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9/16/2009 5:30:00 PM | Football
The nationally ranked South Dakota State University football team continues its early season “bowling”, hosting Indiana State in the 43rd Annual Beef Bowl on Saturday.
Kickoff for the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener is slated for 6 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. A beef barbecue will run from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. south of the stadium. Barbecue tickets are $7 per person and can be purchased at the event site.
The Jackrabbits enter the game with a 1-0 record following a 44-6 season-opening victory Sept. 12 over Georgia Southern in the Cereal Bowl. SDSU is ranked 18th in this week's Sports Network poll and 21st in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' Poll. SDSU is in search of its first 2-0 start since 2005, when it opened the season with home wins over Wisconsin-La Crosse and Valparaiso (Ind.).
Indiana State is off to an 0-3 start after dropping a 31-0 home decision to Eastern Illinois last week.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark only the second meeting between South Dakota State and Indiana State in football.
The Jackrabbits claimed the initial meeting, winning 49-9 in Terre Haute, Ind., on Oct. 25, 20008. Kyle Minett and Glen Fox each scored a pair of touchdowns and Ryan Berry threw four second-half touchdowns in the Jackrabbit victory.
MVFC OPENER: For the second year in a row, the South Dakota State University football team will play in the first Missouri Valley Football Conference game of the season.
In 2008, the Jackrabbits recorded a 40-7 home victory over Youngstown State in what was the first game played under the MVFC banner. SDSU went on to finish its inaugural season in the league with a 6-2 mark in conference play.
Valley Football teams have combined for a 5-12 record through the first two weeks of the season, with SDSU the lone undefeated team. Eight of the 12 losses have been to Football Bowl Subdivision squads.
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.
Local radio coverage Saturday begins on WNAX 570 AM at 4:30 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 slated to begin at 5:30 p.m.
THE BEEF BOWL: South Dakota State University is home to the original Beef Bowl.
Recipients of the Friend of the Beef Industry Award and Prime Promoters will be honored during Saturday's game. Proceeds from the pre-game barbecue are directed toward scholarships in the Department of Animal and Range Sciences, while proceeds from the live steer auction at halftime will benefit athletic scholarships at SDSU.
BEEF BOWL HISTORY: In the previous 42 Beef Bowl games, SDSU has compiled a 23-19 record. The Jackrabbits have won three in a row and eight of the last 10 Beef Bowl games, including a 24-22 victory over Western Illinois in 2008.
More than 10,000 people have attended each of the last five Beef Bowls and eight times overall.
Following are the year-by-year scores of the Beef Bowl:
VALLEY PREVIEW: The South Dakota State University football team was picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference race, in a preseason poll announced in conjunction with the league's annual media day in July.
Defending co-champions Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois were voted as the top two teams. UNI garnered 26 of the 36 first-place votes to finish with 314 points, followed by SIU with nine first-place votes and 281 points. The Jackrabbits tallied 231 points, while North Dakota State picked up one first-place vote and 206 points to finish fourth in the poll.
Rounding out the poll were: Western Illinois, 174 points; Youngstown State, 171 points; Missouri State, 111 points; Illinois State, 90 points , and Indiana State, 42 points. The poll was tabulated on votes by league coaches, sports information directors and media representatives.
Individually, five SDSU players were named to the all-Missouri Valley Preseason Team. Seniors Danny Batten and Jimmy Rogers were honored on the defensive side of the ball, while junior running back Kyle Minett and senior wide receiver Glen Fox represented the offense. Kicker Peter Reifenrath completed the Jackrabbit contingent.
A defensive end from Gilbert, Ariz., Batten was a first-team all-MVC selection during the 2008 season, during which he recorded 75 tackles, including team bests with eight sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. Batten also has received second-team preseason All-America honors from the Sports Network and has been named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
Rogers, a linebacker from Chandler, Ariz., has led the team in tackles each of the past two seasons, including 93 in 2008, when he earned second-team all-conference honors.
