Jackrabbit defense silences Coyotes as SDSU rolls in South Dakota Showdown

BROOKINGS — It didn’t take lengthy — a single eight-play drive spanning just below 4 minutes, to be precise — for South Dakota State’s protection to resolve the College of South Dakota offense. As such, as soon as the SDSU offense discovered its stride within the second quarter, the Jackrabbits started to roll.

Behind a protection that surrendered a area aim on the sport’s opening possession and nothing extra, SDSU methodically pulled away from USD within the 116th installment of the South Dakota Showdown soccer rivalry, successful 28-3 in entrance of a capability crowd of 19,332 at Dykhouse Stadium.

Taking out the Coyotes’ preliminary eight-play, 50-yard march and a 14-play, 37-yard remaining drive that at one level reached the SDSU 2-yard line — a possession that will not have had an affect on the end result even when it ended with a rating however was finally snuffed out anyway — USD’s offensive output was a paltry 49 yards on 26 performs (fewer than 1.9 yards per play). In between the primary and final drive, USD had the ball 9 occasions, excluding a kneel-down within the remaining seconds of the primary half. The Coyotes ran 4 or fewer performs on all 9 possessions, with these ending with six punts, two interceptions and a blocked area aim try.

SDSU’s protection was impenetrable, permitting the Jackrabbits to strike again within the rivalry sequence following consecutive losses to the Coyotes in Vermillion with the most important margin of victory (25) by both aspect since a 31-3 Jackrabbit victory on Oct. 7, 1995, on the DakotaDome.

“I might say the best factor about our protection isn’t approach, isn’t velocity, isn’t depth; it’s confidence,” mentioned SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier. “… We play nice schemes and all that stuff, however while you play with guys which can be assured, good issues occur. And good issues occurred at present.”

When SDSU’s offense finally got here alive, it was on the again of a defensive cease that created a swing in momentum from which the Coyotes by no means recovered. The Jackrabbits had their miscues, too, with two turnovers on high of a blocked area aim try of their very own, however the affect was hardly felt.

With USD threatening to go forward by two scores early within the second quarter after SDSU mishandled a punt deep in its personal territory, Cale Reeder intercepted USD quarterback Carson Camp within the endzone. SDSU made good on the takeaway, with Mark Gronowski discovering Jaxon Janke over the center for a 28-yard landing go to cap a nine-play, 80-yard march and provides SDSU a 7-3 lead, a bonus it by no means relinquished.

“I really feel like that was an enormous play within the sport,” mentioned SDSU cornerback Dalys Beanum, who snagged an interception of his personal within the first quarter. “I do not know if anybody believed the protection was getting off the sphere (with out giving up factors). When Reeder received that choose, that was actually massive and adjusted the momentum of the sport, for positive.”

Later within the quarter following three straight three-and-outs between the 2 offenses, SDSU working again Isaiah Davis rumbled for a 47-yard landing, shedding a number of Coyote defenders throughout the first 25 yards of the run earlier than breaking free to place the Jackrabbits up 14-3.

Following the rating, USD appeared to get a spark from its particular groups when returner Wesley Eliodor took the kickoff again 69 yards to SDSU’s 26-yard line. However the possession that adopted was much less inspiring. Two dashing makes an attempt gained six yards earlier than Camp was sacked for a 6-yard loss. A false begin penalty pushed USD again an additional 5 yards, and Eddie Ogamba’s 50-yard try was blocked by Beanum. The Coyotes didn’t return to the purple zone once more till the ultimate moments when the sport had lengthy since been determined.

“We knew we have been going to must do a variety of issues proper, however offensively we didn’t play effectively sufficient to win. That’s my fault,” mentioned USD coach Bob Nielson, who took over play-calling duties three video games in the past after a sluggish begin to the season. “We had the ball 3 times within the purple zone and scored three factors. You possibly can’t do this.”

In its protection, the USD offense barely possessed the ball within the second half.

SDSU took the second-half kickoff and went 70 yards in eight performs, the final of which noticed Davis stride into the endzone from 5 yards out for a 21-3 lead. After transferring 18 yards in 4 performs on their ensuing possession, the Coyotes punted the ball away and didn’t get it again till the fourth quarter.

The Jackrabbits squeezed the final little bit of drama out of the competition with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that melted greater than eight minutes off the clock. When Davis charged in for his third rating of the day on fourth-and-goal from contained in the 1-yard line, the additional level that adopted made it a four-score deficit that set the ultimate margin.

“I believed [offensive coordinator Zach Lujan] had an awesome plan,” Stiegelmeier mentioned. “Once we can go 15 performs and eight minutes, I’ll take that. That daunts everyone from USD’s followers on all the way down to their program, so I’ll take that any day.”

Davis paced the Jackrabbit offense with 108 yards and his three touchdowns on 15 carries, whereas backup working again Amar Johnson gained 53 yards on 14 totes. Along with 43 dashing yards, Gronowski went 12-of-20 by means of the air for 136 yards, one landing and one interception. Janke was on the receiving finish of 4 Gronowski completions, totaling 76 yards and his journey to the endzone.

For USD, backs Travis Theis and Shomari Lawrence every carried 13 occasions and mixed to realize 112 yards. Camp accomplished 5 of 12 makes an attempt for 44 yards and two interceptions along with being sacked seven occasions by the swarming SDSU entrance.

“They did job getting stress on [Camp] even with their four-man rush, and I do not need to say it rattled him however I feel he felt that. In consequence, he by no means actually received in any form of rhythm,” Nielson mentioned. “We ran the ball OK — I would not say we ran the ball effectively — in opposition to a fairly good rush protection. However you’ve gotten to have the ability to throw it to go with [the run], and we did not throw the ball very effectively at present. You possibly can’t throw the ball for 44 yards in faculty soccer.”

SDSU (5-1, 3-0 MVFC) is on the highway for an additional rivalry conflict subsequent week, because the Jackrabbits face off with North Dakota State for the Dakota Marker on Oct. 15, in Fargo.

In the meantime, USD (1-4, 0-2 MVFC) seems to recuperate from back-to-back losses with a visit to Illinois State, additionally on Oct. 15.