November 2008 is SDSU Jackrabbit Month at AGS - Read the fact a day!

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SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
UNIVERSITY INFORMATION
Location: Brookings, S.D.
Enrollment: 11,706 (fall 2007)
Colors: Yellow and Blue
Nickname: Jackrabbits
Affiliation: NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision
Conference: Missouri Valley Football Conference
Stadium: Coughlin-Alumni Stadium (15,000 capacity)

2007 RECAP
OVERALL RECORD: 7-4
CONFERENCE RECORD: 4-0 (first place in Great West
Football Conference)
HOME RECORD: 5-1
AWAY RECORD: 2-3
FINAL RANKING: 19th (Sports Network)/22nd (FCS)

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11/2

South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota. This small but lively town of nearly 19,000 people is just miles from the Minnesota border and less than an hour’s drive to the state’s largest city, Sioux Falls. SDSU has an enrollment of 11,995 students making it the largest university in the state. You’ll find a diverse campus experience here, with over 200 majors and minors and unique opportunities for “hands-on” learning in every field of study. In addition to academics, SDSU has hundreds of activities to participate in, including academic and sports clubs, intramurals, theater, music, art, student government, student publications, multi-cultural events and more. All of this in addition to a beautiful campus, motivated professors and a safe, friendly atmosphere makes South Dakota State University a great place to get a quality education.

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY
BROOKINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA

ENROLLMENT –
07-08 08-09 Chg %Chg FTE’07 FTE’08 FTE chg FTE%chg
SDSU 11,706 11,995 +289 +2.47% 9,721.8 9,899.8 +178.0 +1.83%

Mascot – JACKRABBIT
Colors – Royal Blue, Sunflower Yellow

Founded – 1881 (Consolation Prize – Didn’t get the state penitentiary)

Transitioned from NCAA D-II started in 2003, eligible for NCAA play-offs starting in 2008.

Conference Affiliations:
Football – Missouri Valley Football Conference (2008- )
- Great West Football Conference (2004-2007) – founding member
- North Central Conference (1923-2003) – founding member

Basketball (and most sports) – Summit League (2007- )
- Independent D-I (2004-2007)
- North Central Conference (1923-2003)

Wrestling – Western Wrestling Conference (2006- )
- North Central Conference (1923-2003)

member submitted

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11/3

2008 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

COUGHLIN-ALUMNI STADIUM has served as the home of Jackrabbits since 1962. Coughlin-Alumni Stadium is in its 47th season as home of the Jackrabbits.

A Daktronics Scoreboard 121’ x 56’ featuring a large full-color ProStar® video replay screen in the center with additional statistical and advertising
panelswas installed in 2005.

Since 2000, Stadium, lights were added, parking lots were paved, new restrooms were constructed, a new ticket booth added, and an organized tailgating area known as “The Backyard” was cleared directly north of the stadium.

The natural-grass stadium opened Sept. 22, 1962, when the Jacks lost a 9-7 decision to Arkansas State.

Through the first 46 years of operation, there have been 245 games against 55 different opponents at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, with SDSU holding a 150-95 record (.612 winning percentage) on its home field. There has never been a tie game at CAS.

Since moving to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision in 2004, the Jackrabbits have posted a 17-4 mark at CAS.

The largest crowd ever to see a football game of any kind in South Dakota came through the turnstiles on Nov. 17, 2007, when 16,345 fans watched the Jackrabbits defeat North Dakota State, 29-24, for the Great West Football Conference title. NDSU entered the game undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the FCS Coaches Poll.

SDSU also set a single-season attendance record during the 2007 campaign as an average of 11,218 fans attended each of the Jackrabbits’ six home games. Four of the games drew crowds better than 10,000 and three ranked among the 10 largest crowds in stadium history. The Jackrabbits have performed well in front of large crowds, winning nine of the 10 most-attended games.

The previous single-game attendance record was set on Hobo Day, Oct. 19, 1985, when 16,193 fans saw SDSU defeat the University of South Dakota 24-12. USD also was undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time.

The stadium project was started after Charles Coughlin, a 1909 SDSU graduate and former student-athlete, donated $50,000 towards the building of a new stadium to replace State Field.The emaining $250,000 of the original $300,000 cost was raised from alumni, students and friends of SDSU.

Within two years after the completion of the stadium, a lockerroom facility was constructed and a press box added. Staff offices and meeting rooms have been added on the east side of the grandstands, next to the practice fields.

CAS will see other changes in the next two years as the Dykhouse Student-Athlete Center is constructed in the north end zone.

YEAR-BY-YEAR RECORDS AT COUGHLIN-ALUMNI STADIUM
1962 3-2 1978 2-3 1994 4-2
1963 4-0 1979 5-1 1995 2-4
1964 2-3 1980 3-2 1996 5-0
1965 1-3 1981 4-2 1997 3-2
1966 1-3 1982 3-1 1998 4-2
1967 1-4 1983 2-4 1999 4-1
1968 3-2 1984 1-4 2000 4-3
1969 1-4 1985 5-0 2001 4-1
1970 2-3 1986 3-3 2002 5-1
1971 1-4 1987 3-2 2003 5-1
1972 5-0 1988 4-1 2004 4-0
1973 3-4 1989 3-3 2005 5-2
1974 5-1 1990 1-4 2006 3-1
1975 4-1 1991 4-1 2007 5-1
1976 2-3 1992 3-2
1977 2-3 1993 5-1

TOP 10 CROWDS AT COUGHLIN-ALUMNI STADIUM
1. vs. North Dakota State 16,345 Nov. 17, 2007 W, 29-24
2. vs. South Dakota 16,193 Oct. 19, 1985 W, 24-12
3. vs. South Dakota 15,866 Oct. 18, 1975 W, 24-22
4. vs. McNeese St. 15,521 Oct. 4, 2008, L 46-44 3OT
5. vs. Stephen F. Austin 15,338 Sept. 29, 2007 W, 45-0
6. vs. UC Davis 15,248 Oct. 28, 2006 W, 22-21
7. vs. South Dakota 15,153 Oct. 22, 1977 L, 10-15
8. vs. Missouri-Rolla 14,503 Oct. 22, 2005 W, 64-28
9. vs.Texas State 14,920 Sept. 22, 2007 W, 38-3
10. vs. Western Ill. U. 14,382 Sept. 13, 2008 W, 24-22
10. vs. Augustana 14,147 Sept. 28, 1974 W, 35-6

member submitted

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11/4

Jackrabbits in the FCS polls

South Dakota St made their first appearance in the FCS polls (AGS, Coaches, TSN) was Halloween Eve 10/30/3006, start at 24. For 2006, Jacks ranked as high as 17th and finished at 21 in AGS, Coaches & TSN.

For 2007, Jacks started in the pre-season poll, but lost 3 games to start the season to fall out of the polls until 11/12/2007, and finished at 19th following win over the previously undefeated NDSU Bison to win their first conference title since 1963.

In 2008, Jacks started the pre-season about 20th, and made a high of 18 before falling out 10/20 following loss to Cal Poly to fall to 3-4. The Jacks have returned to some of the rankings following their wins in the MVFC. They are currently 23rd in the AGS following week 10, 11/1/2008.

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11/5

JACKRABBIT FOOTBALL HISTORY

THE LAST TIME ...

SDSU SHUT OUT AN OPPONENT
HOME: 9-29-2007, vs. Stephen F. Austin (Texas), 45-0
AWAY: 10-10-1998, at St. Cloud State,

SDSU WAS SHUT OUT BY AN OPPONENT
HOME: 9-28-1991, by North Dakota State, 35-0
AWAY: 9-4-2004, at UC Davis, 52-0

SDSU RETURNED A KICKOFF FOR A TOUCHDOWN
HOME: 10-20-2007 — 91 yards by Adam Monke, vs. Cal Poly, on opening kickoff
AWAY: 11-16-2002 — 100 yards by Kevin Brown, at Minnesota State, Mankato

OPPONENTS RETURNED A KICKOFF FOR A TOUCHDOWN
HOME: 11-3-2001 — 85 yards by Eric Nelson, Northern Colorado
AWAY: 9-20-1997 — 97 yards by Chris Schrantz, at North Dakota, on opening kickoff.

SDSU RETURNED A PUNT FOR A TOUCHDOWN
HOME: 11-17-2007 — 94 yards, by Paul Aanonson, vs. North Dakota State
AWAY: 9-17-1983 — 50 yards, by Randy Pirner, vs. Morningside (Iowa)

OPPONENTS RETURNED A PUNT FOR A TOUCHDOWN
HOME: 10-7-2000 — 15 yards, by Mark Mokoff, Minnesota State, Mankato (on blocked punt)
AWAY: 11-18-2006 — 84 yards, by Travis White, North Dakota State

SDSU PLAYER RETURNED BOTH A PUNT AND KICKOFF FOR TOUCHDOWNS IN SAME GAME
HOME: 9-30-2002 — Kevin Brown, vs. Morningside (Iowa), returned opening kickoff 98 yards for TD and fourth-quarter punt 68 yards for TD

SDSU RETURNED A PASS INTERCEPTION FOR A TOUCHDOWN
HOME: 11-10-2007 — 99 yards by Tyler Koch, vs. Southern Utah
AWAY: 10-6-2007 — 71 yards by Tyler Koch, at Georgia Southern

OPPONENTS RETURNED A PASS INTERCEPTION FOR A TOUCHDOWN
HOME: 10-28-2003 – 63 yards by Tyree Kellogg, Nebraska-Omaha
AWAY: 9-4-2004 – 58 yards by Andy Sullivan, UC Davis

