ROGERS ERA BEGINS THURSDAY

Thursday, August 31

Brookings, S.D.

7 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Western Oregon

Buy Tickets

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

8/30/2023 11:00:00 AM | Football

GAME 1: Western Oregon (0-0) at #1 South Dakota State (0-0)

When	Thursday, Aug. 31 \| 7 p.m. Central Time \| ORDER TICKETS
Where	Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium \| Brookings, S.D.
TV	Midco Sports \| ESPN+ (subscriptions required)
Radio	Jackrabbits All Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	SDSU \| Western Oregon \| Missouri Valley Football Conference \| FCS Insider
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #GoJacks

The South Dakota State University football team begins defense of its Football Championship Subdivision national title Thursday nights as it hosts Western Oregon to kick off the 2023 season.

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. Stadium gates open at 5:30 p.m., with pre-game festivities including a facility announcement and the ceremonial coin toss by former Jackrabbit head coach John Stiegelmeier.

Thursday's game is the 10th Dairy Drive game and also marks Jimmy Rogers' first game as head coach. A former Jackrabbit player and assistant coach for the past 10 seasons, Rogers coached linebackers throughout his tenure as an assistant coach and served as a defensive coordinator the past four seasons. He was honored as FCS Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com in 2022.

The Jackrabbits are coming off their most successful season in program history as they posted a 14-1 record en route to their first football national title in 2022. SDSU, which returns 18 starters, brings a school-record 14-game winning streak into Thursday's contest.

SDSU begins the season atop the rankings in both major FCS polls. The Jackrabbits were a unanimous pick for the top spot in the Stats Perform media poll and received 24 of 25 first-place votes in the poll conducted by the American Football Coaches Association.

Western Oregon, an NCAA Division II program that competes in the Lone Star Conference, completed the 2022 season with a 6-5 overall record. The Wolves are picked to finish sixth in this year's Lone Star Conference race.

THE SERIES: Thursday's game marks the third meeting on the gridiron between SDSU and Western Oregon, a series that dates back 20 years.

SDSU won both prior meetings, turning in a 37-10 victory in Monmouth, Oregon, on Sept. 20, 2003, followed by a 38-3 home win the following season.

In the first meeting, the Jackrabbits scored on three long plays in the second quarter to gain control of the contest. First, Solomon Johnson put SDSU out front after scoring on a 76-yard pass from Brad Nelson. Six minutes later, Anthony Watson scored on a 59-yard run to give SDSU a 14-3 lead.

After WOU pulled to within 14-10 and was driving in the closing seconds of the first half, John Perry tipped the scales back in the Jacks' favor by returning an interception 65 yards for a touchdown as time expired.

Nelson added two touchdown passes in the third quarter and the Jackrabbit defense pitched a second-half shutout to seal the victory.

The return matchup, played Sept. 18, 2004, at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, featured a school-record six field goals from Parker Douglass in a 38-3 SDSU victory.

Douglass connected on first-quarter field goals of 34, 39 and 27 yards before the Jackrabbits found the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter from Brad Nelson to Josh Davis.

Nelson and Davis hooked up again from 15 yards later in the second quarter, while Douglass tacked on field goals of 23, 43 and 39 yards later in the game.

Watson capped the scoring for SDSU with a 64-yard touchdown run early in the final stanza.

DAIRY DRIVE: Now in its 10th year, the Dairy Drive recognizes the importance of the dairy industry to the South Dakota economy and promotes the ties to SDSU as the state's Land-Grant institution.

The Jackrabbits have come out victorious in all nine previous Dairy Drive games. Eight of the games have drawn a crowd surpassing 10,000 fans, with the lone exception the spring 2020-21 season when attendance restrictions were in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

YEAR 20 in FCS: The 2023 season marks the 20th season South Dakota State has competed in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Since joining the Division I ranks in 2004, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 157-79 record (.665 winning percentage) and have qualified for postseason play 12 times, including 11 consecutive appearances.

FOR OPENERS: Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 9-10 record in season-opening games, with six of the losses against Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

The Jackrabbits have not played a season opener at home since 2018, when they posted a 45-14 victory over Montana State at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. SDSU has fared better in home openers in the FCS era, winning 12 in a row and posting a 16-3 record between games at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium (2004-15) and Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium (2016-present).

SEASON 16 IN THE MVFC: The 2023 season marks South Dakota State's 16th 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 an 84-34 record in MVFC games and have won six or more league games seven times. SDSU previously earned a share of league titles in 2016 and during the 2020-21 spring season before running the table with an 8-0 record in conference play en route to the 2022 national championship.

