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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jackrabbits look to rebound in Missouri
10/6/2009 12:30:00 PM | Football
The South Dakota State University will close out a stretch of three consecutive road games by returning to Missouri Valley Football Conference action Saturday afternoon at Missouri State.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Plaster Field on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield, Mo.
The Jackrabbits, ranked 19th in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' Poll and 20th in this week's Sports Network media poll, enter the matchup tied atop the league standings with a 2-0 mark in MVFC play. Overall, SDSU is 3-1 following a 21-14 setback at nationally ranked Cal Poly on Oct. 3. The Jackrabbits opened their road swing Sept. 26 with a 38-17 victory at league foe Illinois State.
Missouri State, which is receiving votes in both polls, comes into Saturday's game with a 3-2 overall record and 1-1 mark in the MVFC. The Bears recorded a 17-7 victory at Youngstown State (Ohio) last week for their first league victory of the season.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark only the second meeting between SDSU and Missouri State in football.
The Jackrabbits claimed the first meeting, 43-13, on Nov. 1, 2008, at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium behind a 205-yard rushing performance by Kyle Minett and a 10-reception, 169-yard outing by JaRon Harris.
ONLINE COVERAGE: Audio and video coverage of Saturday's game is scheduled to be available via subscription service at GoJacks.com, the official website of SDSU athletics. Monthly subscriptions for the Jackrabbit Extra, which includes live audio and video streaming are available for $9.95 per month or $99.95 for an entire year of coverage. An audio-only subscription also is available for $4.95 per month, with programming consisting only of live radio broadcasts.
A league-wide package is available for purchase at www.valley-football.org.
Radio coverage Saturday begins on WNAX 570 AM at 12:30 p.m., with an expanded pre-game show. Steve Imming returns to call the play-by-play, with Tyler Merriam providing color commentary.
Video streaming is scheduled to begin at 1:40 p.m. via a feed from Missouri State.
JACKRABBIT INSIDER: Throughout the 2009 football season, head coach John Stiegelmeier will be a guest on the “Jackrabbit Insider,” a weekly behind-the-scenes look at South Dakota State University athletics.
The half-hour television show which features interviews with Jackrabbit coaches and student-athletes, airs Sundays at 10:35 p.m., following KSFY ActionNews. The show also can be viewed online at GoJacks.com.
VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: Playing a ranked opponent is nothing new for the Jackrabbit football team, which has taken on some of the nation's elite FCS programs since moving up from Division I at the start of the 2004 season.
In its five-plus seasons at the FCS level, SDSU has played 26 games against ranked opponents and compiled an 8-18 overall record.
Last week's game at Cal Poly marked the first time the Jackrabbits faced a ranked opponent this season.
HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE: The South Dakota State University football team has enjoyed a home-field advantage at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium since making the move to the Football Championship Subdivision level.
Since joining the FCS ranks at the start of the 2004 season, the Jackrabbits have posted a 23-6 mark at CAS. Lights were installed at CAS prior to the 2001 season and SDSU has turned in an 19-5 record in home night games.
ATTENDANCE UP: The Jackrabbits have drawn an average of 13,150 fans through their first two home games, with three more games remaining at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium this season.
SDSU is on pace to break the single-season average attendance record of 11,218 set in 2007, when the Jackrabbits won the Great West Football Conference championship.
Nine of the last 14 games played at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium have drawn crowds of more than 10,000 fans, including all seven games played in September over the last three seasons.
CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are five senior captains:
• Danny Batten, defensive end, Gilbert, Ariz.;
• Glen Fox, wide receiver, Fairfax, Iowa;
• Chris Johnson, linebacker, Council Bluffs, Iowa;
• Nate Koskovich, offensive lineman, Kingsley, Iowa; and
• Jimmy Rogers, linebacker, Chandler, Ariz.
RABBITS RANKED: For the third year in a row, South Dakota State appeared in the preseason national rankings for the Football Championship Subdivision.
The Jackrabbits began the season ranked 22nd in the Sports Network poll and 23rd in the preseason poll conducted by the Football Championship Subdivision coaches. The Jackrabbits continued their climb in the rankings, reaching as high as 16th in the Sports Network poll and No. 15 in the coaches' poll last week. SDSU fell four spots in each poll this week, dropping to 19th in the coaches' poll and 20th in the Sports Network rankings.
Last season, SDSU was 19th in the Sports Network preseason poll and 20th in the coaches' poll. The Jackrabbits climbed to their highest FCS ranking — 12th — before falling to Northern Iowa in late September.
SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE: Missouri State enters its matchup with the Jackrabbits as a winner in three of its last four games. The Bears evened their MVFC record at 1-1 with their first-ever win at Youngstown State, 17-7, on Oct. 3.
The Bears' offense is directed by third-year starting quarterback Cody Kirby, who has completed 60.7 percent (74-of-122) of his passes for 801 yards. He has thrown five touchdown passes, but has been intercepted seven times. Kirby has been picked off at least once in all five games this season.
Kirby's primary target has been preseason All-America tight end Clay Harbor, who has hauled in 22 catches for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Cadarrius Dotson has added 14 receptions for 109 yards and one score.
The rushing attack has been by committee so far this season as three backs have topped 100 yards rushing and a fourth is poised to do so this week. Miguel Warren leads the way with 209 yards, while Jonathan Davis has gained 191 yards and scored a team-high three touchdowns. Mikael Cooper-Falls has tallied 107 yards on the ground, with Chris Douglas standing at 98 yards entering the week.
On defense, the Bears have improved dramatically against the run. In 2008, Missouri State ranked last (118th) in the Football Championship Subdivision by allowing 301.2 yards per game on the ground. In 2009, however, the Bears have improved to 40th place by giving up 124.6 rushing yards per game.
Antoine Wilkinson leads the team with 41 tackles, followed by Adam Beauchamp with 39 and Skylar Smith with 36.
Through their first five games, the Bears have intercepted seven passes, including three by Derek Miller.
On special teams, kicker Matt Hottelman made a 53-yard field goal in the season opener at Arkansas, and is 3-of-5 on field goals this season. Jordan Chiles is averaging 41.1 yards per punt with a long of 72.
Warren has added a team-best 29.4-yard average on five kickoff returns.
LAST MEETING: The South Dakota State University football team remained in the hunt for a Missouri Valley Football Conference title, posting a 43-13 victory over Missouri State on Nov. 1, 2008, at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
Several Jackrabbits set single-game career highs as SDSU employed a balanced offensive attack. Sophomore running back Kyle Minett rushed 23 times for a career-best 205 yards and JaRon Harris added a career-high 10 receptions for 169 yards. As a team, SDSU rolled up 580 yards of total offense — 262 on the ground and 318 through the air. SDSU also tallied 27 first downs compared to 12 by the Bears.
SDSU scored on its first four offensive possessions, starting with a pair of first-quarter field goals of 20 and 29 yards by Peter Reifenrath. The last field goal capped a 1 16-play, 79-yard drive that chewed up nearly seven and a half minutes.
The Jackrabbits scored their first touchdown of the game on their first possession of the second quarter as Ryan Berry connected with Glen Fox from 14 yards.
After forcing Missouri State to punt, the Jackrabbits needed only one play to build the lead to 19-0 as Minett weaved his way through the Bear defense for a 56-yard touchdown run — his longest carry of the season.
MSU got on the board in the closing minute of the fist half as Chris Geisz caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from Cody Kirby to finish off a 14-play, 67-yard drive.
SDSU put the game out of reach with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns from Berry to Harris. The first covered 15 yards, with the second a 9-yarder. Harris added the two-point conversion after his second touchdown.
The Jackrabbits, who did not punt in the game, made it 24 consecutive points in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run by backup running back Tyler Duffy and an 18-yard field goal by Reifenrath.
The Bears ended the scoring late in the fourth quarter on an 11-yard pass from Kirby to Chase Mejia.
Berry ended the game 20-of-26 passing for 268 yards as he topped the 250-yard mark for the sixth consecutive game. His three touchdown passes in the game upped his career total to 45, passing Ted Wahl (43 TD passes from 1985-88) for second place on the Jackabbit career charts and two behind Brad Nelson (47 TD passes from 2001-04) for the all-time lead.
Derek Domino led the Jackrabbit defense with eight tackles. SDSU also received sacks from Antonio Thompson, Eric Schroeder and Jason Nobiling.
LAST WEEK: Cal Poly scored two defensive touchdowns, including a fumble recovery in the end zone with 2 minutes, 9 seconds remaining in the game, to defeat South Dakota State, 21-14, in a battle of nationally ranked teams Oct. 3 in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
The 17th-ranked Mustangs evened their record at 2-2, while 15th-ranked SDSU dropped to 3-1 overall. The game was played before a crowd of 10,331 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
The Jackrabbits turned a turnover into points in posting the first score of the game. Conrad Kjerstad intercepted a long Tony Smith pass at the Jackrabbit 3-yard line and returned the ball to the SDSU 25. Facing third-and-3, SDSU quarterback Ryan Crawford hit Mike Steffen on a slant across the middle for a 60-yard gain to the Cal Poly 8. Two plays later, Kyle Minett scored from a yard out, extending his streak of games with a touchdown — rushing or receiving — to nine games.
