JACKRABBITS CLOSE ROAD SLATE AT SIU - South Dakota State University Athletics

Saturday, November 14

Carbondale, Ill.

1 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Southern Illinois

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media

11/11/2026 1:17:00 PM | Football

GAME 11: #4/4 South Dakota State (8-2, 5-1 MVFC) at RV Southern Illinois (5-5, 3-3)

When	Saturday, Nov. 14 \| 1 p.m. CT
Where	Saluki Stadium \| Carbondale, Illinois
TV	ESPN+
Radio	Jackrabbits All Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	SDSU \| Southern Illinois \| Missouri Valley Football Conference
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #GoJacks

The South Dakota State football team wraps up the road portion of its 2026 regular season schedule by taking on a Southern Illinois squad looking to make a final push toward a potential postseason berth.

Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. Saturday at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois. The game will be televised through the ESPN+ streaming platform.

The Jackrabbits enter the week with an 8-2 overall record and tied atop the Missouri Valley Football Conference in the loss column with Youngstown State with a 5-1 league mark. SDSU moved up a spot to fourth place in both major Football Championship Subdivision polls after extending its winning streak to three games with a dominant 41-15 victory at Northern Iowa on Nov. 7.

Southern Illinois, meanwhile, is receiving votes in the Stats Perform media poll and comes into the week with a 5-5 overall record and a 3-3 mark in the MVFC with two games to play. The Salukis have won two games in a row and evened their overall and league ledgers with a 37-20 road win at Indiana State last week behind four touchdown passes from quarterback D.J. Williams — three of which went to junior wide receiver Kyle Thomas.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game marks the 16th all-time meeting on the gridiron between SDSU and Southern Illinois. The series began in 2008, when the Jackrabbits joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference, with SDSU holding an 11-4 advantage.

SIU won the first two meetings in the series before SDSU reeled off wins in nine of the next 10 matchups.

The Jackrabbits are undefeated in games played at Saluki Stadium, winning all six matchups since SDSU's first visit to the facility in 2010. Three of those contests have been decided by one score, including a 17-10 Jackrabbit victory in their last trip to SIU in 2023.

SDSU's lone loss in Carbondale was in the first-ever meeting between the two programs on Nov. 15, 2008, at McAndrew Stadium.

The Jackrabbits and SIU did not play during the 2025 season. In the most recent matchup, SDSU claimed a 41-10 home victory on Nov. 16, 2024, a game in which the Jackrabbits scored 28 second-quarter points and Amar Johnson rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns.

RANKINGS STREAK: South Dakota State has held a top-five ranking in all 12 Football Championship Subdivision polls conducted thus far during the 2026 season and reached another rankings milestone earlier this month.

The Jackrabbits began the season at No. 3 in the Stats Perform media poll and held the No. 2 spot for five weeks before ascending to No. 1 for the first time in Dan Jackson's tenure as head coach in early October. SDSU was ranked first for two weeks before falling to No. 5 after an Oct. 17 loss at North Dakota.

With a fourth-place ranking this week, the Jackrabbits have now appeared in the top 25 of 201 consecutive Stats Perform polls dating back to October 2012.

The Jacks 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 201-89 record (.693 winning percentage), earning their milestone 200th victory at home against in-state rival South Dakota on Oct. 31.

In the decade of the 2020s, SDSU has put together a 76-17 record, which is good for an .817 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 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.

NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER: South Dakota State has a history of finishing strong down the stretch of regular seasons in recent years.

Since starting their run of consecutive playoff appearances in 2012, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 34-9 record in regular season games played during the month of November and have added five more playoff victories for an overall mark of 39-9 (.813 winning percentage).

The 2025 season was an outlier as an injury-depleted Jackrabbit squad dropped its first three November contests before recovering to defeat North Dakota in overtime in the regular season finale to send SDSU to the postseason. The Jackrabbits then posted a 41-3 home victory over New Hampshire in the opening round of the FCS playoffs.

SDSU went 4-0 in the month of November during the 2024 season and previously posted a 3-0 mark in November five times in that span, with 2019 (2-2) being the only other time in the last 13 years the Jackrabbits have dropped more than one game in the next-to-last month of the calendar year.

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, extending that streak by reaching four league wins with their 31-21 home victory over South Dakota last week.

The Jackrabbits hold a 108-40 record (.728 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 (186).

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.

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.

Sidelined for two and a half games after he suffered an injury against Youngstown State on Sept. 19, Mason returned to the lineup Oct. 17 at North Dakota.

In the eight games he has played this season, Mason has completed 107-of-192 passes (55.7 percent) for 1,1613 yards with nine touchdowns and only 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 back-to-back games — scoring on a 1-yard quarterback sneak versus New Haven and an 18-yard run up the middle against Youngstown State.

