Jackrabbit Illustrated

After a bye week, the Jackrabbit football team returns to action to face MVFC rival, UNI.  Jackrabbit fans may want to forget the ugly Hobo Day defeat but there are many lessons to be learned.  Here are the Rants & Raves from that game which was more of a pep-talk then anything.  Since winning in Brookings, UNI finished with wins against Youngstown, USD, Missouri State, and Indiana State with their only loss coming in Fargo to the Bison.  They also notched a dominate first round victory over Monmouth, of the Big South Conferene, by a score of 46-7.   UNI is certainly playing much better than they were before the first matchup with SDSU; which most UNI fans would associate as the turning point of their season. Offense As much as UNI has changed since the first meeting they still do many things the same way.  They come in scoring 30 points per game.  While performing really well in the red-zone scoring on 44 of 47 attempts.  They...

Did you know that the Jackrabbit came before the Coyote?  I'm not just talking the transition to Division 1, I'm talking creation.  The oldest rabbit fossil is 53 million years old .  The oldest coyote fossil is just a mere 38 thousand years old .  Again, Jackrabbits before Coyotes. In all seriousness, the Showdown Series that will be played in Vermillion this coming Saturday has huge implications for both squads.  If USD loses 4 out of their final 5 games and finishes 7-4, they may be in danger of missing the playoffs, especially with so many other schools on the bubble.  If they win, they are in, no doubt.  If SDSU loses, they likely lose their seed and would play a game on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.  If they win, they likely will be a 4-5 seed, have a bye, and could host multiple playoff games.  This rivalry didn't need any more fuel but knowing all this is on the line should only add to it. In only his second season, Bob Ni...

The Jackrabbits are in action again this week as they start MVFC play traveling to Youngstown, Ohio to face the Penguins of Youngstown State University (YSU).  The Penguins are coached by Bo Pelini and are coming off of last year's run to the National Championship game before losing to James Madison.  This year that have a 2-1 record with wins against Robert Morris (2-2) and Central Connecticut State (1-3) and their loss, in overtime, is against FBS member, Pitt (1-3).  Most folks thought that there would be a drop-off from the excellent defense that YSU played last year. However an influx of talented transfers has helped Youngstown remain a force and capture the #6 ranking in the STATS FCS Poll and #5 ranking in the Coaches Poll.  The game should be a great one as YSU and SDSU always battle hard.  YSU's stadium, Stambaugh Stadium, holds over 20,000 people.  YSU holds an impressive 164-54-1 record since moving to the stadium in 1982. Offense The peng...

The Drake Bulldogs return to Brookings for the second consecutive year in non-conference action.  Last year the Jacks defeated Drake 56-28 but Drake certainly put up a fight.  However, that Drake team was loaded with seniors including their tight end, Eric Saubert, who is now with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL after being drafted in the 5th round of the 2017 NFL draft.  Drake comes in on the season 1-1.  They were blown out by USD 77-7 in week one but dominated the NAIA's Southwestern (Kansas) Moundbuilders 55-14 in week two.  We don't have a lot to go by with this version of the Bulldogs but lets see if we can diagnose who they are and what they do. Highlights from tonight's 55-14 win over Southwestern (Kan.) #BuildTheHouse #BeBlue pic.twitter.com/qkDBvOfWHt — Drake Football (@DrakeBulldogsFB) September 10, 2017 Offense Last year the Bulldogs scored an average of 28 points per game.  Through two weeks they are averaging 31 but the statistical r...

  (Photo Courtesy of Larry Sellers ) Earlier this week we broke down what you can expect from Montana State . Their local sports station did a nice half hour podcast that featured Jeff Choate's, the head coach, press conference earlier this week along with what the broadcasters expect out of SDSU.  It was a pretty insightful podcast and I would encourage any fan to take the time and listen to it.    So here are the 3 match-ups that have my attention. 1. Jackrabbit OLB's vs. QB Chris Murray and the option. Logan Backhaus looked great last week against Duquesne.  He was all over the field making plays.  Two plays that stand out to me are his great open field tackle and diving interception at the boundary.  Eric Kleinschmit was also making his first start.  Although he was pinned inside on an early 16 yard PJ Filmore run he rebounded to have a nice game finishing with 2 tackles including one for a loss.  Against the option they ...