Minett, a Ruthton, Minn., native , was a dual threat in the backfield for the Jackrabbits in 2008, leading the team with 1,289 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, while adding 44 receptions for 415 yards and four scores. Six times Minett topped the 100-yard mark in earning second-team all-MVFC recognition last season.
Fox is the team's top returning wide receiver, recording 66 receptions for 792 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008. The Fairfax, Iowa, native was a second-team all-conference pick last season.
Reifenrath was a pleasant surprise for the Jackrabbits in 2008, earning second-team all-MVFC recognition after converting 16-of-22 field goal attempts. A junior from Decorah, Iowa, Reifenrath was 5-of-7 on field goals 40 yards or longer en route to 84 total points.
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. This week, the Jackrabbits continued their climb in the rankings, moving up three spots to 18th in the Sports Network poll and four spots to No. 21 in the coaches' poll.
Last season, SDSU was 19th in the Sports Network poll and 20th in the coaches' poll. The Jackrabbits climbed to their highest FCS ranking — 12th — before falling to Northern Iowa in late September.
LAST MEETING: Kyle Minett and Glen Fox each scored two touchdowns and Ryan Berry threw for four second-half touchdowns to lead South Dakota State to a 49-9 victory over winless Indiana State on Oct. 25, 2008, at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Ind.
SDSU scored on its opening drive of the game, marching 62 yards on nine plays. After getting a break with an offsides penalty against on third-down during the opening set of downs, Minett capped the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.
The Jackrabbits made the score 9-0 with a safety early in the second quarter. On second down from the ISU 6, Antonio Thompson sacked Ryan Roberts in the end zone.
Indiana State moved the ball effectively in the first half but failed to convert on a couple of scoring opportunities by missing field goals from 39 and 47 yards.
SDSU built the advantage to 16-0 late in the second quarter as Minett scored for the second time in the game, scampering in from 13 yards out to finish off a 10-play, 70-yard drive.
The Jackrabbits carried the momentum into the second half, scoring on their first drive as Berry connected with Glen Fox on an 8-yard touchdown pass. The conversion failed.
ISU used some trickery to score its only touchdown of the game. The Sycamores extended their next drive with a fake punt, then on the very next play, Darrius Gates threw a 42-yard touchdown pass at the 11:48 mark of the third quarter to Jeramie Gray on a halfback option.
Twice the SDSU defense stopped the Sycamores on fourth down inside the 5-yard line – a goal-line stand in the second quarter and at the 4-yard line late in the third quarter.
SDSU responded with two long scoring drives to end any hopes of a Sycamore comeback. Fox hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter to cap a six-play, 86-yard drive set up by a 47-yard run by Minett, who carried the ball 21 times for 145 yards. SDSU then went on an 11-play, 96-yard drive covering five minutes that ended with a 6-yard pass from Berry to JaRon Harris.
However, on the ensuing point-after try, Kyle Harris' kick was blocked and returned for two points by the Sycamores' Larry Carter.
SDSU tacked on two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Colin Cochart scored the first on a 10-yard pass from Berry, then backup quarterback Ryan Crawford ran one in from five yards out.
Minett ended the game with 145 yards on 21 carries. He also caught four passes for 65 yards as the Jackrabbits tallied 498 yards of total offense – 231 yards rushing and 267 through the air.
Fox led the receiving corps with seven catches for 83 yards, followed by Cochart with five receptions for 66 yards.
Berry ended the game 19-of-25 passing for 261 yards.
Linebackers Jimmy Rogers and Derek Domino led the Jackrabbit defense with eight tackles each. SDSU recorded four sacks in the game, with Danny Batten notching two sacks among his three tackles for loss.
ISU managed only 79 yards on the ground and 245 yards of total offense.
SCOUTING INDIANA STATE: The Indiana State University football team is in search of a breakthrough victory as it takes to the field Saturday night.
With an 0-3 start to the 2009 season, the Sycamores are in the midst of a 29-game losing streak, dating back to the 2006 season. ISU's last victory was a 28-22 triumph over Missouri State on Oct. 21, 2006.
