JACKRABBITS TRAVEL NORTH FOR MATCHUP WITH UND

Saturday, October 17

Grand Forks, N.D.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

North Dakota

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media

10/14/2026 2:00:00 PM | Football

GAME 7: #1/1 South Dakota State (5-1, 2-0 MVFC) at #11/15 North Dakota (5-2, 2-1 MVFC)

When	Saturday, Oct. 17 \| 1 p.m. Central
Where	Alerus Center \| Grand Forks, North Dakota
TV	Midco Sports \| ESPN+
Radio	Jackrabbits All Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	SDSU \| North Dakota \| Missouri Valley Football Conference
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #GoJacks

The top-ranked South Dakota State football team begins the second half of the 2026 regular season with a trip Saturday to North Dakota for the Jackrabbits' third matchup against a ranked team in as many Missouri Valley Football Conference contests.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The game will be televised by Midco Sports and also will air on the ESPN+ streaming platform.

The Jackrabbits, who are coming off their lone bye week of the regular season, moved into the top spot in both the Stats Perform media poll and American Football Coaches Association rankings after a 31-14 road win at Illinois State on Oct. 3. That moved SDSU's record to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the MVFC.

North Dakota, meanwhile, fell out of the Football Championship Subdivision top 10 after dropping a 24-17 decision at Northern Iowa on Oct. 10. The Fighting Hawks, who are ranked 11th by Stats Perform and 15th by the coaches, enter the week with a 5-2 overall record and a 2-1 mark in league play.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the 92nd meeting between South Dakota State and North Dakota on the football field. UND leads the overall series 47-39-5.

The two schools first met in 1906, with South Dakota State recording a 5-4 victory. UND and SDSU met every year from 1922 until 2003 as members of the North Central Conference, with the exception of 1943-47 due to World War II.

Saturday's contest also will mark the ninth game between the two programs in their respective Division I eras. SDSU has won seven of those eight previous matchups, including the last five.

Due to conference realignment in recent seasons, the Jackrabbits will be making a trip to Grand Forks for the third consecutive year. In the 2024 matchup at the Alerus Center, SDSU spotted UND an early lead before controlling the final three quarters in a 38-7 Jackrabbit victory. Quarterback Mark Gronowski and wide receiver Griffin Wilde connected on touchdown passes of 25, 39 and 47 yards, and the Jacks also racked up 264 rushing yards.

The two squads met again in Grand Forks in the 2025 regular season finale, with the Jackrabbits pulling out a 34-31 overtime victory on a 23-yard touchdown pass from Jack Henry to Grahm Goering that sent SDSU to the FCS playoffs for the 14th season in a row. Josiah Johnson added three touchdowns on the ground for the Jackrabbits.

UND's last win in the series came on its home field during the 2020-21 spring slate, when the Fighting Hawks posted a 28-17 victory on Feb. 27, 2021. It was SDSU's lone regular season loss in that abbreviated spring campaign, one in which the Jackrabbits went on to play in the national championship game for the first time.

RANKINGS STREAK: The South Dakota State football team began the 2026 season in a familiar spot with a high ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Poll and moved into the No. 1 position after its Oct. 3 victory at Illinois State. After holding one of the top three spots in the first eight polls of 2026, the Jacks have now appeared in the top 25 of 197 consecutive Stats Perform polls dating back to October 2012.

The Jackrabbits previously held the top spot in 29 consecutive polls from Oct. 17, 2022, until relinquishing the top spot following their regular season loss at North Dakota State on Oct. 19, 2024.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team are six captains:

Quinten Christensen, Sr., offensive lineman, Wessington Springs;
Logan Green, Sr., defensive tackle, Northboro, Iowa;
Coleman Kuntz, Sr., tight end, Beaumont, Calif.;
Chase Mason, Grad., quarterback, Hurley;
Dawson Ripperda, Sr., defensive end, Larchwood, Iowa;
Chase Van Tol, Jr., linebacker, Tea.

Christensen, Green and Mason are each in their second seasons as team captains while Kuntz, Ripperda and Van Tol are in their first seasons in the leadership role.

YEAR 23 IN FCS: The 2026 season marks the 23rd year South Dakota State has competed in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Since joining the Division I ranks in 2004, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 198-88 record (.692 winning percentage).

In the decade of the 2020s, SDSU has put together a 73-16 record, which is good for an .820 winning percentage.

