Top-seeded South Dakota State displayed a punishing running game and a smothering defense to begin defense of its Football Championship Subdivision title with a 41-0 shutout of Mercer in second-round playoff action Saturday afternoon at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
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The Jackrabbits improved to 12-0 on the season and extended their overall winning streak to 26 games dating back to early in the 2022 campaign. Mercer ended its season with a 9-4 overall record.
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SDSU scored on each of its four first-half possessions, starting with a 26-yard field goal by Hunter Dustman that finished off a 10-play, 56-yard drive.
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The Jackrabbits extended their lead to 10-0 with a 13-play, 74-yard march that consumed seven and a half minutes before culminating with the first of three rushing touchdowns on the day by Isaiah Davis. SDSU's longest play of the methodical drive was a 17-yard pass from Mark Gronowski to Amar Johnson before Davis scored on the first play of the second quarter.
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SDSU scored two more touchdowns in the second quarter — the first on a 7-yard pass from Gronowski to Jaxon Janke and the second on a 6-yard run by Davis with 21 seconds remaining in the first half — for a 24-0 halftime lead. Gronowski connected with Jadon Janke for 28 yards on the first play of the latter drive before finding Jaxon Janke for a 23-yard catch and run to put SDSU back into the red zone.
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After holding Mercer to another three-and-out to start the second half, SDSU made it 5-for-5 in coming away with points on drives to start the game with a six-play, 68-yard scoring jaunt in which Davis picked up all but six yards. The senior running back from Joplin, Missouri, tallied runs of 2 and 13 yards, along with a 5-yard catch, before rumbling 42 yards down the left sideline for his longest touchdown run of the season.
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Davis topped the 100-yard mark for the 10th time in a playoff game in his career, ending the day with 117 yards on 16 carries. Amar Johnson contributed 107 yards on 11 carries as the Jackrabbits rushed for 346 yards as a team.
 Angel Johnson closed out the scoring with an 80-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, which stands as the longest play from scrimmage by SDSU this season.
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Gronowski completed 11-of-16 passes for 158 yards, with backup Chase Mason entering the game midway through the third quarter and completing 4-of-6 attempts for 67 yards. Jaxon Janke caught a game-high seven passes for a season-high 106 yards.
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Overall, SDSU held a 571-151 advantage in total offense. Mercer was limited to six first downs and went 1-for-10 on third-down attempts., compared to 9-of-14 on third-down plays by SDSU. The Jackrabbits, who held the ball for more than 12 minutes in the opening quarter, racked up 35:26 in possession time.
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Mercer's leading rusher was defensive lineman Chris Hill, who successfully executed a fake punt for a 24-yard gain in the second quarter. Quarterback Carter Peevy was 14-of-22 passing for 75 yards and was intercepted twice, while Parker Wroble was the leading pass-catcher for the Bears with five receptions for 26 yards.
 Isaiah Stalbird registered a team-high seven tackles for the Jackrabbits, who recorded their first-ever playoff shutout and blanked an opponent for the second time in the last three games. Jason Freeman added six stops.
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Lance Wise Jr. was credited with a game-high 10 tackles for Mercer, with Marques Thomas and T.J. Moore each contributing nine stops.
 UP NEXT
South Dakota State will host eighth-seeded Villanova in quarterfinal action at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9. Villanova advanced with a 45-28 home victory over Youngstown State. The SDSU-Villanova quarterfinal matchup will be televised on ESPN.
 NOTES
Saturday's game marked the first-ever meeting between South Dakota State and Mercer in football
The Jackrabbits improved to 19-12 in FCS playoff games
SDSU's 26-game winning streak is tied with James Madison (2016-17) for the third-longest in FCS history
The Jackrabbits have won 16 consecutive games against ranked FCS opponents and extended their home winning streak to 19 games
SDSU now holds a 12-1 record in FCS playoff games played at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
Davis crossed the century mark in rushing for the 22nd time in his career
Amar Johnson posted his second 100-yard game of the season and fourth of his career
Jaxon Janke caught a pass in his 45th consecutive game and moved into a three-way tie with Cade Johnson (2017-19) and his twin brother, Jadon, for third place in career touchdown receptions at SDSU with 28
Jaxon Janke hit the 100-yard for receiving for the ninth time in his career overall and third time in a postseason contest
Jadon Janke advanced to eighth place in career receptions for the Jackrabbits with 154, breaking a tie with JaRon Harris (152 receptions from 2005-08) and Glen Fox (152 catches from 2006-09)
The Jackrabbits held an opponent without a touchdown for the fourth time this season