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11/6

NO. NAME POS HT WT YR EXP HOMETOWN HIGH SCHOOL/PREV.
1 JaRon Harris WR 6-1 195 Sr. 3L Sioux Falls, S.D. Washington
2 Ryan Berry QB 6-3 200 Sr. 2L Watertown, S.D. Watertown
3 Jimmy Rogers LB 5-10 210 Jr. 2L Chandler, Ariz. Hamilton
4 Thomas O’Brien QB 6-3 200 Fr. — Winona, Minn. Cotter
5 Aaron Rollin WR 6-2 200 Fr. — Lee’s Summit, Mo. Lee’s Summit West
6 Joseph Blackman DB 5-11 185 Jr. 1L Pittsburg, Calif. Pittsburg
7 Corey Jeske QB 6-1 200 So. — Buffalo, Minn. Buffalo
8 Lance White DB 5-10 175 Fr. — Oakley, Calif. Freedom
9 Teddy Shonka WR 6-2 205 R-Fr. — Cedar Rapids, Iowa John F. Kennedy
10 Brock Campbell DB 6-2 210 Sr. 3L Cherokee, Iowa Washington
11 Erich Feller DB 6-2 200 R-Fr. — Charles City, Iowa Charles City
12 Ryan Crawford QB 6-2 200 Jr. — OroValley, Ariz. Ironwood Ridge
13 General Parnell DB 5-11 195 So. 1L San Bernardino, Calif. Cajon/Idaho
14 Landon Lupi WR 5-11 170 So. — Rapid City, S.D. Stevens
15 Brad Iverson WR 6-5 200 R-Fr. — Sioux Falls, S.D. Roosevelt
16 Marcel Jones QB 6-3 225 Jr. — Shakopee, Minn. Simley/Minnesota
17 Glen Fox WR 6-2 200 Jr. 2L Fairfax, Iowa Prairie
18 Conrad Kjerstad DB 6-0 195 So. 1L Wall, S.D. Wall
19 Bo Helm DB 6-0 180 Fr. — Childress,Texas Childress
20 Julian Wagner DB 5-9 180 Fr. — Fort Worth,Texas Eastern Hills
21 Cole Brodie DB 5-10 185 So. 1L Dacula, Ga. Dacula
22 Anthony Wise DB 6-2 190 R-Fr. — The Colony,Texas The Colony
23 Jordan Miranda LS/DB 6-2 200 Jr. 2L El Paso,Texas Coronado
24 Matt Hylland WR 5-10 185 So. 1L Sioux Falls, S.D. Lincoln
25 Tyler Duffy RB 5-10 200 So. — Brookings, S.D. Brookings
26 Dominique Clare RB 6-0 220 R-Fr. — Delano, Minn. Delano
27 James Britt DB 6-0 175 R-Fr. — The Colony,Texas The Colony
28 Rodkem Matthews DB 6-0 190 R-Fr. — Kansas City, Mo. North
29 Kyle Harris K 6-2 185 Fr. — Florissant, Mo. Hazelwood Central
30 Kyle Minett RB 5-10 205 So. 1L Ruthton, Minn. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton
31 Tyrel Kool RB 5-10 180 Fr. — Yankton, S.D. Yankton
32 Adam Fritz DB 5-11 200 Sr. 2L Colman, S.D. Colman-Egan
33 Adam Monke RB 5-9 190 Jr. 2L Nickerson, Neb. Arlington
34 Jordan Paula RB 6-3 250 Jr. 2L Brookings, S.D. Brookings
35 Nash Simet DB 5-9 200 Sr. 3L Brookings, S.D. Brookings
36 Isaiah Jackson LB 6-2 225 Jr. 2L Chandler, Ariz. Chandler
37 Nathan O’Dea WR 5-10 190 R-Fr. — Philip, S.D. Philip
38 Chris Tracy LB 6-2 205 Fr. — Larchwood, Iowa West Lyon
39 Derek Domino LB 6-3 225 So. 1L Spring Lake Park, Minn. Spring Lake Park
40 NickVan Wyhe DL 6-5 255 Sr. — Luverne, Minn. Luverne
41 Casey Cuppy WR 6-2 200 R-Fr. — Harrold, S.D. Harrold
42 Stefan Geissler RB 6-1 230 So. 1L Cadott, Wis. Cadott
43 Chris Johnson LB 6-2 240 Jr. 2L Council Bluffs, Iowa Abraham Lincoln
44 Ross Shafrath LB 6-2 200 Fr. — Hampton, Iowa Hampton-Dumont
45 Mike Lien LB 6-1 220 Fr. — Castaic, Calif. Valencia
46 Jake Steffen DL 6-5 240 R-Fr. — MountVernon, S.D. MountVernon
47 Kyle Sheehan TE 6-4 260 So. — Grayson, Ga. Fairmont/Purdue
48 Dirk Kool LB 6-3 225 R-Fr. — Fairfield, Iowa Fairfield
50 Mao Lefiti DL 6-5 220 Jr. — Koneoham, Hawaii Palomar College
51 Dean Priddy P 6-3 205 So. 1L Eden Prairie, Minn. Eden Prairie
52 Andy Mink DL 6-3 220 Fr. — Greenwood, Neb. Ashland/Greenwood
54 Danny Batten DL 6-4 240 Jr. 2L Gilbert, Ariz. Mesquite
55 Josiah Fitzsimmons DL 6-4 240 Fr. — Ames, Iowa Ames
56 Jesse Ekeren LB 6-2 215 So. — Volin, S.D. Yankton
57 Joe Kennedy DL 6-4 225 Fr. — Wall, S.D. St.Thomas More
60 Ryan McKnight OL 6-2 285 So. 1L Sioux Falls, S.D. Washington
61 Jonathan Fick OL 6-5 255 Fr. — Doon, Iowa Boyden-Hull
62 Alex Olinger OL 6-4 270 Fr. — Ames, Iowa Ames
63 Tyler Luethje OL 6-5 250 Fr. — Gladbrook, Iowa Gladbrook-Reinbeck
64 Nick Flesner OL 6-3 280 Sr. 3L Pierce, Neb. Pierce
65 Will Castle OL 6-3 275 Fr. — Brandon, S.D. BrandonValley
66 Casey Elshere OL 6-5 240 R-Fr. — Philip, S.D. Philip
68 Woody Orne OL 6-5 275 R-Fr. — Fairfield, Iowa Fairfield
70 Casey Knips OL 6-8 300 Jr. 2L Adrian, Minn. Adrian
71 Evan Skiles OL 6-6 315 Jr. — Beatrice, Neb. Beatrice
72 Jacob Ludemann OL 6-6 290 Jr. — Norfolk, Neb. Norfolk Catholic
73 Nate Koskovich OL 6-4 320 Jr. — Kingsley, Iowa Kingsley-Pierson
74 Zach Buchner OL 6-5 280 R-Fr. — Coon Rapids, Minn. Coon Rapids
75 Kevin Robling OL 6-3 270 Sr. 3L Jordan, Minn. Jordan
76 Brendan Luedtke OL 6-5 225 R-Fr. — Fifield,Wis. Park Falls
77 Casey Bender OL 6-6 285 Jr. 1L Lindsay, Neb. Lindsay Holy Family
78 Scott Gillen OL 6-3 275 Sr. 3L White Lake, S.D. White Lake
79 Blake Sunne LS 5-9 215 R-Fr. — Valley Springs, S.D. BrandonValley
80 Justin Mitchell WR 6-1 200 So. — Saukville,Wis. PortWashington
81 Saunders Montague WR 6-1 185 Sr. 1L Gilbert, Ariz. Mesquite/Scottsdale CC
82 Mike Steffen WR 6-4 205 Jr. 2L MountVernon, S.D. MountVernon
83 Brandon Gant WR 5-10 195 R-Fr. — Olathe, Kan. North
84 Keegan Nesvacil TE 6-3 220 Fr. — Middleton,Wis. Middleton
85 Dan Schmidt WR 6-4 195 Fr. — Brookings, S.D. Brookings
86 Luke Greving TE 6-4 235 Sr. 1L Alton, Iowa MOC-FloydValley
87 Colin Cochart TE 6-5 245 So. 1L Kewaunee,Wis. Kewaunee
88 Sam Kavanagh TE6-5 245 R-Fr. — DeGraff, Minn K-M-S
89 Alex Beyer TE6-3 250 So. — Neenah, Wis. Neenah
90 Jason Nobiling DL 6-6 240 Sr. 2L Huxley, Iowa Ballard Minnesota 14
91 AntonioThompson DL 6-3 255 So. 1L Sioux Falls, S.D. Roosevelt Nebraska 8
92 Eric Wood DL 6-3 235 R-Fr. — Flower Mound,Texas Flower Mound Texas 7
93 Seth Daughters TE 6-6 220 Fr. — Hamill, S.D. Winner
94 Brian Fischer DL 6-2 255 So. 1L Ashton, Iowa Sheldon
95 Steven Bazata DL 6-5 280 Jr. 2L Howells, Neb Howells
96 Jared Crumly DL 6-3 235 So. — Hartington, Neb. Hartington
97 Eric Schroeder DL 6-4 285 Sr. 3L Stewartville, Minn. Stewartville
98 Ross Basham DL 6-1 265 So. — Bridgeport,Texas Bridgeport
99 Peter Reifenrath K 5-11 190 So. — Decorah, Iowa Decorah

*seniors in bold
member submitted

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11/7

Jackrabbit Seniors –

Ryan Berry **
6-3, 205, Senior
Quarterback
Watertown, S.D. (Watertown H.S.)
Major: Biology/Pre-Med
2R
Ryan returns for his second season as the Jackrabbits’ starting
quarterback ... two-time Academic All-Great West Football
Conference selection (2005, 2007)
CAREER PASSING STATISTICS
Year G-GS Comp Att Int Pct. Yds TD LG NCAA Eff
2005 8-2 52 89 7 .584 711 7 55 135.8
2006 3-0 9 22 3 .409 74 0 11 41.9
2007 11-11 197 328 9 .601 2,132 19 *70 128.3

Career 22-13 258 439 19 .588 2,917 26 *70 125.5

CAREER RUSHING STATISTICS
Year Att Gain Loss Net Avg. TD LG
2005 27 121 47 74 2.7 1 *21
2006 5 5 13 -8 -1.6 0 3
2007 27 73 94 -21 -0.8 0 18
Career 59 199 154 45 0.8 1 *21
* denotes touchdown
SINGLE-GAME CAREER HIGHS
Completions: 28, at Youngstown State (Ohio), 9-8-2007
Attempts: 47, at Georgia Southern, 10-6-2007
Passing Yards: 335, at Georgia Southern, 10-6-2007
Touchdowns: ^5, vs. Georgia Southern, 10-29-2005
Long Pass: 70 yards, to JaRon Harris, at UC Davis, 10-27-2007, and to Saunders Montague, at Central Arkansas, 11-3-2007 (both for touchdowns)
^ tied school record

Brock Campbell ***
6-2, 218, Senior
Defensive Back
Cherokee, Iowa (Washington H.S.)
Major: Economics • Honors Candidate •
Brock is the lone returning starter in the Jackrabbit secondary ... began collegiate career as wide receiver before moving to free safety
2007: Started all 11 games and ranked fourth on the team with 68
tackles ... earned team’s defensive player of the week honor in consecutive weeks for his efforts against Cal Poly and UC Davis ...
2006: Appeared in four games before suffering season-ending injury at
Nicholls State (La.) …
2005: played in 10 games, totaling seven tackles ... joined the
Jackrabbit men’s basketball team late in 2005-06 season, appearing in
five games
2004: Redshirted

CAREER RECEIVING STATISTICS
Year No. Yards Avg. LG TD
2005 1 16 16.0160
Career 1 16 16.0 16 0
CAREER DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
Year G Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds Sack-Yds PBU Int-Yds BK FR FF
2005 10 3 4 7 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0
2006 4 2 3 5 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0
2007 11 37 31 68 1-2 0-0 4 1-23 0 0 0
Career 21 40 35 75 1-2 0-0 4 1-23 0 0 0
SINGLE-GAME CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 11, at Western Illinois, 8-30-2007, and vs. Northern Iowa, 9-15-2007
Tackles For Loss: 1, at Georgia Southern, 10-6-2007
Interceptions: 1, vs. Southern Utah, 11-10-2007
Pass Breakups: 2, at UC Davis, 10-27-2007

Nick Flesner ***
6-3, 285, Senior
Offensive Line
Pierce, Neb. (Pierce H.S.)
Major: Construction Management
64
Nick will help anchor the Jackrabbit offensive line during the 2008
season ... has started all 11 games each of the last two seasons at
left guard
2007: Received honorable mention all-Great West Football Conference
honors ... honored on GWFC All-Academic Team
2006: Earned second-team all-GWFC honors
2005: Earned first varsity letter, coming off the bench in five games

Adam Fritz **
5-11, 195, Senior
Defensive Back
Colman, S.D. (Colman-Egan H.S.)
Major: Mechanical Engineering
32
Adam has lettered as a backup cornerback and special teams player
each of the past two seasons and will vie for a starting role in 2008
2007: Played in all 11 games ... made first collegiate start and
responded with career-high 10 tackles against Northern Iowa
2006: Saw action in 10 games, earning first varsity letter

CAREER DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
Year G Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds Sack-Yds PBU Int-Yds BK FR FF
2005 1 0 0 0 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0
2006 10 2 5 7 1-11 0-0 1 0-0 0 0 0

Scott Gillen ***
6-3, 285, Senior
Offensive Line
White Lake, S.D. (White Lake H.S.)
Major: Electrical Engineering
78
Scott has lettered each of the last three seasons as a reserve and spot
starter on the offensive line

Luke Greving **
6-4, 225, Senior
Tight End
Alton, Iowa (MOC-Floyd Valley H.S.)
Major: Industrial Management
86
Luke has lettered three times and is the team’s most experienced
returning tight end
2007: Saw action in all 11 games
2006: Played in nine of the team’s 11 games
2005: Earned first varsity letter after appearing in 10 games ...
CAREER RECEIVING STATISTICS
Year No. Yards Avg. LG TD
2005 4 34 8.5 11 0
2006 3 16 5.3 7 0
2007 6 35 5.8 7 0
Career 13 85 6.5 11 0

JaRon Harris ***
6-1, 200, Senior
Wide Receiver
Sioux Falls, S.D. (Washington H.S.)
Major: Psychology • Honors Candidate •
1
JaRon has been a top receiving threat each of the past two seasons,
earning second-team all-Great West Football Conference honors in
both 2006 and 2007

CAREER RECEIVING STATISTICS
Year No. Yards Avg. LG TD
2005 3 80 26.7 *50 2
2006 39 531 13.6 47 4
2007 40 664 16.6 *70 7
Career 82 1,275 15.5 *70 13
CAREER RUSHING STATISTICS
Year No. Yards Avg. LG TD
2006 1 4 4.0 4 0
2007 2 5 2.5 *3 1
Career 3 9 3.0 4 1
CAREER KICKOFF RETURN STATISTICS
Year No. Yards Avg. LG TD
2005 10 333 33.3 *86 1
2006 16 273 17.1 34 0
Career 26 606 23.3 *86 1
* denotes touchdown
CAREER 100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES
Date Opponent No. Yards TD LG
9-30-2006 McNeese State (La.) 7 109 1 40
10-21-2006 Cal Poly 6 133 3 45
10-28-2006 UC Davis 7 110 0 47
9-29-2007 Stephen F. Austin (Texas) 4 111 1 52
10-6-2007 Georgia Southern 6 122 1 33
10-27-2007 UC Davis 6 128 2 70
SINGLE-GAME CAREER HIGHS
Receptions: 7, at McNeese State (La.), 9-30-2006, and vs. UC Davis, 10-28-2006
Receiving Yards: 133, at Cal Poly, 10-21-2006
Touchdown Receptions: 3, at Cal Poly, 10-21-2006
Total Touchdowns: 3, at Cal Poly, 10-21-2006 (all receiving); and at UC Davis, 10-27-2007 (2 receiving, 1 rushing)
Long Reception: *70 yards, from Ryan Berry, at UC Davis, 10-27-2007
Long Kickoff Return: *86 yards, vs. Southern Utah, 11-5-2005

Saunders Montague *
6-1, 190, Senior
Wide Receiver
Gilbert, Ariz (Scottsdale CC)
Major: Pre-Economics
84
Saunders contributed more in the passing game as the 2007 season
progressed, after joining the Jackrabbits from the junior college ranks
CAREER RECEIVING STATISTICS
Year No. Yards Avg. LG TD
2007 13 236 18.2 *70 1
* denotes touchdown

