SEMIFINAL SHOWDOWN SET FOR SATURDAY

Saturday, December 18

Bozeman, Mont.

1 p.m. CT/noon MT

South Dakota State University

Montana State

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

12/16/2021 10:23:00 AM | Football

GAME 15: #11/11 South Dakota State (11-3) at #7/9 Montana State (11-2)

When	Saturday, Dec. 18 \| noon Mountain/1 p.m. Central \| FCS Playoffs Semifinal
Where	Bobcat Stadium \| Bozeman, Mont.
TV	ESPN2 \| WatchESPN
Radio	Jackrabbits All Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	NCAA.com
Game Notes	SDSU \| Montana State \| Missouri Valley Football Conference \| Big Sky Conference
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #GoJacks

The South Dakota State University football team will vie for a return trip to the Football Championship Subdivision title game as it travels Saturday to take on eighth-seeded Montana State in semifinal action.

Kickoff is set for noon Mountain Time (1 p.m. Central) at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana. The game will be televised before a national audience on ESPN2.

South Dakota State, ranked 11th in the final regular season polls conducted by Stats Perform (media) and the FCS coaches, is making its fourth semifinal appearance in the last five seasons. The Jackrabbits improved to 11-3 overall with a 35-21 victory Dec. 11 at fifth-seeded Villanova. SDSU is the lone unseeded team remaining out of the four squads still alive in the FCS playoffs.

The Jackrabbits will be playing their fourth postseason game in as many different time zones. SDSU opened with a 56-24 home win over UC Davis in the Central Time Zone on Nov. 27, followed by a 24-19 victory in the Pacific Time Zone Dec. 4 at fourth-seeded Sacramento State. The Jacks then criss-crossed the country to the Eastern Time Zone for their win last week in Pennsylvania at Villanova.

Montana State, which ended the regular season ranked seventh and ninth, respectively, received an opening-round bye as the No. 8 seed. The Bobcats downed UT Martin, 26-7, in their playoff opener Dec. 4 in Bozeman, then knocked off top-seeded and defending national champion Sam Houston, 42-19, Dec. 11 in Huntsville, Texas, to improve to 11-2 overall.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the 16th all-time matchup between South Dakota State and Montana State on the gridiron, and the second in postseason play.

The series dates back to 1956, when Montana State won a 33-14 decision in a game played in Great Falls, Montana. Overall, the Bobcats hold a 10-5 series edge, but South Dakota State has won each of the last three matchups.

SDSU's current winning streak in the series began with a 47-40 victory at cold and snowy Bobcat Stadium in the opening round of the 2014 FCS playoffs. In that game, Nov. 29, 2014, Jackrabbit running back Zach Zenner accounted for 324 all-purpose yards and scored a career-high five touchdowns. Zenner finished the game with 252 rushing yards, scoring on runs of 45, 7, 60 and 69 yards, and added two catches for 72 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown.

The two programs last met on Sept. 8, 2018, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, with the Jackrabbits getting out to a 24-0 halftime lead en route to a 48-14 home victory. Cade Johnson tied an SDSU single-game record with four touchdown receptions. Johnson scored each of the Jackrabbits' first-half touchdowns (2, 24, 19 yards) before closing the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter.

VERSUS THE BIG SKY: The Jackrabbits have posted a 4-3 record against Big Sky Conference schools in FCS?playoff games, and will be playing their third league opponent during the 2021 postseason. Six of the games have been played on the road.

The full slate of SDSU-Big Sky playoff matchups is as follows:
2009: Montana 61, South Dakota State 48 (Nov. 28, 2009, at Missoula, Mont.)
2013: South Dakota State 26, Northern Arizona 7 (Nov. 30, 2013, at Flagstaff, Ariz.)
2013: Eastern Washington 41, South Dakota State 17 (Dec. 7, 2013, at Cheney, Wash.)
2014: South Dakota State 47, Montana State 40 (Nov. 29, 2014, at Bozeman, Mont.)
2015: Montana 24, South Dakota State 17 (Nov. 28, 2015, at Missoula, Mont.)
2021: South Dakota State 56, UC?Davis 24 (Nov. 27, 2021, at Brookings, S.D.)
2021: South Dakota State 24, Sacramento State 19 (Dec. 4, 2021, at Sacramento, Calif.)

ELITE COMPANY: South Dakota State is one of only two Football Championship Subdivision programs to reach the playoffs each of the last 10 seasons, including making consecutive national semifinal appearances in 2017 and 2018.

North Dakota State holds the longest active streak with 12 consecutive trips to the playoffs after the Bison earned the Missouri Valley Football Conference's automatic bid.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team are six captains:

Logan Backhaus, Sr., linebacker, Spirit Lake, Iowa;
Wes Genant, Sr., offensive lineman, Parkston;
Michael Griffin II, Sr., safety, Cottage Grove, Minnesota;
Mason McCormick, Jr., offensive lineman, Sioux Falls;
Pierre Strong, Jr.; Sr.; running back, Little Rock, Arkansas, and
Xavier Ward, Sr., defensive tackle, Freeman.

