Jacks back on the road at Indiana State

Saturday, October 19

Terre Haute, Ind.

noon

South Dakota State University

Indiana State

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media

10/15/2019 10:20:00 PM | Football

GAME 7: #3/3 South Dakota State (5-1, 2-0 MVFC) at Indiana State (3-3, 1-1 MVFC)

When	Saturday, Oct. 19 \| 1 p.m. Eastern (noon Central)
Where	Memorial Stadium \| Terre Haute, Indiana
TV	ESPN3.com
Radio	J ackrabbits All-Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	GoSycamores .com
Game Notes	SDSU \| Indiana State \| Missouri Valley Football Conference \| ISU Scouting Report
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #LastPlay

The South Dakota State University football team wraps up a two-game road swing through the eastern parts of the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a game Saturday afternoon at Indiana State.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Eastern Time (noon Central) at Memorial Stadium in Terre Haute, Indiana. The game will be televised on ESPN3 as the MVFC's featured game of the week.

SDSU, which continues to be ranked third in both the STATS FCS media poll and by the Football Championship Subdivision coaches, enters the game with a 5-1 overall record and 2-0 mark in league play. The Jackrabbits ran their winning streak to five games by posting a 38-28 come-from-behind win at nationally ranked Youngstown State on Oct. 12.

Indiana State, meanwhile, enters Saturday's matchup 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the MVFC after recording a 20-10 home win over Western Illinois last week. The Sycamores began the season in the top 25, but have since fallen out of the national rankings.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the 10th meeting on the gridiron between SDSU and Indiana State, a series that dates back to when the Jackrabbits joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference at the start of the 2008 season. The Jackrabbits have held the upper hand in the series, holding a 7-2 advantage, which includes five consecutive SDSU wins.

In last season's game, Oct. 6, 2018, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, SDSU outlasted the Sycamores, 54-51 in overtime. The Jackrabbits led 42-24 through three quarters before Indiana State forced the extra session with a 24-6 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter.

After Indiana State's Jerry Nunez opened overtime with a 20-yard field goal before the Jackrabbits' Isaac Wallace scored the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard run.

Indiana State's two victories in the series came in back-to-back seasons, 2010 and 2011. The two squads did not play each other during the 2016 and 2017 campaigns.

The Jackrabbits will be making their first trip to Terre Haute since 2014, when they came away with a 32-17 victory. SDSU broke the game open with two 90-plus-yard touchdowns in the second half. Jake Wieneke gave the Jackrabbits the lead for good by tying an SDSU record with a 91-yard touchdown reception from Austin Sumner in the third quarter, while Zach Zenner broke off a 94-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Wieneke capped the scoring for the Jackrabbits later in the fourth quarter with a 31-yard touchdown reception.

2-0 LEAGUE START: South Dakota State has started 2-0 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play for the fifth time since joining the league in 2008. The other 2-0 starts came in 2008, 2009, 2012 and 2016.

The Jackrabbits last started a league season 3-0 in 2016 by winning at North Dakota State on a last-second touchdown pass from Taryn Christion to Jake Wieneke. SDSU's best start in league play was a 6-0 mark in 2009.

SECOND-HALF SURGES: After trailing at halftime in each of its first two conference games, South Dakota State has turned in a pair of strong second-half performances to post a 2-0 start in MVFC play. The Jackrabbits outscored Southern Illinois and Youngstown State by a combined 54-14 in the second halves of the last two games.

The last time the Jackrabbits won two games in a row when trailing at halftime was in 2014. SDSU came back to defeat Missouri State, 32-28 (trailed 28-17 at half), and won a week later at Northern Iowa, 31-28 (trailed 14-7 at half).

RABBITS RANKED: The South Dakota State University football team matched its highest-ever ranking in a preseason poll by checking in at No. 3 in the initial STATS FCS media poll of the 2019 season.

The Jackrabbits also were ranked fourth in the preseason coaches' poll conducted by the American Football Coaches Association.

The Jackrabbits have maintained their No. 3 ranking in the STATS FCS media poll, while moving up one spot to third in the coaches' poll — a spot they have now held for seven weeks in a row.

SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 100 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012.

