Jackrabbit Illustrated

The Jacks enter Sunday night’s quarterfinals matchup under the lights on ESPN 2 against Valley foe Southern Illinois.  SIU fought tooth and nail to get a seat at the table in this Spring’s unconventional season; that fight certainly did stop in their regular season finale as they made good on the at large nod from the committee by taking down Big Sky power Weber State in dramatic fashion. None of us with the Jackrabbit Illustrated Team expect the lopsided affair we saw in Carbondale in March. Anticipate much more of a back and forth slugfest that’s common in Missouri Valley Football showdowns. With that being said, here’s what we’re keeping an eye on: 1. 605 Hogs The offensive line has turned in some stout performances over the last trio of games! Even with that being the case, there’s still room for improvement in the execution department. No sacks because of technique, no points off the board because of penalties and no mental errors is always the aim for a Jacks O-Line. Establishing

It feels like I was just writing the regular season preview for SIU wondering what Jackrabbit team would show up.  The week prior had been an ugly win against YSU and it seemed like the offense was in the midst of an identity crisis and that the defense hadn't fully committed to stopping the run.  I think we can look back at the regular season matchup with SIU as a turning point for the season as the Jacks walked away with a 44-3 victory.  Since then the Jackrabbits have looked dominant in their two wins and SIU lost at Missouri State, had two games cancelled, and then won a shootout vs. SELA 55-48 that got them into the playoffs.  In the first round of the playoffs they pulled a mild upset knocking off Weber State 34-31 in Ogden, Utah.   As I wrote in the first preview, SIU has tons of talent on offense and if they can avoid turnovers is really dangerous.  The defense is also talented but has not been able to put together a complete game since the first matchup with SDSU.    Offen

The Jackrabbits secured a playoff win in business like fashion on Saturday beating the Patriot League Champion Holy Cross Crusaders 31-3.  How often can you walk away from a 28 point victory, against a quality opponent, and still feel like you can play better.  However, the Jacks were good or great in all three phases of the game and seemed in control throughout the entire contest. Rants & Raves Rave: The Jackrabbit offense was again impressive on the ground accumulating 281 yards on 34 attempts, good for a 8.2 yard per carry average.  The Strong/Davis combination has to be better than anyone imagined entering the season and both had some impressive runs on the day.  In addition, the Jacks didn't have to use Mark Gronowski in the running game and saved his body from unnecessary hits.  The mid-season switch in philosophy seems to have really given the #605Hogs some confidence and they are playing great. Rave: Special teams was again pretty special on Saturday.  The Jacks blocked

The Jackrabbits and Crusaders are both coming off of emotional wins last week.  We'll see which team is able to carry-on without missing a beat.  This is the playoffs where weird stuff can happen and it's lose and go home.  Holy Cross has the potential to be dangerous and should not be taken lightly.  Here is what the Jackrabbit Illustrated team is keeping an eye on this week. 1. Stop the Run The Jackrabbit run defense has been pretty darn good this season.  On the season their opponents have totaled 706 total yards on the ground, 373 came in games against UND and YSU alone.  Opponents are averaging just 3.46 yards per carry!  These are pretty incredible numbers.  Holy Cross has a good running back, Peter Oliver, who is averaging 7.6 yards per carry and their quarter back, Matthew Sluka, is averaging 6.8 per carry. It will be imperative for the defense to stop the run on first and second down and to force Holy Cross to pass on 3rd down.  However, the work is not done as it soun

  The Jackrabbits discovered their playoff fate on Sunday and I'm not sure we could have hoped for a better scenario.  The Jackrabbits were aiming for a top-4 seed with a strong chance to be a top-2.  When the bracket was revealed they were not only a top-2 but were the #1 seed.  I wasn't shocked but I was speechless.  I've closely followed the program for the last 15 years and this feels like another step moving forward.   On Saturday at 2pm the Jacks will take on the Patriot League Champions, the Holy Cross Crusaders (3-0) in the first round of the FCS playoffs.  This is Holy Cross's second Patriot League Championship in a row.  They have scored 29 points per game and allowed just 12.33.  Their head coach is Bob Chesney and he is in his 3rd year with Holy Cross and has an overall record of 79-37.  The 2019 Championship Holy Cross won was their first in 10 years. Offense The Holy Cross offense is predicated on the run.  They come in averaging 200 rushing yards per game

I think as I sit here writing this and sipping some Sunday morning coffee the feeling I am filled with is admiration and pride.  The Jacks left the Fargo Dome yesterday with an impressive 27-17 win.  Outside of penalties (more on that later) the game wasn't nearly as close as the final score showed.  This wasn't a smoke and mirrors victory this was domination and we all watched the Jackrabbits impose their will against the Bison.  However, and I'll mention this many times this week, the job. is. not. done. period.   Rants & Raves Rant: I'm getting this one out of the way.  I was wrong.  I was nervous about the 28 days between games.  That was an unprecedented break.  Sure, it allowed the Jackrabbits to heal up but not having live tackling, not practicing at game speed, the anxiety created of getting geared up to play and having the game subsequently get cancelled all were in the back of my mind. The Jacks were coming off of their most impressive victory in recent me

  1. Start Fast The Jackrabbits have started fast and scored on their opening possession in 4 of their 5 games this spring.  They will need to do the same thing this week and it can't be just an opening score.  The Jackrabbits need to score multiple times in the first half which will force the Bison offense to chase points, something they are not built to do.  Likewise, the defense needs to force a 3-and-out early in the game.  The Bison defense just isn't as deep as usual in the linebacker corp and in the secondary due to graduation and the transfer of All-MVFC corner Josh Hayes.       2. Play "Even" on Special Teams The Bison special teams has been excellent this spring.  The Jackrabbit special teams unit has struggled and failed to provide a consistent performance.  We're not asking the Jackrabbit special teams to "win" their third of the game but they do need to play even and they absolutely cannot allow a momentum changing play like a kick or punt r