Backhaus is in his third season as a team captain, while Genant, Griffin and Strong are in their second seasons in the leadership position. McCormick and Ward are first-time team captains.

SEASON 14 IN THE MVFC: The 2021 season marked South Dakota State's 14th as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Since joining the league in 2008, SDSU is the only program in that span to not have a losing season in conference play.

The Jackrabbits hold a 76-34 record in MVFC games and have won six or more league games six times. SDSU earned a share of league titles in 2016 and during the 2020-21 spring season.

RANKINGS STREAK: By being ranked 11th in the final Stats?Perform FCS?poll of the regular season on Nov. 22, SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 130 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012.

The Jackrabbits' third-place preseason showing matched the highest in program history (2018, 2019). SDSU then spent five weeks in the No. 2 spot following a season- opening win over Colorado State before dropping its first game of the year Oct. 9 against Southern Illinois.

AWARD FINALISTS: South Dakota State running back Pierre Strong, Jr. and linebacker Adam Bock were announced recently as finalists for two of the top awards in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Strong was one of 25 finalists for the 2021 Stats Perform Walter Payton Award, which is presented to the top offensive player in the FCS ranks, and finished fifth in the voting conducted among a 50-member national media panel.

A senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, Strong was selected as a finalist for the second season in a row. Strong ended the regular season with 1,317 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry in topping the 100-yard mark in eight of 11 games for a Jackrabbit squad that is making its 10th consecutive appearance in the FCS playoffs. During the 2020-21 spring season, Strong finished seventh in the balloting for the Walter Payton Award.

Strong has posted three 1,000-yard seasons in his career and ranks third on the all-time SDSU charts with 4,433 rushing yards and 39 rushing touchdowns.

Northern Iowa offensive lineman Trevor Penning and Missouri State quarterback Jason Shelley were also named finalists from the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Bock was selected as one of 25 finalists for the 2021 Stats Perform Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in the FCS, and tied for 11th in the voting.

A sophomore from Solon, Iowa, Bock registered a team-best 100 tackles (55 solo) with nine tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks during the regular season. He tallied double figures in tackles in six of 11 games for a Jackrabbit defense that limited the opposition to 18.3 points and 97.8 rushing yards per game.

In addition, Bock recorded an interception, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick which he returned for a defensive extra point.

Bock and Western Illinois safety Darius Joiner were the lone finalists from the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

ALL-AMERICANS: South Dakota State running back Pierre Strong, Jr. and tight end Tucker Kraft were each named to a pair of Football Championship Subdivision All-America teams Tuesday, with Strong garnering first-team recognition from both the Associated Press and HERO Sports.

A senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, Strong leads the FCS with 1,592 rushing yards, averaging 113.7 yards per game and seven yards per carry. He has scored 17 rushing touchdowns and also has thrown for four scores for a Jackrabbit squad that has advanced to the FCS semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons.

Strong has topped the 100-yard mark in nine of 14 games this season to move into third place in career rushing at South Dakota State with 4,433 yards.

A two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award as the top offensive player in the FCS ranks, Strong was honored for the third season in a row on the HERO Sports FCS All-America team and moved up to the AP All-America First Team after a third-team selection in 2019.

Kraft, a sophomore from Timber Lake, was a first-team selection by HERO Sports and a second-team honoree on the AP honor squad. He emerged as a top receiving target for the Jackrabbits in 2021, catching 59 passes for 677 yards and six touchdowns so far this season.

Strong and Kraft were joined on the HERO Sports All-America First Team by a pair of teammates — offensive lineman Mason McCormick and linebacker Adam Bock.

McCormick, a junior guard from Sioux Falls, has helped clear the way for a Jackrabbit offense that has averaged 37.5 points and 441.3 yards of total offense per game. He also was honored on the HERO Sports All-America team this past spring.

A sophomore from Solon, Iowa, Bock has been the Jackrabbits' leading tackler each of the past two seasons, including registering 119 stops so far this fall. His 2021 season totals also include nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, six pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles.

Both Bock and Kraft also were honored on HERO Sports' FCS Sophomore All-America Team, as was running back Isaiah Davis. Although limited to action in three regular season games due to injury, Davis has further bolstered the Jackrabbits' rushing attack in their playoff run to the tune of 499 yards and six touchdowns in three postseason contests to up his season totals to 688 yards and seven scores.

MVFC AWARDS: Fifteen South Dakota State football student-athletes, led by three-time first-team selection Pierre Strong, Jr., were named Nov. 29 to the all-Missouri Valley Football Conference Team. Selections were determined by a vote among the league's coaches, sports information directors and a select media panel.

