Congratulations to your 2022 MVFC Champions, the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits! Wooooooo! What a day for the Jacks! It didn’t start out pretty but it ended how we all wanted it to. This Jackrabbit team is different and now it gets to prove it in the playoffs against the FCS’s best.

Rants & Raves

Rave: Great job to the crowd that showed up! It was loud when it needed to be, and you could sense the energy from the fans, and it was fun. I gave more high-fives to people I didn’t know than I have in a long time.

Rant: There are lots of reasons why this was the smallest crowd of the season. High school playoffs, weddings, medical/sick, etc the list could go on and on. However, if your reason for not being there was it too cold, you are a WEENIE. We are from the great plains, the upper mid-west, the great north… whatever you want to call it. We are tough, hardy people. Get your warm winter clothes on, grab some warmers, grab some fire ball, grab some friends and get to the game and make some noise! The team deserves better than what we showed as fans yesterday.

Back to the game itself… 🙂

Rave: The Jackrabbit defense was phenomenal. 100 TOTAL yards (55 passing and 45 rushing). Illinois State averaged just 2 yards per carry. The defense has also intercepted a pass every game this season. Just incredibly consistent!

Rave: I’ve been hard on the team this year in regard to all the penalties. Yesterday was significantly better with just 5 penalties for 40 yards. Much much better.

Rant: The offensive line struggled yesterday. Illinois State’s front 7 is wild and they do so much stuff. However, identifying #5 Zeke Vandenburgh should have been a priority. The guy is a stud and that was clear from the tape. But for some reason, he came unblocked multiple times including his 1st quarter sack when Mark absorbed a heck of a hit. On the day, Mark was sacked 4 times and Isaiah’s longest run was just 8 yards. The #605Hogs have to step it up a bit more against elite competition.

Rave: I like the adjustment Zach Lujan made early on. It was clear that Illinois State wanted to take the run away. They had 8 guys in the box on first and second down, clearly daring the Jacks to pass the ball. Once that became very noticeable, the Jacks started airing it out on first down. Once the defense backed off the Jacks had some more success running the ball finishing with 148 total rushing yards against a really salty run defense.

Rave: Speaking of running the ball… This is the most designed runs for Mark we have seen this season. I thought this settled him down a bit as again he appeared a bit flustered in the first quarter. However, the man is a playmaker and a football player and I think doing a few designed runs settled him down and from then on we saw some terrific passing. Mark finished the game 20 of 28 for 283 yards and 1 TD.

Rant: I’m not 100% sure what happened on the blocked punt that Illinois State scooped and scored but on the post-game radio show Stig said that the player who made the mistake took ownership right away for it. To my untrained eye, the entire operation appeared slow on that punt. The operation on punts later in the game appeared much quicker.

Rave: The Jackrabbit linebacker group has been hit particularly hard with injuries this season. However, there hasn’t been a huge drop off in play no matter who is in there. Yesterday was Saiveon Williamson’s day. He has played more since Bock was hurt and he got plenty of snaps yesterday with Peyton Shafer not playing. Saiveon was everywhere and looked like a multi-year starter finishing with 4 total tackles and a PBU where he just bullied the wide receiver at the catch point.

Rave: Jadon Janke really has developed a connection with Mark this year. Running all of those fly and post routes, he really showed off his speed and ball skills. Yes, he had the one drop but he caught all the ones after that. Very important to have a short memory! Jadon finished with 5 receptions for 129 yards, a 25.8 yard average!

Rave: I loved how the team talked this week. They didn’t want to share the MVFC title. They wanted it outright and they embraced that. Again, this team is different and any remaining feelings of “gosh, we’re just happy to be here” appear to be completely gone. Those feelings were fine early in the transition and as the program progressed but now the only thing this team hasn’t achieved is winning a national title. I’m glad the program appears to have fully embraced that.

Rave: The mental makeup of this team is just sooooo strong. The fumbled punt after nearly forcing a safety, the early interception, and the blocked punt all could have been moments that derailed the game and caused a snowball of mistakes. However, it didn’t happen. The body language stayed positive; guys kept giving one another high fives and supporting each other. After every mistake, the team’s resolve hardened, and they elevated their level of play. This team is a joy to watch!

Rave: Eventually, with a balanced attack and with the time of possession being so one sided (39:34 to 20:26) the Jackrabbits wore down the Redbird defense. Illinois State’s starting unit ranks right up there with anyone in the country but they just don’t have any depth. This is likely the main reason they have been completely demolished in the 4th quarter of games this season.

Rave: I’m doing something unusual; I’m writing a rave about an opponent for the second straight week… Zeke Vandenburgh will get my imaginary vote for MVFC Defensive Player of the year. I knew he was a great player but seeing him live and just watching him move and play was fun. He is ridiculously good and I hope he is graduating and off to the NFL.

Rave: I thought the referees did a good job and were quick and efficient in their calls. The game was only about 2 hours and 50 minutes long; which compared to the 3 hour and 30-minute contest in Cedar Falls last week felt like a dream!

Rave: I’m just incredibly proud of this team. They are so laser focused and playing at a high level. I’m excited to (hopefully) host throughout the playoffs and get some new teams in Brookings. What a season! But it is not done yet!

Game Balls

Offense: Jadon Janke

Defense: Jason Freeman (10 total tackles, 4 TFL, 1 Sack, and 1 PBU)

Special Teams: Hunter Dustman

Go Jacks!

Matt