In front of a nearly sold out crowd, the SDSU Jackrabbits defeated the Sacramento State Hornets 20-3.  It wasn’t always pretty on offense but a suffocating defense allowed the Jacks to start the season 1-0 and secure Dan Jackson’s first victory.  It was sooo good to have football back.

Rants & Raves

Rave: We have to start with the defense.  That was the Jackrabbit defense that has become the standard at SDSU.  Absolutely suffocating.  If not a muffed punt, the Go-Go offense would have been blanked.  Sac State had just 7 first downs. They had 24 net rushing yards and 107 passing yards.  It was a dominant performance for this defense and even more impressive given all of the uncertainty about what Sac State planned to send at them.

Rave: The Jackrabbit rushing attack also showed how dominant it can be.  They ended the day with 240 rushing yards on 56 attempts (good for 4.3 ypc).  However, the Jacks lost 39 yards on 7 sacks and that hurt the average.

Rant: Speaking of sacks… As good as the #605Hogs were at opening lanes in the running game, I thought they struggled in the passing game.  Yes, some of the hits on Chase were caused by holding the ball too long and being indecisive at times but other times Chase had pressure in his face immediately and didn’t have a choice.  Sac did send plenty of pressure and sent 5 or more guys quite often.  I also think this was a really good front 7 for the Hornets that will cause some issues in the Big Sky.  This will certainly be something to watch.

Rave: I thought the crowd was really good at impacting the game.  There was so much energy in that stadium from the jump and the team responded.  I have no idea what it was like on the field but it seemed LOUD on some of those key early 3rd downs.

Rave: The #ChainGang was as advertised last night.  The Hornets didn’t have many long developing passing plays but when they did, Rashada seemed to take a big hit.  The Jacks ended the night with 2 sacks and currently there aren’t any QB Hits listed on the stat sheet but I’m sure that will be adjusted up after film review.

Rant: The security searches to enter the stadium were ridiculous. Period.  Making people empty their pockets and spin was ridiculous, it created really long lines, and caused some fans to miss the opening kickoff.   The security person my family had was friendly but I heard from multiple people that did not have positive experiences.  We left our tailgating spot right at 5pm to head into the stadium.  I was surprised how long the lines were already at that point but I saw why once we got to the front of the line.  Maybe this is the new reality for large events?  It certainly wasn’t the case for the Twins game I went to this summer but maybe for others? I do not know.

Rave:  I thought Lofton O’Groske was impressive as a playmaker for the Jackrabbits.  He had a quieter second half but in the first half it was clear the Jacks were trying to get him touches.  He had 5 receptions for 76 yards and 3 carries for 31 yards and a TD.  It was awesome to see Eidsness manufacture touches for his best player.  This was something we BEGGED for last year with Wilde.

Rave: In the same vein, I thought Julius Loughridge was terrific in his Jackrabbit debut.  He showed off the power and one cut decisiveness that made him one of the top FCS to FCS portal transfers this season.  He finished the day with 22 attempts for 159 yards (7.2 yard avg).  I think this is a manageable workload for him.

Rant: Ball security was an issue early.  A fumble at the goal line (partially caused by a high snap throwing off the timing) and a muffed punt kept Sac State in the game longer than they deserved.  Both things are correctable and Loughridge and IGC showed good ball security the rest of the game.

Rave: The tradition of standout linebackers continued just as we said it would.  Ollman with a forced fumble, Van Tol with a sack, McShane with multiple run stuffs, Fyfe with a PBU, and Goering screaming around making plays.  It’s amazing how our small little part of the world just produces college linebackers.

Rave: I love how this Jackrabbit defense is willing to be multiple this year.  Gone are the days of just playing a 4-3.  At one point I think I saw just 1 linebacker on the field.  I was so impressed with the secondary too.  At safety, Bretz, Lee, Johnson, and Thompson shut things down deep over the middle.  You have to feel good about the cornerback room of Oliver (yes he should have just batted down the INT), Taylor, St-Juste, Dauterman, and Johnson really shut down some talented wide receivers.

Rant: The Jackrabbits have to be more efficient in the redzone. The Jacks were 4 for 6.  The fumble at the goal line hurt, the missed field goal hurt, and other times it just seemed like the offensive line wasn’t getting much of a push (granted Sac State had some huge bodies at defensive tackle).  This is certainly an area for growth.

Rave: How weird is it to KNOW the offense can play better but yet they put up 430 yards?  There is so much to learn from and grow from in this performance but when you stand back and look at it in it’s totality, its still really impressive!

Rave: Tailgating was great.  Our spot had an early visit from UPD where they called in a few IDs but otherwise I didn’t notice their presence.  Thank you to everyone who stopped by our spot in the Backyard and helped us break in the new spot.  It was great meeting so many of you!

Rant: I didn’t see it myself but I was told that the east side concession stands were out of most of their food by mid-3rd quarter.  Maybe the concert caused some shortage or maybe there were supply issues.  I don’t know for sure but I’m hoping they get it right for the next game.

Rave: I can’t believe I have made it this far without mentioning Andrew Gustad.  I was caught by surprise when the Jacks went triple wing early in the game, handed him the ball and he converted on a close 3rd and short.  I was even more surprised when he was the player that scored the first touchdown.  However, coaches have raved about him for years.  His work ethic and his willingness to do whatever the team needs.  He played a lot last night and blocked well, ran hard, and obviously made the big catch for TD.

Rave: Thank you to everyone who came to our live show or tuned in for the broadcast.  We had a blast doing it and would consider more live shows in the future.  Thank you especially to Wooden Legs Brewing for taking care of the sound and creating an awesome setup.  Also, if you haven’t tried Garage Time yet, swing in and get some!

Rave: Overall, I thought the team handled the emotion of the moment really well.  There was some chippy-ness that we are lucky didn’t get flagged but I guess it was going both ways.

Rave: Congratulations to Dan Jackson and staff.  What a huge moment to get this first win.  After everything this team has been through since the end of last season, this moment was huge.

Game Balls

Offense: Lofton O’Groske- sparked the offense early

Defense: Cullen McShane- big time run stuffs

Special Teams: The fliers/gunners on punt coverage.  TREMENDOUS effort.

Go Jacks!

Matt