Strong, a senior running back from Little Rock, Arkansas, finished the regular season with a league-best 1,317 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. A finalist for the Stats Perform FCS Walter Payton Award, he topped the 100-yard mark in eight of 11 games and averaged 6.9 yards per carry. In addition, Strong caught 20 passes for 133 yards and threw three touchdown passes.

Joining Strong on the first-team offense was sophomore tight end Tucker Kraft. The Timber Lake native tallied 51 receptions for 596 yards and six touchdowns during the regular season, surpassing the century mark in receiving yards on two occasions.

Linebackers Logan Backhaus and Adam Bock represented the Jackrabbits on the first-team defensive unit. A senior from Spirit Lake, Iowa, Backhaus was a repeat first-team honoree despite being limited to nine games due to injury. His regular season totals included 35 total tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

Bock, a sophomore from Solon, Iowa, posted a team-leading 100 tackles during regular season action, registering double figures in tackles six times. The Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award finalist ranked third on the squad with nine tackles for loss, while adding 2.5 sacks, an interception and two forced fumbles.

The Jackrabbit offensive and defensive lines were well-represented on the second team. SDSU garnered three of the five offensive line spots on the second unit as Wes Genant, Aron Johnson and Mason McCormick were honored for a squad that averaged 37.3 points and 441.1 yards of total offense per game during the regular season. McCormick was honored on the second team for the second season in a row, while Genant moved up from being an honorable mention selection this past spring.

Also repeating on the second-team offense was junior wide receiver Jaxon Janke. The Madison native hauled in team bests of 53 receptions and 876 receiving yards, averaging 16.5 yards per catch with three touchdowns. He went over the 100-yard mark five times, including each of the last four games of the regular season.

On the defensive side of the ball, tackle Caleb Sanders and end Reece Winkelman led the Jackrabbit contingent. Sanders, a senior from Glenwood, Iowa, bettered his numbers from the spring season, when he was a first-team all-MVFC selection, tallying team bests of 6.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss out of 26 total stops. He recorded at least a half-tackle for loss in 10 of 11 games.

Winkelman, a senior from Marshall, Minnesota, ranked second on the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.

Also earning second-team recognition from the Jackrabbit defense was senior cornerback Don Gardner. After missing four league games due to injury, Gardner returned to the lineup for the stretch run in November and contributed 13 tackles, including one for loss. He also was a second-team honoree in 2019 and a first-team pick in the spring.

Rounding out the SDSU second-team selections was long snapper Bradey Sorenson. The senior from Yankton returned to the line this fall and was part of a special teams unit that went 17-of-23 on field goal attempts and converted all 49 PATs. Sorenson previously was a second-team all-MVFC honoree in 2018.

To complete the Jackrabbit list of honorees, tight end Zach Heins, quarterback Chris Oladokun and kicker Cole Frahm received honorable mention recognition.

Heins, a junior from Sioux Falls, formed the other half of the Jackrabbits' tandem at tight end, catching 18 passes for 199 yards with five touchdowns. He was a first-team all-league honoree this past spring.

In his lone season as a Jackrabbit, Oladokun made an immediate impact at quarterback, completing 63.9 percent (184-of-288) of his passes for 2,450 yards and 20 touchdowns against only five interceptions. A graduate transfer from Tampa, Florida, and SDSU's only representative on the league's All-Newcomer Team, Oladokun threw at least one touchdown pass in 10 of 11 regular season games.

Frahm was an honorable mention selection for the second year in a row after ending the regular season as the team's leading scorer with 98 points. The senior from Omaha, Nebraska, made all 47 of his extra-point tries and was 17-of-23 on field goals, including two of 50-plus yards. Frahm made at least one field goal in 10 consecutive games.

OLADOKUN UNDER CENTER: Graduate transfer Chris Oladokun has taken the reins of the Jackrabbit offense at quarterback and has responded with a number of impressive performances this season.

Named the co-Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week following the Jackrabbits' 42-23 season-opening win at Colorado State, Oladokun accounted for three touchdowns – two passing and one rushing — in his Jackrabbit debut.

He completed 18-of-28 passes for 224 yards and also rushed two times for 19 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown that capped the scoring for SDSU. Both of Oladokun's touchdown passes went to Jadon Janke, covering 10 and 17 yards.

In the Jackrabbits' Sept. 11 home opener against Lindenwood, Oladokun led SDSU on touchdown-scoring drives on each of the team's first five possessions, which was highlighted by him throwing four touchdown passes. Oladokun, who exited the game midway through the second quarter with SDSU leading 35-0, completed 12-of-13 passes for 171 yards and the four scores — two each to tight ends Zach Heins and Tucker Kraft.

For the season, Oladokun has completed 215-of-347 passes (62 percent) for 2,849 yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions. He threw for a season-high 358 yards Oct. 9 against Southern Illinois and had his streak of eight consecutive games with a touchdown pass end in the Nov. 6 victory over North Dakota State. Since then, Oladokun has a touchdown pass in four of the next five games, including three in the regular season finale against North Dakota.

