT: Senior running back Mikey Daniel has scored a rushing touchdown in all four games so far this season, vaulting the Brookings native into the Jackrabbit career top 10 in the category.

Daniel enters the week with 26 career rushing touchdowns, tying him for eighth place on the SDSU career charts with Darwin Gonnerman (1966-68) and Taryn Christion (2015-18). Daniel led the team with 11 rushing touchdowns in 2017 and ranked second on the squad a year ago with 10.

TWO TOP 100: South Dakota State produced a pair of 100-yard rushers in the same game for the first time in three seasons in its 38-10 victory over Drake on Sept. 14. Pierre Strong, Jr. led the way for the Jackrabbits with 129 yards on 11 carries, while C.J. Wilson added 117 yards on 10 attempts. Both sophomores, Strong reached the century mark for the sixth time in his career, with Wilson hitting the milestone for the second time.

The Jackrabbits last had two 100-yard rushers in the same game on Nov. 12, 2016, in a home win over South Dakota as Brady Mengarelli (161 yards) and Isaac Wallace (102 yards) accomplished the feat.

ROZEBOOM NEARS TACKLE MARK: Senior linebacker Christian Rozeboom is poised to move up another spot on the SDSU career tackles chart in Saturday's Hobo Day game.

A senior, Rozeboom enters the week with 392 career tackles, one behind J.D. Alexander (393 tackles from 1971-74) for third place in Jackrabbit history.

Rozeboom ranks in a tie for second on the team with 28 tackles so far this season and has recorded 10 or more stops in 20 of 44 career games.

Greg Osmundson (1986-89) is the career leader with 435 tackles, followed by T.J. Lally (2012-15) with 415 tackles.

VINATIERI APPROACHES SCORING RECORD: Senior Chase Vinatieri has moved to within four points of setting a new Jackrabbit career standard for most points via kicking.

Vinatieri opens the week with 318 kicking points, trailing the record of 321 set by Parker Douglass from 2004-07 and the second-place mark of 319 by Justin Syrovatka (2011-14).

Vinatieri has made 40 field goals and has tallied a school-record 198 extra points in his four-year career. His career scoring total is actually 330 points as he has scored a pair of rushing touchdowns on fake field goal attempts. He put together consecutive 100-point seasons as a sophomore and junior with respective totals of 103 and 114 points.

Prior to Douglass setting the career kick scoring record, Chase Vinatieri's uncle, Adam, held the record with 195 points from 1991-94. Adam Vinatieri has since gone on to set the NFL career scoring record with 2,620 points while playing for the New England Patriots (1996-2005) and Indianapolis Colts (2006-present).

HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS: South Dakota State has dominated the third quarter of games so far this season, outscoring the opposition by a 57-7 margin. The Jackrabbits added to that advantage by outscoring Southern Utah 15-0 in the Beef Bowl game on Sept. 21.

SDSU's defense has yet to allow any points in the third quarter this season; the lone score by the opposition came on an interception return for touchdown by Minnesota in the Aug. 29 season opener.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: South Dakota State limited Long Island University to 123 yards of total offense and only eight first downs in a 38-3 victory on Sept. 7. That was the lowest yardage total surrendered by the Jackrabbits since giving up only 90 yards to Indiana State on Sept. 19, 2009. The eight LIU first downs were the fewest by an opponent since the 2018 home opener, when Montana State managed only six first downs against the SDSU defense.

The Jackrabbits currently lead the MVFC and rank sixth nationally in total defense by allowing 269.0 yards per game through four games. SDSU also ranks third in the FCS ranks for scoring defense by allowing a mere 12 points per game.

PICKED OFF: Senior linebacker Christian Rozeboom recorded the second interception return for touchdown of his career in the Jackrabbits' 43-7 victory over Southern Utah on Sept. 21. His touchdown was part of a 15-point third quarter by the Jackrabbits and covered 27 yards.