ELITE COMPANY: South Dakota State is one of only two Football Championship Subdivision programs to reach the playoffs each of the last 11 seasons, including advancing to the national semifinals or championship game in four of the last five seasons. The Jackrabbits secured the Missouri Valley Football Conference's automatic bid to the 2022 playoffs, assuring SDSU of its 11th consecutive postseason appearance and 12th overall at the FCS?level.

MVFC rival North Dakota State holds the longest active streak with 13 consecutive trips to the playoffs.

RANKINGS STREAK: By being ranked first in the Stats Perform FCS preseason poll, SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 146 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012. The Jackrabbits held the top spot in the poll for the final seven surveys of the 2022 season and were a unanimous No. 1 selection to start the 2023 season to hold the top ranking in a preseason poll for the first time in program history.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team are six captains:

Adam Bock, Sr., linebacker, Solon, Iowa;
Isaiah Davis, Sr., running back, Jopline, Missouri;
DyShawn Gales, Sr., cornerback, North Chicago, Illinois;
Garret Greenfield, Sr., offensive lineman, Rock Valley, Iowa;
Mark Gronowski, Jr., quarterback, Naperville, Illinois;
Mason McCormick, Sr., offensive lineman, Sioux Falls.

McCormick is in his third season as a team captain, while Bock, Greenfield and Gronowski are in their second seasons in the role. Davis and Gales are first-time captains.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Eight players from defending national champion South Dakota State headline the 2023 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team, presented by FedEx Ground.

The Jackrabbits placed four players on the first team, with three of those selections coming from the offensive side of the ball as Garret Greenfield at tackle and Mason McCormick at guard were joined by running back Isaiah Davis. The senior offensive line duo helped clear the way for SDSU to post averages of 34.2 points and 384.6 yards of total offense per game in 2022.

Greenfield twice has been named to the postseason All-America first team selected by Stats Perform, earning the distinction following the 2020-21 spring season and again in 2022. The Rock Rapids, Iowa, native is one of 11 returning players from last year's first-team honor squad.

Davis, a senior from Joplin, Missouri, averaged 5.8 yards per carry in 2022 en route to 1,451 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also factored in the passing game with 21 receptions for 173 yards.

Leading the Jackrabbit contingent on defense was linebacker Adam Bock. A senior from Solon, Iowa, Bock was limited to 11 games last season, but still finished second on the squad with 76 total tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.

Second-team recognition on defense went to senior cornerback DyShawn Gales. A senior from North Chicago, Illinois, Gales led the Jackrabbits in 2022 with four interceptions, while adding added six pass breakups to go along with 31 tackles (23 solo).

SDSU's three other honorees were all second-team selections involved in the Jackrabbit passing game: Quarterback Mark Gronowski, wide receiver Jaxon Janke and tight end Zach Heins.

Gronowski accounted for 38 touchdowns last season — 26 through the air and 12 on the ground. The junior from Naperville, Illinois, completed 65 percent of his passes (232-of-356) for 2,967 yards and gained another 408 yards rushing. He has led the Jackrabbits to a 22-3 record and a pair of appearances in the national championship game in his two seasons as the team's starting quarterback.

Janke, a senior from Madison, led the squad in all three major receiving categories last season with 60 receptions for 857 yards and nine touchdowns.

Heins, a senior from Sioux Falls, ranked third on the team in both receptions (29) and receiving touchdowns (4), while ranking fourth in receiving yards (347).

A total of 107 student-athletes were honored across first, second and third teams. All 15 FCS conferences and 52 schools were represented on the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team.

In addition, Davis, Gronowski and Janke were all included on the initial watch list for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the top offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Bock was included on the defensive side for the Buck Buchanan Award.

DEPTH ON DEFENSE: Whether based on philosophy or necessity, South Dakota State has built its standing as one of the top defenses in the Football Championship Subdivision by relying on its depth. Over the course of its 15-game schedule in 2022 22 different players earned a starting assignment on defense for the Jackrabbits.

Only nose tackle Ryan Van Marel and defensive end Cade Terveer started every game last season on the defensive side of the ball for the Jackrabbits last season and both return to the lineup in 2023.

PICKING OFF THE COMPETITION: The Jackrabbit defense has continually taken the ball away from the opposition in recent seasons, including leading the Football Championship Subdivision in interceptions each of the last two seasons.

After leading the subdivision with 21 interceptions in 2021, SDSU tallied an FCS-best 18 interceptions last season, including two in the national championship game against North Dakota State. Jackrabbit defenders recorded at least one interception in each of their 11 regular season games, continuing that streak with an interception by DyShawn Gales in the Nov. 12 regular season finale against Illinois State. Gales finished with a team-high four interceptions en route to all-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors.