Jason Nobiling **
6-6, 240, Senior
Defensive Line
Huxley, Iowa (Ballard H.S.)
Major: Construction Management
90
Jason returns to the Jackrabbit defensive line after starting seven games during the 2007 season
Seniors
CAREER DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
Year G Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds Sack-Yds PBU Int-Yds BK FR FF
2005 10 19 24 43 3.5-24 2.0-19 0 0-0 0 1 2
2006 1 1 2 3 0.5-1 0.0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0
2007 11 6 16 22 1.5-4 0.5-3 0 0-0 1 0 0
Career 22 26 42 68 5.5-29 2.5-22 0 0-0 1 1 2
CAREER KICKOFF RETURN STATISTICS
Year No. Yards Avg. LG TD
2005 1 5 5.0 5 0
Career 1 5 5.0 5 0
SINGLE-GAME CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 14, vs. Georgia Southern, 10-29-2005
Tackles for Loss: 1, four times (last: at Central Arkansas, 11-3-2007)
Sacks: 1, vs.Valparaiso (Ind.), 9-10-2005, and at Montana, 9-17-2005
Fumble Recoveries: 1, vs.Valparaiso (Ind.), 9-10-2005
Forced Fumbles: 1, at Montana, 9-17-2005, and vs. UC Davis, 10-8-2005
Blocked Kicks: 1, at UC Davis, 10-27-2007

Eric Schroeder ***
6-4, 280, Senior
Defensive Line
Stewartville, Minn. (Stewartville H.S.)
Major: Environmental Management • Honors Candidate •
97
Eric is expected to be one of the top returning defensive players in the Missouri Valley Football Conference ... is back for his third season as a starter on the interior of the Jackrabbit defensive line
2007: Was a force on the defensive line as he earned second-team all-
Great West Football Conference recognition ... led the GWFC with 13 1/2
tackles for loss and ranked third with 6 1/2 sacks ... tied for fourth on team with 68 tackles ...
CAREER DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
Year G Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds Sack-Yds PBU Int-Yds BK FR FF
2005 11 11 23 34 7.0-22 2.0-16 1 0-0 0 1 0
2006 11 26 20 46 10.5-51 6.5-42 0 0-0 1 0 0
2007 11 30 38 68 13.5-62 6.5-44 0 0-0 1 0 1
Career 33 67 81 148 31-135 15-102 1 0-0 2 1 1
SINGLE-GAME CAREER HIGHS
Tackles: 13, vs. Cal Poly, 10-20-2007
Tackles for Loss: 3, at Cal Poly, 10-21-2006
Sacks: 2.5, vs. Southern Utah, 11-10-2007
Fumble Recoveries: 1, vs.Valparaiso (Ind.), 9-10-2005
Forced Fumbles: 1, vs.Texas State, 9-22-2007
Blocked Kicks: 1, vs. UC Davis, 10-28-2006, and vs. Northern Iowa, 9-15-2007
Pass Breakups: 1, vs. Missouri-Rolla, 10-22-2005

Nash Simet ***
5-9, 180, Senior
Defensive Back
Brookings, S.D. (Brookings H.S.)
Major: Journalism
35
Nash has been a key contributor on special teams and as a reserve in
the secondary during his Jackrabbit career
CAREER RUSHING STATISTICS
Year Att Gain Loss Net Avg. TD LG
2005 11 26 0 26 2.4 0 7
Career 11 26 0 26 2.4 0 7
CAREER DEFENSIVE STATISTICS
Year G Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds Sack-Yds PBU Int-Yds BK FR FF
2005 11 1 2 3 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0
2006 11 6 5 11 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0
2007 11 5 5 10 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0
Career 33 12 12 24 0-0 0-0 0 0-0 0 0 0

[Mod66]

11/8

The upcoming 2008 season at South Dakota State University will be another of firsts for the Jackrabbit football team.
• SDSU joins the Missouri Valley Football Conference, after spending the previous four seasons as a member of the Great West Football Conference.
•The Jackrabbits will play their first-ever game against an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision team since becoming a D-I Football Championship Subdivision squad, traveling to Iowa State for the season opener on Aug. 28.
• SDSU will be eligible for the FCS playoffs for the first time, after completing its transition from NCAA Division II to full D-I status.
The Jackrabbits will take on these new challenges with a team that returns 35 lettermen, including 14 starters, while also attempting to
build on their recent success. SDSU has posted back-to-back 7-4 seasons, ending both the 2006 and 2007 campaigns ranked in the FCS
top 25, as well as winning the GWFC title in 2007.
Following is a position-by-position look at the 2008 Jackrabbits:
OFFENSE
Quarterback
Senior Ryan Berry returns for his second year as the full-time starter.The Watertown native proved to be an efficient signal-caller in 2007 as he threw for scores in 10 of 11 games, completing 60.1 percent of his passes for 2,132 yards and 19 touchdowns against only nine interceptions. Behind Berry, the Jackrabbits are relatively inexperienced. Junior Ryan Crawford and sophomore Corey Jeske have combined to complete one pass in their collegiate careers.Transfer Marcel Jones also could be in the mix. The quarterbacks, as well as the wide receivers, are working this season under a new position coach as Don Bailey joined the coaching staff in March.
Running Back
Workhorse Cory Koenig graduated, leaving sophomore Kyle Minett as the most experienced running back. During his freshman season, Minett rushed for 476 yards and five touchdowns, averaging a team-best 6.2 yards
per carry. He also caught 16 passes for 162 yards and two scores.
A stable of other young running backs who have waited for their opportunities to play will provide quality depth.
Junior Adam Monke, who also has returned kicks, will vie for more carries in 2008, along with a pair of Brookings natives, junior Jordan Paula and sophomore Tyler Duffy.
Redshirt freshman Dominique Clare also could factor into the rushing attack with his bruising style of running, and Stefan Geissler has moved back to running back after playing at linebacker in 2007.
Wide Receiver
All-conference performer JaRon Harris
returns for his senior season after catching 40 balls for 664 yards and a team-best seven touchdowns. Fellow senior Saunders Montague also stretched the field at times last season, posting a team-best 18.2 yards per catch as his 13 receptions covered 236 yards. Junior Glen Fox emerged as a solid receiver as he hauled in 24 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown. Junior Mike Steffen and sophomore Matt Hylland also return to the receiving corps, which should be further bolstered with the
addition of redshirt freshman Brandon Gant.
Tight End
Starters Chris Wagner and Matt Anderson graduated, but the Jackrabbits return letterwinners Luke Greving and Colin Cochart. Sophomore Alex Beyer and reshirt freshman Sam Kavanagh also are expected to contribute
both in the passing game and as run blockers.
Offensive Line
Three starters return, but the Jackrabbits face the daunting task of filling holes left by the graduations of left tackle Preston Crumly and All-America right guard Mitch Erickson. Senior center Kevin Robling and senior guard Nick Flesner anchor the offensive line, with help from junior and returning starting right tackle Casey Bender. Nate Koskovich is the early candidate to fill the void at right guard, while fellow junior Casey Knips is penciled in at left tackle. Other experienced players returning include tackles Evan Skiles and Scott Gillen and center Ryan McKnight. Redshirt freshmen Zach Buchner and Woody Orne also may be called on to contribute this season.
Defensive Line
The Jackrabbit front four again figures to be the heart and soul of the defensive unit as three starters return. Senior defensive tackle Eric Schroeder led the Great West in tackles for loss a season ago, notching 13.5 with 6.5 sacks. Junior Danny Batten enjoyed another fined season at his defensive end position in 2007, lining up on the opposite side of Jason Nobiling. Batten tallied 67 tackles and 4.5 sacks in his second year as a starter, earning first-team all-conference and honorable mention All-America honors. Antonio Thompson will look for an expanded role in 2008, along with down linemen Steven Bazata, Brian Fischer and Jared Crumly. Redshirt freshman Jake Steffen has been moved to a defensive end position after playing mostly at linebacker during his redshirt season.
Linebacker
The second line of the Jackrabbit defense features experience, but has some questions with regards.The top two tacklers a season ago, Jimmy Rogers (110 tackles) and Chris Johnson (106 tackles) return to the starting lineup. Rogers is expected to move from the strong side to the weak side, with sophomore Derek Domino slated to fill the Sam linebacker position. Junior Isaiah Jackson will be the primary backup at linebacker, with Jesse Ekeren also expected to see playing time.
Secondary
Perhaps no other area of the team was hit harder by graduation than in the secondary, where SDSU faces the task of replacing allconference performers Brock Gentile and Tyler Koch, as well as starting safety Andrew Hoogeveen. Free safety Brock Campbell is the lone returning starter.The hard-hitting senior registered 68 tackles and an interception during his junior season in 2007. Joining Campbell at safety is sophomore Conrad Kjerstad.The Wall native tallied 26 tackles in 2007 and returned an interception 82 yards for a touchdown on Hobo Day. Senior Nash Simet also returns at safety, while Joseph Blackman, Adam Fritz, General Parnell and Cole Brodie all saw action at cornerback last season. A number of other young players will contend for playing time.
SPECIAL TEAMS
SDSU dominated in the area of special teams last season, but faces some challenges in 2008. The biggest holes to fill is are at kicker and punt returner, where the Jackrabbits are in search of replacement for record setters Parker Douglass and Paul Aanonson.
The kicking position likely won’t be settled until fall camp, when incoming freshman Kyle Harris will battle Peter Reifenrath for the starting nod in an attempt to replace Douglass, who set nearly every kicking record at SDSU. Cole Brodie was the only Jackrabbit in spring ball who has returned a punt at the collegiate level, although SDSU has a dangerous kickoff return man coming back in Adam Monke. A Junior, Monke averaged 26.2 yards per kick return in 2007, including a 91-yard touchdown return on the opening kickoff against Cal Poly. Sophomore Dean Priddy returns to handle the punting duties for a second season. Priddy improved throughout the 2007 campaign, landing 14 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line while posting an average of 38.6 yards per punt.

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11/9

BROOKINGS - Neither Mother Nature nor Illinois State could so much as slow streaking South Dakota State.

The Jackrabbits scored 24 unanswered points in the first quarter and quarterback Ryan Berry broke school and Missouri Valley Football Conference records for most touchdown passes in a game with seven in a 52-21 victory against the Redbirds before a crowd of 3,276 at frigid, snowy, windy, muddy Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

A senior from Watertown, Berry also set school marks for career touchdown passes (52) and career completions (477) as SDSU stayed in a three-way tie atop the Valley and extended its win streak to three. During that run, the Jacks (6-4, 5-1) have wracked up 1,514 yards and 144 points, outscoring the opposition by 101.

"We've finally found out things that work for us the best, and I think we're doing those things more on offense," said running back Kyle Minett, who had 161 yards rushing - breaking the 1,000 mark for the season - and 42 yards receiving. "Also, we're really starting to get more healthy up front. That helps the run game and gives Ryan time to throw seven touchdown passes like he did tonight."

Berry wasn't sure he would attempt seven passes due to the conditions. But in front of a national audience on Fox College Sports network, he wound up 17 of 29 for 237 yards with seven touchdowns - believed to be the most in the Football Championship Subdivision this year - and no turnovers.

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20081109/SPORTS0202/811090332/1002/SPORTS

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11/10

SDSU SPORTS

South Dakota State sponsors 10 men’s and 11 women’s sports. In football, Jacks joined the MoValley Football Conference in 2008. Jacks participate in the Summit League in most sports. All but football, wrestling and equestrian are competed in the Summit. Wrestling team competes in the Western Wrestling Conference. Equestrian is independent.

Men’s sports are: Women’s sport are:

Football Equestrian
Basketball Basketball
Cross Country Cross Country
Indoor Track Indoor Track
Outdoor Track Outdoor Track
Baseball Softball
Golf Golf
Tennis Tennis
Swimming/Diving Swimming/Diving
Wrestling Soccer
Volleyball


SDSU won the women’s all-sports title in their inaugural year of 2007-08. Won the Volleyball, Basketball titles and were consistently in the top half of the conference.

Already in fall 2008, the SDSU women are off to a great repeat. The Cross Country and Soccer teams won the conference titles and the Volleyball team will be 5th. Men’s golf had a great fall, and cracked the top 100 ranking.

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11/11

SDSU at War (The West Point of the Plains)

South Dakota State has had a strong military training or ROTC program since the campus opened in 1889. Currently both the Army and Air Force have active chapters.

General Omar Bradley was a former Professor of Military Science here at SDSU. Although he is more well known as being the commander of the largest field force in military history during World War II, and the first ever Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, it was he who dubbed SDSU Army ROTC "The West Point of the Plains". This title is still used frequently and proudly by all of its members past and present.

