The Jacks did what they needed to do and walked away with a 52-7 victory over the Lindenwood Lions. The game was FULL of bright spots but for the second week in a row there is one major negative. Overall though, the Jacks enter their bye week at 2-0, will hop into conference play for one week on the road, and then come home for their final non-conference game of the regular season.
Rants & Raves:
Rave: What a beautiful day for tailgating and football! The backyard has earned the reputation over the last few years as being “corporate and stuff.” That was not the case and tailgating looked excellent all around the stadium. The crowd was 15,000+ and they were engaged even though the outcome of the game was never in doubt. Special shoutout to the students who showed up. Now we all need to make sure this happens in the other home games this season.s
Rave: The offense picked up where it left off last week in CSU. Again, they were able to do what they wanted when they wanted. The #605Hogs were dominant in the first half as the offense amassed over 400 yards and scored on every single possession.
Rave: Two games in and Chris Oladokun looks like one of the best QBs the Jackrabbits have had. Tyler Merriam pointed out on the postgame show that through 5 1/2 quarters of play he has completed 30 of 42 passes (3+ drops and similar number of throw-a1ways), for 395 yards, and 6 TDs. What a phenomenal start! If he keeps this up, he will be in consideration for the Payton Award.
Rant: The Jacks opened with Isaiah Davis back as punt returner. I was really hoping that they would have tried someone else in that role. Unfortunately, now their hand has been forced. As I suggested last week on the podcast, Tyler Feldkamp appears more than capable to serve in that role.
Rave: A 54 yard field goal?!? Have a day Cole Frahm! That would have been good from 60+ I think.
Rant: Another kickoff out of bounds. Ugh…
Rant: Like everywhere else in the country, it appears that the worker shortage has hit SDSU athletics particularly hard. The east side gate had just one ticket scanner and I’ve heard that the west side gates had similar issues. From my seats in section 118, I could see out the northwest corner of the stadium and I saw the line of fans waiting to get into the game stretch into the backyard. Here is a possible solution that I know the Packers (and likely others) utilize. See if there are local high school booster clubs, prom committees, athletic teams, etc. who would be willing to work the gate and/or concession stand and receive a check that would go to their cause. Yes, this would cut into the profits but it would improve the fan experience and likely lead to increased sales. I think it’s worth a try!
Rave: I was so happy to see some of my favorite younger players making plays. Tucker Kraft, Amar Johnson, Tyler Feldkamp, Graham Spalding, Payton Shafer, Matt Barnett, Cale Reader, Daeton Mcgaughy were all making plays + all of the other true freshman who saw their first action. This roster is scary deep!
Rave: Speaking of Tucker Kraft, how about the day that the tight ends had? Kraft and Zach Heins combined for 6 receptions for 44 yards and 4 TD. Heins showed his ridiculous catch radius on his receptions while Kraft showed his sheer power and athleticism on his scores.
Rave: The Chaingang sure is having a nice start to their season. 3 sacks last night and the poor QB was never able to get comfortable in the pocket.
Rant: This is nobodies fault but I am bummed about the major injuries in two consecutive games. Wolf and Davis are major components of the offensive game plan. There is great depth but I still wish that Wolf and Davis were available.
Game Balls
Offense: Chris Oladokun
Defense: #Chaingang
Special Teams: Cole Frahm
Go Jacks!
Matt