Jackrabbits open 2019 at Minnesota

Thursday, August 29

Minneapolis, Minn.

8 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Minnesota

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

8/26/2019 3:44:00 PM | Football

GAME 1: #3/4 [FCS] South Dakota State (0-0) at RV Minnesota (0-0)

When	Thursday, Aug. 29 \| 8 p.m. Central	Season Opener
Where	TCF Bank Stadium \| Minneapolis, Minnesota
TV	FOX Sports 1 \| FOXSportsGo.com
Radio	J ackrabbits All-Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	GopherSports.com
Game Notes	SDSU \| Minnesota \| Missouri Valley Football Conference \| Minnesota Scouting Report
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #LastPlay

The South Dakota State University football team kicks off the 2019 season with a trip to regional Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Minnesota.

Start time is set for 8 p.m. Thursday at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The game will be televised on FOX Sports 1 and also will be available for viewing through the FOX Sports Go app (subscription required).

The Jackrabbits, who are ranked third in the STATS FCS preseason media poll and fourth by the Football Championship Subdivision coaches, are coming off a 2018 season in which they posted a 10-3 overall record and made their second consecutive appearance in the FCS playoff semifinals. SDSU earned a berth in the FCS playoffs for the seventh consecutive year.

Minnesota, meanwhile, finished the 2018 campaign with a 7-6 overall record, culminating with a 34-10 victory over Georgia Tech in the Quick Lane Bowl. The Golden Gophers, who posted a 3-6 mark in the Big Ten Conference a year ago, are receiving votes in both the Associated Press and coaches' preseason polls.

THE SERIES: Thursday's game will mark the eighth meeting on the gridiron between South Dakota State and Minnesota, a series that dates back more than a century.

Minnesota has won all seven previous matchups, starting with an 81-0 Golden Gopher victory in 1905. Minnesota has recorded a shutout in four of the previous seven meetings.

The series was dormant from 1933 until the two programs renewed the series during the 2009 season. In the first-ever meeting between the two squads played at TCF Bank Stadium, Minnesota pulled out a 16-13 victory.

Previous series scores:
1905: Minnesota 81, South Dakota State 0
1916: Minnesota 41, South Dakota State 7
1917: Minnesota 64, South Dakota State 0
1930: Minnesota 48, South Dakota State 0
1932: Minnesota 12, South Dakota State 0
1933: Minnesota 19, South Dakota State 6
2009: Minnesota 16, South Dakota State 13
Note: South Dakota State recorded a 31-0 victory over Minnesota's "B-team" in 1928.

FOR OPENERS: Now in his 23rd year as head coach, John Stiegelmeier has led SDSU to a 14-8 record in season openers. The Jackrabbits won each of their first seven season openers under Coach Stig, starting with a 17-7 victory at UC Davis in 1997.

Of SDSU's eight losses in season openers under Coach Stig, four have come against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents.

PLAYING UP: South Dakota State will face a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for the 10th time since moving to the Division I ranks. The Jackrabbits have compiled a 1-8 record against FBS foes, starting with a 44-17 setback at Iowa State in the 2008 season opener.

The Jackrabbits last played an FBS foe in the 2016 season opener at TCU, falling to the Horned Frogs, 59-41.

SDSU's lone win against an FBS opponent was a 41-38 win at Kansas in the 2015 season opener.

Previous FBS games:
2008: Iowa State 44, SDSU 17
2009: Minnesota 16, SDSU 13
2010: Nebraska 17, SDSU?3
2011: Illinois 56, SDSU?3
2012: Kansas 31, SDSU?17
2013: Nebraska 59, SDSU?20
2014: Missouri 38, SDSU 18
2015: SDSU 41, Kansas 38
2016: TCU 59, SDSU 41
Note: SDSU's 2018 game at Iowa State was canceled due to inclement weather

RARE THURSDAY NIGHT: South Dakota State will be opening a season on a Thursday night for the fifth time in recorded program history, and the second time in three years. The Jackrabbits are 2-2 under the lights in Thursday openers, with three of the games played on the road.

Previous Thursday night openers include:
Sept. 2, 1999: SDSU 35, Grand Valley State 20 (game played at Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Aug. 30, 2007: Western Illinois 29, SDSU 26 [4 OT] (game at Macomb, Ill.)
Aug. 28, 2008: Iowa State 44, SDSU 17 (game at Ames, Iowa)
Aug. 31, 2017: SDSU 51, Duquesne 13 (game at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium)

Thursday's game also will mark only the sixth time the Jackrabbits have played a game in the month of August:
Aug. 30, 2007: Western Illinois 29, SDSU 26 [4 OT] (game at Macomb, Ill.)
Aug. 28, 2008: Iowa State 44, SDSU 17 (game at Ames, Iowa)
Aug. 31, 2013: SDSU 55, Butler 14 (game at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium)
Aug. 30, 2014: Missouri 38, SDSU 18 (game at Columbia, Mo.)
Aug. 31, 2017: SDSU 51, Duquesne 13 (game at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium)

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.