ELITE COMPANY: South Dakota State is one of only two Football Championship Subdivision programs to reach the playoffs each of the last seven seasons, including making back-to-back national semifinal appearances in 2017 and 2018. North Dakota State holds the longest active streak with nine straight trips to the playoffs.

100 FCS WINS: South Dakota State recorded its 100th win as a Football Championship Subdivision program with a 62-30 victory at Missouri State on Oct. 21, 2017. Since moving to the FCS ranks at the start of the 2004 season, the Jackrabbits have posted a 121-68 overall record (.640 winning percentage).

SDSU has turned in a winning record in 13 of 15 full seasons and has compiled a 63-27 mark (.700 winning percentage) in Missouri Valley Football Conference games.

SCORING STREAK: SDSU had its streak of scoring in 17 consecutive quarters end when it was shut out in the second quarter of the Oct. 12 game at Youngstown State. The Jackrabbits have scored in 21 of 24 quarters thus far this season.

Dating back to the start of the 2018 season, the Jacks have scored in all four quarters in 14 of their last 15 victories and have averaged 39.9 points per game. In their four losses over that span, SDSU has been blanked in two quarters of each loss.

HOME-FIELD ADVANTAGE: South Dakota State is in the midst of a 15-game home winning streak and has compiled a 24-2 record (.923 winning percentage) at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium since the facility opened in 2016.

The current streak began Nov. 4, 2017, with a 33-21 victory over North Dakota State and includes three Football Championship Subdivision playoff games.

SDSU's last home loss was a 38-18 Hobo Day setback against Northern Iowa on Oct. 14, 2017.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team on the field and in the locker room are six captains:

Adam Anderson, Sr., wide receiver, Orlando, Fla.;
Logan Backhaus, Jr., linebacker, Spirit Lake, Iowa;
Ryan Earith, Sr., defensive end, Papillion, Neb.;
Evan Greeneway, Sr., offensive lineman, Yankton, S.D.;
Christian Rozeboom, Sr., linebacker, Sioux Center, Iowa, and
Luke Sellers, Sr., fullback, Papillion, Neb.

Rozeboom is in his third season as a captain, joining Austin Sumner (2012-14) and Jacob Ohnesorge (2015-17) as the only other three-time captains in program history. All five other captains are in their first seasons in the role.

VALLEY PREVIEW: For the third year in a row, South Dakota State has been picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference race.

The Jackrabbits finished second behind league and Football Championship Subdivision champion North Dakota State, which garnered 32 of 40 first-place votes from a panel that included head coaches, sports information and media members who regularly cover the 10-team league. The Bison tallied 392 points, followed by SDSU with 348 points and four first-place votes. Illinois State (3) and Indiana State also received first-place votes to finish third and fourth in the preseason poll with respective point totals of 289 and 279 points.

Rounding out the top five was Northern Iowa with 266 points.

NDSU has now been tabbed as the preseason favorite eight consecutive seasons and has won eight straight league titles — sharing the title four times, including with the Jackrabbits in 2016.

A pre-season favorite has claimed the league crown 21 times (in 33 previous polls). Valley Football is celebrating its 35th season in 2019.

SDSU has met or exceeded expectations from the preseason poll nine of its first 11 seasons as a member of the MVFC, including recording runner-up finishes each of the last two years.

In 2018, three MVFC teams earned selection to the NCAA Division I Championship, SDSU and North Dakota State advanced to the playoff semifinals, and NDSU won its seventh national championship in eight years.

Counting last year, an MVFC member has reached the FCS semifinals 23 times in the past 23 seasons (and 26 times overall), and the MVFC has had two semifinal teams in four of the past five seasons.

In addition, eight Jackrabbit players, including five first-team selections, were named to the 2019 MVFC Preseason Team.

Senior linebacker Christian Rozeboom led the SDSU honorees. A three-time first-team all-MVFC pick from Sioux Center, Iowa, Rozeboom registered team highs of 105 tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss in 2018. He also forced three fumbles and intercepted a pair of passes.

Joining Rozeboom on the defensive unit was defensive end Ryan Earith. A senior from Papillion, Nebraska, Earith posted a team-best 5.5 sacks and added nine tackles for loss en route to receiving second-team all-MVFC?accolades in 2018.

