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S. Dakota State makes FCS debut vs. ’Guins
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TRYING FOR A GAIN: Youngstown State's Ferlando Williams (1) tries to put a move on Ohio State's Austin Spitler during last Saturday's game in Columbus.
By Pete Mollica
Saturday night’s game also marks the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both squads.
YOUNGSTOWN — South Dakota State has been waiting for four years to become a full-fledged member of the Football Championship Subdivision and for the Jackrabbits it all begins Saturday night in Brookings, S.D.
The Jackrabbits (0-1), ranked No. 21 in the SportsNetwork Poll, will play host to Youngstown State (0-1) ranked No. 14, in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium and a capacity (15,000) crowd is expected.
“For the last four years our players have embraced the move to Division I athletics,” said Jackrabbits coach John Stiegelmeier. “Now that we have gotten through the reclassification process, there are new challenges to attack.
“We are past the infant stages of the Division I move and need to again raise the bar for our program,” he said. “We have had great success, but there is much more that can be accomplished.”
South Dakota State opened its season last Thursday night at Iowa State and suffered a 44-17 loss.
The difference in the score wasn’t indicative of the effort the Jackrabbits gave mainly because of six turnovers, five in the first half when South Dakota State fell behind 20-0.
“I don’t care who you are playing and in any division; when you turn the ball over six times you are not going to win and that is something that we have to take care of this week,” Stiegelmeier said.
Five of turnovers were interceptions by Jackrabbits’ senior quarterback Ryan Berry. But as Stiegelmeier pointed out, “when you get behind like we did you have to throw the ball more.”
Berry (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) is one of 14 returning starters on the South Dakota State roster. Against Iowa State he was 23-for-37 for 170 yards and the five interceptions.
The Jackrabbits lost their top running back from a year ago to graduation, but sophomore Kyle Minett (5-10, 210) appears to be a capable replacement. He rushed for 111 yards on 22 carries against Iowa State and scored one touchdown.
Probably the most talented player on the Jackrabbits’ offense is senior wide receiver JaRon Harris (6-1, 200), who scored against Iowa State on a 76-yard run in the final minutes of play. He also caught seven passes for 64 yards.
“I think that Ryan got caught up in the venue at the game, the big crowd and everything and he tried to do too much on his own, forcing passes that he wouldn’t normally do,” Stiegelmeier said. “We know that he will get better.”
Offensively the Jackrabbits gained 350 total yards in the game, 180 rushing and 170 passing, while defensively they allowed 229 yards rushing and 159 passing.
The heart of the Jackrabbits defense is their front line as three starters return led by senior Eric Schroeder, who led the Great West Conference in tackles for losses last year with 13.5.
They lost two linebackers to graduation, but sophomore Derek Domino, who had eight tackles against Iowa State, seems to have filled one of the holes, but the secondary has only one returning starter from a year ago.
South Dakota State does have an outstanding punter in sophomore Dean Priddy, who averaged 51 yards on three punts last week.
Stiegelmeier knows that the Jackrabbits have their work cut out for them Saturday.
“Youngstown State is a very talented football team, last week really means nothing to me,” he said. “I don’t think any team in our subdivision would have fared any better against Ohio State, they are just that good.
“We know the Youngstown State tradition and we know that they are going to come in here ready to play and if we aren’t ready for them it could be a very long night.”
mollica@vindy.com