Rants and Raves: Duquesne


The Jacks played a great game on Saturday.  In less than ideal conditions they still put up 51 points while limiting the Dukes to 6.  The offense relied on the run due to the snow and wind but the passing game was good enough early on while the weather was decent.  I'm excited for the Jacks to take this show on the road and see how they do against a very good Kennesaw State squad.   

Rants & Raves
Rave: Mikey Daniel has been patiently waiting for a game like this for much of the season.  On Saturday he reached 100 yards rushing and scored his 10th TD of the season.  The junior from Brookings is considered the "big back" and receives the bulk of his carries in goal line and short yardage situations.  Saturday he showed he can be a complete back. 

Rave: The #605Hogs deserve a lot of credit for the success of the Jackrabbit running game, both on Saturday and throughout this season.  Mikey is the 4th running back to reach the century mark in 2018.  I'll admit that I questioned how effective they would be against the Duke defense but midway through the second quarter things started to click.  This is a group that just wears a team down.  They are smart and very physical. 

Rant: I really think the starters could have come out a series earlier on offense.  The Dukes had given up by that point and it would have been nice to protect the starters in a game with questionable footing. 

Rave: I was really excited for Zy Mosley on Saturday.  After spring ball there was questions if Zy would contribute much in 2018 because of the depth around him.  However, Zy showed up to fall camp and played great and has continued that play into the regular season.  He now leads the team with 4 interceptions and just makes plays when give the chance.  His pick six was fun to watch on Saturday and just feels well deserved because of his perseverance. 

Rave: Sticking with the defensive backfield, Brandon Snyder is really making his presence felt.  He is so good in the run game and his mobility has improved throughout the season.  I'm only sorry we won't get to watch him for more than a season!

Rant: This is becoming a reoccurring theme but the penalties have to stop.  There were 8 on Saturday and now gives the team 77 penalties on the season.  This is just weird as I don't remember a Jacks team having this type of problem in past seasons.  If you can't tell, it drives me crazy!

Rave: I am so excited about the future of the Jackrabbit defensive line.  They have no seniors in the group.  The top 5 defensive ends (Earith, Smenda, Wilson, Winkelman, and Ogunrinde) are all back.  When they get a chance, they perform well.  On the interior, the rotation of Krolikowski, Ward, Hildahl, Sanders, and Stacker is so good and provides such a different edge then we have seen.  The defensive line group is also loaded with redshirt freshmen who are chomping at the bit to earn a spot in the rotation in 2019. 

Game Balls
Offense: Mikey Daniel (10 attempts, 100 yards, 2 TD)

  • See Rave 1


Defense: Logan Backhaus (7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 Sack)

  • In a defense full of stars, Backhaus sometimes gets forgotten.  However, his athleticism and versatility is special.  


Special Teams:  Marshon Harris

  • In a game where the ball was slippery and hands were cold, Marshon did an excellent job handling the punt returns with confidence.  
Go Jacks!
-Matt 
   

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