ELITE COMPANY: With 14 consecutive appearances in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, South Dakota State enters the 2026 season tied for the third-longest all-time streak since the subdivision was formed in 1978.

Overall, the Jackrabbits have qualified for the FCS playoffs 15 times, with the first berth coming in 2009 and followed by the current streak that began in 2012. SDSU has compiled a 25-13 record in FCS playoff games, winning back-to-back national championships in 2022 and 2023 after a runner-up finish during the 2020-21 spring season.

In addition, the Jackrabbits advanced to the semifinal round in 2017, 2018, 2021 (fall) and 2024.

Montana holds the all-time FCS consecutive playoff streak with 17 consecutive appearances from 1993-2009. North Dakota State moved its streak to 16 seasons in 2025 before departing for the Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference this past offseason. SDSU's 14 consecutive appearances match New Hampshire's run from 2004-17.

MVFC HISTORY: The 2026 season also marks South Dakota State's 19th 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 a 105-39 record (.729 winning percentage) in MVFC games and have won six or more league games 10 times. SDSU has claimed five league titles (2016, 2020-21, 2022, 2023, 2024) in the past 10 seasons.

SDSU compiled a 23-1 record in league play between the 2022-24 seasons and put together a 19-game league winning streak from November 2021 until October 2024.

LEAGUE FAVORITES: South Dakota State has been picked to return to the top of the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2026, according to a preseason poll announced in conjunction with the league's annual Media Day in mid-July.

The Jackrabbits received 28 of 36 first-place votes and tallied 312 points to out-distance Illinois State for the top spot in the nine-team poll, which was conducted among the league's head coaches, sports information directors and a select media panel. The Redbirds, who advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision national title game last season, tallied three first-place votes and 256 points, while Youngstown State was third with 235 points.

In all, five teams received first-place votes. North Dakota and South Dakota each received two first-place votes to finish fourth and fifth with respective totals of 211 and 196 points, while Southern Illinois claimed the other first-place vote to place sixth with 186 points.

Northern Iowa (99 points), Indiana State (80) and Murray State (45) completed the poll.

In addition, 19 Jackrabbit student-athletes were recognized as MVFC Players to Watch. A full listing follows:

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: Led by first-team selection Quinten Christensen on the offensive line, six South Dakota State football players were recognized on the 2026 Stats Perform Football Championship Subdivision Preseason All-America Team.

A senior-to-be from Wessington Springs, Christensen received his first-team nod after a 2025 campaign in which he started all 14 games at left tackle and earned second-team All-America honors from Stats Perform, as well as first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference accolades. With Christensen in the lineup, the Jackrabbits averaged 28.6 points per game and topped the 200-yard mark for rushing five times.

Four Jackrabbits were named to the preseason All-America second team, including a pair of defensive stalwarts in defensive end Dawson Ripperda and linebacker Cullen McShane.

Ripperda, a senior from Larchwood, Iowa, ranked second on the team in both tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (5.0) during the 2025 season. He registered a total of 43 tackles and forced and recovered a pair of fumbles.

McShane ranked second on the squad with 88 total tackles a season ago and recorded double figures in tackles three times. A senior from Marquette, Iowa, he also posted 7.5 tackles for loss and forced a fumble while earning second-team all-MVFC honors.

Representing the South Dakota State offense on the second team was wide receiver Lofton O'Groske. A junior from Coon Rapids, Minnesota, O'Groske was the team's top receiving target during nonconference play before missing the second half of the season due to injury. He tallied 27 receptions for 355 yards and four touchdowns in six games, highlighted by a 12-catch, two-touchdown performance in a double-overtime win at eventual national champion Montana State.

Completing the Jackrabbits' list of second-team honorees was senior punter Max Pelham. The Ankeny, Iowa, native averaged 47.2 yards on 42 punts in 2025, with 18 of his attempts traveling 50 or more yards. Pelham was a first-team all-MVFC selection and an All-America selection by both the American Football Coaches Association (first team) and Associated Press (honorable mention) a season ago.

Tight end Greyton Gannon rounded out SDSU's six overall selections with third-team honors. A senior from Eagle, Wisconsin, Gannon tied for third on the Jackrabbits with 33 receptions to go along with 372 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He also was a first-team all-MVFC selection and an honorable mention All-America pick by the Associated Press.