A native of Tampa, Florida, Oladokun began his collegiate career at South Florida, where he started two games in 2018 and completed 22-of-44 passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
He then transferred to Samford and played in 19 games with nine starts over the next two seasons. Oladokun passed for 2,064 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2019, while also rushing 127 times for 493 yards and eight touchdowns. He was Samford's starter at quarterback for the 2020-21 season opener and saw action in seven games.

Oladokun became the fourth Jackrabbit in as many seasons to start the opener at quarterback. In 2018, Taryn Christion made his third consecutive start in the first game of a season, while J'Bore Gibbs inherited the starting role in 2019. True freshman Mark Gronowski won the starting quarterback battle for the 2020-21 opener and went on to lead the Jackrabbits to the FCS?national title game before suffering an injury that has sidelined him this fall.

PLAYOFF RUSHING RECORD FALLS: With 446 yards on the ground in its Nov. 27 win over UC Davis, South Dakota State broke a school playoff record. Isaiah Davis led the way with a career-high 217 yards on only 15 carries, while Pierre Strong, Jr. added 185 yards on 19 attempts.

The previous mark of 434 yards was set in a 58-10 victory over Eastern Illinois on Nov. 24, 2012, at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. Zach Zenner set the SDSU single-game record with 295 rushing yards on 33 carries with three touchdowns that afternoon in 2012, with Reggie Gandy adding 151 yards and two scores on 16 attempts.

RISING TO THE OCCASION: South Dakota State running back Isaiah Davis played a big role in the Jackrabbits reaching the Football Championship Subdivision national title game in the spring and is again making his mark in the postseason this fall.

A sophomore from Joplin, Missouri, Davis finished as the Jackrabbits' leading rusher during the 2020-21 spring season with 818 yards. He averaged 8.5 yards per carry and scored 10 touchdowns, including three in the FCS national championship game versus Sam Houston. He ended that game with 305 all-purpose yards, tallying 178 rushing yards on 14 carries, catching one pass for 13 yards and returning four kickoffs for 114 yards. His 85-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter gave SDSU a momentary 21-17 lead.

Davis set a new single-game career high in his next playoff game, Nov. 27 against UC Davis, rushing 15 times for 217 yards and a touchdown. That performance came after missing eight games due to an injury suffered in the Sept. 11 home victory over Lindenwood. He returned to the lineup in the Nov. 20 regular season finale against North Dakota, carrying nine times for 64 yards. His first rush covered 22 yards.

In seven career playoff games, Davis has racked up 945 rushing yards on only 102 carries (9.3 ypc) and has tallied 1,187 all-purpose yards. He matched a career high with three rushing touchdowns as part a 174-yard performance Dec. 11 at Villanova.

Following is a game-by-game breakdown:

April 24 vs. Holy Cross: 10 carries, 156 yards, 1 TD
May 2 vs. Southern Illinois: 10 carries, 42 yards, 1 TD; 1 rec., 4 yards; 1 KOR, 50 yards;
May 8 vs. Delaware: 9 carries, 70 yards; 1 rec., 36 yards;
May 16 vs. Sam Houston: 14 carries, 178 yards, 3 TD; 1 rec., 13 yards; 4 KOR, 114 yards;
Nov. 27 vs. UC?Davis: 15 carries, 217 yards, 1 TD
Dec. 4 at Sacramento State: 19 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD; 1 rec., 8 yards, 1 PR, 17 yards
Dec. 11 at Villanova: 25 carries, 174 yards, 3 TD

Totals: 102 carries, 945 yards, 11 TD, 4 rec., 61 yards; 5 KOR, 164 yards; 1 PR, 17 yards

BIG-PLAY JACKS: Through its 14 games so far this season, the South Dakota State offense has averaged 7.0 yards per play. The Jackrabbits averaged at least 7.5 yards per play in each of their first three games, highlighted by an average of 9.3 yards per play in their Sept. 11 home opener against Lindenwood.

Conversely, SDSU is limiting the opposition to 5.1 yards per play, including 3.2 yards per rushing attempt.

The Jackrabbits have 82 plays of 20 or more yards from scrimmage, the longest of which was an 85-yard touchdown run by Pierre Strong, Jr. Oct. 9 versus Southern Illinois.

SDSU was limited to a season-low one play of 20-plus yards in its Nov. 13 loss at South Dakota — a 49-yard pass from Chris Oladokun to Jaxon Janke on the first play of the second quarter.

However, the Jackrabbits tallied 10 plays of 20 or more yards in their playoff-opening win over UC?Davis on Nov. 27. Nine of the chunk plays were on rushing attempts — four each by Isaiah Davis and Strong, and one by Oladokun. The other was a 33-yard touchdown pass from Oladokun to Jadon Janke.