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

The Jackrabbits received one first-place vote and finished with 3,631 points to finish third in the poll for the second year in a row. SDSU completed the 2018 season with a 10-3 overall record and made its second consecutive semifinal appearance in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

Defending national champion North Dakota State collected 142 of 160 first-place votes to top the poll with 3,971 points. James Madison received 14 first-place votes and 3,635 points to finish second.

Rounding out the top five were Big Sky Conference members Eastern Washington (3,594 points with three first-place votes) and UC Davis (3,210 points).

SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 93 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012.

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

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.

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 116-67 overall record (.634 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.

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. The Jackrabbits have qualified for the FCS playoffs each of the last seven seasons.

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 entering their senior seasons.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: A Football Championship Subdivision-best five players from South Dakota State 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 the season to finish with team bests of 1,116 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 9.5 yards per, hitting the 1,000-yard mark on his 100th attempt of the season. Stong was honored as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year in 2018.

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.

GIBBS TO MAKE FIRST CAREER START: For the first time since 2015, South Dakota State will have someone other than Taryn Christion start a game at quarterback. Redshirt freshman J'Bore Gibbs has been tabbed to start the Aug. 29 season opener at Minnesota, in what will be his first collegiate action.

Christion started 41 consecutive games at quarterback at SDSU, a streak that began in the Jackrabbits' 2015 playoff game at Montana.

JOHNSON NEARS RECEIVING TOP 10: Junior wide receiver Cade Johnson is poised to move into the SDSU top 10 for career receiving yards early in the 2019 season. Johnson comes into the Aug. 29 season opener with 1,650 career receiving yards, 183 away from passing Glen Fox (1,832 yards from 2006-09) for 10th place in program history.

Johnson already ranks in a tie with Jason Schneider (2011-14) for sixth place in career touchdown receptions with 20. Johnson set a new Jackrabbit single-season record with 17 touchdown receptions in 2018.

VINATIERI APPROACHES SCORING RECORD: Senior Chase Vinatieri begins the 2019 season 28 points away from setting a new Jackrabbit career standard for most points via kicking. Vinatieri enters the 2019 season opener with 294 kicking points, trailing the record of 321 set by Parker Douglass from 2004-07. Vinatieri made 38 field goals his first three seasons and has tallied 180 extra-points.

Vinatieri's career scoring total is actually 306 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 2,600 points while playing for the New England Patriots (1996-2005) and Indianapolis Colts (2006-present).

BLOCK THAT KICK: The Jackrabbits were strong on special teams throughout the 2018 season, ranking third in the Football Championship Subdivision 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 have strong family ties to South Dakota State Athletics.

Fullback Turner Blasius' father, Justin, was an NCAA Division II national wrestling champion for the Jackrabbits 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), and enters the 2019 season with 38 career field goals. He also 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 is currently playing for the Cincinnati Bengals.
Identical twins Jadon and Jaxon Janke are redshirt freshman wide receivers for the Jackrabbits this season.

JACKS IN THE PROS: Entering the final week of the preseason, six former South Dakota State University football standouts were on National Football League rosters, 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 582-of-690 on field goal attempts, 84.3 percent, and 2,600 career points. He also holds the career field goals record and ranks second in extra points with 852.

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.

Preparing for his fifth season with the Detroit Lions is former Jackrabbit standout running back Zach Zenner. During a highly decoarated career 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 Lions following the 2015 NFL?Draft and has 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.

Also returning to an NFL team this summer is veteran offensive lineman Bryan Witzmann. A standout for the Jackrabbits from 2010-13, Witzmann is currently 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.

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.

Making his professional debut in 2019 is cornerback Jordan Brown, who was 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.

Signing a rookie free agent contract shortly before the start of training camp was quarterback Taryn Christion with the Dallas Cowboys.

Offensive lineman Tiano Pupungatoa began training camp with the Minnesota Vikings, but was released.

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 20-2 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its first three 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.

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 open the home season Sept. 7 by hosting Long Island University in the Sixth Annual Dairy Drive. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

Long Island University will be playing its first game as an FCS program after its Post campus previously competed in NCAA Division II.

-GoJacks.com-