The Jackrabbits' six honorees were the second most, trailing defending national champion Montana State's eight picks.

MASON ON PAYTON AWARD LIST: South Dakota State quarterback Chase Mason was one of 30 players named to the initial watch list for the Walter Payton Award, which is presented annually by Stats Perform to the top offensive performer in the Football Championship Subdivision.

A senior from Hurley, Mason in his second season as the Jackrabbits' starting quarterback in 2026. Limited to nine games in 2025 due to injury, Mason led SDSU to an 8-1 record in his starts and accounted for 21 touchdowns — 15 passing and six rushing. He also completed 64.9 percent (146-of-225) of his passes for 2,005 yards.

Mason has been sidelined since he suffered an injury late in the first half against Youngstown State on Sept. 19, but is expected to return to the lineup Saturday at North Dakota. In the four games he has played this season, Mason has completed 49-of-89 passes (55.1 percent) for 834 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. His 23 completions and 48 pass attempts Sept. 5 at Northwestern were both single-game career highs, while his three touchdown passes Sept. 12 against New Haven marked the fourth time in his career he has pulled off that trifecta, tying a single-game career best.

A dual threat, he also ran for touchdowns in each of his last two games — scoring on a 1-yard quarterback sneak versus New Haven and an 18-yard run up the middle against Youngstown State.

The Walter Payton Award celebrates its 40th anniversary this season. Former SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski was the award winner in 2023.

McSHANE RANKS AMONG BEST ON DEFENSE: South Dakota State linebacker Cullen McShane was named over the summer to the initial watch list for the Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented annually to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

A senior from Marquette, Iowa, McShane was one of 30 players to receive mention on the watch list, which will be updated periodically throughout the 2026 campaign. The 32nd winner of the award will be determined by a media panel and will be announced leading up to the FCS national championship game in January.

McShane is coming off a 2025 season in which he ranked second on the Jackrabbits' squad with 88 total tackles. He added 7.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble en route to being named to the all-Missouri Valley Football Conference Second Team.

After not factoring in any statistics in limited action in the Aug. 29 opener against Stetson, McShane has tallied 26 tackles and a team-best four tackles for loss and two sacks over the last five games. He matched a career high with 12 tackles, including a pair of tackles for loss, in the Oct. 3 road victory at Illinois State.

PELHAM INCLUDED IN PUNTING WATCH LIST: South Dakota State punter Max Pelham was recently named as one of 14 players included on the preseason watch list for the 2026 FCS Punter of the Year Award. The award is presented annually by the Augusta Sports Council.

A graduate student from Ankeny, Iowa, Pelham was a semifinalist for the award in 2025, when he averaged 47.2 yards on 42 punts, with 18 of his attempts traveling 50 or more yards. He was a first-team all-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection and an All-America selection by both the American Football Coaches Association (first team) and Associated Press (honorable mention) a season ago.

In the Aug. 29 opener against Stetson, Pelham's second punt of the night was a career-long 69-yarder. In six games so far this season, he has punted a total of 18 times for an average of 46.5 yards. Six of his punts have traveled 50 or more yards and ninehave pinned the opposition inside its own 20-yard line.

The award winner will be determined by the FCS Punter of the Year Award national voting body, which consists of FCS sports information directors and national sports writers. The award winner is scheduled to be announced Dec. 14.

GREEN HONORED BY MVFC: South Dakota State cornerback Myles Green was honored as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts in the Jackrabbits' win at Illinois State on Oct. 3.

A sophomore from Homewood, Illinois, Green came away with two fourth-quarter takeaways to help secure South Dakota State's 31-14 road victory. On the first play of the final stanza with the Jackrabbits holding a 17-7 lead, Green recovered a fumble forced by Cullen McShane at the SDSU 36 and returned it five yards. A series later, Green picked off a pass at the ILS 31-yard line and returned it down the right sideline for his first career touchdown.

Green also was credited with three tackles as part of a strong defensive effort by the Jackrabbits, who remained undefeated in league play. He is the second Jackrabbit to receive the honor this season, joining linebacker Chase Van Tol, who was honored after SDSU's season-opening win against Stetson on Aug. 29.

JOHNSON EARNS MVFC, NATIONAL HONORS: South Dakota State running back Josiah Johnson received recognition on a pair of levels, earning conference and national offensive player of the week awards after helping lead the second-ranked Jackrabbits to a 27-20 victory over Youngstown State on Sept. 19.