LONGEST OF THE LONG: Malik Lofton's 97-yard fumble return for touchdown in the third quarter of the Jackrabbits' Oct. 9 game against Southern Illinois is the longest such return on record in program history.

SDSU's Pierre Strong, Jr., also scored on an 85-yard run in the fourth quarter for the longest run of his career.

It marked the first time since a 2014 game at Indiana State that SDSU had two scoring plays of 85 or more yards in the same contest. That previous feat was accomplished in a 2014 game at Indiana State, when Jake Wieneke scored on a 91-yard pass from Austin Sumner in the third quarter and Zach Zenner tallied a 94-yard touchdown run later in the second half.

SPEAKING OF TURNOVERS: The Jackrabbits tied one of their longest-standing school records with their six interceptions against UC Davis in the opening round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs on Nov. 27. SDSU also intercepted six passes in a 1950 game against Augustana and in a 1952 matchup with St. Cloud State.

Reserve cornerback Dalys Beanum came up with three of the interceptions, the last of which he returned 59 yards for a touchdown.

Adam Bock also returned an interception 39 yards for a score early in the second half, giving SDSU two interception returns for touchdowns in the same game for the first time since Nov. 10, 2007, against Southern Utah.

Beanum, who also returned an interception for a touchdown Oct. 2 against Dixie State, now leads the team with four interceptions this season. He became the first Jackrabbit player to pick off three passes in a game since All-American Tyler Koch accomplished the feat Nov. 3, 2007, at Central Arkansas.

For the season, the Jackrabbits are plus-17 in turnover margin after adding two more takeaways in the their Dec. 11 win at Villanova. Both of the turnovers came in the fourth quarter — an interception by Michael Griffin II and a fumble recovery by Caleb Sanders.

CONTROLLING THE CLOCK: South Dakota State held a 15-minute advantage in time of possession in its Oct. 30 victory at Youngstown State.

The Jackrabbits held the ball for 37 minutes and 33 seconds in the 47-16 road victory, compared to 22:27 by YSU. That marked the highest time of possession in a game by an SDSU squad since racking up 37:42 against Montana State in 2018.

SDSU has posted a 9-1 record in games this season in which it has led in time of possession, including a 3-0 mark in FCS?playoff games.

THIRD-DOWN EFFICIENCY: The Jackrabbits converted a season-best 10-of-12 on third-down attempts in its win at Youngstown State on Oct. 30, a game in which SDSU never punted. Both of the failed attempts came in the second quarter and resulted in a fumble and sack — after the latter of which Cole Frahm kicked a 52-yard field goal to end the first half.

That performance came on the heels of some recent third-down struggles. SDSU had gone a combined 11-for-41 (26.8 percent) on third down in the prior three games.

TIGHT ENDS CATCHING ON: South Dakota State's stable of tight ends has played a key role in the passing game for the Jackrabbits this season. Combined, the trio of Tucker Kraft (6), Zach Heins (6) and Mike Morgan (2) have combined for 14 of the Jackrabbits' 30 touchdown catches so far this season.

Each of the three has a two-touchdown game this season, with Morgan recording the first two scores of his career on plays of 11 and 55 yards Oct. 2 against Dixie State.

Kraft also ranks second on the team in total receptions with 59.

SECOND-QUARTER OUTBURSTS: South Dakota State set a program Division I-era record when it scored 35 points in the second quarter of its Oct. 2 Beef Bowl game against Dixie State. It marked the most points in any quarter by a Jackrabbit squad since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004, surpassing the previous record of 31 in the second quarter of a 2005 game against Valparaiso.

Through 14 games this season, the Jackrabbits have outscored the opposition by a 188-82 margin in the second quarter.

JANKES SCORE IN TANDEM: Twin brothers Jaxon and Jadon Janke have each tallied receiving touchdowns in the same game three times this season. The wide receivers from Madison, South Dakota, have now scored in the same game four times in their Jackrabbit careers.

The Jankes first accomplished the feat during the 2021 season in a Sept. 25 Jackrabbit victory at Indiana State. Jadon's touchdown reception covered 33 yards in the first quarter, while Jaxon scored from 42 yards out in the second stanza. They followed the same script Oct. 16 at Western Illinois, with Jadon catching an 8-yard pass to open the scoring in the first quarter and Jaxon adding a 21-yard score to cap a 21-point third quarter.

The brothers again hauled in touchdown passes in the same contest Nov. 20 against North Dakota. Jadon scored his team-leading seventh receiving touchdown on a 17-yard catch and run early in the second quarter, while Jaxon's TD?came on a deflected pass in the end zone from 21 yards out late in the third quarter.

The first time the tandem scored in the same game was against Holy Cross in the opening round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs this past spring. In that April 24 contest, Jadon scored twice on pass plays of 13 and 45 yards, while Jaxon opened the scoring with an 11-yard TD reception.