Classes for 61 students began at this Land-Grant College on September 24, 1884. Military History was taught at that time and the Military Department was headed by a civilian, Professor Robert F. Kerr, who was also in charge of Political Economics and Practical Business. The following year an Army officer, Captain W. S. Bentley was assigned here. Since then, many officers have served as head of the Military Science department, including General Omar N. Bradley , who was assigned here as a Captain in 1919. Colonel Dwight L. Adams served two tours as head of the Military Science Department and is the only Professor of Military Science Emeritus in the Nation.By 1886, uniforms and breech loading muskets were furnished to the cadets for drill. The cadets marched on the campus grounds and attended lectures and recitations. By the third fall term two cadet companies had been formed and held their first dress parade on October 19, 1886. In the early part of the century, the military band was formed and was the only band the college had for many years. Headed by Carl Christensen for 50 years, the band retained its military character until the 1950s. The band played for reviews, parades, athletic events and concerts. In 1904 the band traveled to St. Louis to play at the World's Fair. Information on the performances of the band can be found in the reference work "Bands of the St. Louis World's Fair: Information, Photographs, and Database." by Richard and Iris Schwartz. The band performed numerous times between July 14th and July 23rd 1904.

Following passage of the National Defense Act of 1916, the Army ROTC unit was formally established. It remained compulsory until a decision by the Board of Regents in December 1968 made the basic ROTC program voluntary for freshmen in 1969 and thereafter. Air Force ROTC was activated at South Dakota State University shortly after the Air Force reentered the ROTC field in 1946. It is the only Air Force ROTC program in the state. During the mandatory program, a division of all male freshmen was made by SDSU which provided 60% to the Army ROTC program and 40% to the Air Force. The high point of Army ROTC enrollment was in 1967-68 with 1,362 ROTC cadets and in 1969-72 our enrollment was in the Upper 2 percent in the Nation. On a percentage basis of Army ROTC enrollment to total male enrollment, we ranked 11th of 275 Army ROTC host institutions, and when considered only among those hosting two or more services, we ranked first. From 1924-2001 we commissioned 2,798 officers with the largest class of 177 in 1970.This detachment was selected as one of ten schools in the Nation to participate in a coed ROTC test program and was the first in the Nation to enroll coeds in ROTC. BG Mildred Bailey, Women's Army Corps, visited the detachment in May 1972 to officiate at the enrollment. The coed enrollment was second in size to Penn State that year. On 1 May 1976 General William E. DePuy, TRADOC Commander, administered the oath here to the first women in the Nation to be commissioned through Army ROTC. He is a 1941 alumnus of SDSU.Over the years, this unit has become known as "West Point of the Plains" because of the quality and quantity of officers produced. The West Point of the Plains Association was organized in 1978 for alumni of the SDSU Army ROTC program, due to the esprit de corps existing among the grads and former cadre of the program.

Over 200 SDSU ex-students fought in WWI, with 27 causalities. In WWII, over 60 fought, including at least 4 dead. A group of SDSU cadets became known as the “44 Kings”, including Sherwood O. Berg, SDSU president 1975-1987, Willibald Bianchi, class of 1940, won two Congressional Medals of Honor, survived the Bataan Death March, only to die when his POW ship was bombed on Jan.9, 1943. On Sept. 22, 2000, a Medal of Honor park was dedicated next to the ROTC Armory, with bronze reliefs of Bianchi, and Lt. Leo Thorsness, from the Vietnam war.

In Vietnam, Leo Thorsness was captured, and like John McCain, held at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton”, and after years of being a POW, was released. Joe Thorne, class of ’63, was a star football fullback in 1960 & 1961, drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Instead, like many SDSU ROTC, he went to Vietnam, where he was killed in action Easter of 1965.

We, of SDSU, remember our military stars, and victims of war for Veterans Day. We pray for safety for all soldiers serving now.

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11/12

SDSU Football History

YEAR RECORD COACH NOTES
1889 0-0-1
1897 0-1-0
1898 1-1-1
1899 3-1-0
1900 4-1-0 Mr. Morrison
1901 3-2-0 L.L. Gilkey
1902 3-2-0
1903 1-2-0 J. Harrison Werner
1904 4-2-1 William Blaine
1905 2-3-0 William Juneau
1906 3-1-0 William Juneau
1907 5-2-0 William Juneau
1908 3-3-1 William Juneau
1909 1-3-0 J.M. Saunderson
1910 4-2-2 J.M. Saunderson
1911 4-4-0 Frederick Johnson
1912 2-3-1 Harry "Buck" Ewing
1913 5-3-0 Harry "Buck" Ewing
1914 5-2-0 Harry "Buck" Ewing
1915 5-1-1 Harry "Buck" Ewing
1916 4-2-0 Harry "Buck" Ewing
1917 5-1-0 Harry "Buck" Ewing
1918 No games
1919 4-1-1 C.A. "Jack" West
1920 4-2-1 C.A. "Jack" West
1921 7-1-0 C.A. "Jack" West
1922 5-2-1 C.A. "Jack" West NCC Champion
1923 3-4-0 C.A. "Jack" West
1924 6-1-0 C.A. "Jack" West NCC Champion
1925 2-3-2 C.A. "Jack" West NCC Champion
1926 8-0-3 C.A. "Jack" West
1927 5-3-1 C.A. "Jack" West
1928 9-1-0 T.C. "Cy" Kasper
1929 5-4-1 T.C. "Cy" Kasper
1930 2-6-1 T.C. "Cy" Kasper
1931 6-3-0 T.C. "Cy" Kasper
1932 2-5-1 T.C. "Cy" Kasper
1933 6-3-0 T.C. "Cy" Kasper NCC Champion
1934 6-4-0 R.H. "Red" Threlfall
1935 4-4-1 R.H. "Red" Threlfall
1936 3-6-1 R.H. "Red" Threlfall
1937 4-5-0 R.H. "Red" Threlfall
1938 3-5-0 Jack Barnes
1939 7-2-0 Jack Barnes NCC Champion
1940 4-3-1 Jack Barnes
1941 2-5-0 Thurlo McCrady
1942 4-4-0 Thurlo McCrady
1943 No games
1944 1-1-0 Thurlo McCrady
1945 1-4-1 Thurlo McCrady
1946 3-3-2 Thurlo McCrady
1947 4-5-0 Ralph Ginn
1948 4-6-0 Ralph Ginn
1949 7-3-0 Ralph Ginn NCC Champion
1950 9-0-1Ralph Ginn NCC Champion
1951 8-1-1 Ralph Ginn
1952 4-4-1 Ralph Ginn
1953 5-3-1 Ralph Ginn NCC Champion
1954 7-2-0 Ralph Ginn NCC Champion
1955 6-2-1 Ralph Ginn NCC Champion
1956 4-5-0 Ralph Ginn
1957 6-2-1 Ralph Ginn NCC Champion
1958 4-5-0 Ralph Ginn
1959 2-7-0 Ralph Ginn
1960 5-4-1 Ralph Ginn
1961 8-2-0 Ralph Ginn NCC Champion
1962 7-2-1 Ralph Ginn NCC Champion
1963 9-1-0 Ralph Ginn NCC Champion
1964 2-8-0 Ralph Ginn
1965 1-8-1 Ralph Ginn
1966 3-7-0 Ralph Ginn
1967 4-6-0 Ralph Ginn
1968 4-6-0 Ralph Ginn
1969 3-7-0 Dave Kragthorpe
1970 2-8-0 Dean Pryor
1971 3-7-0 Dean Pryor
1972 6-5-0 John Gregory
1973 5-5-1 John Gregory
1974 6-5-0 John Gregory
1975 7-4-0 John Gregory
1976 5-4-1 John Gregory
1977 5-4-1 John Gregory
1978 5-6-0 John Gregory
1979 9-3-0 John Gregory NCAA Division II Playoff Qualifier
1980 3-8-0 John Gregory
1981 4-6-0 John Gregory
1982 4-6-0 Wayne Haensel
1983 5-6-0 Wayne Haensel
1984 3-8-0 Wayne Haensel
1985 7-4-0 Wayne Haensel
1986 6-5-0 Wayne Haensel
1987 5-5-0 Wayne Haensel
1988 7-4-0 Wayne Haensel
1989 5-6-0 Wayne Haensel
1990 3-8-0 Wayne Haensel
1991 7-3-0 Mike Daly
1992 7-3-0 Mike Daly
1993 7-4-0 Mike Daly
1994 7-4-0 Mike Daly
1995 6-5-0 Mike Daly
1996 7-4-0 Mike Daly
1997 4-6-0 John Stiegelmeier
1998 6-5-0 John Stiegelmeier
1999 8-3-0 John Stiegelmeier
2000 6-5-0 John Stiegelmeier
2001 5-6-0 John Stiegelmeier
2002 6-4-0 John Stiegelmeier
2003 7-4-0 John Stiegelmeier
2004 6-5-0 John Stiegelmeier First Season of Division I-AA play
2005 6-5-0 John Stiegelmeier
2006 7-4-0 John Stiegelmeier
2007 7-4-0 John Stiegelmeier GWFC Champions
Totals 513-414-38

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11/13

Voices of the Jackrabbits
Duo paints picture of SDSU sports
By John Papendick, [email protected]
Published on Monday, November 10, 2008
Two of the most well known voices in the Midwest use their talents to paint a picture of South Dakota State football on fall Saturdays.

The WNAX radio duo and voices of Jackrabbit football Steve Imming and Aberdeen native Jerry Oster are master craftsmen at their art, said SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier. Coach “Stig” is in his 12th season and led the Jacks last year to their first conference football title since 1963.

“With us moving up a division, we have played games all over America in the past four years,” said Stiegelmeier, a Selby native and the most veteran college football coach in South Dakota. “Steve and Jerry are the ones who have been out there painting a picture of our football program and university for America, and they are doing a great job.”

Stiegelmeier said Imming and Oster are fair and hard-working journalists. “They are not rah-rah guys for SDSU. They do their homework and tell the whole story. We talk to our players all the time about having a passion for what you do in life, and these guys have that passion. They have made that part of working with the media very easy for me and our program.”

Thousands of listeners from the five-state WNAX-570 AM listening area tune in to hear the outcome of the state's best known football program from the state's biggest university. Since moving to the Football Championship Subdivision (former Division IAA), SDSU has drawn some of the biggest crowds in the history of South Dakota football.

(MORE)

http://www.aberdeennews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081110/SPORTS/811100326

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2008 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE has played 9 opponents more than 30 times, all of these high played opponents were members of the North Central Conference during their times vs Jackrabbits.

Bold are teams will see as FCS opponents.
Italics are teams remaining in DII or lower.

Total Games Played (inc. 2008) Team
104 South Dakota
95 NDSU
83 North Dakota
75 Morningside
60 Augustana (SD)
43 UNI
35 Neb-Omaha
34 MN St- Mankota
33 St. Cloud St U
32 Northern Colorado