A week before camp started, I asked seven big questions that the team had going into fall camp.  Now that camp has broken and preparations have begun for Duquesne, let's take a look at what we now know.  7. Who steps up as the third receiving option? This question still doesn't have a definite answer.  Adam Anderson has had flashes of brilliance but also moments of inconsistency.  Marquise Lewis seems to make plays when given the chance.  Cade Johnson has been really consistent and performed well.  Jacob Brown played as a true freshman and can at times dominate.  Alex Wilde is the most experienced and has big play potential but was injured at the beginning of camp.  If the Jacks truly want to have Goedert and Wieneke near 100 catches a piece again this year, then there aren't many passes to go around.  Whoever is on the field will need to make plays to keep the defense honest.  6. Can the defense improve from last year? This one...

Every team relies on younger players to step up and perform.  Three years ago it was Zach Lujan and Jake Wieneke against Missouri.  Two years ago it was Dallas Goedert against Southern Utah.  Last season it was Kellen Soulek, Christian Rozeboom, and Charlie Harmon emerging.  This year it is safe to say that someone will make a big jump and raise their play to a new level.  Yesterday we looked at breakout candidates for the offense . Here are my guesses as to who might be breakout players for the defense after observing a number of practices. Logan Backhaus (Photo courtesy of Matt Holland) #12 Logan Backhaus had a great spring season and has continued to excel during camp.  He's a very smart player that is in the right spot at the right time.  As a red-shirt freshman, Backhaus will be asked to fill the shoes of multi-year standout Dallas Brown, who has graduated.  Backhaus is fast and moves well in space.  His fellow Iowan, ...

Every team relies on younger players to step up and perform.  Three years ago it was Zach Lujan and Jake Wieneke against Missouri.  Two years ago it was Dallas Goedert against Southern Utah.  Last season it was Christian Rozeboom, Kellen Soulek and Charlie Harmon emerging to have great seasons.  This year we KNOW someone will make a big jump and raise their play to a new level. Here are my guesses as to whom that might be for the offense after observing a number of practices. Adam Anderso (Photo Courtesy of Matt Holland) #80 Adam Anderson has returned from an injury he suffered in the middle of last season for his sophomore year.  It isn't a stretch to say he looks like the best wide receiver not named Jake Wieneke in camp.  He runs precise routes, has wiggle, and seems to catch everything.  He's catching short passes, passes across the middle, and deep passes.  Look for a big year from Anderson with defenses focused on stopping Wieneke a...

This the fifth installment of our offensive position preview.  So far we have covered the quarterbacks , tight ends , running backs , and wide receivers .  Today we will look at the offensive line. The #605 Hogs are back and ready for business.  Coach Jason Eck returns for his second season with the Jacks and is ready to help this group take the next step.  Last year, Eck brought the idea that the line needed to be more physical and that the team would only go as far as the line would take it.  He said that the idea for this year is still the same.  The line needs to continue to be physical and dominate the line of scrimmage. They need to be able to block and get the short yards when needed and they need to withstand the pass rush and hold up when long yardage is the goal.  The line has not been determined yet and jobs will be won in camp.  Young players will need to continue to develop so that there is greater depth at all positions. ...

This is the fourth part of our of our offensive position preview series.  We have so far covered quarterbacks , tight ends , and running backs .  Today we will take a look at the wide receiver position group. This group is lead by All-American Jake Wieneke but after him there are question marks as to who will emerge.  Because of the attention that opposing defenses will be paying to Wieneke and Dallas Goedert there is great potential for a third option to emerge. Coach Robert Arnheim is in his second year as the receiver coach.  Arnheim says he feels very fortunate to have such a special group to work with.  They've been able to recruit an amazing level of talent and that is creating awesome competition at the position. Arnheim pointed to the intelligence of the room as a strength and as a huge benefit for the offense.  "Because the group is smart, it allows us to use multiple formations and each receiver can play multiple spots in those formations." ...

