Jackrabbit Illustrated

The Jacks took on an ascending Golden Gopher squad Thursday night.  This writer entered the stadium with confidence but plenty of questions.  Many of those questions were answered but I left with a feeling of what could have been.  There is PLENTY to be happy about and this game has to give even the most pesimistic Jack's fan optimism for this season.  The night was a picture perfect night for football and the view of the game, even from the cheap seats, was really good.  I was able to go back and rewatch the game Friday afternoon and catch some of the details I missed at the game.  Rave: Manchigiah's interception in the first quarter was about as good as you will see.  He read the play perfectly, sunk in to help on the run but maintained his position to make a play in the passing game.  Morgan (UM QB) threw it right to him and Josh showed great hands to catch the heater. Rave: Aron Johnson had a PHENOMINAL game at right tackle.  Cart...

The Golden Gophers are coming off of a 7-6 season that saw them finally beat Wisconsin and win a bowl game.  PJ Fleck is in his third year leading the squad and has a roster full of his guys after inheriting a roster that was pretty barren of talent following the 2016 season.  Last year the Gopher offense averaged 28.92 ppg and moved the ball to the tune of 379.6 ypg (170.8 rushing and 208.77 passing).  Minnesota brings back a number of key contributors on both sides of the ball and will be looking to build off of an improved 2018. Offense #2 Tanner Morgan (6-2, 215) is back at quarterback for his sophomore season after starting the last seven games of the 2018 season.  While not spectacular, he provided a level of consistency that the Gophers have lacked for a number of years at the quarterback position.  Morgan finished the year with 1401 yards passing along with 9 TD and 6 INT.  He is not much of a threat to run the ball and is definetely more ...

The Jackrabbit defense brings back a lot of experience in the front seven but has three new starters in the secondary.  This means that there is a fair amount of opportunity for new guys to step in and make a difference.  Below I've identified six guys who have a chance to make a name for themselves in 2019.  A few of these guys have already seen significant action but I'd expect them to take a big step forward. #6 Michael Griffin II, Safety 2018 Stats: None, red-shirted after transferring from SMSU No player has more hype surrounding him in 2019 than Griff.  After earning multiple Scout Players of the Week and winning multiple spring strength and conditioning awards, the junior is being looked to fill a void at safety after graduating a lot of experience from the position the past two years.  Griffin can play either safety position and is equally physical and athletic.  I'd look for the defensive coordinators Bergstrom and Rogers to use him creati...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) Every year the program has players who seemingly come out of no where and blow up on the field.  The fans turn to one another and say "Who was that?" at least for the first few games and then that player becomes a household name that everyone knew about since they first stepped foot on campus.  This season is no different as there is a whole list of playmakers who are ready to contribute and chomping at the bit to get some live reps.  #8 CJ Wilson; Running Back 2018 Statistics: 43 attempts, 281 yards, 1 TD CJ was in the middle of a really solid freshman campaign before being sidelined with a leg injury that kept him out for the final six regular season games.  CJ returned for the playoffs and played against KSU and NDSU.  This year, I expect CJ to contribute on punt and kick returns and in the base offense.  CJ is dynamic in space and one of the fastest guys on the team. Look for the coaches to ensure that he get...

(Diamond Evans) The Jackrabbit recruiting class of 2019 was widely considered to be the best class in the program's history.  I don't like to rank classes but the talent in this class is undeniable given the number of guys who had offers to FBS programs and FCS powers.  Recruiting has changed in Brookings the past few years.  With that influx of talent, guys are challenging for playing time almost immediately.  The new four game rule has given coaches the ability to test if a guy is truly ready or not before committing to pull their redshirt.  Below I have identified five guys who appear ready to play and compete for playing time immediately.    #17 Diamond Evans, CB, 5-10, 180 Due to graduation and injury the cornerback room is a little thin.  However, Evans, one of the prize recruits in the 2019 class, is ready because of his physical maturity and god-given athleticism.  It will be a big test making his first appearance in front of...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) The Jacks return 2 of 3 core specialists this season. Special teams is an area where the Jacks are always good and often great.  Special teams has certainly helped win a game or two in the past couple years and I would expect the same type of solid performance this season. #4 Chase Vinatieri  is now in his final season handling field goal and kick off duties.  Chase had a bit of a roller coaster year in 2018 connecting on just 14 of 21 kicks including 2 misses on kicks under 30 yards.  However, he did have a monster 57 yard make. He was also 66-71 on extra points.  I'd love to see that percentage be 100% but stuff happens.  The area that I would like to see him improve is on kickoffs; especially kicking the ball out of bounds which happened too frequently in 2018.  A stat that I do love is that the Jacks didn't allow a blocked kick in 2018.  This is a good sign of assignment sure football. #97 Cole Frahm ...

(Photo courtesy of Larry Sellers) Coach Dan Jackson has built a very talented cornerback room.  This group lost a lot of snaps from last season due to graduation, transition, and injury.  However, Jackson feels that this could be his most talented group during his tenure at SDSU.  Dan also mentioned that this group is incredibly tight.  This off season they made sure to make time for meals with one another and spend time with together outside of training.    #19 Ti'Jaih Davis , 6-1 180, had a great freshman campaign and played in four games.  He is very athletic and just possesses a great combination of size and speed.  I think Ti'Jaih could have played more as a true freshman but the corner position was plenty deep in 2018 and his service wasn't needed outside of the four games.  Ti'Jaih, a former high school quarterback, has a good understanding of the game and his combination of instincts and understanding help him play faster than ...