Cal Poly knotted the game at 7-all early in the second quarter. On the first play of the quarter, Smith hooked up Eric Gardley on a 38-yard pass that set up the Mustangs first and goal from the SDSU 2. The Jackrabbit first-string defense then surrendered its first touchdown of the season as David Mahr found the end zone from two yards out.
SDSU regained the lead midway through the second half, but it proved to be a costly scoring drive. On third-and-9, Crawford was hit at his knees as he threw, but managed to complete a 35-yard pass to Glen Fox.
Thomas O'Brien came on to replace an injured Crawford, but SDSU then turned to its version of the wildcat offense. Tyrel Kool gained 20 yards on two carries and Minett again found paydirt from nine yards out to put the Jackrabbits up 14-7 after Peter Reifenrath's second extra-point of the game.
The Mustangs tied the game moments later as an O'Brien pass went off the hands of Colin Cochart and into the waiting arms of Asa Jackson, who returned the ball 47 yards for a touchdown. The game remained tied at 14 at intermission.
After a scoreless third quarter, Cal Poly recorded the decisive score in the waning moments of the game. After the Mustangs downed a punt at the SDSU 8, Marty Mohamed stripped O'Brien on the first play of the drive and Carlton Gillespie fell on the ball for the touchdown.
SDSU took over at its own 36 and advanced the ball to midfield before Scottie Cordier ended the Jackrabbits' hopes of a comeback with an interception. The Mustangs proceeded to run out the clock.
O'Brien finished the game 13-of-22 passing for 98 yards with two interceptions. Crawford completed 5-of-10 attempts for 118 yards before exiting. Fox recorded five catches for 64 yards, with Cochart adding five receptions for 35 yards.
Minett led the running attack with 56 yards on 17 carries. Kool added 43 yards on five attempts.
For Cal Poly, Smith completed 13-of-24 attempts for 131 yards. David Mahr led the Mustangs with five receptions for 35 yards and Jaymes Thierry paced a balanced rushing game with 57 yards on 12 carries.
Cal Poly held a 333-305 advantage in total offense and limited the Jackrabbits to 14 first downs. The Mustangs controlled the clock, holding a nine-minute advantage in time of possession — 34:48 to 25:12 — and converted 9-of-17 third-down attempts.
SDSU, which came into the game ranked fifth in the Football Championship Subdivision in third-down conversions at 51 percent, converted only 4-of-13 attempts.
The game featured 15 punts. Jackrabbit punter Dean Priddy averaged 40.9 yards on eight attempts.
Cole Brodie recorded a career-high 12 tackles to lead the Jackrabbit defense. Kjerstad and Chris Johnson each notched nine stops.
Mohamed led the Mustangs with 13 tackles, including two for loss.
TOP-10 DEFENSE: South Dakota State enters Saturday's game at Missouri State ranked in the top 10 of five different team defensive categories.
After sitting atop the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision scoring defense standings the last two weeks, the Jackrabbits slipped to second — behind conference rival Northern Iowa — with an average of 11 points allowed per game. The starting defense has allowed only one touchdown, and three of the opponents' five touchdowns this season have been on defensive returns.
The Jackrabbits also rank third in pass efficiency defense (85.45), seventh in total defense (236.25 yards per game) and ninth in rushing defense (74 yards per game). In addition, SDSU is tied for sixth place with an average of 3.5 sacks per game.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Jackrabbits stand 10th in scoring offense with an average of 34.25 points per game.
Individually, Kyle Minett ranks fourth in scoring with an average of 12 points per game.
THIRD-DOWN EFFICIENCY: A key to the Jackrabbits' success on offense this season has been the team's ability to convert on third down.
Through four games, SDSU has converted 46.15 percent (24-of-52) of its third-down attempts, ranking 13th in the Football Championship Subdivision. Three of the five touchdowns the Jackrabbits scored Sept. 26 at Illinois State came on third-down plays, including Kyle Minett's 64-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter on a third-and-13 play. Minett's first touchdown of the game, an 11-yard run in the second quarter, was set up by SDSU converting on third-and-8 and third-and-9 earlier in the drive.