Series Records
OPPONENT RECORD LAST MTG OPPONENT RECORD LAST MTG OPPONENT RECORD LAST MTG
Arizona 0-1-0 1956 Kansas 0-1-0 1947 St. John’s (Minn.) 0-1-0 1953
Arkansas State 1-1-0 1963 Kansas State 0-2-0 1960 St. Louis University (Mo.) 1-1-0 1929
Augustana 43-15-2 2004 Loras (Iowa) 0-3-0 1948 St. Norbert (Wis.) 1-1-0 1940
Bemidji State 3-1-0 1961 Louisville (Ky.) 0-1-0 1978 St. Olaf (Minn.) 3-1-0 1950
Bradley 0-1-0 1949 Loyola, Chicago 0-1-1 1930 St.Thomas (Minn.) 5-2-0 1971
Buena Vista 2-1-0 1926 Luther 1-0-0 1936 SDSU Army 1-0-0 1944
California-Davis 4-2-0 2007 Macalester (MN) 1-0-1 1920 Sioux Falls (City) 1-2-0 1900
Cal Poly 2-2-0 2007 Madison (SD)High 1-0-0 1905 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 1-0-0 1994
Carleton College 2-2-0 1950 Manitoba University 1-0-0 1946 Stephen F. Austin (Texas) 1-0-0 2007
Catholic University 0-1-0 1933 Marquette (Wis.) 0-5-0 1958 South Dakota 47-50-7 2003
Central Arkansas 2-0-0 2007 McNeese State (La.) 1-0-0 2006 USD-Springfield 2-0-0 1931
Central Missouri 2-0-0 1988 Michigan State 0-1-0 1924 South Dakota Tech 8-2-1 1996
Chadron State 1-1-0 2002 Minnesota 0-6-0 1933 Southern University (La.) 1-0-0 2004
Cincinnati 1-0-0 1935 Minnesota B 1-0-0 1928 Southern Utah 3-1-0 2007
Colorado State 0-2-0 1966 Minnesota-Duluth 1-0-0 1966 Southwest Minn. State 4-0-0 1993
Columbus College 2-0-2 1928 Minn. State, Mankato 15-19-0 2003 Tampa University (Fla.) 1-0-0 1967
Concordia-Moorhead 0-1-1 1945 Minn. State, Moorhead 3-1-0 1978 Texas State 1-1-0 2007
Creighton (Neb.) 6-3-1 1934 Minot State (N.D.) 0-1-0 1945 Toledo University (Ohio) 1-1-0 1962
Dakota State 3-0-1 1908 Missouri-Rolla 2-0-0 2005 Toland’s 1-0-0 1907
Dakota Wesleyan 12-9-2 1934 Montana 0-6-0 2006 Trinity College (N.D.) 1-0-0 1917
Dayton (Ohio) 0-1-0 1977 Montana State 2-10-0 2004 Valparaiso (Ind.) 1-0-0 2005
DePaul 0-2-0 1937 Morningside (Iowa) 57-14-4 2003 Watertown (City) 1-0-0 1898
Des Moines University 1-0-0 1927 Nebraska 0-1-0 1963 Wayne State (Mich.) 1-2-0 1971
Detroit University 1-1-0 1927 Nebraska-Kearney 1-1-0 1991 Wayne State (Neb.) 2-0-0 2000
Drake 2-8-0 1983 Nebraska-Omaha 21-13-1 2003 Weber State (Utah) 0-3-0 1976
Duquense (Pa.) 0-1-0 1932 Nebraska Wesleyan 0-0-1 1925 Western State (Colo.) 1-0-1 1973
Eastern Michigan 1-2-0 1971 Nevada-Las Vegas 0-2-0 1975 Western Illinois 1-4-0 2007
Eastern Montana 1-0-0 1972 Nicholls State (La.) 1-0-0 2006 Western Oregon 2-0-0 2004
Emporia State (Kan.) 1-0-0 1951 North Dakota 33-45-5 2003 Western Washington 1-1-0 2002
Ferris State (Mich.) 1-0-0 2001 North Dakota State 38-51-5 2007 Westmar (Iowa) 0-2-0 1929
Flandreau City 5-0-0 1904 Northern Arizona 0-1-0 1985 West Texas State 0-1-0 1939
Flandreau Indians 3-1-0 1907 Northern Colorado 15-17 2005 Wichita State (Kan.) 1-4-0 1955
Fresno State (Calif.) 0-1-0 1964 Northern Iowa 16-24-2 2007 William Penn (Iowa) 1-0-0 2006
Georgia Southern 0-3-0 2007 Northern State 12-0-0 1941 Winona State (Minn.) 1-1-0 2004
Grand Valley State (Mich.) 2-0-0 2000 Northwest Missouri State 3-1-0 2003 Wisconsin 1-8-0 1937
Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.) 2-0-0 1936 Northwestern (Iowa) 1-1-0 1974 Wisconsin-La Crosse 3-2-0 2006
Hamline (Minn.) 5-1-0 1975 Oklahoma City 0-1-0 1946 Wisconsin-Stevens Point 1-0-0 1986
Hawaii 1-0-0 1926 Parsons (Kan) 0-1-0 1965 Wisconsin-Stout 2-0-0 1998
Humboldt State (Calif.) 1-0-0 2003 Pipestone (City) 2-0-0 1904 Wisconsin-Whitewater 1-0-0 1979
Huron College 22-3-0 1929 Portland State (Ore.) 0-3-0 1984 Wyoming 0-1-0 1984
Idaho 1-0-0 1979 Quantico Marines 1-0-0 1972 Yankton College 9-4-1 1939
Idaho State 2-0-0 1968 Regis (Colo.) 1-0-0 1927 Youngstown State (Ohio) 4-5-0 2007
Iowa State 0-2-0 1968 St. Cloud State (Minn.) 25-8-0 2003 Total 513-414-38

Versus 2008 Opponents
OPPONENT SERIES RECORD CURRENT STREAK LAST MEETING LAST SDSU WIN LAST OPPONENT WIN
Iowa State 0-2-0 L-2 —
Youngstown State 4-5-0 L-2 L, 17-23 (9-8-2007) 38-21 (11-15-1975) 23-17 (9-8-2007)
Western Illinois 1-4-0 L-3 L, 26-29 (8-30-2007) 23-6 (9-10-1977) 29-26 (8-30-2007)
Northern Iowa 16-24-2 L-2 L, 17-31 (9-15-2007) 14-7 (10-20-1979) 31-17 (9-15-2007)
Stephen F. Austin 1-0-0 W-1 W, 45-0 (9-29-2007) 45-0 (9-29-2007) —
McNeese State 1-0-0 W-1 W, 20-17 (9-30-2006) 20-17 (9-30-2006) —
Cal Poly 2-2-0 W-2 W, 48-35 (10-20-2007) 48-35 (10-20-2007) 24-16 (9-24-2005)
Indiana State First Meeting
Missouri State First Meeting
Illinois State First Meeting
Southern Illinois First Meeting
North Dakota State 38-51-5 W-1 W, 29-24 (11-17-2007) 29-24 (11-17-2007) 41-28 (11-18-2006)

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11/15

SDSU Football Stars of Yesteryear – 1896-1980

SDSU while rarely a powerhouse football school has seen several stars rise high into NFL/AFL/CFL ranks. With a 85 year conference history, the North Central Conference was a dominant force in NAIA, then NCAA College Division, then NCAA D-II. Out of that 85 year record, only ONE athlete has been selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. That star, Jim Langer, legendary center for the only undefeated team in pro history (1972 Miami Dolphins, was an SDSU JACKRABBIT. Pete Retzlaff, was a star of the ‘50’s, but even more known in management of the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. Below are more Jackrabbit stars, and more information on these two stars of yesteryear.

Weert Englemann
Graduated: 1930
Inducted: 1970
One of the all-time great athletes in not only SDSU but NCC history, Weert Englemann was a star performer in track who also performed well in football and basketball. As a sophomore, he scored 19 points in the NCC track meet as he won the discus and low hurdles, placed second in the broad jump and high hurdles, finished third in the javelin and fourth in the shot put. As a junior, he entered six events at the NCC meet and won all of them: high hurdles, low hurdles, discus, shot put, high jump and broad jump. As a senior, he repeated that feat, winning the same six events again.

Englemann graduated from SDSU with a degree in engineering in 1930 and went on to play four seasons for the Green Bay Packers.

FRANK KELLEY
Graduated: 1927
Inducted: 1976
Frank Kelley was described as a “veritable lightning bolt” by an opposing sports writer. He was the spark plug who ignited the 1926 Jackrabbits to an unbeaten gridiron season. He was the team’s leading scorer and rusher, and gained nationwide fame for his drop kicks. In games against St. Louis University and Hawaii, his kicks accounted for the winning points. He also presented a threat in passing, and during the 1926 season, he either ran, passed or kicked for all of SDSU’s points in NCC play — all from his halfback spot. He was all-conference in 1924 and 1926.

Kelley earned eight letters as a Jackrabbit in football, basketball and track. In track, he broke two world records in 1925, running the 45-yard low hurdles in 5.8 seconds and the 50-yard high hurdles in 6.2 seconds. He won the NCC 120-yard high hurdles in 1926 and ’27, and the 220-yard low hurdles in 1925 and ’27. Following graduation, Kelley joined the world champion New York Giants and played 17 straight games before retiring.

PALMER “PETE” RETZLAFF
Graduated: 1953
Inducted: 1977
Palmer “Pete” Retzlaff became the 13th member of the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame on Hobo Day, October 22, 1977. Retzlaff performed on the SDSU football and track teams for two years, setting 16 SDSU records during the 1951-52 and 1952-53 seasons. He was on the All-North Central Conference football team both seasons, setting an SDSU single-season rushing record in 1951 with 1,016 yards. And he set school, NCC and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) records in both the shot put and discus, leading SDSU to a national team title in track in 1953.

“Pistol Pete” or “The Baron” went on to set Eagle receiving records for most passes caught in a season, 66; most passes caught in a career, 452; and most yards receiving in a career, 7,412. He played for the Eagles for 11 seasons and when he retired, his jersey number 44 was also retired. Now, 41 years removed from his last season on the gridiron, Retzlaff is second to only Harold Carmichael in career pass receptions and yards in Eagles' franchise history. He ranks fifth all-time on the club in touchdown catches. A member of the Eagles Honor Roll, he is one of only six players to have had their numbers retired by the team.

After his retirement as a player, he was hired as vice president and general manager of the Eagles (1969-1972). Also was the NFL PA President for two years, 1962-1964.

The 6-2, 210 pound Retzlaff excelled as a fullback for the Jackrabbits. Ironically, for a guy who did almost everything on the football field at SDSU — rushing, scoring, total offense, punting, kickoff returns, punt returns — he never caught a pass in his Jackrabbit career. And it was his receiving ability which earned him appearances in five Pro Bowl games.

But as good as he was on the football field at State, his accomplishments in track were even more impressive. He was NAIA national champion in both the shot put and discus twice, setting national marks at 50 feet, 8 inches in the shot and 164 feet, 11 inches in the discus in 1953. At the 1953 North Central Conference Championships, Retzlaff scored 34 points including first in the shot put (50-0), first in the discus (162-6 1/2), first in the high jump (6-1), and fourth in the javelin.

Doug Eggers
Graduated: 1952
Inducted: 1980
Doug Eggers, team captain and all-North Central Conference as a player on the 1951 SDSU football team, joined the Hall of Fame in 1980. Eggers, from Wagner, lettered three straight years for the Jacks on teams which finished 7-3, 9-0-1, and 8-1-1.

He was drafted into the Army following his graduation and ended up playing on the post football team at Fort Belvior, Va. Coach of that team was Al Davis, who went on to become managing general partner of the Oakland Raiders. Davis arranged a tryout for Eggers, first with the Philadelphia Eagles and then with the Baltimore Colts. Eggers signed with the Colts for a $500 bonus and played linebacker for four seasons before spending his last professional season with the Chicago Cardinals.

Wayne Rasmussen
Graduated: 1964
Inducted: 1985
Wayne Rasmussen was an all-North Central Conference performer in three sports, football, basketball, and baseball.

A native of Howard, Rasmussen went on to play 10 years in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions. Rasmussen earned all-NCC honors twice in football (1962 and 1963), twice in basketball (1963 and 1964) and once in baseball (1964). He led the NCC in pass receiving during the 1962 football season, and was the NCC Back of the Year in 1963, when he was also team tri-captain. Rasmussen played on the 1961-62-63 Jackrabbit football teams which went 8-2, 7-2-1 and 9-1, winning three straight NCC championships.

Rasmussen set seven school records and three still stood when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985: passes caught in one game, 11; most TD passes caught in one season, 7; and most TD passes caught in a career. He also had the records for the most passes caught in a season, 29; most passes intercepted in a season, 7; most passes intercepted in a career, 12; and most interception return yards, career, 110. Those had been broken by 1985.

A starting guard in basketball, he was named the Outstanding Player at the 1963 NCAA College Division tournament when SDSU won the national championship. The Jacks were 13-9, 22-5 and 14-7 during his three years. After winning the conference title in 1963, the Jacks hosted and won the Midwest Regional and went on to the national finals tournament at Evansville were State defeated Fresno State 84-71, Southern Illinois 80-76 and Wittenburg 44-42 to win the national title. Rasmussen scored 30 points against Fresno, 16 against Southern Illinois and 10 against Wittenburg.

Rasmussen also was a three-year letterman in baseball, earning all-NCC as a senior. He batted .323 as a sophomore, his best single-season average.

After leaving SDSU, Rasmussen played 10 years as a defensive back for the Lions. Two of his sons, Wade and Casey, played football for the Jacks.

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11/15 continued from 11/15

SDSU Football Stars of Yesteryear – 1896-1980

JIM LANGER
Graduated: 1970
Inducted: 1988
The only North Central Conference player ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame became the 24th member of the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame at the 1988 Hobo Day game against Augustana on October 8.

Jim Langer was a three-year letterman in both football and baseball at SDSU, earning all-North Central Conference and all-America recognition in both sports. A native of Royalton, MN, Langer went on to become an all-pro center for the Miami Dolphins before closing out his pro career with the Minnesota Vikings. Ironically, Langer was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during the summer of 1987, one year before he became a member of the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame, when the 25-year waiting period was waived.

As a three-year starter for the Jackrabbit football team, Langer earned all-conference honors at linebacker. While he played tackle and guard for the Jacks on offense, he did not become a center until he joined the Dolphins. Langer lettered in football in 1967-68-69, earning all-NCC honors in 1969 when he was also honorable mention all-America.

In baseball, Langer led the NCC in hits, with 23, and in earned run average, at 1.57, in 1969 when he earned all-conference and All-America honors. He had a .317 career batting average, playing in 73 games, and was also 9-13 as a pitcher with a fine 3.39 career earned run average.

After completing his eligibility at SDSU, Langer was signed as a free agent by the Cleveland Browns. When the Browns released him, Miami signed him and Langer went on to play 12 years in the NFL, starting at center of the Dolphin teams which played in three straight Super Bowls (1972-73-74) winning the last two. The 1972 Dolphins went unbeaten (17-0) and Langer snapped the ball on every offensive down. Of the 500 pass blocking assignments that year, he needed help on only three plays.

While honors came to the Dolphins in massive numbers after that season — like having nine players named to the Pro Bowl — Langer received little recognition other than being named South Dakota Sports Celebrity of the Year. But in 1979, when Sport magazine conducted a poll to determine the best center in the game, Langer was voted first on eight of the ten ballots. He was second on another and the remaining ballot was his own — players couldn’t vote for themselves.

Miami assistant coach Monte Clark knew the Dolphins had uncovered a real gem in 1972 and gave Langer much of the credit for the team’s awesomely effective ball-control offense.