The Sycamores have had some recent close calls in an attempt to end their skid. ISU lost a 27-24 overtime decision to Missouri State to end the 2008 season, then dropped another overtime decision, 26-20, to Quincy (Ill.) in the 2009 season opener.
ISU also battled at Football Bowl Subdivision opponent Louisville (Ky.) before falling 30-10 on Sept. 5.
The Sycamores have gone with a youth movement under second-year head coach Trent Miles. The probable starting lineup does not include a senior on the offensive side of the ball, while the starting defensive unit features four seniors and one junior.
Sophomore Chris Stutzriem, a transfer from Wyoming, has seen most of the action at quarterback this season. He has completed 19-of-40 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown so far in 2009.
The Sycamore running game has yet to get on track, averaging only1.6 yards per carry. Junior Darrius Gates has been the most productive back so far this season, gaining 119 yards on 27 carries — an average of 4.4 yards per attempt. Gates also shares the team lead with six receptions and threw a 75-yard touchdown pass in the season opener. Gates also threw a TD pass on a halfback option against SDSU in last year's meeting.
Junior running back Antoine Brown shares the team lead with six recptions and has added 88 yards on the ground.
In their last outing, a 31-0 loss to Eastern Illinois, the Sycamores were held to only 95 yards of total offense. ISU committed three turnovers and was forced to punt six times.
ISU has yet to score in either the second or third quarter in its three games this year.
Defensively, redshirt freshman linebacker Aaron Archie has been the team leader in tackles with 26, with senior defensive back Donye McCleskey contributing 24 tackles.
Alex Sewall has added 20 tackles from the other safety spot and newcomer Santino Davis, a transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, has tallied 17 tackles and both of the team's interceptions so far this season.
Senior Dan Millington anchors the ISU defensive line. The Terre Haute native has one of the team's four sacks so far this season.
The Sycamores have been solid on special teams this season. Punter Gabe Mullane may be averaging on 36.6 yards per attempt, but he has landed six of his 17 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line and forced three fair catches.
Kicker Braul Martinez leads the team with 12 points and is 3-of-6 on field goals. Two of his misses have been beyond 20 yards.
The Sycamores are averaging 24.1 yards per kickoff return and 11.9 yards per punt return. Gates has been a dangerous return man, averaging 33.4 yards per kickoff return with a long of 47. Mike Woods has added 20.2 yards per kickoff return and 25.5 yards on two punt returns.
LAST WEEK: The South Dakota State University defense recorded nine sacks and kept Georgia Southern out of the end zone, while the Jackrabbit offense put up 31 second-half points to roll to a 44-6 victory Sept. 12 at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
The 21st-ranked Jackrabbits played their season opener in front of a Cereal Bowl-record crowd of 12,354. Georgia Southern dropped to 1-1.
The Jackrabbit defense was relentless, holding GSU to 11 net yards rushing and 243 yards of total offense and forcing four turnovers. Ten different players notched at least a half-sack in the game, led by Buchanan Award nominee Danny Batten with 1.5.
Conrad Kjerstad, Corey Jeske and General Parnell all intercepted passes. Junior linebacker Derek Domino led SDSU with 11 tackles.
Senior quarterback Ryan Crawford completed his first eight passing attempts and finished the game 15-of-21 for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his scoring strikes were to Mike Steffen, covering four and 62 yards in a span of 2 minutes, 35 seconds in the third quarter. SDSU scored its third consecutive touchdown of the third quarter on a 5-yard Kyle Minett run.
“At halftime, my challenge to the offense was that we didn't finish drives. We had field goal attempts instead of finishing it. Film always shows all the things you can work on, but it was a great team effort,” head coach John Stiegelmeier said.
Minett tallied 128 yards on 22 carries. Glen Fox led the SDSU receiving corps with eight catches for 57 yards, with Steffen adding four catches for 98 yards.
The two teams traded long field goals in the first quarter. Kyle Harris put SDSU on the board with a 44-yard field goal, while Adrian Mora answered with a 46-yarder for the Eagles. Mora added 36-yard field goal in the third quarter.
