Rants & Raves: USD

What a game!  It certainly wasn't pretty at times but that is often how rivalry games play out.  The Jacks beat a good Coyote team in front of a packed Dakota Dome.  The Jacks made their share of mistakes and left points on the field but they found a way to win and that is what matters.

3 Matchups to Watch Revisited
1.  The 3 Amigos vs. the USD secondary
Jake finished with 2 receptions for 80 yards and 2 TDs, including a vintage 69 yard catch and run after bouncing off two defenders.  However, Jake did have 4 drops, tough catches, but drops none the less.  Dallas had 11 receptions for 117 yards including an epic catch for a first down late in the game.  Taryn had a good day with his legs and arm, rushing for 38 and throwing for 299 and 3 TDs.  But he did miss on a few throws that I'm sure he'd like to have back.  This was a big win for SDSU.
   
2. The Jackrabbit offensive line vs. the USD defensive line
This was a good matchup with both Greenfield and Schultz earning sacks for USD.  The line wasn't perfect but was okay.  They did open some holes at times but other times didn't get much of a push.  USD could have had more sacks with a less mobile QB for SDSU.  Taryn had to pick himself up off the turf too many times yesterday.  I give this matchup to the Yotes.

3. Jackrabbit defense vs. Chris Streveler
Streveler is very very good.  He is still injured and Coach Nielson shared in the post game that his hand was very swollen and that is why he wore a glove.  His passing stats were okay and he did run for 65 yards.  However, the defense did intercept him and never really let him get into a rhythm until the final drive.  I give this matchup a draw because of the costly interception.

Rants & Raves
Rave: Brady Hale has not gotten the recognition he deserves this year.  He has quietly had a big season with very good punting in high pressure situations.  Yesterday was no different with Brady averaging over 42 yards per punt.  Early in the game, USD was really applying a lot of pressure and crashing his three protectors back into him.  Hale wasn't phased by this pressure and then had an awesome punt late in the 4th quarter that resulted in a fair catch.

Rant: The Jacks offense seemed to start pretty jittery.  USD and their fans brought a lot of energy but the offense has to do a better job of establishing itself early in the game.  In the second quarter the offense seemed to find their footing and was able to put some points on the board.

Rave: Jordan Brown continued on his All-Conference type of season with a big interception early in the second quarter.  It has been awesome to see him develop into a shutdown corner.

Rave: The two touchdowns that Jake Wieneke caught were just classic Jake.  How often have Jackrabbit fans seen him make a back shoulder catch for a TD?  How often has he made long catch and runs?  Jackrabbit fans have been fortunate to watch him play for four great years.

Rant: With that being said, Jake had some uncharacteristic drops after his two big touchdown grabs.  Yes, they were difficult catches but they are plays that we have seen Jake make throughout his career.  I'm sure he'll make the plays on December 2nd.

Rave: How about that goal line stand by the Jackrabbit defense?  It was awesome to see the defense wall up and stop Streveler in his tracks.  Great effort and great will by the players!

Rant: I was disappointed with the Jackrabbit run defense in the second quarter.  I was very happy with the adjustments that they made for the second half but Fredrick and Henry were both averaging over 10 yards per carry at some point.  It was a combination of players getting washed out, over pursuing, and missing tackles.  All of these things are correctable and were mostly corrected in the second half.

Rave: The Jackrabbit special teams unit had a really good day overall (besides one 30 yard kick return by USD).  A blocked punt, a 45 yard field goal, a downed punt inside the 5, and a number of long returns by Cade Johnson were highlights on top of the excellent punting by Hale and the no-nonsense punt return handling by Marquise Lewis.

Rant: The Dakota Dome is hideous.  In terms of  the playing surface, it is slippery and there are gaps between the pieces of turf.  In terms of the rest of the venue.  The sight-lines are terrible, the amenities are second class, and there is zero room on the sideline.  Also, the lack of immediate video replays was frustrating.  We are certainly spoiled at Dana J and the Dakota Dome renovation cannot start soon enough.

Rave: After being a bit of a forgotten man this season, running back Isaac Wallace answered the call and rushed for 69 yards on just 10 attempts.  His quickness to the edge seemed to be a huge benefit in this matchup.  He also added two receptions for 22 yards.  Great job by Isaac being ready to go when his name was called!

Rant: As we move into the playoffs, the Jackrabbits need the #605Hogs to return to form.  They ended the season with three defenses that love to apply pressure (NDSU, Illinois State, and USD).  Taryn was hit far too often in these three games.  On Saturday Taryn showed his toughness, but it was evident that he was hurting.  If the Jackrabbits hope to advance in the playoffs and make a run at a National Championship, this unit will have to do a better job of protecting him.  I think a few of Taryn's missed throws were because he either felt pressure, or thought he felt pressure, and rushed his throws.  I know the offensive line group has battled through injuries as well, hopefully the bye week and learning from the tape will get this unit back into top form.

Rave: Cade Johnson continues to prove that he is a weapon for the Jackrabbit offense.  Coach Eidsness has shown great creativity finding ways to get him the ball.  Johnson has made the most of his opportunities.  It will be exciting to see him grow in the next few years. 

Rave: At the end of the day, this team won a tough game.  They overcame adversity throughout the game, they overcame a hostile environment, and they battled through injuries to key players.  This team has guts and grit and that is a great quality to take into the post season.  

Game Balls
Offense: Dallas Goedert (11 receptions, 117 yards)

SDSU has had a history of producing quality NFL tight ends.  Steve Heiden, Chris Wagner, Colin Cochart, Seth Daughters, and Cam Jones were all very good players in the their own right.  Heiden played in the NFL for 10 years and finished with 201 receptions for 1689 yards and 14 touchdowns. Wagner and Cochart were in training camps with multiple teams and spent a few seasons on practice squads.  Daughters and Jones had their potential limited due to injuries.  Dallas may be in a league of his own.  USD didn't have an answer early for Dallas as they were so focused on limiting Jake Wieneke.  Throughout the game, Dallas made big catches and really punished his would be tacklers.  We have been spoiled by the talents of Dallas for the past four years.  He now stands at 50 games played, 186 receptions, 2843 yards, and 19 touchdowns.  Dallas will likely be the first tight end selected in the 2018 NFL draft and could be a first or early second round pick. 

Defense:  Christian Rozeboom (10 Tackles, 2 TFL, 1 Fumble Recover, 1 pass break up)
Christian was again all over the place. On the goal line stand, it looked like Christian was in on nearly every play.  He just makes plays, helps his teammates align, and rarely misses a snap.  He is another Jackrabbit that will be fun to watch develop.

Go Jacks!
-Matt