On the offensive end, sophomore running back Pierre Strong, Jr. and junior wide receiver Cade Johnson received first-team preseason recognition. Strong gained a team-best 1,116 rushing yards on only 117 carries — an average of 9.5 yards per attempt — and scored 11 touchdowns in being named MVFC Freshman of the Year last season.

Johnson led the league with 1,332 receiving yards — on 67 receptions — and share the lead among Football Championship Subdivision players with a school-record 17 touchdown catches in 2018. He also has excelled on special teams, leading the team each of the past two seasons in kickoff return yards, including an average of 27.2 yards per attempt in 2018.

The special teams unit was represented by junior long snapper Bradey Sorenson.

Also honored on the MVFC Preseason Team were honorable mention selections Evan Greeneway at offensive tackle, Luke Sellers at fullback and Chase Vinatieri at kicker. All three are seniors.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: A Football Championship Subdivision-best five players from SDSU were honored on the STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team.

Leading the Jackrabbit contingent was junior long snapper Bradey Sorenson as a first-team honoree. A Yankton native, Sorenson was perfect on all 149 of his snaps (56 punts, 21 field goal attempts and 72 extra-point tries) during the 2018 season, allowing SDSU to rank in the top 10 nationally for punt return defense and net punting.

Also from the special teams unit, senior kicker Chase Vinatieri was a third-team selection. Vinatieri led the team in 2018 with 114 points, including making 14-of-21 field goal attempts that was highlighted by a school-record-tying 57-yarder. The Sioux Falls native broke his own single-season school record with 66 extra points (in 71 attempts).

Two of SDSU's top offensive playmakers — wide receiver Cade Johnson and running back Pierre Strong, Jr. — were second-team honorees. A junior from Papillion, Nebraska, Johnson established a Jackrabbit single-season record with 17 touchdown catches as part of a 67-reception, 1,332-yard season in 2018. His four touchdown receptions in the 2018 season opener against Montana State tied a single-game school record.

Johnson also appears on the initial watch list for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually to the top offensive player in the FCS ranks.

A sophomore from Little Rock, Arkansas, Strong emerged in the second half of 2018 to finish with team bests of 1,116 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 9.5 yards per carry, hitting the 1,000-yard mark on his 100th attempt of the season. Strong was honored as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Freshman of the Year.

The lone defensive honoree for the Jackrabbits was senior linebacker Christian Rozeboom, who also earned second-team recognition. The Sioux Center, Iowa, native tallied a team-best 105 tackles during the 2018 season, including 10.5 tackles for loss, while adding two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Rozeboom reached double figures in tackles five times.

In addition, Rozeboom has been named to the initial watch list for the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award, which is awarded annually to the subdivision's top defender.

GIBBS SETTLES IN: Redshirt freshman J'Bore Gibbs has been efficient at the quarterback position since returning to the lineup from injury three games ago. In wins over Southern Utah, Southern Illinois and Youngstown State, Gibbs completed a combined 39-of-65 passes (60 percent) for 521 yards and six touchdowns.

Gibbs' three touchdown passes against Southern Illinois, two of which were to fellow redshirt freshman Jaxon Janke, were a career high. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in all four of his starts this season.

In his last outing, Oct. 12 at Youngstown State, Gibbs accounted for a season-high 285 yards of total offense and three touchdowns en route to being named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player and Newcomer of the Week. He ended the night 14-of-26 passing for 210 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown to Cade Johnson, and scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground. His 63-yard touchdown run in the final minute sealed the Jackrabbits' 38-28 victory.

A Chicago native, Gibbs made his collegiate debut in the Aug. 29 season opener at Minnesota, becoming the first Jackrabbit other than Taryn Christion to start a game at quarterback since 2015. He completed 13-of-26 passes for 193 yards and added 16 rushing yards on seven carries. He led SDSU on back-to-back scoring drives in the third quarter for a 21-20 lead, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Heins.

Gibbs sat out the squad's first two home games due to injury, giving way to junior Kanin Nelson. In his first career start, Nelson completed 6-of-8 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown Sept. 7 versus Long Island. He also scored the Jackrabbits' first touchdown on a 2-yard run in the first quarter.

Nelson posted career highs with 159 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-18 passing Sept. 14 against Drake.

JOHNSON MOVES INTO TOP 10s: Junior wide receiver Cade Johnson has moved up the career charts in a pair of receiving categories in recent weeks.