This is part three of a Jackrabbit position preview series for the offensive side of the ball.  We have previously covered the quarterbacks and the tight ends . This year the Jacks return an abundance of experience to a unit that rushed for over 1800 yards last year.  Gone are the days of having Zach Zenner tote the ball 20+ times per game.  Now the Jackrabbits deploy a platoon approach where multiple running backs will receive touches each game.  Coach John Johnson is in his second year withe Jackrabbits and says "the running back room is incredibly talented and as a group they are best in the MVFC."  He cited their academics, character, and performance on the football to back up that statement.  They all bring a team first approach and are happy for one-another if someone else succeeds. Running Back #44 Brady Mengarelli is the senior leader of the group and returns as a team captain for his second season.  Mengarelli was named to the MVF...

After previewing the defense, we are now turning our attention to the offense.  Our first installment will focus on the quarterback room. I had the chance to visit with Coach Eric Eidsness about his group.  Eidsness is in his seventh season at SDSU.  He had previously been the head coach at SMSU after starting his career as a Jackrabbit assistant coach.  He shared that this is the fullest the quarterback room could probably ever be.  I asked what qualities he looks for in his quarterbacks and he identified that he wants them to be able to move the ball.  That can be running or throwing and if they can do both, that puts more pressure on the defense.  He also stressed how important it is for his quarterbacks to be smart and to be learners. "I got home one day and just knew I wanted to be a Jackrabbit." - Taryn Christion Reason No. 3 of #WhyState #GoJacks 🐰🏈 pic.twitter.com/hS8dico3ju — SDSU Football (@GoJacksFB) May 24, 2017 #3 Taryn ...

This is the final installment for the defensive side of the ball.  Previous articles covered the Cornerbacks , Linebackers , and Safeties . The defensive line is the position group that is most in flux in 2017.  Gone are senior starters Jared Blum and Cole Langer as well as super-sub Shane Gottlob.  The Jacks also lost part-time starter Christian Banasiak to transfer.  Between these four, the Jacks are losing 8 sacks and 127 tackles and a whole lot of reps. Clint Brown returns as the Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Ends coach.  Brown has been with the Jacks for 8 seasons.  Christian Smith joins the Jackrabbits for his first season as the defensive tackles coach.  Smith was most recently at Iowa State University as a graduate assistant. Coach Smith is excited about his group of defensive tackles because of their potential. They are a very close group and all were present for the summer workouts and spent a lot of time together off the field....

This is part two of our position preview.  In the first installment we talked about the cornerbacks with Coach Dan Jackson.  Today we are looking at the linebackers with Coach Jimmy Rogers who has now been with the Jacks since 2013 as the linebackers coach. The Jacks return freshmen All-American Christian Rozeboom but lose multi-year contributors Jesse Bobbit, Dallas Brown, and Cody Hazelett.  The Jacks also lost potential starter Jake Harms to an accumulation of injuries during spring ball.  Rogers shared that this is an incredibly deep and talented bunch.  What they are lacking in game experience will quickly be erased at the start of the season.  He is excited for their potential as a group because they are young, hungry, and talented. #2 Christian Rozeboom returns for his Sophomore season and as a preseason all MVFC selection.  Rozeboom was a finalist for nearly every freshmen award and was on every major freshman All-American team. ...

Last week, we previewed the Jackrabbits non-conference schedule .  Today we are taking a quick look at the Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule. (photo courtesy of www.valley-football.org During the season we will do a breakdown of the upcoming opponent.  However, as we are still in preseason mode and gojacks.com recently released the game times, I figured it was a good time to take a quick preview of the schedule. On Tuesday, the conference released its preseason poll and this should add some context to my team by team analysis. NDSU edges SDSU in closest pre-season vote in MVFC history.... https://t.co/SbUv8xwksr — Valley Football (@ValleyFootball) July 25, 2017 Missouri Valley Football Pre-Season Poll #1 NDSU #2 SDSU #3 Young #4 UNI #5 Ill State #6 West Ill #7 USD #8 South Ill #9 Miss St #10 Ind St — craig mattick (@craigmattick) July 25, 2017 @ Youngstown State Penguins Saturday, September 30, 6pm cst What to Know: Youngstown (Y...