A sophomore from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Johnson earned Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors after carrying 30 times for a career- high 238 yards and two touchdowns as SDSU opened league play with a home victory against the ninth-ranked Penguins. He scored on a 4-yard run on the opening drive of the game, then added a 16-yard touchdown run on the Jackrabbits' first offensive possession of the second half.

In addition, Johnson was selected as the Stats Perform FCS National Offensive Player of the Week after becoming the first Jackrabbit to rush for 200-plus yards since Isaiah Davis ran for 217 yards against UC Davis in a 2021 FCS playoff game. Johnson tallied seven different runs of at least 12 yards versus Youngstown State, including a career-long 39-yarder on SDSU's first offensive play of the third quarter.

Prior to his Sept. 19 outburst, Johnson's previous single-game career high for rushing yards was 79 yards in the Sept. 5 loss at Northwestern. His outing marked the 15th time a Jackrabbit running back topped the 200-yard mark in a Division I game and only the sixth time against a league opponent.

Johnson recorded his third consecutive 100-yard performance by picking up 131 yards on 19 carries Oct. 3 at Illinois State. He heads into this weekend's matchup against North Dakota ranked sixth among FCS players in rushing yards per game (113.3), eighth in total rushing yards (680) and ninth in rushing touchdowns (7).

BIG-PLAY JACKS: South Dakota State recorded 10 offensive plays of 20 or more yards, including six that resulted in touchdowns, in the Aug. 29 season opener against Stetson. In addition, the Jackrabbits turned in a pair of returns that chewed up another 65 (punt return for touchdown by freshman Alex Uchtman) and 46 (kickoff return by Ramon McKinney Jr.) yards.

In all, the Jackrabbits finished with 628 yards — 393 rushing, 235 passing — of total offense, marking the team's highest total in a game since racking up 656 yards at
Southern Illinois in 2018. SDSU averaged 11.2 yards per play versus Stetson.

The long offensive scoring plays against Stetson included:

Jack Smith 73-yard touchdown reception from Chase Mason (Q1);
Josiah Johnson 20-yard touchdown run (Q1);
Ramon McKinney Jr. 27-yard touchdown run (Q2);
Corey Blair Jr. 52-yard touchdown run (Q3);
Landon Dulaney 78-yard touchdown reception from Josh Holst (Q3);
Josh Myers 27-yard touchdown run (Q3).

Holst's touchdown pass to Dulaney was the only pass attempt by the Jackrabbits in the entire second half.

SDSU matched that big-play output Sept. 12 against New Haven with 10 more 20-yard plays, including six that resulted in scores. Jackrabbit tight ends accounted for three of the touchdowns as Coleman Kuntz scored on 25-yard pass play in the second quarter, while Greyton Gannon later tallied touchdown receptions of 24 and 29 yards.

Reserve running back James Basinger added scoring runs of 27 and 55 yards in the second half, building off Ramon McKinney's 22-yard touchdown run in the front half.

In five games this season, the Jackrabbits have a total of 40 plays of 20-plus yards, plus five returns of 30 or more yards. James Basinger and Josiah Johnson lead the SDSU offense with seven chunk plays each, with five of Basinger's long gains resulting in touchdowns. A sophomore running back, Basinger scored on runs of 39 and 48 yards Sept. 26 against Eastern Illinois and added a career-long 66-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring at Illinois State on Oct. 3.

GROUND AND POUND: South Dakota State enters this week's matchup against North Dakota leading the Football Championship Subdivision in rushing offense and ranking second in total offense.

Highlighted by topping the 400-yard mark for rushing in a game for the first time in two seasons with 408 yards Sept. 26 against Eastern Illinois, the Jackrabbits are averaging a subdivision-best 291.8 yards per game on the ground. SDSU has used a committee of running backs to get to that mark, led by Josiah Johnson's 680 rushing yards (113.3 yards per game).

Reserve running back James Basinger is averaging 12.9 yards per carry, gaining 401 yards on only 31 carries, while Corey Blair Jr. has picked up 274 yards. As a team, the Jackrabbits have averaged 7.0 yards per rushing attempt thus far in 2026.