Rozeboom's first career interception return for touchdown came against Western Illinois in the 2016 conference opener at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium and covered 37 yards.

Rozeboom leads active Jackrabbit players with eight interceptions. As a team, the Jackrabbits have tallied at least one interception in all four games this season and 10 of 11 games dating back to the 2018 campaign.

BLOCK THAT KICK: The Jacks recorded their first blocked kick of the 2019 season as Tyler DeMartra blocked a Drake punt in the third quarter of their Sept. 14 game.

SDSU went on to block three more kicks — one punt and two field goals — a week later versus Southern Utah and enter this week in a three-way tie with Tennessee State and Delaware State for the most blocked kicks by Football Championship Subdivision teams this season with four. The punt, which was blocked by Jadon Janke, resulted in a safety. Xavier Ward and Logan Backhaus were credited with the blocked field goals.

SDSU has been strong on special teams in recent years, including ranking third in the Football Championship Subdivision during the 2018 season with eight blocked kicks.

Seven Wilson led the way with three blocked kicks, including a pair of blocked punts in the FCS playoff opener against Duquesne. Krockett Krolikowski was credited with a pair of blocked kicks.

JACKRABBIT BLOODLINES: Several South Dakota State football players have strong family ties to South Dakota State Athletics.
• Fullback Turner Blasius' father, Justin, was an NCAA Division II national wrestling champion in 1994.
• Senior kicker Chase Vinatieri is the nephew of former Jackrabbit and NFL career scoring leader Adam Vinatieri, currently of the Indianapolis Colts. Chase Vinatieri made 13-of-14 field goal attempts during the 2017 season to lead the nation in field goal percentage (.929). He shares the SDSU record for longest field goal at 57 yards, a feat he accomplished in a game last season at Northern Iowa.
• Senior wide receiver Jacob Brown is the younger brother of Jordan Brown, who was an All-America selection in 2018 and who was selected in the seventh round of the 2019 National Football League draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.
• Identical twins Jadon and Jaxon Janke are redshirt freshman wide receivers for the Jackrabbits this season.

BIG SKY-MVFC CHALLENGE: For the third year in a row, the Missouri Valley Football Conference and Big Sky Conference engaged in a challenge series between the two leagues.

Once again, the MVFC captured the challenge series, winning by a 6-4 margin. The MVFC had won each of the first two Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series by 5-3 margins in 2017 and 2018. Playoff games do not count toward the series standings.

Big Sky teams won three of the first four matchups this season before MVFC squads went a perfect 5-0 in games played on Sept. 21.

SDSU is undefeated in the Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series, winning games over Montana State in both 2017 and 2018 before downing Southern Utah, 43-7, this year.

Following are the results from the 2019 Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Series.
Aug. 29: Northern Arizona 37, Missouri State 23
Aug. 31: #25 Montana 31, South Dakota 17
Sept. 7: #11 Northern Iowa 34, Southern Utah 14
Sept. 14: #10 Montana St. 23, Western Illinois 14
Sept. 21 - #8 Northern Iowa 13, Idaho State 6
Sept. 21 - #10 Illinois State 40, Northern Arizona 27
Sept. 21 - South Dakota 14, Northern Colorado 6
Sept. 21 - #1 North Dakota St. 27, #4 UC Davis 16
Sept. 21 - #3 SDSU 43, Southern Utah 7
Sept. 28 - #6 Weber State 29, #7 Northern Iowa 17
Note: Rankings from FCS Coaches poll

JACKS IN THE PROS: At the start of the 2019 football season, two former South Dakota State standouts were on the opening day rosters of National Football League teams, continuing the Jackrabbits' long tradition of developing players into pro prospects.

Headlining the list is Adam Vinatieri of the Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri became the NFL career scoring leader during the 2018 season — his 23rd in the league. His career totals include 586-of-697 on field goal attempts, 84.1 percent, and 2,620 career points. He holds the career field goals record and ranks second in career extra points with 860.

