BROOKINGS South Dakota States offense had the game it needed to have in Saturdays 52-6 win over Murray State.
Sure, the Racers are giving up an average of 52.1 points per game to Missouri Valley opponents this season. It may also be hard for fans to get excited about a victory where Vegas labeled them as a 42-point favorite entering Saturdays game.
But after two weeks of nailbiters, the Jackrabbits did what they needed to do and it may have laid a foundation for what the offense needs to do to get SDSU back to Frisco.
Consider how the Jacks’ offense played over while splitting games with rivals North Dakota State and South Dakota. SDSU never found its footing during a 13-9 loss to the Bison in Fargo on Oct. 19 and followed it up with a fast start but a slow finish in a 20-17 victory over the Coyotes the following week.
Just when it seemed like the Jacks were on the verge of figuring things out, it would be a small thing that would get in the way. Maybe it was the execution of a play. It could be a penalty that brings a serviceable gain behind the sticks. Whatever it was, it was holding SDSU back but that wasnt the case on Saturday afternoon.
It started with the Jacks efficiency. South Dakota State entered Saturday converting 47.8 percent of their third downs but they were making that task more difficult considering their lack of efficiency on first and second down to make the length of the chains shorter.
The way you can increase your third down efficiency is if you have first down efficiency, SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski said after the USD game. [If you] get those four yards, you put your offense in better situations. So if we can continue to start doing that a little bit better, I think that this offense is going to continue to roll.
Saturdays game was a prime example of Gronowskis point. Pro Football Reference defines a teams success rate as their ability to get 40 percent of the yards needed on first down, 60 percent of yards needed on second down and 100 percent of yards needed on third and fourth down.
With the starters in the game in the first half, SDSU logged a success rate of 75 percent on first down and a 50 percent success rate on second down. The consistent march helped SDSU convert 6-of-7 third downs in the first half and helped the Jacks physically grind the Racers throughout the afternoon.
This is a small thing but it was a 3rd-and-3 and [Angel Johnson] just stuck it up in there and he got the four yards, SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers said on Saturday. Rather than looking for a big hit, he just took what the situation was. We were able to keep the chains moving.
It feels like weve failed that at times of having some situational awareness and not trying to look for a big hit when all you need is a yard or two yards. We were able to do that today. Some guys were able to make explosive plays that keep the chains moving and some guys were just steady throughout the course of their opportunity and playing today.
A big key was the performance of the running game. The stats were part of the success with 353 rushing yards on the ground but SDSU had multiple players get in on the action. Angel Johnson ran for a career-high 132 yards and Amar Johnson ran for 83 yards on six carries including a 44-yard touchdown in the second quarter. But Maxwell Woods kept things going with 48 yards on 11 carries and his first career touchdown in the second half and Kirby Voorhees came off the bench to score on a one-yard touchdown run just before halftime.
Its definitely special, Angel Johnson said of SDSUs depth. I know we all work hard in the running back room. We know we all deserve enough whoever gets in there. We know they deserve to be in there. So its good to really see it play out. You dont always get the chance in the game, so letting everybody go like we did today, it was good to see a special moment.
The running game opened up opportunities for a passing attack that thrived from the opening whistle. Gronowski benefitted with 170 yards and a touchdown but the play of his tight ends was a big key including a 41-yard pass to tight end Davin Stoffel that set up a 10-yard pass to Amar Johnson for the Jacks first score of the game.
The wide receivers saw plenty of action as well with Griffin Wilde catching three passes for 73 yards and Lofton Ogroske breaking out with five catches for 50 yards and a touchdown but it may be the group of tight ends which also includes Brody Gormley and David Alpers that could create the efficient plays SDSU is looking for.
It was a challenge last week but youve got to continue to throw them the ball, Rogers said of his tight ends. Theyre really talented and theyve got great height. I think those guys are versatile. Ive said it from the jump that they have a lot of talent. Utilize them and its exciting to get them going because if we can continue to grow them with confidence, theyre really talented.
It all came together in an efficient display on Saturday afternoon. The Jacks had big plays but they also had efficient games. They had a running game that churned yards on the ground and a passing attack that could keep the sticks moving and also throw the ball downfield.
Some of this could be taken with a grain of salt considering their opponent but it was an encouraging performance for a team that needed it. For a Jacks team that remains an unfinished product, Saturday was a step in the right direction and could establish some momentum to get them back to their championship standard.
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