Through six games, the Jackrabbits also rank second with 503.7 yards of total offense per game and rank third in scoring offense at 40.8 points per game. In addition, SDSU has allowed the fewest tackles for loss in the FCS at 1.83 per game.

BALANCE ON OFFENSE: South Dakota State achieved a exact 50-50 split between rushing and passing in its Sept. 12 matchup against New Haven. The Jackrabbits rushed and passed for 256 yards each for a total of 512 yards. SDSU ran 68 offensive plays — 46 rushing and 22 passing — and held the ball for 33 minutes and 43 seconds.

For the season, the Jackrabbits have rushed for 1,751 yards and passed for another 1,271.

LEADOFF HOME RUNS: Jack Smith's 73-yard catch and run for the Jackrabbits' first touchdown of the season marked the second time in his career he scored on the team's initial offensive play of the game.

A sophomore from Sioux Falls, Smith also found the end zone from 75 yards on a rushing play to open the Interstate Series rivalry game at South Dakota on Nov. 8, 2025.

In addition, Corey Blair Jr.'s 52-yard touchdown run against Stetson came on the first play of the second half.

HOLST AT THE HELM: Junior transfer Josh Holst helped lead the Jackrabbits to their two most recent wins while filling in at quarterback.

Holst was pressed into duty midway through SDSU's league-opening game against Youngstown State on Sept. 19 after Chase Mason was injured late in the first half. He directed the Jackrabbits on two second-half scoring drives in their 27-20 victory, the first of which came on the opening possession of the third quarter after completing a pass on fourth-and-3 from the YSU 34 to extend the drive.

In his two starts, Sept. 26 against Eastern Illinois and Oct. 3 at Illinois State, Holst completed a combined 29-of-45 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns. In the win at Illinois State, he connected on 18-of-23 passes for 153 yards and two scores.

Overall, Holst has played in five games and has completed 35-of-57 passes (57.9 percent) for 423 yards and four touchdowns. His first pass as a Jackrabbit resulted in a 78-yard touchdown to Landon Dulaney in the Aug. 29 season opener against Stetson and ranks as the team's longest offensive play so far this season.

A native of Marengo, Illinois, Holst has previous collegiate starting experience while playing at Northern Illinois from 2023-25, where he was mentored by current SDSU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Eric Eidsness. One of his three starts during the 2024 campaign came in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, a game in which he earned MVP honors after completing 18-of-30 passes for 182 yards and touchdowns, as well as rushing 16 times for 65 yards and catching a pass for a 2-point conversion.

Holst is the fourth different Jackrabbit to start a game at quarterback in Dan Jackson's two-year tenure as head coach. Mason has started a total of 13 games, with Jack Henry starting the final three games of the 2025 regular season after Luke Marble earned the start in two regular season games a year ago.

GOERING HITS HIS STRIDE: In the first half of the 2026 season, Jackrabbit wide receiver Grahm Goering has picked up where he left off in 2025.

Granted a sixth season of eligibility, Goering currently leads the team with 309 receiving yards and is tied for second on the team with 19 receptions through the first six games of 2026. He a career-high nine receptions for 117 yards Sept. 5 at Northwestern.

Over his last nine games, dating back to the 2025 regular season finale at North Dakota, Goering has caught 31 passes for 549 yards and two touchdowns. His 23-yard touchdown in overtime last Nov. 22 at North Dakota sent the Jackrabbits to the playoffs. He then opened postseason play with six catches for 75 yards against New Hampshire, followed by four receptions for a career-best 137 yards at Montana that included a school-record 95-yard touchdown catch and run in the opening quarter.

Goering tallied his 100th career reception in the Oct. 3 win at Illinois State, becoming the 29th player in program history to reach that milestone. For his career, Goering has totaled 100 catches for 1,496 yards and seven touchdowns.

100-YARD TANDEMS: For the second time this season, two South Dakota State backs topped the 100-yard mark for rushing in the same game during the Jackrabbits' 42-7 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sept. 26. In that contest, Josiah Johnson carried 14 times for 121 yards, while James Basinger racked up 116 yards on only nine carries.

Basinger (110 yards) also was part of a 100-yard tandem in the Aug. 29 season opener versus Stetson. Corey Blair Jr. (107) was the other Jackrabbit to reach the century mark, with both needed only eight carries to reach the mark.