Currently the oldest player in the NFL at age 46, Vinatieri now holds the all-time NFL record with 21 100-point seasons. In all, he holds 15 NFL records.

Vinatieri has earned a reputation as one the most consistent and clutch kickers in the NFL. After two Pro Bowl selections (2002, 2004), he left New England following the 2005 season as the team's career scoring leader with 1,058 points. In 2015, he became the first player in NFL to score 1,000 points for two different teams.

Where Vinatieri has truly excelled is in the postseason. He holds the distinction of being the only kicker in NFL history to play in five different Super Bowl games, and made a field goal in four of those contests. He kicked last-second game-winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI against St. Louis and Super Bowl XXXVIII versus Carolina, as well as a game-tying 45-yard field goal in a snowstorm versus Oakland in the 2001 AFC Playoffs. In 32 postseason games, Vinatieri's totals include 56-of-69 on field goals, and he shares the NFL single-game postseason record with five field goals — a feat he has accomplished twice. Vinatieri's field goal totals also are NFL postseason records, as are his 238 points.

In his second year with the Philadelphia Eagles is tight end Dallas Goedert. A two-time All-American, Goedert became the first Jackrabbit selected in the NFL Draft in eight years as he was a second-round pick by the defending Super Bowl champions in 2018.

Goedert played in all 16 games for the Eagles in his rookie season, collecting 33 receptions for 334 yards with four touchdowns. So far this season, Goedert has four receptions for 32 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season on a 3-yard pass play Sept. 26 versus Green Bay.

Five other former Jackrabbits were in training camps this summer with NFL teams, but were later released. Notable in that group were a pair of veterans, running back Zach Zenner and offensive lineman Bryan Witzmann.

During a highly decoarated career at SDSU from 2011-14, Zenner became the first player in the history of Division I football to rush for 2,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. He signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions following the 2015 NFL Draft and played in 36 games over four seasons. Zenner finished the 2016 season with a team-best four rushing touchdowns and ranked second on the squad with 334 rushing yards. In 2018, Zenner rejoined the team in November after being released earlier in the season and tallied 265 yards with three touchdowns, posting a career-best 4.8 yards per carry.

A standout for the Jackrabbits from 2010-13, Witzmann was most recently a member of the Cleveland Browns after playing the second half of the 2018 season for the Chicago Bears. Previously with Kansas City, Witzmann earned a starting role with the Chiefs in 2017 — his second year with the team. He also has spent time with Houston, New Orleans, Dallas and Minnesota.

Making his professional debut in 2019 was cornerback Jordan Brown, who was recently released despite being a seventh-round draft choice by the Cincinnati Bengals. Brown's selection marked the first time the Jackrabbits had players drafted in back-to-back seasons since 1975-76.

Other recent Jackrabbits who signed rookie free agent contracts shortly before the start of training camp included quarterback Taryn Christion (Dallas Cowboys) and offensive lineman Tiano Pupungatoa (Minnesota Vikings).

In addition, offensive Jacob Ohnesorge played in the short-lived Alliance of American Football for the Arizona Hotshots, while wide receiver Jake Wieneke is a member of the Montreal Allouettes in the Canadian Football League.

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 has gone on to post a 23-2 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its first four seasons of operation, including a 4-0 mark in Football Championship Subdivision playoff games. The Jackrabbits went undefeated at home in 2018 with a 7-0 mark and have won 14 games in a row at DJDS.

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 won the 2017 Alliant Build America Award from the Associated General Contractors of America South Dakota Building Chapter.

STIG SHOW: The John Stiegelmeier Radio Show airs each Monday throughout the 2019 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 will be on the road the next two weeks, with both games played in the Eastern Time Zone. SDSU travels to Youngstown State for a 6 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. Central) game on Oct. 12, followed by a trip to Indiana State (noon Central kickoff) on Oct. 19.

Next home action for SDSU is the annual Dakota Marker game against North Dakota State on Oct. 26. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

-GoJacks.com-