The Jackrabbits also ranked sixth in turnover margin with an average of plus-1.07 turnovers per game after forcing 26 total turnovers compared to losing 10. SDSU also held a 115-16 advantage in points off turnovers last season.

Dating back to the start of the 2018 season, the Jackrabbits have intercepted at least one pass in 54 of their last 66 games for a total of 85 pickoffs.

In all, 10 different Jackrabbits recorded at least one interception a season ago and SDSU picked off at least one pass in 13 of 15 games.

SNAP. SPOT. KICK. REPEAT: Four South Dakota State kickers have combined to make 132 consecutive extra-point tries over the last two-plus seasons.

The streak dates back to the second quarter of SDSU's Football Championship Subdivision semifinal playoff game against Delaware during the 2020-21 spring season, when Cole Frahm connected on a PAT after missing one earlier in the stanza. Frahm would close the spring with three more PATs in the national championship game, then was successful on all 65 of his attempts last fall to set the school record with 69 consecutive made PATs.

Hunter Dustman made all 59 of his attempts during the 2022 season after making his lone attempt in 2021. Corben Mahaffy added an extra point in 2021 to complete a perfect 67-for-67 performance for the team, and Jack Green was 2-for-2 on PATs last season as SDSU made all 61 tries in 2022.

DOUBLE-DUTY DUSTMAN: Junior Hunter Dustman figured prominently in the Jackrabbits' special teams efforts throughout the 2022 season.

Dustman handled all of the kicking duties in the Sept. 3 season opener at Iowa, punting 11 times for an average of 41.5 yards (long of 52) and scoring the Jackrabbits' only points on a 44-yard field goal in the second quarter. Dustman's 11 punts mark the most by an SDSU player in the Division I era (since 2004).

For the season, Dustman averaged 42.6 yards per punt and was 18-for-25 on field goals. He made 13 of his last 14 field goal attempts en route to 113 points.

A WINNING COMBINATION: Jackrabbit running back Isaiah Davis recorded his ninth 100-yard game of the 2022 season and the 16th of his career when he gained 103 yards on 22 carries in the national championship game against North Dakota State.

SDSU improved to 15-1 in games in which Davis has topped the century mark, with the lone loss coming in the 2020-21 national championship game versus Sam Houston.

Davis enters the 2023 season needing only 30 yards to become the eighth Jackrabbit to rush for 3,000 yards in his career. He currently stands ninth on the SDSU career rushing charts, trailing Cory Koenig (2,990 yards from 2004-07) for the eighth spot and Les Tuma (3,018 yards from 1970-73) for seventh place.

A native of Joplin, Missouri, Davis ran for a touchdown in each of the final 10 games in which he played during the 2022 campaign. His 32 career rushing touchdowns tie him with Dan Sonnek (1984-87) for sixth place in program history.

TWIN TOUCHDOWNS: Twin brothers Jadon and Jaxon Janke each caught a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of the Jackrabbits' playoff victory over Holy Cross on Dec. 10, 2021. It marked the third time during the 2022 season and seventh time in their careers the dynamic duo from Madison accomplished the feat. However, that was the first time they tallied their scores in the same quarter.

Coincidentally, the first the Jankes recorded touchdown catches in the same game was in another playoff win against Holy Cross — in the opening round of the 2020-21 postseason played in the spring.

Following are the games in which both Jankes have caught touchdown passes:

April 24, 2021, vs. Holy Cross — Jadon (13, 45 yards in second/third quarters), Jaxon (11 yards in first quarter);
Sept. 25, 2021, at Indiana State — Jadon (33 yards in first quarter), Jaxon (42 yards in second quarter);
Oct. 16, 2021, at Western Illinois — Jadon (8 yards in first quarter), Jaxon (21 yards in third quarter);
Nov. 20, 2021, vs. North Dakota — Jadon (17 yards in second quarter), Jaxon (21 yards in third quarter);
Sept. 17, 2022, vs. Butler — Jadon (17 yards in second quarter), Jaxon (7 yards in first quarter);
Sept. 24, 2022, at Missouri State — Jadon (3/40 yards in first/fourth quarters), Jaxon (13 yards in third quarter);
Dec. 10, 2022, vs. Holy Cross — Jadon (21 yards in fourth quarter), Jaxon (18 yards in fourth quarter).

SEEING DOUBLE: The 2023 edition of the South Dakota State football team features two sets of twin brothers.