Prior to the 2026 season opener, the last SDSU tandem of 100-yard rushers were Isaiah Davis (117) and Amar Johnson (107) against Mercer in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs Dec. 2, 2023, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium. It was the third — and final time — the pair accomplished the feat together.

Overall, the Jackrabbits have had two or more 100-yard rushers in the same game 14 times in the Division I era (since 2004), of which four of the performances have taken place in Football Championship Subdivision playoff games (*) . A full listing follows:

Oct. 22, 2005 vs. Missouri-Rolla: Cory Koenig (184), Trevor Hohn (161), Anthony Watson (117);
Nov. 4, 2006 vs. William Penn: Anthony Watson (159), Trevor Hohn (105);
*Nov. 24, 2012 vs. Eastern Illinois: Zach Zenner (295), Reggie Gandy (151);
Nov. 12, 2016 vs. South Dakota: Brady Mengarelli (161), Isaac Wallace (102);
Sept. 14, 2019 vs. Drake: Pierre Strong Jr. (129), C.J. Wilson (117);
March 6, 2021 vs. Western Illinois: Mark Gronowski (120), Isaiah Davis (118);
March 20, 2021 at Southern Illinois: Isaiah Davis (150), Mark Gronowski (103);
Sept. 11, 2021 vs. Lindenwood: Pierre Strong Jr. (110), Amar Johnson (105);
*Nov. 27, 2021 vs. UC Davis: Isaiah Davis (217), Pierre Strong Jr. (185);
*Jan. 8, 2023 vs. North Dakota State: Amar Johnson (126), Isaiah Davis (103);
Oct. 7, 2023 at Illinois State: Isaiah Davis (197), Amar Johnson (106);
*Dec. 2, 2023 vs. Mercer: Isaiah Davis (117), Amar Johnson (107);
Aug. 29, 2026 vs. Stetson: James Basinger (110), Corey Blair Jr. (107).
Sept. 26, 2026 vs. Eastern Illinois: Josiah Johnson (121), James Basinger (116).

MR. EFFICIENCY: South Dakota State tight end/fullback Andrew Gustad has produced every time has been called the last two seasons.

A senior from Volin, South Dakota, Gustad has either gained a first down or scored a touchdown on all nine of his offensive touches since the start of the 2025 season. Last year, e picked up a first down on all five of his short-yardage rushing attempts for a total of 14 yards and scored touchdowns on each of his three receptions.

Gustad recorded his first touch of the 2026 season Sept. 19 against Youngstown State, when he picked up first down on a career-long 7-yard carry on the opening drive of the game.

DEPTH ON DEFENSE: A total of 32 different Jackrabbit defenders registered at least one tackle in the Aug. 29 season opener versus Stetson. Max Stanard paced the SDSU defense with a career-high six tackles. Luke Krempges, Matt Goehring and Liam Shaw were each credited with five tackles to also set or match previous career highs.

For the season, 45 defenders have registered at least one stop.

PILING UP THE POINTS: South Dakota State reached the 70-point mark for the third time in the program's FCS history (since 2004) in the Aug. 29 season opener versus Stetson. The 70-7 score matched a victory over another Pioneer Football League team, Drake, on Sept. 16, 2023, in a game played at Target Field in Minneapolis.

The Jackrabbits' single-game scoring record is 90, which was posted in a 90-6 home victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 15, 2018.

In addition, SDSU crossed the 50-point threshold for the second time this season and 33rd time in the FCS era with its 57-14 victory over New Haven on Sept. 12.

STRONG FROM THE START: The SDSU defense has yet to allow an FCS opponent to put any points on the board in the first quarter this season.

Overall, the Jackrabbits hold a 45-7 scoring advantage in the opening stanza in 2026, with the only points allowed going to Northwestern on its first drive of the game Sept. 5.

GOING THE DISTANCE: South Dakota State embarked on a nine-play, 99-yard touchdown drive as part of its 33-point second quarter versus New Haven on Sept. 12. That marked the first drive of that maximum length by a Jackrabbit team since Mark Gronowski capped a six-play, 99-yard drive with a 67-yard touchdown run in a Football Championship Subdivision playoff game against Southern Illinois on May 2, 2021.

THE 12TH MAN: South Dakota State has benefited from large crowds coming off the program's back-to-back national championships. In 2023, the Jackrabbits averaged 18,208 fans for regular season games, followed by another record-setting year in 2024 with an average attendance of 18,504 over six regular season home games.