Jaxon Janke reached a couple of milestones Nov. 13 at South Dakota, surpassing 100 career catches (currently 120) and 1,500 receiving yards (currently 1,839). He topped the century mark for receiving yards in each of the final four regular season games and five of the last six. His 66 receptions and 1,061 receiving yards this season both lead the squad after tallying six catches for a season-high 119 yards Dec. 11 at Villanova.

Jaxon Janke has caught a pass in 34 of 36 games over the past three seasons.

STRONG GOES FOR 4,000: Senior Pierre Strong, Jr., became the fourth running back in South Dakota State history to hit the 4,000-yard mark for his career, reaching the milestone Nov. 13 at South Dakota.

A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Strong enters the week with 4,433 career rushing yards, after passing Kyle Minett (4,277 yards from 2007-10) for third place on the all-time Jackrabbit charts Nov. 27 against UC?Davis.

He also is fourth in career rushing touchdowns at SDSU with 39 after breaking a tie with Jerry Welch (34 rushing TDs from 1951-54) with his sixth two-touchdown game of the season Nov. 6 against North Dakota State.

A senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, Strong also became the fourth SDSU running back to post three separate 1,000-yard seasons on Nov. 6, joining Josh Ranek (1998-99, 2001), Kyle Minett (2008-10) and Zach Zenner (2012-14). Strong rushed for 1,116 yards in 2018, 1,018 yards in 2019 and has an FCS-best 1,575 yards this season.

100-POINT DUOS: South Dakota State kicker Cole Frahm and running back Pierre Strong, Jr. have both reached the 100-point mark during the 2021 campaign, becoming the latest Jackrabbit duo to top the century mark for scoring in the same year.

Frahm, a senior kicker from Omaha, Nebraska, leads the team with 117 points after making 18-of-27 field goal attempts and all 63 PAT tries this season. He has made two or more field goals in six games this season, with his 18 field goals tied for third-most in a season by a Jackrabbit. His 32 career field goals are sixth on the all-time SDSU charts.

Strong, a senior running back from Little Rock, Arkansas, has 102 points on the strength of 17 touchdowns this season. He has scored a pair of touchdowns in a game six times this season to up his career rushing touchdown total to 39 (fourth in school history) and career points total to 252 (eighth in program history).

Frahm and Strong are the third Jackrabbit tandem in five seasons to hit the 100-point mark in the same year, joining Jake Wieneke (104) and Chase Vinatieri (103) in 2017, followed by Vinatieri (114) and Cade Johnson (102) in 2018.

TWO RECEIVERS TOP 100: For the first time this season, two South Dakota State receivers topped the 100-yard mark in the same game. In the Oct. 9 contest against Southern Illinois, sophomore tight end Tucker Kraft set career highs with 10 catches and 124 yards, while junior wide receiver Jadon Janke added 117 receiving yards. Janke's yardage total came on only three catches as he logged receptions of 52, 46 and 19 yards — all in the first half.

Jadon Janke also had a part in the last time the Jackrabbits had a pair of receivers top the century mark, teaming with his twin brother, Jaxon, in the second game of the 2020-21 spring season — also in a losing effort — at North Dakota. In that contest, Jaxon caught seven passes for 161 yards, while Jadon hauled in five receptions for 109 yards.

40 AND COUNTING: South Dakota State scored 40-plus points in each of its first six games this season, marking the longest such streak in program history. Previously, SDSU put together a four-game streak of 40-point games late in the 2018 season, covering the final three regular season games (Missouri State (59), Southern Illinois (57), South Dakota (49) and a playoff victory over Duquesne (51).

The Jackrabbits enter the week ranked eighth in the Football Championship Subdivision with an average of 37.5 points per game after reaching the 40-point mark for the eighth time this season in a 56-24 victory Nov. 27 over UC Davis.

NOTES ON A SHUTOUT: South Dakota State recorded its first shutout since the 2015 season when it blanked Indiana State, 44-0, on Sept. 25. The Jacks' previous shutout also came on the road against a league opponent as SDSU downed Missouri State, 39-0, in a game played on Oct. 31, 2015, in Springfield, Missouri.

The shutout also was the ninth by a Jackrabbit squad under head coach John Stiegelmeier.

SDSU had its bid for back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1962 come to an end with six seconds remaining in its Oct. 2 Beef Bowl game against Dixie State, when the Trailblazers scored on a 16-yard pass play.

BOCK SETS CAREER HIGH: South Dakota State middle linebacker Adam Bock established a new career high with 17 tackles, including a half-sack, in the Jackrabbits' overtime loss to Southern Illinois on Oct. 9. Bock's previous high was 13 tackles last season against North Dakota State and matched versus Southern Illinois in their last matchup, an FCS playoff quarterfinal this past May.