With a five-catch, 68-yard performance Sept. 21 against Southern Utah, the junior from Papillion, Nebraska, moved into seventh place on the SDSU career receiving yards chart. He enters the week with 2,116 receiving yards.

Johnson's 81-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter of the Oct. 12 win at Youngstown State was the 25th of his career, which gave him sole possession of fourth place on the SDSU all-time list. Johnson has caught a touchdown pass in each of the last four games.

DANIEL FINDS PAYDIRT: Senior running back Mikey Daniel scored a rushing touchdown in the first four games of the 2019 season, vaulting the Brookings native into the Jackrabbit career top 10 in the category.

Daniel enters the week with 26 career rushing touchdowns, tying him for eighth place on the SDSU career charts with Darwin Gonnerman (1966-68) and Taryn Christion (2015-18). Daniel led the team with 11 rushing touchdowns in 2017 and ranked second on the squad a year ago with 10.

VINATIERI SETS SCORING RECORD: Senior Chase Vinatieri established a new Jackrabbit career standard for most points via kicking in South Dakota State's Oct. 5 Hobo Day victory over Southern Illinois. With four points in the game, Vinatieri upped his career total to 322 kicking points, passing both Justin Syrovatka (319 points from 2011-14) and Parker Douglass (321 points from 2004-07) in the contest.

Vinatieri has made 42 field goals and has tallied a school-record 202 extra points in his four-year career to now stand at 328 career kicking points. His career scoring total is actually 340 points as he has scored a pair of rushing touchdowns on fake field goal attempts. He put together consecutive 100-point seasons in 2017 and 2018 with respective totals of 103 and 114 points.

Prior to Douglass setting the career kick scoring record, Chase Vinatieri's uncle, Adam, held the record with 185 points from 1991-94. Adam Vinatieri has since gone on to set the NFL career scoring record with 2,633 points while playing for the New England Patriots (1996-2005) and Indianapolis Colts (2006-present).

ROZEBOOM NEARS TACKLE MARK: Senior linebacker Christian Rozeboom is poised to move up another spot on the SDSU career tackles chart in Saturday's game at Indiana State.

A senior, Rozeboom enters the week with 411 career tackles and trails T.J. Lally (415 tackles from 2012-15) for second place in Jackrabbit history by four stops. Rozeboom passed J.D. Alexander (393 tackles from 1971-74) for third place in the Oct. 5 Hobo Day victory over Southern Illinois.

Rozeboom shares the team lead with fellow linebacker Logan Backhaus with 47 tackles so far this season. Rozeboom has recorded 10 or more stops in 21 of 46 career games, including a season-high 13 tackles last week at Youngstown State.

Greg Osmundson (1986-89) is the SDSU career leader with 435 tackles.

TWO TOP 100: South Dakota State produced a pair of 100-yard rushers in the same game for the first time in three seasons in its 38-10 victory over Drake on Sept. 14. Pierre Strong, Jr. led the way for the Jackrabbits with 129 yards on 11 carries, while C.J. Wilson added 117 yards on 10 attempts. Both sophomores, Strong reached the century mark for the sixth time in his career, with Wilson hitting the milestone for the second time.

The Jackrabbits last had two 100-yard rushers in the same game on Nov. 12, 2016, in a home win over South Dakota as Brady Mengarelli (161 yards) and Isaac Wallace (102 yards) accomplished the feat.

HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS: South Dakota State has dominated the third quarter of games so far this season, outscoring the opposition by a 76-14 margin. The Jacks added to that advantage by outscoring Youngstown State 13-7 in the third quarter of their Oct. 12 game.

The touchdown scored by YSU marked the first points given up by the SDSU defense in the third quarter of games this season; the other seven points came on an interception return for touchdown by Minnesota in the Aug. 29 season opener.

GETTING DEFENSIVE: South Dakota State limited Long Island University to 123 yards of total offense and only eight first downs in a 38-3 victory on Sept. 7. That was the lowest yardage total surrendered by the Jackrabbits since giving up a mere 90 yards to Indiana State on Sept. 19, 2009. The eight LIU first downs were the fewest by an opponent since the 2018 home opener, when Montana State managed only six first downs against the SDSU defense.