Since the start of the 2023 season, 16 games have been sellouts, including three of the first four home games in 2026. The attendance surge started when 19,332 fans came out for the for Sept. 9, 2023, showdown against Montana State. The crowd played a big role in the game, helping factor in nine false-start penalties by Montana State, including six in the final quarter.

The 2023 Dakota Marker game against North Dakota State, which was a rematch from the 2022 FCS national championship game, drew a then-record 19,431 fans.

SDSU also set program playoff attendance records in all three postseason games it hosted in 2023, highlighted by a crowd of 12,265 in the semifinals against UAlbany.

Large crowds continued to fill Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in 2024 as the first four Jackrabbit home games of season were sellouts and rank in the top nine for most-attended games in facility history.

Following suit, the first five home games of the 2025 season were announced as sellouts, with 19,163 fans filling the stadium for the Aug. 30 opener against Sacramento State. That came two nights after a crowd of about 22,000 attended the Jacks Bash 3 concert featuring country music stars Ty Myers, Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton.

A stadium-record crowd of 19,477 filed into the stadium for the Oct. 25 Dakota Marker matchup against North Dakota State in a game that pitted the two top-ranked teams in the FCS. That helped SDSU attain an average attendance of 16,278 in 2025.

During the Sept. 12 game against New Haven, the 1-millionth fan for Jackrabbit football games played at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium came through the turnstiles. SDSU has averaged 13,043 fans for the 80 Jackrabbit football games played at the venue.

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 stars 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 Jacks defeated Drake, 56-28.

SDSU has gone on to post a 70-10 record (.875 winning percentage) at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its 11 seasons of operation, including a 17-1 mark in FCS playoff games.

The Jacks put together a 33-game home winning streak (including playoff games) that started with a 27-19 victory over North Dakota State on Nov. 6, 2021, and ended with a loss to the rival Bison on Oct. 25, 2025.

In 2024, the Jacks completed their fifth undefeated season while playing at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, compiling an 8-0 record. SDSU previously posted perfect home records in 2018 (7-0), the 2020-21 spring season (5-0) and both 2022 and 2023 (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.

New artificial turf was installed this past spring in preparation for the 2026 season.

WORKING OVERTIME: For the first time in program history, the Jackrabbit football team in 2025 won a pair of games decided in overtime in the same season.

The first SDSU victory in an extra session came in a Sept. 6 matchup at Montana State. After both teams scored touchdowns in the first overtime, Jackrabbit tight end Brayden Delahoyde hauled in a 25-yard touchdown on the first play of the second extra session to give SDSU a 30-24 lead. The Jackrabbit defense then stopped Montana State on a fourth-down play inside the SDSU 5-yard line to hand the Bobcats their only loss to an FCS opponent before going on to win the national championship.

In SDSU's second overtime contest, wide receiver Grahm Goering made a leaping catch off a pass from a scrambling Jack Henry for a 23-yard walk-off touchdown for a 34-31 victory at North Dakota that sent the Jacks into the postseason.

The Jackrabbits are now 8-6 all-time in overtime games.

JACKS IN THE PROS: Nearing the start of the 2026 National Football League season, more than a dozen former South Dakota State standouts were in National Football League training camps this summer, continuing the Jackrabbits' long tradition of developing players into pro prospects.

Headlining the list are a pair of tight ends — Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles and Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers.

After being selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Goedert has gone on to record 420 receptions for 4,795 yards and 37 touchdowns in nine seasons. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles during the 2024 season and followed that in 2025 with career highs of 60 receptions and 11 touchdowns while tallying 591 receiving yards.

Goedert got off to a strong start to the 2026 season by catching four passes for 77 yards, including touchdowns of 17 and 43 yards in the Eagles' victory over Washington on Sept. 13, but was slowed by injury until catching six passes for 38 yards last week versus Jacksonville.

Kraft put together a breakthrough second season with the Packers in 2024 and was on a pace to exceed that output with 32 receptions, 489 yards and six touchdowns before suffering a season-ending injury midway through the 2025 campaign. A third-round draft choice of Green Bay in 2023, Kraft has career totals of 133 receptions, 1,763 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns in four professional seasons.

Thus far during the 2026 season, Kraft has 20 catches for 212 yards and a touchdown.