BATTEN ON BUCHANAN LIST: South Dakota State University defensive end Danny Batten has been named to the initial watch list for the Division I Football Championship Subdivision's top defensive player.
A senior from Gilbert, Ariz., Batten is one of 20 players to be considered on the preseason watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented by the Sports Network. The watch list will be revised in October and again in November before the final ballot is announced.
Voting from a panel of FCS sports information directors, writers, broadcasters and other football experts will be conducted after the regular season ends. Three finalists will be announced on Nov. 30 and will be invited to the 23rd annual Sports Network Awards banquet on Dec. 17 in Chattanooga, Tenn., the night before the NCAA Division I championship game. The Walter Payton Award and the Eddie Robinson Award will also be presented that evening.
Batten stepped into the starting lineup as a true freshman in 2006 and has started 37 of the 38 games he has played. He earned honorable mention All-America recognition each of the past two seasons while earning first-team all-Great West Football Conference honors in 2007 and first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference accolades in 2008. Batten ranked fourth on the team with 75 total tackles in 2008 and led the team with eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
He currently ranks second on the team with 27 tackles, while leading the squad with 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
Besides being named to the preseason Buchanan watch list, Batten has been chosen as a second-team preseason All-American by both the Sports Network and College Sporting News.
FOX TOPS CENTURY MARK: Senior wide receiver Glen Fox reached a career milestone in the Sept. 19 game against Indiana State as he recorded the 100th reception of his career.
By recording a team-best 23 receptions through the first three games, Fox has moved into a tie with Lionel Macklin (113 receptions from 1977-79) for 10th place on the Jackrabbit career receiving charts. Next on the list is Mike Myers, who caught 116 passes from 1990-93.
Fox played in the Jackrabbit secondary and on special teams during his freshman season in 2006.
MINETT LEADS RUNNING GAME: Junior Kyle Minett is again handling the bulk of the duties at running back for South Dakota State this season.
Last season, Minett earned second-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors after ranking second in the league with 1,289 yards rushing — an average of 107.4 yards per game. His rushing total was the sixth highest in school history and the most by a Jackrabbit at the FCS level.
After tallying 425 yards in the first four games of the 2009 season, Minett enters this weekend with 2,190 career rushing yards. He cracked the Jackrabbit top 10 for career rushing Sept. 26 at Illinois State, and has since moved into eighth place after passing both Joe Thorne (2,156 yards from 1959-61) and Paul Klinger (2,161 yards from 1990-94) last week at Cal Poly. He needs 104 yards to take over the seventh spot from Rick Wegher (2,293 yards from 1981-84).
Minett has posted nine career 100-yard games, including six in 2008.
In addition, Minett posted the third-highest point total in school history with 112, scoring 18 touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions in 2008. Four of his touchdowns came through the air as he ranked third on the team with 44 receptions for 415 yards. He has scored 33 career touchdowns — 26 rushing and seven receiving — and has a streak of nine consecutive games in which he has scored a touchdown. He has scored two touchdowns in every game this season.
The Ruthton, Minn., native led the team with an average of 6.2 yards per carry in 2007, and ranked second in yards gained with 476. He was named the Outstanding Player of the Beef Bowl as he racked up 134 yards on 11 carries and added a 40-yard touchdown reception in a 38-3 victory over Texas State.
STEFFENS STEP UP: The Jackrabbits have received solid contributions in the first quarter of the season from brothers and Mount Vernon natives Mike and Jake Steffen.
Mike Steffen posted career highs with 98 receiving yards — on four receptions — and two touchdowns from his wide receiver position in the season opener against Georgia Southern. Both of his touchdowns came in the third quarter, covering four and 62 yards. The 62-yard scoring play was the longest reception of his career. He added five receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown Sept. 19 versus Indiana State, then posted seven catches for 90 yards at Illinois State last week. He currently leads the team in receiving yards with 337 on 17 catches, an average of 19.8 yards per catch.
Jake Steffen made his first career start against Georgia Southern and contributed four tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack. He also was credited with two quarterback hurries. He currently ranks second on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and is tied for second with two sacks, but is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a knee injury at Cal Poly.
CRAWFORD AT THE HELM: Senior Ryan Crawford made a successful first career start in the Sept. 12 season opener against Georgia Southern, completing 15-of-21 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Crawford's totals for completions and attempts matched his career totals entering the season.