The Jackrabbits currently rank second in the MVFC and fifth nationally in total defense by allowing 283.8 yards per game through six games. SDSU also ranks fifth in the FCS for scoring defense by allowing 14.3 points per game.

PICK-SIX: Junior cornerback Don Gardner turned his first career interception into a 42-yard return for touchdown to spark the Jackrabbits' comeback victory at Youngstown State on Oct. 12. Gardner's interception return for touchdown was the second by an SDSU player this season.

Senior linebacker Christian Rozeboom recorded SDSU's first pick-six this season in the Jackrabbits' 43-7 victory over Southern Utah on Sept. 21. His touchdown was part of a 15-point third quarter by the Jackrabbits and covered 27 yards.

The interception return for touchdown by Rozeboom versus Southern Utah was the second of his career. His first career interception return for touchdown came against Western Illinois in the 2016 conference opener at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium and covered 37 yards.

Rozeboom leads active Jackrabbit players with eight interceptions. As a team, the Jackrabbits have tallied at least one interception in all six games this season and 12 of 13 games dating back to the 2018 campaign.

WINNING THIRD DOWN: South Dakota State limited Southern Illinois to 1-of-14 on third-down attempts in their Oct. 5 matchup at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. It marked the first time the Jackrabbits held an opponent to one third-down conversion in a game since a 1-for-13 effort against Northern Arizona in a 2013 playoff game.

SDSU did not give up a first down to the Salukis in the third quarter of the game.

For the season, the Jackrabbits have limited their opponents to a 30 percent (26-of-86) success rate on third-down attempts.

Offensively, SDSU is converting 41 percent of its third-down attempts, 26-of-64. The Jackrabbits were successful on their final six third-down attempts in the Oct. 12 road win at Youngstown State.

SACK ATTACK: South Dakota State recorded a season-high five sacks in its Oct. 5 Hobo Day victory over Southern Illinois. Six different players tallied at least a half-sack, resulting in a total loss of 28 yards.

It was the most sacks by a Jackrabbit squad since posting five against Drake on Sept. 16, 2017.

The Jackrabbits followed that performance with three sacks at Youngstown State on Oct. 12.

BLOCK THAT KICK: The Jacks recorded their first blocked kick of the 2019 season as Tyler DeMartra blocked a Drake punt in the third quarter of their Sept. 14 game.

SDSU went on to block three more kicks — one punt and two field goals — a week later versus Southern Utah and enter this week ranked in a tie for second for the most blocked kicks by Football Championship Subdivision teams this season with four. The punt, which was blocked by Jadon Janke, resulted in a safety. Xavier Ward and Logan Backhaus were credited with the blocked field goals.

SDSU has been strong on special teams in recent years, including ranking third in the Football Championship Subdivision during the 2018 season with eight blocked kicks.

Seven Wilson led the way with three blocked kicks, including a pair of blocked punts in the FCS?playoff opener against Duquesne. Krockett Krolikowski was credited with a pair of blocked kicks.

JACKRABBIT BLOODLINES: Several South Dakota State football players have strong family ties to South Dakota State Athletics.

• Fullback Turner Blasius' father, Justin, was an NCAA Division II national wrestling champion in 1994.

• Senior kicker Chase Vinatieri is the nephew of former Jackrabbit and NFL?career scoring leader Adam Vinatieri, currently of the Indianapolis Colts. Chase Vinatieri made 13-of-14 field goal attempts during the 2017 season to lead the nation in field goal percentage (.929). He shares the SDSU record for longest field goal at 57 yards, a feat he accomplished in a game last season at Northern Iowa.

• Senior wide receiver Jacob Brown is the younger brother of Jordan Brown, who was an All-America selection in 2018 and who was selected in the seventh round of the 2019 National Football League draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

• Identical twins Jadon and Jaxon Janke are redshirt freshman wide receivers for the Jackrabbits this season.

JACKS IN THE PROS: At the start of the 2019 football season, two former South Dakota State standouts were on the opening day rosters of National Football League teams, continuing the Jackrabbits' long tradition of developing players into pro prospects.

Headlining the list is Adam Vinatieri of the Indianapolis Colts. Vinatieri became the NFL career scoring leader during the 2018 season — his 23rd in the league. His career totals include 590-of-701 on field goal attempts, 84.2 percent, and 2,633 career points. He holds the career field goals record and ranks second in career extra points with 861.