“Jim handled the job so well that a guard looking to help the center in pass-blocking situations could help elsewhere,” Clark said. Langer may have missed out on post-season honors in 1972, but that was the last time for awhile. He earned a spot on the Pro-Bowl roster the next season and won similar honors each of the next five years through 1978.

Langer appeared in 141 consecutive regular season and postseason games, including three AFC championship games and three Super Bowls, until a chipped bone ended his Dolphins career in the ninth game of the 1979 season. He finished by playing two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Langer and his wife, Linda, have four children — all of whom attended SDSU. Sons Tracy, Craig and Russ all have played baseball for the Jacks.

BILL MATTHEWS
Graduated: 1978
Inducted: 2006
Former South Dakota State University football player Bill Matthews was inducted as the 47th member of the Jackrabbit Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Ninth Annual Festival of Champions on Nov. 5, 2006.

A Wessington native, Matthews lettered for the Jackrabbits from 1974-77. He played his freshman season at tight end before becoming an All-America defensive end. Matthews was an all-North Central Conference selection in 1976 and 1977, and was named the league’s Most Valuable Defensive Lineman in 1977. That season he also was selected to The Associated Press College Division All-America First Team.

A graduate of SDSU’s dairy science program, Matthews also excelled academically. He was a three-time academic all-conference selection and twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team honors. He also was SDSU’s Scholar Athlete for the 1977-78 academic year.

Matthews was selected in the fifth round of the 1978 National Football League by the New England Patriots as a linebacker. He spent the 1978 season on injured reserve before playing in 48 games, including 10 starts, over the next three seasons. Matthews’ best season in the pros came in 1981, when he ranked third on the Patriots with 128 tackles (75 solos, 53 assists). He was traded to the New York Giants just before the start of the 1982 season and later finished his playing career with the Denver Gold of the United States Football League in 1984.

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11/16

SDSU and the HBCU connections

Cleve Abbott – Tuskegee Institute Athletics Father

Graduated: 1916
Inducted: 1968
The second inductee to the Hall of Fame was a 1916 SDSC graduate who starred in track, football, baseball and basketball. Cleve Abbott, who graduated from Watertown High School, won 14 varsity awards at South Dakota State. After graduation from South Dakota State, Abbott became one of the most respected coaches and athletic directors in the South.

Hired by Booker T. Washington as an agricultural chemist and coach at Tuskegee Institute, he later became director of the Department of Physical Education and Athletics at Tuskegee. Abbott’s college grid teams won numerous championships and his women’s track teams consistently won national AAU titles from 1937 through 1950. Athletes from his women’s teams represented the United States in the London and Helsinki Olympics and the Pan-American games in Buenos Aires and Mexico City. Abbott died in 1955.


Ross Owen – HBCU coach

Graduated: 1925
Inducted: 1974
Ross Owen starred in football and basketball at SDSU in the mid-1920s, earning fame as a speedy halfback in football and guard on the basketball team. He lettered in football from 1922-24 and in basketball from 1924-25.

Owen, who was born in Fort Scott, Kan., helped SDSU win the 1922 NCC football title — the first year of competition for the league. He was also on the 1924 championship team. He still holds the SDSU record for TDs in a game — eight in an 85-0 victory over Columbus College. After graduation, he taught at several universities including Prairie View A&M, Philander Smith College, Tennessee A&I, and Tuskegee Institute where he joined fellow SDSU Hall of Famer Cleve Abbott.

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11/17

SDSU Pro FOOTBALL STARS of TODAY (post 1975)

SDSU has yet to add any D-I players to the NFL or CFL, however, several players have starred on the pro circuits since 1980.

While Eve is not know to be part of their lives, two Adams, Vinateri and Timmerman have more than one Superbowl rings.

Adam Matthew Vinatieri (pronounced /Vin-a-terry/) (born December 28, 1972 in Yankton, South Dakota) is an American football placekicker currently playing for the Indianapolis Colts. He is best known for his tenure with the New England Patriots from 1996 to 2005. He has played in five Super Bowls, four with the Patriots and one with the Colts, winning four. Vinatieri won a Super Bowl in 2007 with Indianapolis and won Super Bowls in 2002, 2004, & 2005 with the Patriots. Vinatieri is the first kicker ever to play in five Super Bowls and win four Super Bowl rings. His only Super Bowl loss coming in Super Bowl XXXI in 1996 to the Green Bay Packers 35-21.
Vinatieri is generally considered to be one of the most talented clutch kickers in the history of the National Football League.[1] Nicknamed "Automatic Adam" for his accuracy, and "Iceman" for his incredible poise under pressure, Vinatieri has converted several of the most pressurized field goals in NFL history, including game-winning kicks in the final seconds of two Super Bowls.
Vinatieri was originally recruited to kick for Army and attended West Point for several weeks in 1991 before deciding to return home to South Dakota. He was a four-year letterman at South Dakota State University as a placekicker and punter. He finished up his college years of football as the school's all-time scoring leader with 185 career points scored.

Honors and awards
· 4-time Super Bowl Champion (2001, 2003 & 2004 New England Patriots, 2006 Indianapolis Colts)
· 2003 Pro Bowl starter
· 2005 Pro Bowl starter
NFL Records
· Most postseason field goals in a career, with 40, set during the 2006 season, surpassing Gary Anderson's previous record of 34
· Most consecutive games in a single postseason with 3+ field goals: 4
· Most points in postseason, career: 167
· Most field goals in a single postseason: 14
· Most Field Goals Lifetime in Super Bowl: 7
· Most (One Point) Extra Points Lifetime in Super Bowl: 13
· Record for most total points in a single postseason: 49 in 2006 (surpassing Terrell Davis' previous record of 48)
· Most Field Goals in a single NFL postseason game: 5 (tied with Steve Christie and Chuck Nelson); achieved twice, with the Patriots vs. the Colts in the 2003-04 AFC Championship, and with the Colts vs. the Baltimore Ravens in 2006

Adam Larry Timmerman (born August 14, 1971 in Cherokee, Iowa) is a former American football guard in the National Football League. He played for the Green Bay Packers and St. Louis Rams between 1995 and 2006. He played college football at South Dakota State. While at SDSU, he won two Division II All-America honors, was a two-time first team Academic All-Conference pick, and as a senior, won the "Jim Langer Award", which is given to the nation's top Division II lineman.
An All-Pro selection in 2001, Timmerman went to four Super Bowls in his career, winning Super Bowl XXXI with the Packers and Super Bowl XXXIV with the Rams. He retired following the 2007 season.
While not a star in the NFL, Josh Ranek (born May 11, 1978 in Tyndall, South Dakota) is a Canadian football player.
He is currently a running back with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He was signed by the Riders on October 30, 2007 and placed on their Developmental Squad. He was placed on the active roster by the Riders on November 2, 2007. He previously was a member of the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. He was cut on June 23rd, 2007.[1] He previously played for the Ottawa Renegades between 2002 and 2005, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2006. In 2002, he also attended the training camp of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He attended South Dakota State University (1997-2001). A term was coined by Chris Walby, color commentator for the CFL broadcasts on CBC, called "Ring around the Ranek" to describe Ranek's power running, and his being an integral part to his team. He is also nicknamed "the little ball of hate". Ranek was awarded the "CFL Player of the Week" award on August 9, 2006 for his contributions in a win over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Others that have played or coached in the NFL since 1980,
Steve Allen Heiden (born September 21, 1976 in Rushford, Minnesota) is an American football player who currently plays tight end for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League.
Lynn Boden (born June 5, 1953 in Stromsburg, Nebraska) is a former professional American football offensive guard. He played five seasons in the National Football League with the Detroit Lions (1975-1978) and the Chicago Bears (1979)[1]. He played college football at South Dakota State University[2]. He was drafted in the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft with the 13th overall pick by Detroit.
Brad Seely (born September 6, 1956 in Vinton, Iowa) is the American football special teams coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Seely made the jump to the professional level in 1989, working as the tight ends and special teams coach for the Indianapolis Colts through 1993. He then spent the 1994 season with the New York Jets as their special teams coach. In 1995, Seely began a 4-year stint with the Carolina Panthers also as their special teams coach. He joined the Patriots on January 27, 1999. NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year – 1996.

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11/18

Dakota Marker – Trophy
The Dakota Marker is the trophy awarded to the winner of the annual college football game played between the North Dakota State University (NDSU) Bison, located in Fargo, North Dakota and the South Dakota State University (SDSU) Jackrabbits, located in Brookings, South Dakota. Both schools are members of the Division I Championship Subdivision Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The Dakota Marker is a model replica of the quartzite monuments that were used to decipher the border between North and South Dakota when Dakota Territory was split into 2 states along the Seventh Standard Parallel. On June 4th, 1891, Charles Bates signed a contract and used quartzite monuments made in Sioux Falls to mark the boundary. Each monument stood seven feet tall and ten inches square at the top and were placed at half-mile intervals. The monuments were inscribed with the initials "N.D." on the north side and "S.D." on the south side. It took the Yankton, South Dakota man the summers of 1891 and 1892 to install the 720 monuments and finish the Dakota border marker project.
The trophy itself was the brainchild of Adam Jones, then President of the NDSU Chapter of Blue Key National Honor Society.
The trophy was unveiled to the public on April 21, 2004 at a ceremony just outside Hankinson, North Dakota, a small community that lies adjacent to the North Dakota/South Dakota border.
The trophy is sponsored by the NDSU chapter of Blue Key National Honor Society and the SDSU Student Association.
The Dakota Marker's inscription includes the following: N.D. to represent North Dakota, S.D. to represent South Dakota, and 190 M to represent the distance in miles between Fargo, ND and Brookings, SD.
Game History
While the two teams had played each other for many years as members of the Division II North Central Conference, the move by both schools to the Championship Subdivision level of football prompted the creation of the trophy, as both schools lost their primary rivals (NDSU with the University of North Dakota and SDSU with the University of South Dakota) who remained in the Division II classification. (As of 2008, both North Dakota and South Dakota have begun the reclassification process to move to Division I, so it is possible these rivalries will resume in the future.) As both teams became members of the newly formed Great West Football Conference, NDSU and SDSU's annual game took on more importance from a regional bragging rights standpoint as the closest "neighbor" football game either team would play.
Through the 2007 season, the Dakota Marker series stands even at 2-2, with SDSU currently in possession of the trophy. Since the inception of the Dakota Marker series, the home team has won all four contests. The Bison, through 2007, lead the overall series 51-38, with 5 ties. The Bison are 30-12 vs SDSU in Fargo with 3 ties, while the Jackrabbits are 26-21 against NDSU in Brookings, with 2 ties. The series includes 17 straight wins by the Bison from 1976-1992. The Bison have also dominated in recent years, with eight wins in the last twelve games.
The inaugural Dakota Marker game was played in Brookings in 2004. SDSU quarterback Brad Nelson threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Chris Moliter with 39 seconds remaining to win the game for the Jackrabbits by a 24-21 count.
In 2005, NDSU claimed their first Dakota Marker win by a 41-17 score in Fargo. With a back-and-forth game tied at 14 midway through the second quarter, the Bison scored on a short TD run by running back Kyle Steffes to take a lead they would not relinquish. Steffes finished the game with 141 yards to go with his three touchdowns.
The 2006 game in Fargo between the two teams took on extra significance because not only were the rivals playing for the Marker, the winner of the contest would also win the Great West Football Conference championship. Both teams entered the game with perfect 3-0 conference records. The Bison entered the game ranked #4 in Championship Subdivision, while the Jackrabbits carried the #18 ranking. NDSU jumped out to an early 10-0 lead but SDSU rallied to lead 14-10 at halftime. The lead changed hands three times in the third quarter, and midway through the final period NDSU held a 31-28 lead. With 6:13 left, NDSU senior receiver Travis White, who also caught eight passes for 91 yards in the game, sealed the win for the Bison by scoring on an 84-yard punt return. A record Fargodome crowd of 19,053 fans celebrated NDSU's first Great West title with a 41-28 victory. It was the final game of the year for both teams, who at the time were still ineligible for playoff competition at the Championship Subdivision level. The Bison finished the season 10-1, while SDSU ended their season at 7-4.
In the 2007 meeting, held in Brookings, the Jackrabbits took the Marker back with a 29-24 win. As was the case in 2006, the two teams entered the contest with identical 3-0 conference records and thus played a de facto championship game. SDSU jumped to a 20-3 lead early in the 2nd quarter, which included a 94-yard punt return TD by Paul Aanonson. However, behind a pair of Tyler Roehl touchdown runs and a TD reception by Jerimiah Wurzbacher, the Bison rallied to take a 24-23 lead early in the final quarter. On the ensuing drive, a 42-yard TD run by SDSU's Cory Koenig put the Jacks back ahead, and an SDSU interception with just over a minute remaining sealed the game, Dakota Marker, and SDSU's first (and last) Great West championship. The Jacks finished at 7-4 on the season while the Bison, undefeated and ranked #1 in the FCS coaches poll entering the game, suffered the only loss of their season to finish at 10-1.
The 2008 game will be the first matchup between the two teams as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The game, both teams' final conference contest of the season, will take place on Saturday, November 22nd, at NDSU's Fargodome.