The Outstanding Player of the 43rd Annual Beef Bowl, Crawford completed 21-of-27 passes for a career-high 239 yards and two touchdowns in the Sept. 19 game versus Indiana State. He went 70 pass attempts before throwing his first collegiate interception, which came on his first attempt of the fourth quarter against the Sycamores.
Crawford currently has a passing efficiency rating of 157.51 to rank 11th in the Football Championship Subdivision this season. He has completed 67.4 percent of his passes this season and 68.2 percent for his career.
However, Crawford suffered a knee injury at Cal Poly and is sidelined indefinitely. Redshirt freshman Thomas O'Brien is slated to start Saturday at Missouri State.
A senior from Oro Valley, Ariz., Crawford entered fall camp as the quarterback with the most experience in a Jackrabbit uniform. During the 2008 season, Crawford played in six games and completed 14-of-20 passes — 70 percent — for 106 yards and one touchdown. His most extensive playing time came in the season finale at North Dakota State as he stepped in for an injured Ryan Berry and completed 10-of-13 passes for 50 yards and a score.
Junior transfer Lee Mondol and freshman Mike Whittier also were in competition for the starting nod in fall camp.
TOP TACKLERS RETURN: An experienced Jackrabbit defense returns its top eight tacklers from a year ago. The top three tacklers are the team's starters at linebacker: Jimmy Rogers (93 tackles), Chris Johnson (82 tackles) and Derek Domino (80 tackles).
Also returning are defensive end Danny Batten (75 tackles), linebacker Isaiah Jackson (63), safety Conrad Kjerstad (51) and cornerbacks Cole Brodie (47) and General Parnell (45).
KJERSTAD LEADS SECONDARY: Junior strong safety Conrad Kjerstad recorded the seventh interception of his career last week at Cal Poly, returning the ball 22 yards to set up a Jackrabbit field goal. The Wall native also registered nine tackles in the game, and was credited with a career-high 11 stops Sept. 26 at Illinois State as he has moved into the team lead for tackles with 28.
Kjerstad's seven career interceptions are the most by any current Jackrabbit player. He led the team with four during the 2008 campaign.
KNIPS SEMIFINALIST FOR CAMPBELL TROPHY: South Dakota State University offensive lineman Casey Knips has been named a semifinalist for the 2009 Wiiliam V. Campbell Trophy, officials from the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame announced Thursday.
A senior offensive tackle from Adrian, Minn., Knips is in his second season as a regular starter for the nationally ranked Jackrabbits. He is one of 37 players from the Division I Football Championship Subdivision — and one of 154 players from all divisions of college football to be named a semifinalist.
Nominees must be a senior or graduate student in their final year of eligibility, have a GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale, have outstanding football ability as a first-team player or significant contributor, and have demonstrated strong leadership and citizenship.
Formerly the Draddy Trophy, the award was renamed this fall in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit and a former player and head coach at Columbia University (N.Y.).
The NFF Awards Committee will select and announce up to 15 finalists on Oct. 29. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2009 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class, receiving an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000, will be announced live at the NFF's Annual Awards Dinner on December 8 at the prestigious Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.
Last season, Jackrabbit quarterback Ryan Berry became the first SDSU player to be named a member of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class.
REIFENRATH RETURNS: Preseason all-Missouri Valley Football Conference kicker Peter Reifenrath returned to the Jackrabbit lineup in the Sept. 19 league opener against Indiana State.
Reifenrath was forced to sit out the Sept. 12 season opener as he awaited a waiver request to the NCAA regarding his eligibility in conjunction with progress-toward-degree requirements.
NCAA officials granted Reifenrath's waiver request and he was inserted into the lineup in the fourth quarter against Indiana State to kick two extra points. He has converted all nine of extra-point tries this season and added a 23-yard field goal at Illinois State.
In 2008, Reifenrath earned second-team all-MVFC honors after making 16-of-22 field goal attempts and 36-of-38 extra-point tries for 84 points.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Twice this season, the South Dakota State University football team has had two players honored at Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week after a Jackrabbit victory.
Earning the offensive award on Sept. 28 was junior running back Kyle Minett, who rushed 21 times for a season-high 146 yards and scored two touchdowns in SDSU's 38-17 win at Illinois State on Sept. 26. The Ruthton, Minn., native scored from 11 yards out in the second quarter, then broke off a career-long 64-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. In posting his ninth career 100-yard game, Minett moved into 10th place on the Jackrabbit career rushing chart with 2,134 yards.