For his career, Mason has helped led the Jacks to a 14-3 record as a starter while throwing for a total of 4,018 yards with 27 touchdowns against only five interceptions. With 4,961 career yards of total offense (4,018 passing, 943 rushing), Mason enters the week 288 yards away from surpassing Todd McDonald (5,248 yards of total offense from 1990-93) for 10th place on the Jackrabbit career charts.

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 since moved into second place on the squad with 60 tackles and three sacks, while tying for second with 6.5 tackles for loss.

McShane notched double figures for tackles in each of the first three games played in October — matching a career high with 12 tackles, including a pair of tackles for loss, in the Oct. 3 road victory at Illinois State, followed by consecutive 10-tackle performances Oct. 17 at North Dakota and Oct. 24 versus Murray 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 10 games so far this season, he has punted a total of 33 times for an average of 47.8 yards — a mark that would lead the FCS if he had enough attempts to qualify for the subdivision lead (three attempts short). Eleven of his punts have traveled 50 or more yards, highlighted by a career-long 83-yarder last week against South Dakota, and 12 have 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.

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 fifth 100-yard performance of the season — and his career — by picking up 109 yards on 14 carries Nov. 7 at Northern Iowa. He also topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season last week at UNI, becoming the 17th different Jackrabbit running back in program history to accomplish the feat.

Entering Saturday's matchup at Southern Illinois, Johnson ranks seventh among FCS players in total rushing yards (1,061), fifth in rushing touchdowns (12) and 10th in rushing yards per game (106.1). Johnson's two rushing touchdowns Nov. 7 at Northern Iowa marked his fifth multi-touchdown game of the season.

CHRISTENSEN HONORED BY MVFC: For the second time this season, South Dakota State left tackle Quinten Christensen has been honored as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week. He received his most recent award Monday.

A senior from Wessington Springs, Christensen registered a 96 percent assignment grade and tallied a team-leading 11 knockdown blocks in the Jackrabbits' 41-15 victory at Northern Iowa on Nov. 7. He had no missed assignments and did not allow a pressure or sack as SDSU racked up 467 yards of total offense. Of SDSU's yardage total, 259 came on the ground as SDSU posted its average per game as it continues to lead the Football Championship Subdivision in rushing (259.3 ypg).

Christensen previously received the award following the Jackrabbits' season-opening win over Stetson on Aug. 29.

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.

In 10 games this season, the Jackrabbits have a total of 56 offensive plays of 20-plus yards, plus five returns of 30 or more yards. Running backs James Basinger and Josiah Johnson lead the SDSU offense with 10 chunk plays each.

For Basinger, a sophomore running back from Littleton, Colorado, seven of his chunk plays have resulted in touchdowns. He 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.

Basinger also scored the Jackrabbits' lone touchdown in an Oct. 17 loss at North Dakota on a 63-yard run on the opening drive of the third quarter, then chalked up another 63-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter last week at Northern Iowa.

GROUND AND POUND: South Dakota State enters this week's matchup at Southern Illinois as the top rushing offense in the Football Championship Subdivision.

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 259.3 yards per game on the ground — overtaking Southern Utah for the top spot after rushing for 227 yards against South Dakota on Oct. 31. SDSU has used a committee of running backs to get to that mark, led by Josiah Johnson's 1,061 rushing yards (106.1 yards per game) and James Basinger's 744 yards (74.4 ypg).

Basinger is averaging 10.1 yards per carry as his 744 yards have come on only 74 attempts, while Corey Blair Jr. has picked up 292 yards with an average of 7.1 ypc. As a team, the Jackrabbits have averaged 6.3 yards per rushing attempt thus far in 2026.

Through 10 games, the Jackrabbits also rank sixth with 470.8 yards of total offense per game and stand ninth in scoring offense at 36.9 points per game. In addition, SDSU has allowed the fewest tackles for loss in the FCS at 2.40 per game.

STUFFING THE RUN: While the Jackrabbits boast the top rushing offense in the Football Championship Subdivision, the SDSU defense also holds a top-10 ranking against the run in 2026.

The Jackrabbits enter the week ranked eighth among FCS squads by allowing 104.7 yards per game on the ground. SDSU has held five of its six Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents under 100 net yards rushing, highlighted by limiting South Dakota to 19 rushing yards on 27 attempts in the Interstate Series matchup on Oct. 31.

The only blemish is a 175-yard showing by North Dakota in the Jackrabbits' lone league loss on Oct. 17.

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 2,334 yards and passed for 1,907.

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 two wins earlier this season 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 sevn games and has completed 40-of-69 passes (58 percent) for 488 yards and five 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 16 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 ranks second on the team with 35 receptions and 510 receiving yards through the first 10 games of 2026. He hauled in a career-high nine receptions for 117 yards in the Sept. 5 loss at Northwestern.

Over his last 13 games, dating back to the 2025 regular season finale at North Dakota, Goering has caught 48 passes for 750 yards and three 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 116 catches for 1,697 yards and eight touchdowns. He has caught a pass in 25 consecutive games and 34 of the 35 games he has played over the last three seasons.