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11/19

Daktronics - History or How SDSU Profs’ Succeed

Daktronics was founded in 1968 by Drs. Aelred Kurtenbach and Duane Sander, professors of electrical engineering at South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD, USA. The company began with the design and manufacture of electronic voting systems for state legislatures. In 1971, Daktronics developed the patented Matside® wrestling scoreboard, which was the first product in the company's growing and evolving line of "catalog" scoreboards.

The company branched out into the design and manufacture of large custom scoreboards and computer-programmable displays. Daktronics now offers the most complete line of scoreboards and display products of any company in the world, including long-lasting light emitting diode (LED)-based systems. Today a majority of the company's display products utilize LEDs because of the low power requirements and high reliability of the technology.

Tens of thousands of Daktronics scoreboards and display systems communicate with millions of people every day, in nearly 100 countries on six continents around the world. If you watch sports on television, including the winter or summer Olympics; professional or college football, basketball, baseball, and hockey; and PGA and Senior PGA TOUR golf tournaments, you've probably seen our scoreboards in the background keeping track of the action. Your local bank or shopping center may have one of our electronic displays to help communicate with customers. Your state or national legislature probably uses an electronic voting and display system developed by Daktronics to assist in the organization and dissemination of information for members, media, and the public. Travelers at airports, in cars, and in train and bus terminals count on Daktronics displays for information to help them get where they are going.

Since its beginnings in 1968, Daktronics has grown from a small company operating out of a garage to a world leader in the display industry. The company employs more than 2,300 people working under more than 500,000 square feet of its manufacturing and office facilities. In 1994, Daktronics, Inc. became a publicly traded company, offering shares under the symbol DAKT on the NASDAQ National.

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11/20

SDSU Famous Alumni – (1922- ) SDSU Engineering Physics, 1948
Gene Myron Amdahl (born November 16, 1922) is a Norwegian American computer architect and hi-tech entrepreneur, chiefly known for his work on mainframe computers at International Business Machines (IBM) and later his own companies, especially Amdahl Corporation. He is perhaps best known for formulating Amdahl's law, which states a fundamental limitation of parallel computing.
Amdahl was born to immigrant parents of Norwegian and Swedish descent in Flandreau, South Dakota. After serving in the Navy during WWII he completed a degree in engineering physics at South Dakota State University in 1948. He went on to study theoretical physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed his doctorate there in 1952, creating his first computer, the WISC.
At IBM, Amdahl worked on the IBM 704, the IBM 709, and then the Stretch project, the basis for the IBM 7030. He left IBM in December 1955 but returned in September 1960 (after working at Ramo Wooldridge and at Aeronutronic). On his return he worked on the System/360 family architecture and became an IBM Fellow in 1965, and head of the ACS Laboratory in Menlo Park, California. He left IBM again in September 1970, after his ideas for computer development were rejected, and set up Amdahl Corporation in Sunnyvale, Calif. with aid from Fujitsu.
Competing with IBM in the mainframe market, the company manufactured "plug-compatible" mainframes, shipping its first machine in 1975 - the Amdahl 470 V6, a less expensive, more reliable and faster replacement for the System 370/168. By 1979 Amdahl Corporation had sold over a US $1 billion of V6 and V7 mainframes and had over 6,000 employees worldwide. The corporation went on to distribute an IBM-plug-compatible front-end processor (the 4705) as well as high-performance disk drives, both jointly developed with Fujitsu engineers.
Amdahl was named an IBM Fellow in 1965, became a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1967 and was recognized as the Centennial Alumnus of South Dakota State University in 1986. He has numerous awards and patents to his credit and has received Honorary Doctorates from his two alma maters and two other institutions as well. In 1983, Amdahl was awarded the Harry H. Goode Memorial Award by the IEEE Computer Society "in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the design, applications and manufacture of large-scale high-performance computers."[1]
In 1998, Amdahl was recognized with a Fellow Award from the Computer History Museum.
In November 2007, Amdahl was recognized with the SIGDA Pioneering Achievement Award.

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11/21

Terry Vandrovec’s Blog, Courtesy of the SIOUX FALLS ARGUS-LEADER -

Defending the rock
Posted 11/21/2008 9:52 AM CST
Injuries have been an issue since Week 3 with as many as five starters out at the same time. Plus, the offensive unit and the kicking team are responsible for roughly 10 percent of the points allowed. Still, the SDSU defense has been, well, uneven through 11 games, ranking 87th in the Football Championship Subdivision in scoring defense at 29.5 points per game heading into Saturday's Dakota Marker affair at NDSU. That’s up from 22.2 last year and is substantial considering four contests have been decided by three points or less.
The inconsistency is especially interesting. Ten times, the Jacks have allowed 20 points or more in a half. Nine times they have given up seven points or fewer in a half. Three times, they did both in the same game – Western Illinois (0-22), McNeese State (21-3) and Southern Illinois (35-3).
“At times we might not know how we fit, we might not have the confidence we need to have walking out onto the field,” said coach John Stiegelmeier, whose program hasn't won two in a row in the Bison series since 1963 and hasn't won in Fargo since 1962. “To be honest with you I have no clue why it would be like that because we do have good players on defense. …. I don’t think there’ve been any major changes at halftime. There’s been some gut-check questions and guys have responded.”
More specifically to the Bison game, SDSU has fared better against bigger backs like Tyler Roehl (and Herb Donaldson) than shifty ones like Larry Warner, and NDSU quarterback Nick Mertens has been underwhelming in his first year as the starter.
Then again, maybe the game will turn into a shootout. Me thinks the Jacks would be OK with that given how prolific their offense has been all season. They've put up at least 28 points in seven consecutive weeks, breaking 40 in six of those games.
Nah, it'll probably come down to special teams - the last two meetings have. First team to return a punt wins, right? In that case, the Bison have the edge, although both squads have been unspectacular in that phase this season.
The bottom line: This is a statement game for the Jacks. They are good enough to win in Fargo this year, which has not always been the case, and doing so would prove to fans, recruits and the entire FCS that the difference between the rivals is smaller than perceived. (They're split the last six meetings.) Meanwhile, another loss means another two-year wait - at least - to be able to make that important point.

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11/22

From the FARGO, ND Forum – Mike McFeeley’s Column about South Dakota St.
(AGS Member’s comments) – Nice to see recognition about SDSU out of South Dakota.

The public viewed South Dakota State as North Dakota State’s inferior partner when the schools announced their intention of moving to NCAA Division I earlier this decade. The prevailing attitude was that the mighty Bison athletic department was much better positioned to succeed in terms of competitiveness, fund-raising, facilities, market size, fan base and tradition.
As for SDSU, a Twin Cities media type asked this question of his Fargo colleague: “North Dakota State will be fine. But what is South Dakota State thinking?”
Several years later, we have the answer. The Jackrabbits were thinking they could win.
Lost in the dizzying blizzard of headlines, hype and hoopla surrounding NDSU’s successful transition to Division I is this tasty nugget: SDSU has been more successful.
“I’m not going there,” Jackrabbits athletic director Fred Oien laughed when offered the opportunity for affirmation. “But I will say that we’ve always kind of been the Rodney Dangerfield.”
Oien is friends with NDSU athletic director Gene Taylor, so he wasn’t going to jab the Bison even when the ball was placed on a tee for him. This is another reason we can’t take the allegedly rivalry between the Bison and Jackrabbits too seriously. How intense can it be if one side isn’t going to verbally cheap-shot the other?
The facts speak for themselves. While NDSU is hoping its volleyball team can be the first collection of Bison to qualify for an NCAA tournament, the Jackrabbits have been there, done that multiple times.
E The Jackrabbit volleyball team won the Summit League regular- and post-season titles last year and made the NCAAs in its first year of eligibility.
E SDSU’s soccer team this season tied for the Summit regular-season championship, won the tournament and advanced to the NCAAs, where it won a first-round match.
E The Jacks’ women’s cross-country team won the league championship and qualified for an NCAA regional this fall.
Those achievements don’t even include SDSU’s most-visible success story, the women’s basketball team. The Jackrabbits, already a mid-major power, advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s NIT two years ago and last season won the Summit League regular-season title and made the WNIT again. They are the overwhelming favorite to win the league title again this year and make the NCAA tournament.
The high-profile program in which NDSU enjoys a major advantage is men’s basketball. SDSU’s transition has been a nightmare.
John Stiegelmeier’s football program, which plays NDSU today at the Fargodome for the Dakota Marker, hasn’t had the high-profile victories the Bison have enjoyed. In key ways, however, the Jacks have been the Bison’s equal. SDSU has won two of the four Dakota Marker games and, like the Bison, won a Great West Football Conference title.
A victory by the Jacks today would give them a 6-2 record in their inaugural run through the Missouri Valley Football Conference, while the Bison would finish 4-4.
NDSU has reason to be proud about its transition to Division I. So does SDSU, even if the hype and hoopla haven’t been nearly as evident.
That’s not bad for the school that was seen as a weak link five years ago.

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11/23

Injured Berry saves Jacks
After concussion, QB beats Bison
Terry Vandrovec • [email protected] • November 23, 2008

FARGO – Ryan Berry may not remember what transpired Saturday night in the Fargodome, but history will.

After sitting out all but the first two possessions due to a concussion, the senior quarterback returned in the fourth quarter to throw a touchdown pass and a 2-point conversion with less than 3 minutes remaining to lead South Dakota State to a 25-24 victory over rival North Dakota State before a crowd of 18,428.

In a display of guts and guile, the Jackrabbits (7-5, 6-2) earned their first win in Fargo since 1962 and their first back-to-back triumphs in the 95-game series since 1963. They also claimed third-place outright in the Missouri Valley Football Conference in their first year in the league, became eligible for consideration for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs – although they almost certainly won’t get a call from the selection committee today – and retained the Dakota Marker trophy
If necessary, the 230-pound rock can serve as visual proof of what transpired.

“I don’t remember about half the game,” said the senior Berry, the top passer in the conference and the owner of almost every passing record in school history, “but the stuff I do remember is pretty good. It’ll be something I’ll never forget.”

Also worth remembering: The SDSU defense did not allow a first down on five consecutive possessions in the second half after surrendering touchdowns on the first two post-halftime drives. Sophomore safety Conrad Kjerstad intercepted a pass by NDSU quarterback Nick Mertens with less than 2 minutes remaining, the second year in a row that the Jacks picked off a pass when the Bison had the ball with a chance to take the lead late. Sophomore Peter Reifenrath went 3-for-3 and made as many 40-yard kicks (three) as he did in the first 11 games combined.

Also, sophomore running back Kyle Minett ran for 85 yards and caught a touchdown pass in addition to calling plays in the huddle when Berry was too concussed, senior JaRon Harris made three catches on the winning drive despite absorbing two hits that threatened his mental faculties and quarterback Ryan Crawford kept things from falling apart when Berry got his bell rung. The junior, who had thrown only seven passes all season, went 10 of 13 for 50 yards and one score and did not turn the ball over despite dealing with an abbreviate playbook and an aggressive Bison pass rush.

Crawford wound up worse for wear than Berry, apparently breaking the wrist on his throwing hand early in the fourth quarter. SDSU momentarily considered going with third-stinger Corey Jeske – who has been playing safety since the middle of the season – until team doctors decided that Berry was thinking clearly enough to return.

The 6-foot-3 Watertown native was sacked twice on the first three plays, and SDSU went three-and-out. The ensuing punt was partially blocked, giving the Bison (6-5, 4-4) the ball at the Jacks 29 with 8:15 remaining.

But the SDSU defense forced a field goal – the only make in three attempts by Shawn Bibeau – and kept the deficit at one score.

“That’s a win for us,” Kjerstad said of the stand. “It changes the momentum of the game right there.”

Indeed it did. The short-term amnesia that he had experienced in the first half subsiding, Berry engineered an eight-play, 68-yard drive that took 4 minutes, 12 seconds off the clock. The Jacks were aided by two penalties – a pass interference call and personal foul – that drew the ire of the NDSU faithful. On second-and-goal, Berry hit Harris for a 1-yard score – his 30th scoring pass of the season – and without hesitation SDSU lined up for a 2-point try rather than settling for the tie. Again, the coaches handed the ball to Berry and he hit Mike Steffen – who had yet to make a catch – on a quick slant to the right for the go-ahead score with 2:20 to play.

“I think (the decision) was a win-win,” said Jacks coach John Stiegelmeier, whose club also converted a 2-pointer on its first touchdown, “because we tell our players all the time that we believe in them, and you have to show them that.”

And so SDSU actually beat the Bison – the preseason favorites to win the Valley – in Fargo and for the second year in a row despite being finished with 120 fewer yards, despite losing two quarterbacks to injury. Also, the Brookings-based program turned in a third straight seven-win season for the first time since 1994 and will almost certainly appear in the final top-25 poll for the third time in five seasons at the Division I level.

On one memorable night, the past was forgotten.

“You talk about 40 years this and that, those were different programs,” Stiegelmeier said. “This is our present program against their present programs. It’s a whole different level of football, it’s a different facility and I’m proud of our program.”

