Jackrabbit Illustrated

 Does it ever get old hearing how good the Jacks are supposed to be? For myself, it is sweet music to my ears (especially when even the pundits from up north and out west are making the same claims) However, there are some looming questions that could be the difference between “back to back” and back to “we were so close”.

  The biggest elephant in the room is what will Jimmy Rogers bring? We know he is going to bring the juice, passion and intensity. The question is, how will players respond? It is easy to say that players already know what to expect. We also know that motivating a QB and LB are completely different animals. While I know that Coach Rogers could amp me up to run through a wall, could he also talk me through a game of chess? I am certain he has the ability to be calm, cool, and collected. I also know that there is a big difference between coordinator and head coach. It goes without saying, there is a learning curve to that change. I personally think that Coach Rogers is going to let his staff do their jobs because they are some of the best in FCS. That being said, I wonder how players will react in the heat of the moment considering his energy is so explosive.

  Another question that has been asked and answered many times is, how do the Jacks respond to being hunted instead of the hunter. The most popular answer is, we have already been hunted…so it is nothing new. While I agree, it isn’t 100% accurate. When is the last time a team has been favored like this…let alone a Jacks team? This is new territory for us. I do think because we have so many veterans, they will keep their heads.  However, we are not expected to simply beat teams, we are expected to destroy them. That is a whole new level of pressure. When you look back at last year, we had a number of games that were very close to slipping out of the hands of victory. Just think if Mason McCormick doesn’t go beast mode of the fumble recovery in Fargo, if UNI doesn’t get called for leaping, or if Freeman doesn’t haul that INT before half against Holy Cross. If we don’t make those 3 plays we could still be the hunter. Either way, this is new territory for the Jacks and it is not business as usual.

  One of the glaring questions I have that I have not heard mentioned is, how long can underclassmen wait for their shot? I know that being part of a championship team is fun. However, some of the underclassmen have been waiting a long time to get their day in the sun. Does that weigh on them? I know historically many college players hope to get 2 years of meaningful playing time. I am fully aware that college players don’t expect participation trophies. I am also smart enough to know waiting your turn stinks. As of now the transfer bug hasn’t bitten the Jacks….but, it will at some point. It will hit every team at some point. I just hope that it doesn’t happen all at once. In theory, if we do destroy our opponents, it will open the door for more guys to see the field. If we don’t destroy teams, we could have way more players get impatient and look for a different opportunity. No matter what, I think it is a tough task at hand.

  My final question is, now that the team has taken the big step, can our fans also make that next step? We all love September games when it is 50-70 degrees. Unfortunately, it seems only 7,000 + of us were willing to enjoy 10 degrees. (those 7,000 + fans were extremely juiced up though) When you look at the FCS landscape, Dana J Dykhouse Stadium is one of the elite stadiums out there. The tailgate set up is second to none. So, why do we have to look at so many empty seats? Our goal as fans is to make Brookings a tough place to play, not only because we have a buzz saw team, also because our fans are loud. I think our players deserve to see the seats full. They did their part and brought home the hardware, now we need to do our part and make Dana J Stadium a place that is electric…. EVERY game! (Side note: The Montana State game is not a conference game. So, the rules against certain noise making devices doesn’t apply. We should take full advantage of that!) Finally, lets be classy crazy fans. I enjoy a brew or 17 more than most. I just don’t want to make visiting fans leaving and thinking we are a bunch of blow hards. So, when you see that opposing fan wandering around at tailgate, welcome them in. During the game, bring the juice but do not be clown.

  To wrap this up, let me be clear, I think the Jacks will brutalize teams this year. I also think Coach Rogers is the real deal. Heck, during the spring game, I was ready to run through a wall just watching him. That doesn’t change the fact that another championship is not given. We have more to prove and some tough questions to answer.

Go Jacks!

Paul