Looking Farther Ahead - Jackrabbits

[MadBird]

By no means looking past the Bison, but read this article in the Sioux Falls paper and it has some good stuff about two future opponents, Jackrabbits and Penguins:

https://www.argusleader.com/story/s...acks-fixed-their-defense-one-week/1608649002/

The South Dakota State coaching staff knew after their overtime win last week against Indiana State that something was wrong with their defense. You don’t give up 51 points to a supposedly struggling team by accident.

Senior running back Isaac Wallace was lost to a hip injury that will likely end his season and career. Wallace leads the Jacks with 413 yards on just 44 carries – a 9.4 average per carry. If Wallace doesn’t return, he’d end his career with 1,646 yards and 16 touchdowns. He rushed for 118 yards in SDSU’s first win over an FBS team, when they beat Kansas in 2015. Freshman running back Pierre Strong also went down in the game,

Linebacker Logan Backhaus and cornerback Jordan Brown also left the game, while starting offensive linemen Wes Genant and Tyler Weir did not play Saturday after going down against Indiana State. Punter Brady Hale handled kickoff duties, because Chase Vinatieri is not 100 percent healthy, according to coach John Stiegelmeier.

There's more about both teams, and also some insights into InSU too. A good read for future reference.

Here's another good article about Jackbunnies recruiting Nebraska:
https://www.argusleader.com/story/s...-mining-cornhusker-state-recruits/1375936002/

 

[ISU85]

By no means looking past the Bison, but read this article in the Sioux Falls paper and it has some good stuff about two future opponents, Jackrabbits and Penguins:

https://www.argusleader.com/story/s...acks-fixed-their-defense-one-week/1608649002/

The South Dakota State coaching staff knew after their overtime win last week against Indiana State that something was wrong with their defense. You don’t give up 51 points to a supposedly struggling team by accident.

Senior running back Isaac Wallace was lost to a hip injury that will likely end his season and career. Wallace leads the Jacks with 413 yards on just 44 carries – a 9.4 average per carry. If Wallace doesn’t return, he’d end his career with 1,646 yards and 16 touchdowns. He rushed for 118 yards in SDSU’s first win over an FBS team, when they beat Kansas in 2015. Freshman running back Pierre Strong also went down in the game,

Linebacker Logan Backhaus and cornerback Jordan Brown also left the game, while starting offensive linemen Wes Genant and Tyler Weir did not play Saturday after going down against Indiana State. Punter Brady Hale handled kickoff duties, because Chase Vinatieri is not 100 percent healthy, according to coach John Stiegelmeier.

There's more about both teams, and also some insights into InSU too. A good read for future reference.

Here's another good article about Jackbunnies recruiting Nebraska:
https://www.argusleader.com/story/s...-mining-cornhusker-state-recruits/1375936002/

Anybody know what goes on at SDSU on Hobo Day?

 

[MadBird]

I think there's a story behind it, but I'm pretty sure the short version is it's their Homecoming.

 

[fourthandshort]

:think: .... hmmm, interesting and I hate to interrupt this little tea party here, but whaddya say we focus on getting the post count up for this weeks game thread !!!!!!!

 

[MadBird]

:think: .... hmmm, interesting and I hate to interrupt this little tea party here, but whaddya say we focus on getting the post count up for this weeks game thread !!!!!!!

I know, I know, I'll bump it back up next week. Just didn't wanna lose it since I saw it yesterday!!

 

[lakesbison]

hobo days is when all the sdsu Alumni come home to Brookings and compare notes & cutting technology on how their careers as hobos are thriving... lol

 

[fourthandshort]

lakes .. need you (and us) to focus on current task at hand. Trying to get our NDSU game thread post count up .... focus people !!!!!!!

 

[BisonLaw]

If we keep posting in this thread, your team will look ahead too, right?! I think that's how this works.

 

[fourthandshort]

If we keep posting in this thread, your team will look ahead too, right?! I think that's how this works.

no doubt, players and even assistant coaches will tune Spack out completely cuz this forum is just way more interesting ... this is what happened in lead up to our SIU game last year !!

oh crap .. I just posted to wrong thread again, didn't I ??

My bad if we sh-t the bed this week.

 

[Chi-bird]

Good second half against the Buson. It’s gonna carry over yo SDSU.