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11/24

Jackrabbits-3 TIMES NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Like App St, the SDSU Women’s Basketball team is looking to defend their national title as the best team in the NCAA D-I academically.

TOPS IN GPA: For the third consecutive season, South Dakota State University led all divisions of women’s college basketball in team grade-point average, officials from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced in July.
During the 2007-08 academic year, the Jackrabbits compiled a team GPA of 3.669, edging NAIA institution Concordia (Neb.), which posted a 3.667 team GPA, for the top overall spot. Kansas State ranked second among Division I squads with a 3.652 team GPA.
Not only have the Jackrabbits excelled in the classroom, they have performed well on the court. In the three seasons it has led the nation in GPA, SDSU has a combined record of 67-22, making consecutive trips to the postseason WNIT in 2007 and 2008, including reaching the quarterfinals in its inaugural appearance.
Individually, 12 members of the Jackrabbit squad were honored on the Summit League All-Academic Team: Alison Anderson, Ketty Cornemann, Courtney Grimsrud, Morgan Meier, Macie Michelson, Ashlea Muckenhirn, Laura Nielsen, Stacie Oistad, Kristin Rotert, Jennifer Schuttloffel, Andrea Verdegan and Jennifer Warkenthien
In its four years competing at the Division I level, SDSU has finished no worse than second place in the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll standings. The Jackrabbits placed second in 2004-05 with a 3.567 team GPA, before leading all divisions with respective GPAs of 3.730 and 3.693 during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.
Overall, SDSU has been honored by the WBCA six times, achieving top-25 status during the 1999-2000 and 2003-04 seasons while competing at the NCAA Division II level.

But can they shoot the rock? (see tomorrow’s column)
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11/25

Jackrabbit Women during the Aaron Johnston Era

WINNING RECORD: Since moving up to the NCAA Division I ranks at the start of the 2004-05 season, the Jackrabbits have posted a winning record against D-I opponents. In its first four-plus seasons competing at the Division I level, SDSU has compiled a 74-29 mark (.718 winning percentage) versus D-I opposition. The Jackrabbits have posted victories over 44 different Division I teams representing 16 conferences plus independents.

700 WINS: The Jackrabbits’ victory over Missouri on Nov. 18, 2007, was the 700th in the women’s basketball program’s history. Since the modern era of women’s basketball at South Dakota State University began with a 6-0 mark during the 1966-67 season, the Jacks have gone on to compile an overall record of 723-330 (.687 winning percentage).
SDSU has posted 22 consecutive winning seasons. Twelve times over that span the Jackrabbits have won 20 games in a season, including six of eight full seasons under head coach Aaron Johnston.
SDSU’s last losing season was an 11-16 campaign during the 1985-86 season.

COACH AARON JOHNSTON: Entering his ninth season as head coach of the South Dakota State University women's basketball team, Aaron Johnston has taken the Jackrabbit program to the top of NCAA Division II and has led SDSU through a successful transition into the ranks of Division I.
Johnston enters the Caribbean Challenge with a career record of 197-62 (.761 winning percentage). Currently second on the SDSU career victories list, Johnston’s career totals have included a 15-4 mark (.789 winning percentage) in postseason games.
Over his first four full seasons, Johnston led SDSU to three consecutive NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances, including the first national championship in the program’s history during the 2002-03 season.
During their championship run, which culminated with a 65-50 victory over Northern Kentucky in the NCAA Division II championship game in St. Joseph, Mo., the Jackrabbits compiled a school-record 32 wins against just three losses. SDSU also earned a share of its first-ever North Central Conference title with a 14-2 record in league play. After leading SDSU to unprecedented success, Johnston was named the 2003 Molten/Women’s Division II Bulletin Coach of the Year.
The Jackrabbits attained much of the same success in the 2003-04 season, earning a share of their second consecutive North Central Conference title and winning the North Central Regional for the third consecutive year. SDSU finished the 2003-04 season with a 26-7 mark, falling to eventual national champion California (Pa.) in the first round of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
With South Dakota State moving up to NCAA Division I during the 2004-05 season, the Johnston-led Jackrabbits posted their fourth consecutive 20-win season, finishing with a 21-7 record. That mark included an 8-7 record against Division I opponents, highlighted by victories over NCAA Tournament qualifier Middle Tennessee State and Southeastern Conference opponents Alabama and Kentucky.
The Jackrabbits continued their rise in the Division I ranks with a 19-9 record in 2005-06, then put together a breaktrough campaign during the 2006-07 season by posting a 25-6 overall record and becoming the first team in transition to reach the postseason, reaching the quarterfinals of the Women’s NIT. SDSU won WNIT home games against Illinois State and Indiana before falling at Wyoming.
Johnston led the Jackrabbits into another new era as South Dakota State began play in the 10-team Summit League during the 2007-08 season. SDSU continued its run of success by winning the Summit League regular season title — the program's first outright conference championship. The Jackrabbits completed a 16-2 mark in league play and 23-7 overall record for their sixth 20-win season in Johnston's eight years as head coach. The Jackrabbits posted a 12-game winning streak to conclude conference play and earn their second consecutive berth in the WNIT. However, SDSU's home-court advantage was not enough as the Jackrabbits fell to a hot-shooting Creighton (Neb.) squad, 76-69, in the tournament's first round.
During their first three seasons at the Divison I level, the Jackrabbits dominated the independent ranks by posting a 19-2 overall record against fellow D-I independents, including an 18-0 record the last two seasons. In both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons Johnston was honored as the Division I Independent Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year. Was named Summit League Coach of the Year for the 2007-08 season, the Jacks first year in the league.
Johnston first became associated with the Jackrabbit women’s basketball team when he spent the 1999-2000 season as assistant coach under Nancy Neiber. After Neiber took a leave of absence late in the season, Johnston coached the Jackrabbits to a 4-2 record in the final six games of the season as as SDSU finished the season with a 19-8 overall record, 11-7 in NCC play. One of the Jackrabbits’ victories was over second-ranked and eventual national runner-up North Dakota State.
When the interim label was removed from his title on June 30, 2000, Johnston became the seventh head coach in the modern era of South Dakota State University women’s basketball, which began in 1967.
In the 2000-01 season, his first full season as Jackrabbit head coach, Johnston led SDSU to a 15-12 overall record. That mark included a North Central Conference record of 9-9, which earned the Jackrabbits a berth in the seven-team Wells Fargo Finals conference postseason tournament.
During the 2001-02 season, Johnston led a Jackrabbit squad which included just two seniors and nine freshmen to SDSU’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The Jackrabbits compiled a 28-9 record, setting a then-school record for wins in a season.
A native of Pine Island, Minn., “A.J.” earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. After serving one year as an assistant coach at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, he moved on to SDSU as a graduate assistant for the Jackrabbit men’s basketball team for two seasons before becoming assistant women’s coach. He also coached the SDSU golf teams one year.

http://www.gojacks.com/pdf4/354037.pdf?ATCLID=3623336&SPSID=64552&SPID=7144&DB_OEM_ID=15000

More on the SDSU women’s team above.

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11/26

WHY JACKRABBIT MASCOT?

Answer: Beats the Barnyard Cadets (HANDS DOWN!!!!)

In the November 5, 1905 Cartoon in the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune, the paper depicted the loss to U of MN 81-0 as a Jackrabbit bashing into a STONEWALL. It took a couple years to catch on, but by 1907 the SDSC (SD AG School) had the Jackrabbit as a mascot.

Most famous of all the Jackrabbit mascots was “Runnin’ Rabbit”
http://www3.sdstate.edu/ClassLibrary/Page/Images/Data/2380.jpg
In place from early 70’s to Feb. 2007, Runnin’ has gone many a mile for the Jacks. With the move to D-I, Times-Warner were contacted to assure that Warner Bros. wouldn’t have concerns about the resemblance between Runnin’ and his Warner Brother, Bugs. Warners’ suggestion was to change, so the new Jackrabbit was introduced Feb. 2007.
http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/gfx/videos/thumbs/0220JackrabbitLogo.JPG

http://www.capitalonebowl.com/vote/

Vote for Thundar (NDSU) and Jack State as a write in vote. State is #1 on the write in list. Vote for the conference pair of Jack State and Thundar in Capital One's Mascot challenge.

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11/27

HOBO DAY – The Biggest One Day Event in South Dakota

Hobo Day is a special event in South Dakota. SDSU’s homecoming tradition has been in place since 1912, and has been marked with pigtail tying contests, burn the razors (beard growing) events, the longest parade in SD (2.5 miles), bum stew, and then most of the largest crowds to see home Jackrabbit football games.

Mainstays of the Hobo Day parades, the “Hobo Mobile Homes” were victims of the Safety regulations of the 80s. These “homes” were the (barely) rolling foundations of a soon to be trashed vehicle, piled high with wood shanty, complete with alcohol storage units (besides the students), and inevitably, the outhouse (especially if playing USD) piled up to 3 stories high rolling down Brookings streets.

UNI will be the 2009 Hobo Day opponent, October 24, 2009.

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11/28

PRIDE OF THE DAKOTAS – SDSU MARCHING BAND

The South Dakota State University, Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band has a LONG standing as the best marching band in the Upper Great Plains. This band has marched for World Fairs (1904), Queens (1939), Presidents (1980 & 1992), and even in two Rose Bowl Parades (2003 & 2007). Many a football game at Coughlin Alumni Stadium has seen crowds grow at half-time to watch the Pride that stay for the game. For many years during the 1970’s and 80’s, the Pride would play one of the Minnesota Vikings games for the half-time show. The largest Pride of the Dakotas band was for the 2003 parade with 350 members and 30 staff and chaperones.

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11/29

Briggs & Stratton Engines – An SDSU creation.
Stephen Foster Briggs (December 4, 1885 – October 16, 1976) was an American engineer, co-founder of the company manufacturing Briggs & Stratton small internal-combustion engines and founder of Outboard Marine Corporation.
S.F. Briggs graduated from South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota, in 1907. The idea for his first product came from an upper-class engineering project at SDSU. This first product was a six-cylinder, two-cycle engine which Stephen Foster Briggs had developed during his engineering courses at South Dakota State College (which later became SDSU). After his graduation, he was eager to produce his engine and enter the rapidly expanding automobile industry. Bill Juneau, a coach at South Dakota State, knew of Briggs' ambition and the entrepreneurial interests of Harold M. Stratton, a successful grain merchant who had a farm next to Juneau's farm. Steve Briggs and Harry Stratton were introduced, and with that introduction, Briggs & Stratton was born.
During World War II, Briggs and Stratton produced generators for the war effort. Some components in these generators and engines were made with aluminum, which helped the company develop its expertise in using this material. This development, along with the post-war growth of 1950s suburbs (and lawns), helped secure Briggs and Stratton's successful growth in the 1950s and 1960s.
Stephen Briggs went on to purchase Evinrude and Johnson Outboards and start the Outboard Marine Corporation.

Graduated: 1909Inducted: 1967The first inductee to the South Dakota State University Hall of Fame was a 1909 electrical engineering graduate, Charles Coughlin. He starred in football, basketball, track and baseball between 1905 and 1909. Coughlin was honored as an SDSU distinguished alumnus in 1961 and presented an honorary doctor of engineering degree in 1954. Coughlin gave the Coughlin Campanile to SDSU in 1929 and it has become one of the university’s most recognized symbols.Coughlin also helped make possible the building of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, home of Jackrabbit football. Following his graduation in 1909, Coughlin worked for the telephone company and power plant in Brookings. In 1910, he switched to the Briggs and Stratton Company of Milwaukee before going to Purdue University where he taught mechanical engineering. He was general manager of the Ladish Drop Forge Company in Cudahy, Wis. He returned to Briggs and Stratton Company in 1922, moving through the ranks to become president of the company.

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11/30

Minett, Robling selected as Academic All-Americans

South Dakota State University football players Kyle Minett and Kevin Robling have been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Football Team, officials from the College Sports Information Directors of America announced Wednesday.
Minett, a sophomore running back, was a first-team selection on the University Division squad, while Robling, a senior offensive lineman, was a second-team honoree.
A native of Ruthton, Minn., Minett made the first team with a 3.50 grade-point average in economics. He led the team with 1,289 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns (14 rushing, 4 receiving), posting six games of 100 or more yards on the ground. He also ranked third on the team with 44 receptions for 415 yards. Minett also was honored on the Great West Football Conference All-Academic Team in 2007.
Minett's selection marks the third consecutive season SDSU has put a running back on the first team, following two-time selection Cory Koenig.
A center from Jordan, Minn., Robling was named to the squad with a 3.82 GPA in wildlife and fisheries. A two-time Academic All-District honoree, Robling was a member of the Great West Football Conference All-Academic Team in both 2006 and 2007, as well as a second-team all-GWFC selection in 2007. A three-year starter, he was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week on two occasions this season, helping lead a Jackrabbit offense that finished the regular season ranked 10th among FCS teams in scoring offense and 19th in total offense.
SDSU, coached by John Stiegelmeier, ended the 2008 season 7-5 overall and in third place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 6-2 league mark.

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