Returning for their senior seasons are wide receivers and Madison natives Jadon and Jaxon Janke. Jaxon Janke has been the team's leading receiver each of the past three seasons to move into SDSU career top 10s for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, while Jadon Janke also begins the 2023 season in the Jackrabbit top 10 for receiving touchdowns.

Another pair of twins with South Dakota roots are junior linebackers Aaron and Adam Kusler. Aaron played in nine games last season, while Adam has contributed mostly on special teams and saw action in 14 of the team's 15 games in 2022.

STAFF SHAKEUP: Besides a change at the top, several new assistant coaches will be donning the headsets for the first time as Jackrabbits during Thursday's season opener against Western Oregon.

New coaches on the offensive side of the ball include Jake Menage (wide receivers) and Robbie Rouse (running backs). Additions to the defensive staff include Mike Banks (cornerbacks), Jalon Bibbs (defensive line) and Pete Menage (safeties). Pat Cashmore also is a recent addition to the coaching staff and will direct the special teams units.

Returning for his second season as offensive coordinator is Zach Lujan, with Ryan Olson (run game coordinator/offensive line) and Chris Meyers (tight ends) providing further coaching continuity on the offensive side of the ball.

On defense, Jesse Bobbit is the lone coaching holdover as he moves into the coordinator's role and also will coach the linebackers after mentoring the safeties in 2022.

Including Jimmy Rogers, five former Jackrabbit football players are full-time coaches at SDSU this season. The others are Bobbit, Lujan and both Menages, who are cousins.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS: The South Dakota State University football program has maintained its tradition of excellence both on the field and in the classroom during its Division I history.
The Jackrabbits were recognized with the Missouri Valley Football Conference Team Academic Award each of its first nine years in the league.

Last season, several Jackrabbit football players were honored individually for their work in the classroom, highlighted by Reece Winkelman's repeat selection to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America First Team, which is made up of student-athletes from both NCAA Division I football classifications.

Winkelman, from Marshall, Minnesota, was selected with a 3.92 GPA as a graduate student in business economics. On the field, he was a first-team all-MVFC selection who racked up eight sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss in 2022.

SDSU has placed at least one player on the Academic All-America squad in 16 of the last 18 seasons, including multiple selections 13 times. Overall, SDSU football student-athletes have received Academic All-America recognition from the College Sports Communicators 45 times since 1974.

During the 2021 season, Wes Genant became the only Jackrabbit football student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors four times. Three-time selections include: Paul Kippley (1978-80), Kyle Minett (2008-10) and Zach Zenner (2012-14). Zenner was also honored as the 2014 Academic All-America Team Member of the Year.

The Academic All-America program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Candidates must be at least a sophomore in athletic and academic standing, a starter or key reserve on his team and carry at least a 3.5 GPA.

Earlier during the 2022 season, Winkelman was one of eight SDSU football student-athletes to earn recognition on the CSC?Academic All-District squad. The others included:

Adam Bock, linebacker, Solon, Iowa;
DyShawn Gales, cornerback, North Chicago, Illinois;
Mark Gronowski, quarterback, Naperville, Illinois
Jaxon Janke, wide receiver, Madison;
Mason McCormick, offensive lineman, Sioux Falls;
Cale Reeder, safety, Yorkville, Illinois;, and
Ryan Van Marel, defensive tackle, Sheldon, Iowa.

Bock and Winkelman also were repeat first-team selections to the 2022 MVFC Scholar-Athlete Team.

Also earning a spot on the first team was Gronowski, while Janke and fellow wide receiver Canyon Bauer were second-team honorees.

Closing out the team's academic awards during the 2022 season were a total of 74 Jackrabbits receiving recognition on the MVFC Honor Roll for posting a GPA of 3.0 or higher during the fall semester.

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.

Dana J. Dykhouse 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.

SDSU has gone on to post a 44-7 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its seven seasons of operation, including an 11-1 mark in FCS playoff games. The Jackrabbits' current home winning streak is 12 games, with their last home loss a 26-17 setback to Northern Iowa on Oct. 23, 2021.

The Jackrabbits have gone undefeated at home three times while playing at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium: 2018 (7-0), 2020-21 spring season (5-0) and 2022 (9-0).

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.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits continue their season-opening homestand by welcoming nationally ranked Montana State back to Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium for the Beef Bowl on Sept. 9.

Kickoff for the game is set for 6 p.m. in what will be a rematch of the 2022 FCS national semifinal game the Jackrabbits won on their home field, 39-18, last December.

-GoJacks.com-