DONTAY LEADS D: Senior safety Dontay Johnson emerged as one of the Jacks' leading tacklers in October.

A native of Fort Collins, Colorado, Johnson posted back-to-back double-digit tackling performances to open October. He registered a career-best 13 tackles (10 solo) in pacing the Jackrabbit defense in an Oct. 3 road win at Illinois State, followed by sharing the team lead with 12 tackles Oct. 17 at North Dakota.

For the season, Johnson ranks second on the squad with 53 total tackles while adding three pass breakups. He missed last week's game at Northern Iowa due to injury

SACK ATTACK: South Dakota State has gotten after the quarterback during its recent three-game winning streak, combining for 10 sacks in victories against Murray State (3), South Dakota (5) and Northern Iowa (2).

Junior defensive end Reis Kirschenman tallied a career-best two sacks in the Oct. 31 victory against South Dakota, while senior defensive tackle Logan Green notched one sack in each of the two home contests, along with a half-sack at Northern Iowa.

The Jackrabbits' five sacks versus USD were the most in a game in two seasons under head coach Dan Jackson. SDSU has tallied 20 sacks — an average of two a game — in 2026, with Green leading the way with 3.5, followed by Kirschenman and Cullen McShane with three each.

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, 46 defenders have registered at least one stop.

TOP TANDEMS: For the third time this season, two South Dakota State backs topped the 100-yard mark for rushing in the same game during the Jackrabbits' 41-15 victory at Northern Iowa on Nov. 7. In that contest, Josiah Johnson carried 14 times for 109 yards, while James Basinger racked up 102 yards on only nine carries.

Basinger also was part of a 100-yard tandem on two other occasions. In the Aug. 29 season opener versus Stetson, Basinger gained 110 yards and Corey Blair Jr. also reached the century mark with 107. Both needed only eight carries to reach the mark.

Basinger (116 yards) and Johnson (121) previously hit the century mark together in the same game Sept. 26 versus Eastern Illinois.

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).
Nov. 7, 2026 at Northern Iowa: Josiah Johnson (109), James Basinger (102).

In addition, Johnson and Basinger are closing in on becoming only the fifth Jackrabbit duo to produce 750 or more rushing yards each in a season. Johnson topped the 1,000-yard mark last week, while Basinger needs only six yards to hit the plateau.

1950: Warren Williamson (1,014) and Gene Cheever (839)
1941: Pete Retzlaff (1,016) and Dallas Hoff (761)
2005: Cory Koenig (987) and Anthony Watson (908)
2023: Isaiah Davis (1,578) and Amar Johnson (801)
2026: Josiah Johnson (1,061) and James Basinger (744)

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 10 of his offensive touches since the start of the 2025 season. Last year, he 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 a first down on a career-long 7-yard carry on the opening drive of the game. He later made it 4-for-4 on receptions resulting in touchdowns between the 2025 and 2026 campaigns with a 12-yard touchdown catch to close out the scoring in the Jackrabbits' 42-9 Hobo Day victory over Murray State on Oct. 24.

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.

SECOND-HALF ADJUSTMENTS: The Jackrabbit offense has been on point to start the second half throughout the 2026 season.

Josiah Johnson's 3-yard touchdown run on SDSU's first possession of the second half Nov. 7 at Northern Iowa marked the seventh time in 10 games SDSU scored on its first offensive drive of the third quarter. The Jackrabbits have scored six touchdowns and a field goal to begin the second half en route to outscoring the opposition by a 122-21 margin in the third quarter of games so far this season, including a 14-0 advantage last week at UNI.

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, 17 games have been sellouts, including four of the first six 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 13,191 fans for the 82 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, with a Jacks Bash concert by country music stars Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Lee Brice. 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 72-10 record (.878 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.

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 440 receptions for 4,984 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. After missing some time due to injury, Goedert has marked his return by catching 26 passes over the past five games for a total of 227 yards.

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 149 receptions, 1,902 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns in four professional seasons.

Thus far during the 2026 season, Kraft has 36 catches for 351 yards and three touchdowns. He scored touchdowns in back-to-back games against Detroit (Oct. 25) and Carolina (Oct. 29).

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 has carried 25 times for 59 yards and caught 10 passes for 61 yards over the last four games.

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 11 tackles and two pass breakups in 2026, with a season-high four stops Oct. 18 against Pittsburgh. He was recently placed on injured reserve.

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. Over the last three games, Davis has registered six carries for 20 yards and caught three passes for 49 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 10 tackles and two forced fumbles 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 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.

Due to Jackrabbit men's basketball on Monday, Nov. 16, next week's Dan Jackson Show will air at 6 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 17). The final edition of the 2026 regular season is set for a 6 p.m. airing on Sunday, Nov. 22.

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 wrap up the regular season by hosting Indiana State on Nov. 21 in a Senior Day matchup. Kickoff for the annual Military Appreciation game is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

-GoJacks.com-