Bock's 17 tackles are tied for sixth-most in a game by a Jackrabbit since tackles became an official NCAA statistic in 2000, and are the most by an SDSU player since Christian Rozeboom tallied 18 stops in a 2017 game at Missouri State. Bock currently leads the team with 112 tackles after the ninth double-digit-tackle performance of his career — and sixth this season — with 12 stops Nov. 20 against North Dakota.

The sophomore from Solon, Iowa, also made Jackrabbit history when he returned a blocked extra-point attempt at Youngstown State for a defensive 2-point conversion. It was the third time an SDSU player scored a defensive extra point, joining Vic Sosa (1997 at Augustana) and Trey Carr (2014 at Southern Utah).

SACK RABBITS: South Dakota State saw its streak of notching multiple sacks in a game end at 10 games when it managed only one sack in its Nov. 6 win over North Dakota State. The streak began with a seven-sack outing against Delaware in the semifinals of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in May.

As a team, the Jackrabbits have a total of 37 sacks so far this year after notching two sacks in their Dec. 11 playoff win at Villanova. Their average of 2.64 sacks per game ranks 26th among FCS teams this season.

Caleb Sanders leads the team with 6.5 sacks, while a total of 17 different players have recorded at least a half-sack this season.

WINKELMAN, SANDERS REACH TOP 10s: Senior defensive linemen Reece Winkelman and Caleb Sanders are not only the top two sack artists for the Jackrabbits this season, but the Jackrabbit duo have nearly identical career numbers for sacks and tackles for loss as they both have either moved into the SDSU career top 10 in those categories or poised to enter that territory yet this season.

Sanders, a defensive tackle from Glenwood, Iowa, has moved into ties for ninth in tackles for loss (32) and 10th in sacks (15) in recent weeks. His 32 TFLs match Eric Cohen's total from 1978-80, while his 15 sacks are tied with Division II All-American Kevin Tetzlaff (1988-91).

A defensive end from Marshall, Minnesota, Winkelman also has tallied 15 sacks and 30 tackles for loss in his career. Winkelman notched a team- and career-best 6.5 sacks during the 2019 campaign and leads the team with 12.5 tackles for loss in 2021.

50-PLUS CLUB: Cole Frahm made his second field goal of more than 50 yards this season— and third of his career — in the Oct. 30 game at Youngstown State, connecting on a 52-yarder on the final play of the first half. It was the 15th field goal of 50 or more yards in program history.

Frahm's 54-yarder earlier this season against Lindenwood is tied for the fourth-longest field goal in program history. Parker Douglass (2007) and Chase Vinatieri (2018) hold the school record with 57-yard field goals and Douglass connected on five field goals of 50-plus yards in his All-America career.

Following is a listing of the longest field goals in SDSU history:
57-Parker Douglass, vs. Stephen F. Austin, 2007
57-Chase Vinatieri, at Northern Iowa, 2018
55-Chase Vinatieri, vs. Northern Iowa, 2017 (FCS playoff game)
54-Parker Douglass, vs. UC Davis, 2005 (at Sioux Falls)
54-Cole Frahm, vs. Lindenwood, 2021
53-Parker Douglass, at Southern Utah 2006
52-Brett Gorden, vs. St. Cloud State, 1997
52-Parker Douglass, vs. Cal Poly, 2005
52-Parker Douglass, vs. UC Davis, 2006
52-Cole Frahm, vs. Youngstown State, 2020-21
52-Cole Frahm, at Youngstown State, 2021
51-Adam Vinatieri, vs. North Dakota, 1992
51-Adam Vinatieri, at Augustana, 1994
51-Chase Vinatieri, vs. Drake, 2017
50-Brett Gorden, at UC Davis, 1997
By Player: Parker Douglass (5); Chase Vinatieri (3); Cole Frahm (3); Brett Gorden (2); Adam Vinatieri (2).

In addition, Frahm has moved into sixth place on the SDSU career charts for field goals made with 32. After booting two field goals in the Nov. 6 win over North Dakota State, he passed Adam Vinatieri, who made 27 field goals in a Jackrabbit uniform from 1991-94.

For his career, Frahm is 32-for-48 on field goal tries. He had a streak of 10 straight games with a made field goal end in the Nov. 27 game against UC Davis. He has made a field goal in 20 of 23 games over the past two seasons.

605 HOGS: The success of the South Dakota State offense can be attributed in large part to the continuity the Jackrabbits have been able to maintain along the offensive line.

The quintet of Aron Johnson (left tackle), Mason McCormick (left guard), Wes Genant (center), Eagan Lickiss (right guard) and Garret Greenfield (right tackle) had started 17 games in a row dating back to the start of the 2020-21 spring season until the string was broken Oct. 30 at Youngstown State. In that game, senior Eddie Miller replaced Lickiss in the starting lineup at right guard and has continued to fill the spot.

Johnson missed the Nov. 20 regular season finale against North Dakota, but returned to the lineup the next week against UC?Davis. Greenfield flipped over to start at left tackle in Johnson's absence against UND, with Bo Donald earning the start at right tackle.

