BROOKINGS South Dakota State will look to get over its loss to rival North Dakota State by welcoming another rival to Brookings on Saturday night.
This is the fourth straight season that the Jackrabbits will play NDSU and South Dakota in back-to-back weeks. The previous two seasons SDSU had beaten both teams, but the Jacks fell to the Bison on Saturday 13-9.
SDSU senior center Gus Miller, who is from Brookings, said it was tough to get over the loss to the Bison right away, but once the team started talking about the Coyotes he turned the page.
We got back Sunday and I was frustrated all of Sunday, Miller said. I came [to the facility] on Monday for meetings and was frustrated. Went over the game and was still frustrated. Then we talked about USD and it was behind me. It felt weird. I didnt feel frustrated anymore. Right away when we got into it I just realized I have to erase [the NDSU loss] and have to respond now.
Thats just been the mantra in these beginning meetings. How can we respond, and I know a lot of guys are frustrated with their performance because thats not how we play and its just about the response now.
Last weeks game between the Jacks and Bison was No. 1 vs. No. 2. This weekend it will be No. 3 vs. No. 4 as SDSU is ranked third and USD is fourth. The Coyotes come into Saturdays contest having won five-straight games and their lone loss of the season came to FBS Wisconsin.
I think USD does an unbelievable job on both sides of the ball, said SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers. I think its been another year in the [offensive] system for them. Their O-line is much improved. They do a really good job of winning one-on-ones on the perimeter. They stretch you laterally with jet motions and great running backs.
[USDs] linebackers are really good. Garry Bryant III is exceptional. One of the things we do when we recruit linebackers is look at speed and the ability to move and direct like a defensive back, and hes a really good player. He makes that whole defense go.
The past two meetings between the two schools have been all Jackrabbits as theyve outscored the Yotes 65-6 combined in the two games. USD was leading 3-0 at the end of the first quarter in both of those games and then SDSU seized control. Miller said despite the score, both games were tough and he expects it to be the same on Saturday.
The last two times weve played them its been a really tough game. The score might not dictate that but we were close in the first half [in both games]. So we werent getting a whole lot and then we just kept driving it and driving it and those two to three yard gains turned into five to six to seven to eight. So, as the game went on we just kept going harder and harder. Its just about how hard, physical and how much effort we have this week. Thats our mindset, Miller said.
Both teams come into the game as some of the best in the FCS at both running the ball and stopping the run. The Jackrabbits and Coyotes are both top 10 in the country in rush offense as the Jacks average 240.9 yards per game on the ground (sixth) and the Yotes average 232.6. Each team is top 15 in defending the run as SDSU gives up 99.4 yards per game (seventh) and USD gives up 106.7 (12th).
Rogers said every game is decided in the trenches but theres a specific emphasis heading into this game due to the fact that each team is good at running the ball and stopping the run.
Its going to be a challenge [to stop their run game]. Were going to have to win the battle up front and were going to have to tackle well in space and gang tackle. Its the same thing that we have to do to stop the run every week, its just that were playing against an elite set of running backs where they could use one of them or all of them, Rogers said.
Charles Pierre Jr. and Travis Theis lead the Coyote rushing attack. Pierre and Theis have combined for 1,336 yards and 20 touchdowns so far this season. Theis missed last weeks 21-17 victory at Youngstown State but USD head coach Bob Nielson said its looking like hes on track to play against the Jacks on Saturday.
The Jacks went up against one of the best quarterbacks in the country last week in NDSUs Cam Miller and theyll face another tough task Saturday as theyll try to stop junior quarterback Aidan Bouman.
Bouman has thrown for 1,393 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception, while completing almost 70% of his passes. Hes thrown for over 200 yards and has had at least one touchdown in each of the past five games.
I think Aidan Bouman does a really good job, Rogers said. He makes smart decisions and he doesnt turn the ball over. Hes an experienced player in his second season in a system and its going to create its own challenges.
SDSUs pass game has been up-and-down so far this season and Saturdays game against NDSU was one of the down moments as the Jackrabbits had just 118 yards passing from senior Mark Gronowski. Its the fourth time in the past five games that Gronowski has had less than 200 yards passing and Rogers said at some point his team is going to need to be able to consistently throw the ball.
We have to be able to pass the ball. To be balanced and able to run the ball better. We havent yet. We need to find rhythm in that and trust in that, Rogers said.
There are 38 players from the two schools that are from South Dakota. SDSU has 25 and USD has 13. The rivalry between the schools, which is now called the Interstate Series, has always been intense, but Miller said with the Coyotes recent success its become a bigger game to both the players and fans.
Its a rivalry so theres always this competition feel to it every time. Being from Brookings, it means a little bit more, being a South Dakota kid. I was always a fan of this game and this rivalry. Its something that besides NDSU, its a game that we always [circle] on our schedule. We know its going to be a tough game and were excited for this one, Miller said.
Kickoff between the Jackrabbits and Coyotes is set for 6:30 p.m. You can watch the game on ESPNU. Its the second straight week that the Jacks will play a nationally televised game in primetime. You can listen to the game on either AM 570 WNAX or 910 KJJQ.
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