 

[fourthandshort]

Bump .. I hereby relinquish my case and desist order on this previously premature thread. Now that I think about it, this thread may have been reason we didn't start putting up a fight until well into Q2. Hope everyone learned a lesson!!!

Commence fire !!

 

[MadBird]

You can find more on the Jackbunnies (and S. Dakota) on the Argus Leader's sports page, but here's an article that suggests injuries may be a factor Saturday . . .

https://www.argusleader.com/story/s...e-football-notebook-northern-iowa/1717566002/

Injuries are piling up for South Dakota State, and while the Jackrabbits had done an admirable job of playing through them the last couple weeks, the damage appeared to weigh them down Saturday in a 24-9 loss to Northern Iowa.

Coach John Stiegelmeier agreed, but acknowledged that his team can’t afford to lose too many more players. The defense has its share of injuries, too (starting linebacker Logan Backhaus didn’t start Saturday but came in after halftime and played well), and none of the walking wounded on offense are guaranteed to be back next week when the Jacks visit Illinois State.

Not much drop off between Easton Stick of NDSU and Taryn Christion of SDSU. Gotta learn from last week and play tough. Clean up the game!! No TO's or penalties!!

 

[cpacmel]

Illinois State - 2.5

Over / under 52

 

[Total Red]

The key to this season is winning the home games. We need all of them.

Redbirds 28
jacks 20

 

[chuckie1980]

REDBIRDS 46
Jackrabbits 13

 

[fourthandshort]

They are hurting, especially their run game. We usually play these guys well, and defend Christion tough ... so I'm liking our chances even more now ... maybe not as much as Chuckie though !!

Hoping we have bounce back game, our young guys learned some things last week, and get things going again.

Plus Family Day crowd, supposed to be 55 degrees (no rain, light winds) .. so should be good crowd to fire up the players.

Redbirds win 31-20 .. should be more if they are truly as banged up as they are indicating.

 

[redbirdfan04]

Birds 41
Rabbits 17

 

[MadBird]

More from the Argus Leader:

https://www.argusleader.com/story/s...bits-sdsu-illinois-state-redbirds/1737935002/

Highlights:

While there were Jacks fans that hoped their team could run the table after their loss at No. 1 North Dakota State, realistically, earning a split from a two-game road swing at UNI and Illinois State would be nothing to apologize for.

Even that will prove difficult. The Jacks have lost the last three times they’ve played at Hancock Stadium, their last win there coming in 2009. And this game means as much to the Redbirds as it does SDSU.

The Redbirds missed out on the playoffs last year for the first time since 2013. They went all the way to the national championship in 2014, narrowly losing to the Bison. They beat the Jacks 45-10 that year in Normal. And while subsequent ISU teams haven’t been as successful as that 2014 squad, the Birds remain one of the most respected programs in FCS.

Spack knew better than to claim a moral victory due to statistics, but the numbers certainly indicate the Redbirds weren’t overmatched by the defending champs. With SDSU still nursing a host of injuries, mostly on offense, the Jacks should expect another very big challenge.

“When we have it going it’s there,” Spack said. “It’s just about putting it all together and not making critical errors.”

We get some r-e-s-p-e-c-t from writer Matt Zimmer and Coach Stiegelmeier. Article points out we need this win as much or more than SDSU, given our upcoming two game road trip. They may be extra fired up to reverse their fortunes at Hancock, but it's gotta give our boys some confidence to know they can get the job done vs. the Bunnies.

The noon start time will cut into the tailgate time following the 3 hr. trip from the Mad City (hate those early starts!!), but we plan to be under the water tower for refreshments before settling in for this one.

 

[fourthandshort]

Hate to say this .. but 2018 SDSU is starting to look like 2017 YSU. And I say that with lot of respect.

2017 YSU started very strong, had some wins and some impressive close losses against top 5 to 15 teams. But they were thin from depth standpoint having lost a lot prior 2 seasons. So injuries and just being banged up took a toll when we went in there for their homecoming and destroyed them 35-0 after 4 very close losses to very good teams.

I'm not saying SDSU is there now .. but they are heading that direction. But I suspect their depth is way better than YSU .. and their coach isn't nuts.

 

[cpacmel]

Weather is looking good for Saturday's game. Temps should be in the low to mid 50's. Light winds (6 mph). Only about a 10% chance of rain as well.