On defense, sophomore defensive end Jake Steffen was honored after recording 10 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and adding an interception. The Mount Vernon native's interception and subsequent 24-yard return late in the second quarter shifted the momentum firmly in the Jackrabbits' favor and set up a touchdown that put SDSU ahead 21-10 at halftime.
After the Jackrabbits' season-opening win over Georgia Southern on Sept. 12, Derek Domino was named MVFC Defensive Player of the Week and Kyle Harris earned special teams recognition.
Domino, a junior linebacker from Spring Lake Park, Minn., registered a game-high 11 tackles, including a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss. He also recovered a fumble to lead a relentless Jackrabbit defense that forced four turnovers, tallied nine sacks and limited GSU to 11 net yards rushing. The Eagles' six points were the program's lowest point total in a game since 1995.
Harris, a sophomore kicker from Florissant, Mo., connected on 3-of-4 field-goal tries and all five extra-point attempts. Harris took over all kicking duties during the week and responded by making field goals of 44, 37 and 40 yards, with his only miss coming from 46 yards. The field-goal attempts were the first of his career. He also recorded two touchbacks on kickoffs.
COACH STIG: John Stiegelmeier has built the South Dakota State University football team into a consistent winner and a program on the rise in the ranks of the Football Championship Subdivision.
Overall, Coach Stig has led the Jackrabbits to a 78-57 record (.578 winning percentage). SDSU has posted seven consecutive winning seasons, including the school's first five campaigns at the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) level. The Jackrabbits have had a winning record in 10 of his 12 years as head coach, including five with seven or more victories.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS: For the fourth consecutive season, the SDSU football team led its conference in all-academic selections during the 2008 campaign.
The Jackrabbits placed eight players, including a league-best four first-team selections, on the 2008 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team.
SDSU's academic prowess extended to the entire team as the Jackrabbits raised the bar in their inaugural eason in the Missouri Valley Football Conference by leading the nine-team league with a 2.941 team grade-point average — the highest mark ever recorded by the league.
All four of SDSU's first-team selections came from the offensive side of the ball, led by seniors Ryan Berry and Kevin Robling.
Berry, a quarterback from Watertown, received first-team honors after compiling a 3.89 grade-point average in biology/pre-medicine. Earlier in the fall of 2008, Berry was selected as a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete and one of 15 finalists for the Draddy Trophy, earning a $15,000 postgraduate scholarship. He also named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII First Team, received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and was the recipient of a third postgraduate scholarship as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision Athletic Directors Association Academic All-Star Team.
A center, Robling was a second-team selection on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America squad with a 3.82 GPA in wildlife and fisheries.
Also honored on the first team were running backs Kyle Minett and Tyler Duffy. Minett also was honored on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team with a 3.50 grade-point average while majoring in economics, while Duffy turned in a perfect 4.0 GPA in electrical engineering.
The Jackrabbits' lone second-team selection to MVFC All-Academic Team was sophomore defensive Conrad Kjerstad. The Wall native posted a 3.90 GPA in agricultural business, earning first-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District recognition last fall.
Three other SDSU players received honorable mention accolades: senior offensive lineman Nick Flesner, linebacker Chris Johnson and punter Dean Priddy.
South Dakota State led the Great West Football Conference in the number of academic all-conference selections from 2005 through 2007.
HOMETOWN CONNECTION: SDSU has used the services of home-grown talent the past few seasons.
In 2009, five Jackrabbit players hail from Brookings: senior running back Jordan Paula, junior running back Tyler Duffy, redshirt freshman wide receiver Dan Schmidt, freshman offensive lineman Alex Parker and freshman running back Mason Winterboer.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits return home Oct. 17 to face rival North Dakota State in the annual battle for the Dakota Marker.
Kickoff is slated for 6:07 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
The next three Jackrabbit games will al be televised. The Dakota Marker game is scheduled to be broadcast on KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls, Rapid City-based KNBN-TV, along with NBC affiliates throughout North Dakota.
The Oct. 24 Hobo Day matchup between SDSU and perennial national power Northern Iowa is being produced by Mediacom and will be aired on the Medicom Connections channel throughout South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin. In aadition, the game is slated to be aired by Midcontinent Communications throughout the Upper Midwest.
The Jackrabbits will make a national television appearance as part of the Missouri Valley Football Conference television package Oct. 31 at Youngstown State (Ohio). That game is scheduled to be broadcast live on Fox College Sports, and also shown on a tape-delayed basis on Fox Sports Midwest.
A fourth game may be added to the television lineup should the Big Ten Network choose to air the Jackrabbits' Nov. 14 game at Minnesota.
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