SEEING DOUBLE: The 2021 edition of the South Dakota State football team features two sets of twin brothers.

Returning for their junior seasons are wide receivers and Madison natives Jadon and Jaxon Janke. Jaxon Janke was the team's top receiver a season ago, catching 32 passes for 473 yards and six touchdowns. He also returned punts, averaging 13.2 yards on eight attempts.

Jadon Janke was right behind in the receiving categories, hauling in 21 receptions for 425 yards and five touchdowns. His 20.2 yards per reception led the squad and four of his touchdown receptions came in postseason action.

Joining the Jackrabbits last fall were twins Aaron and Adam Kusler. The Sioux Falls tandem, who excelled at Roosevelt High School, are both redshirt freshman linebackers on this year's squad.

SDSU has another set of brothers on the team in Brookings natives and offensive linemen Eddie and Gus Miller. Eddie is a senior on this year's team, while Gus is an redshirt freshman.

ACADEMIC AWARDS: South Dakota State offensive lineman Wes Genant and defensive end Reece Winkelman were honored Wednesday as members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America Division I Football First Team.

A Parkston native in his first semester of graduate school, Genant was named to the honor squad for a program-record fourth time after compiling an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.90 as a human biology major. He was a second-team selection in 2017 before earning first-team recognition in 2018 and again during the 2020-21 season. He redshirted in 2019 while recovering from injury.

Genant also earned second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors this fall after helping pave the way for a Jackrabbit offense averaging 37.5 points and 441.3 yards of total offense per game.

Winkelman, a senior from Marshall, Minnesota, was selected with a 3.87 GPA as a business economics major. On the field, he was a second-team all-MVFC selection who currently leads the team with 12.5 tackles for loss and ranks second with 5.5 sacks.

South Dakota State football student-athletes have been honored on CoSIDA Academic All-America teams 44 times since 1974. The Jackrabbits have placed at least one player on the squad in 15 of the last 17 seasons, including multiple selections 13 times.

The Academic All-America program, sponsored by the College Sports Information Directors of America, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Candidates, who are first nominated and honored at the district level, must be at least a sophomore in athletic and academic standing, a starter or key reserve on his team and carry at least a 3.3 GPA.

Genant and Winkelman were among seven South Dakota State student-athletes who were honored Tuesday on the 2021 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team. The 51-member squad was determined by a vote conducted by the league's sports information directors.

Earning first-team recognition for the fourth time was Genant. The offensive lineman from Parkston compiled a 3.90 undergraduate grade-point average in human biology and is in his first semester as a graduate student.

Also repeating on the first team was senior linebacker Logan Backhaus with a 3.66 GPA as a human biology major. A native of Spirit Lake, Iowa, Backhaus was honored for the third time overall as he was a second-team honoree in 2019.

Moving up to the first team was Winkelman. A business economics major from Marshall, Minnesota, with a 3.87 GPA, Winkelman previously was a second-team honoree in 2019 and an honorable mention selection during the 2020-21 spring season.

Completing the list of the Jackrabbits' first-team selections is sophomore linebacker Adam Bock. A native of Solon, Iowa, Bock has posted a 3.94 GPA as a mechanical engineering major, along with being the team's leading tackler each of the last two seasons.

Offensive lineman Aron Johnson was honored on the second team for the second year in a row. The senior from Chisago City, Minnesota, has compiled a 3.82 GPA in pharmacy and interdisciplinary studies.

Repeating as honorable mention selections were senior kicker Cole Frahm (3.64, aviation) and junior wide receiver Jaxon Janke (3.52, physical education/teacher education).

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 former Jackrabbit football player and 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.

Jacks Bash 2 was held this past Sept. 8 and included a musical lineup of Zac Brown Band, Fall Out Boy and Gabby Barrett.

SDSU has gone on to post a 35-7 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its first five-plus seasons of operation, including an 8-1 mark in FCS playoff games.

The Jackrabbits went undefeated at home in 2018 at 7-0 and again during the 2020-21 spring season with a 5-0 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 Monday nights throughout the 2021 season.

The weekly, hour-long show begins at 6 p.m. Central Time and originates in front of a live audience once again at Cubby's Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Brookings. Hosted by Tyler Merriam, the show airs along the Jackrabbit Sports Network, including flagship station WNAX 570 AM, and can be heard through the Jackrabbit app and online at GoJacks.com.

Weekly segments include interviews with Jackrabbit head coach John Stiegelmeier, student-athletes and others associated with SDSU football. Fans can submit questions through social media platforms and fans in attendance can register for weekly prizes.

A LOOK AHEAD: Should the Jackrabbits win Saturday, they will earn the right to play for the national championship against the winner between No. 2 seed North Dakota State and No. 3 James Madison on Jan. 8, 2022. The game is set for an 11 a.m. kickoff at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, with television coverage on ESPN2.

-GoJacks.com-