Currently the oldest player in the NFL at age 46, Vinatieri now holds the all-time NFL record with 21 100-point seasons. In all, he holds 15 NFL records.

Vinatieri has earned a reputation as one the most consistent and clutch kickers in the NFL. After two Pro Bowl selections (2002, 2004), he left New England following the 2005 season as the team's career scoring leader with 1,058 points. In 2015, he became the first player in NFL to score 1,000 points for two different teams.

Where Vinatieri has truly excelled is in the postseason. He holds the distinction of being the only kicker in NFL history to play in five different Super Bowl games, and made a field goal in four of those contests. He kicked last-second game-winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI against St. Louis and Super Bowl XXXVIII versus Carolina, as well as a game-tying 45-yard field goal in a snowstorm versus Oakland in the 2001 AFC Playoffs. In 32 postseason games, Vinatieri's totals include 56-of-69 on field goals, and he shares the NFL single-game postseason record with five field goals — a feat he has accomplished twice. Vinatieri's field goal totals also are NFL postseason records, as are his 238 points.

In his second year with the Philadelphia Eagles is tight end Dallas Goedert, who became the first Jackrabbit selected in the NFL Draft in eight years as he was a second-round pick by the defending Super Bowl champions in 2018.

Goedert played in all 16 games for the Eagles in his rookie season, collecting 33 receptions for 334 yards with four touchdowns. So far this season, Goedert has 10 receptions for 91 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season on a 3-yard pass play Sept. 26 versus Green Bay.

Former Jackrabbit quarterback Taryn Christion recently spent a week on the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers after competing in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys this summer after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent.

Four other former Jackrabbits were in training camps this summer with NFL teams, but were later released. Notable in that group were a pair of veterans, running back Zach Zenner and offensive lineman Bryan Witzmann.

During a highly decorated career at SDSU from 2011-14, Zenner became the first player in the history of Division I football to rush for 2,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. He signed a free agent contract with the Detroit Lions following the 2015 NFL Draft and played in 36 games over four seasons.

Zenner finished the 2016 season with a team-best four rushing touchdowns and ranked second on the squad with 334 rushing yards. In 2018, Zenner rejoined the team in November after being released earlier in the season and tallied 265 yards with three touchdowns, posting a career-best 4.8 yards per carry.

A standout for the Jackrabbits from 2010-13, Witzmann was most recently a member of the Cleveland Browns after playing the second half of the 2018 season for the Chicago Bears. Previously with Kansas City, Witzmann earned a starting role with the Chiefs in 2017 — his second year with the team. He also has spent time with Houston, New Orleans, Dallas and Minnesota.

Making his professional debut in 2019 was cornerback Jordan Brown, who was recently released despite being a seventh-round draft choice by the Cincinnati Bengals. Brown's selection marked the first time the Jackrabbits had players drafted in back-to-back seasons since 1975-76.

Also signing a rookie free agent contract shortly before the start of training camp was offensive lineman Tiano Pupungatoa with the Minnesota Vikings.

In addition, offensive lineman Jacob Ohnesorge played in the short-lived Alliance of American Football for the Arizona Hotshots, while wide receiver Jake Wieneke leads the Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League in touchdown receptions this season with five.

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 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 24-2 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its first four seasons of operation, including a 4-0 mark in Football Championship Subdivision playoff games. The Jackrabbits went undefeated at home in 2018 with a 7-0 mark and have won 15 games in a row at DJDS.

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 each Monday throughout the 2019 football season.

The show is scheduled to air at 6 p.m. on the Jackrabbit Sports Network, originating with flagship station WNAX 570 AM in Yankton. In addition, the weekly show also will be streamed online free of charge at GoJacks.com.

Hosted by Tyler Merriam, the John Stiegelmeier Radio Show will also feature interviews with Jackrabbit student-athletes and assistant coaches. Jackrabbit fans are encouraged to attend the show in person at Cubby's Sports Bar and Grill, 307 Main Ave., in downtown Brookings.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits return home to face top-ranked North Dakota State in the annual Dakota Marker game on Oct. 26. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

-GoJacks.com-