Joining Kraft on the active roster for the Packers recently was running back Pierre Strong, Jr. After previous stints with the New England Patriots (2022) and Cleveland Browns (2023-24), Strong carried five times for 7 yards and caught three passes for 11 yards in his Green Bay debut Oct. 11 against Chicago.

Linebacker Christian Rozeboom earned a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2021 season and is now in his first season as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rozeboom has notched back-to-back 100-tackle seasons, registering 135 stops with the Rams in 2024 and a team-best 122 tackles last season for Carolina.

Rozeboom has been credited with eight tackles so far this season, notching three against both Minnesota on Sept. 27 and Dallas on Oct. 8.

SDSU had two players selected in the NFL Draft in 2024 when Mason McCormick was taken in the fourth round by Pittsburgh and Isaiah Davis was a fifth-round pick of the New York Jets. McCormick has settled into a starting role at offensive guard with the Steelers, while Davis has seen spot duty for the Jets as a running back and kick returner as he enters his third season. He recorded his first two carries of the season in an Oct. 11 win over Cleveland, gaining a total of 8 yards.

Another member of the Jackrabbits' back-to-back national championship teams in the NFL is linebacker Isaiah Stalbird, who is in his third year with the New Orleans Saints. Stalbird is coming off a 2025 season in which he recorded 25 total tackles while serving in a reserve role at linebacker and as a key contributor on special teams. He has registered a total of 13 tackles thus far in 2026, highlighted by three stops each against Detroit in the Sept. 13 season opener and Oct. 11 versus Minnesota.

Two former Jackrabbits have been teammates as rookie members of the Houston Texans. Earning a roster spot out of training camp was offensive lineman Sam Hagen, while quarterback Mark Gronowski has had brief stints on the practice squad and active roster this season. Hagen is currently on injured reserve.

Gronowski played his final collegiate season at Iowa in 2025 after previously earning All-America honors and winning the 2023 Walter Payton Award. He spent most of 2026 training camp with the Miami Dolphins.

Other former Jackrabbit standouts with previous professional experience who were in training camps this fall included quarterback Chris Oladokun (Kansas City), running back Amar Johnson (Los Angeles Chargers) and Dalys Beanum (New Orleans Saints). In addition, former Jackrabbit Evan Beerntsen was drafted as an offensive lineman in the seventh round of the NFL Draft by Baltimore, but is currently with the Seattle Seahawks.

Leading the list of Jackrabbit pro football alumni are Hall of Famers Jim Langer and Adam Vinatieri, both of whom are among the 23 undrafted players to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio. Vinatieri was a member of the 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Langer who played football at SDSU from 1967-69 and also was an All-American in baseball, played center on every offensive down during the Miami Dolphins' perfect season in 1972. He was a first-team All-Pro four times and was selected to play in six Pro Bowl games. He played in three Super Bowl games with the Dolphins from 1970-79 before finishing his career with the Minnesota Vikings from 1980-81. Langer passed away in September 2019.

Vinatieri wrapped up his playing career after becoming the NFL's all-time scoring leader in 2018 as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. Over Vinatieri's 24 seasons from 1996-2019, his totals include NFL bests of 599-of-715 on field goal attempts, 83.8 percent, and 2,673 career points. He also ranks second in career extra points with 874.

In all, Vinatieri set 15 NFL records, including 21 100-point seasons.

DAN JACKSON SHOW: The Dan Jackson Show airs throughout the 2026 season.

The weekly, hour-long show originates in front of a live audience at 6 p.m. Mondays at Cubby's Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Brookings. Hosted by Tyler Merriam, the show airs along the Jackrabbit Sports Network, including flagship station WNAX 570 AM, and can be heard through the Jackrabbit app and online at GoJacks.com.

In addition to radio, broadcasts also will be available for free live viewing on SDSU Athletics' Facebook and YouTube accounts (@GoJacksSDSU), as well as Midco Sports Plus. Re-broadcasts are scheduled to air on Midco Sports linear channels Wednesdays at 6 p.m. and Fridays at 5 p.m.

Weekly segments include interviews with Jackrabbit coaches, student-athletes and others associated with SDSU football. Fans can submit questions through social media platforms and fans in attendance can register for weekly prizes.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits return home Oct. 24 to face Murray State on Hobo Day. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, with the preceding parade starting at 9:30 a.m.

-GoJacks.com-