The Jackrabbits led 13-3 at halftime following a 2-yard run by Minett and 37-yard field goal by Harris. Playing in place of regular starting kicker Peter Reifenrath, Harris added a 40-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to make the score 37-6.
SDSU capped the scoring late in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard touchdown pass by backup quarterback Thomas O'Brien to Sam Kavanagh.
Lee Chapple finished the game 25-of-39 passing for 174 yards with two interceptions for Georgia Southern. Darreion Robinson led the Eagles in both rushing and receiving, gaining 47 yards on six rushing attempts and adding nine receptions.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: South Dakota State University football players Derek Domino and Kyle Harris were honored by the Missouri Valley Football Conference for their performances in the nationally ranked Jackrabbits' 44-6 victory over Georgia Southern in the Sept. 12 season opener.
Domino, a junior linebacker from Spring Lake Park, Minn., was named MVFC Defensive Player of the Week after registering 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.
Domino also was named a National All-Star by College Sporting News.
Harris, a sophomore kicker from Florissant, Mo., earned MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after connecting 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.
Northern Iowa quarterback Pat Grace was named MVFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.
MORE ON THE OPENER: The 2009 season opener was an impressive performance on a number of fronts for the Jackrabbits.
• SDSU's 44 points were the most the team has scored in a season opener since posting a 56-13 victory over Wisconsin-Stout in the 1998 opener;
• The Jackrabbits improved to 9-4 in season openers under head coach John Stiegelmeier and 10-3 in home openers;
• SDSU held an opponent without a touchdown for the first time in a season opener since 2003, when the Jackrabbits knocked off Northwest Missouri State, 20-0.
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 22-6 mark at CAS. Lights were installed at CAS prior to the 2001 season and SDSU has turned in an 18-5 record in home night games.
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.
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 33 of the Jackrabbits' 34 games his first three seasons. He has 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, putting his career totals at 14 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss.
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.
CRAWFORD AT THE HELM: Senior Ryan Crawford made a successful first career start in Saturday's 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. He has yet to throw an interception at the collegiate level, completing passes at a 71.4 percent clip.
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, redshirt freshman Thomas O'Brien and freshman Mike Whittier also were in competition for the starting nod in fall camp.
MINETT LEADS RUNNING GAME: Junior Kyle Minett is expected to again handle 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 128 yards in the season opener against Georgia Southern, Minett enters this weekend with 1,893 career rushing yards, putting him 107 yards away from the 2,000-yard mark and 132 yards away from cracking the Jackrabbit career top 10. He has posted eight 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 27 career touchdowns — 21 rushing and six receiving.
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.
FOX NEARS CENTURY MARK: Senior wide receiver Glen Fox is in line to reach a career milestone in Saturday's game against Indiana State. After recording eight receptions — one shy of his career high — against Georgia Southern last week, Fox enters Saturday's game with 98 career catches. He stands 15 receptions away from joining the Jackrabbit career top 10 chart.
STEFFENS STEP UP: The Jackrabbits received a pair of solid contributions in the season opener against Georgia Southern 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. 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.
Jake Steffen made his first career start and contributed four tackles, including two tackles for loss and a sack. He also was credited with two quarterback hurries.
TOP TACKLERS RETURN: An experienced Jackrabbit defense returns its top eight tacklers from a year ago. The top three tacklers are the team's projected 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 sixth interception of his career in the season opener against Georgia Southern, returning the ball 40 yards late in the second quarter to set up a Jackrabbit field goal. The Wall native also registered six tackles in the game.
Kjerstad's six career interceptions are the most by any current Jackrabbit player. He led the team with four during the 2008 campaign.
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 76-56 record (.576 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 South Dakota State University 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 are scheduled to play the next three games on the road, starting with a Sept. 26 Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup at Illinois State.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Hancock Stadium in Normal, Ill.
SDSU will then travel to Cal Poly for a non-conference matchup on Oct. 3. The road swing concludes Oct. 10 with a return to league play at Missouri State.