The Jackrabbits used another HUGE second quarter to beat up on the Salukis and walk away with a 41-10 win. Even though the score was only 3-0 after the first quarter the result never felt in doubt.  I think the pregame and in-game atmosphere was terrific and SDSU has done such a good job of making gameday into an event that it is hard to stay away.  Quick examples:  I brought my brother-in-law (alumni) to his second game of the season and he is now hooked and pledged to go to all of the home playoff games and I also brought a friend and his wife (non-alumni) to the game and they said they had a blast and want to attend more games in the future including next year’s Hobo Day.

Rants & Raves

Rave: Incredibly proud of how this team approached this game.  This would have been a really easy contest for this team to overlook.  It was not necessarily a trap game but coming off a huge win over UND and looking ahead to a big contest with Missouri State.  Looking past SIU is just human nature.

Rave: I can’t say I expected such a huge crowd yesterday.  The 17,268 that turned out for the game were awesome and helped reset the regular season attendance record of 18,504!  What I liked best about it were so many NEW and YOUNG fans that were at the game.  November games have typically been for the die-hards and family of players.  The ticket deals, promotions, and giveaways (along with the gorgeous weather) got so many families in the door and that is just so huge for building the brand.  As a parent of three kids under 10, I can’t stress how much they love the Jackrabbits and can’t wait to someday be students at SDSU.  Most of that is due to how much they love the game day experience.  I love that the athletic department has done these ticket deals to help families out.  Anyways,  I didn’t think it would be possible this season with our initial home slate to break the attendance record set just last year (18,208) but we did.  Next season’s home schedule looks impressive so this record may not last long either!

Rave: The Jackrabbit offense is clicking at the right point in the season!  Both the run and the pass have been pretty efficient over the last few weeks.  288 rushing yards and 215 passing yards= 503 total yards.  It’s dang near impossible to have this type of production from the Jackrabbit offense and lose a game when you have the Jackrabbit defense playing how they are.

Rave: Shoutout to Chad and our listeners and readers for their continued support of the Northwestern Mutual and FCS Nation Radio challenge to raise money for Alex’s Lemonade Stand.  Chad makes pudding shots for this challenge and has been accepting donations at every home game this season (and the Hagen Wagon did at UND) and will be donating all of the money to this cause on behalf of Mark.  Yesterday alone, Chad raised $731!  Incredible work Chad and Jackrabbit Nation.  Also, Jim Poppen for continuing to help fans easily complete the “LemonTopChallenge”.  Way to #MAD guys!

Rant: Even though the overall attendance was great, I’m disappointed in the lack of students for the second game in a row.  SDSU is coming off a three day weekend and harvest is done come out and support your classmates!  Your presence and energy in the stadium is such a difference maker and it does lead the way.  The noise from the south endzone is SOOO disruptive.  Hopefully you bring back your winter gear from Thanksgiving and are ready to make some noise in the playoffs!

Rave: Incredibly proud of Matthew “Juice” Durrance.  He’s started at both safety positions this year due to injuries.  He finished with 4 solo tackles and 2 INTs.  He had a rough game at NDSU but in the 4 games since then, he has been terrific as both a sub and as a starter.

Rave: The 3rd down offense and defense was really cooking in this one!  On offense the Jacks went 9 of 15 and on defense the Jacks held them to 1/10 on conversions.  Really impressive work on both sides of the ball!

Rave: As fans, we take it for granted but the depth that Coach Stig and Coach Rogers have built over the years is truly special.  SIU has been devastated by injuries but it is clear they haven’t built the depth that the Jacks have.  Credit to players like Daeton Mcgaughy, Ethan Vibert, and Matthew Durrance (and many more) who could have transferred to anywhere else in the FCS and started immediately but stuck it out at SDSU and waited for their turn to make the plays when they are called upon.

Rant: I don’t think anyone loved the call on Adam Bock but it was the correct one.  It was annoying to see our fans so upset about the call online when it was the correct call as the law is written.  It’s probably teaching tape actually for what referees should look for on targeting, especially on collisions with the QB.  As fans, it is hard for us to always be objective but part of what we want to do at JI is help Jackrabbit fans become the best, and most knowledgeable, fans in the FCS.

Rave: One thing I haven’t commented on as much this season is the in-stadium experience.  Lines, for the most part, have moved quickly all season long.  There still need to be changes on the south east entrance gate to get people through more quickly but otherwise the line issues from 2023 and previous seasons have really improved.

Rant: On that note, I’ve heard of many issues with the new security group, especially in regards to baby related items.  Also, no idea about the validity of it but there are online mentions of security asking people to take their stocking hats and boots off on their way through the gate.  Again, no idea if that is true but that seems excessive and ridiculous unless there is some sort of credible threat.  Hopefully the athletic department pays attention to this and gets the security group in line ASAP before they alienate any more fans.

Rave: Back to the game… It was awesome to see so many young players in the game.  This is the 3rd game in a row when the second and third string have taken most of the live reps and shown some promise.  Now heading into the playoffs, the young guys on the team are able to bank all of these additional reps for their future career.

Rave: When the #chaingang plays how they did yesterday, against a good SIU offensive line, the Jackrabbits are going to be REALLY hard to beat.  Going through the stats, this group barely registered with Kobe Clayborne leading the way with 3 tackles and a sack BUT the SIU QBs barely had time to set their feet as there was pressure in their face all day.  Obviously, the SIU run game didn’t grind out many yards either.  Heck of an effort by this group!

Rave: Mark Gronowski appears ready for the playoffs.  Over the last two weeks he looks like he has really built some trust with Griffin Wilde, Lofton O’Groske, Davin Stoffel, and David Alpers.  This is quite the bevy of weapons when you combine it with the running backs SDSU has.  O’Groske continues to impress and make the tough catch at critical moments of the game.

Rave:  Joe Ollman deserves a HUGE shoutout for being ready to man the middle linebacker spot after Bock was disqualified.  He probably knew that he was going to play a lot in the second half but there was no drop off when he came in on the second play of the game.  Credit to him for being ready for his moment!  I’ve said this before but the young backers the Jacks have coming up over the next few years have me really excited.

Rave:  Hunter Dustman had a nice day given the strong wind that was blowing through the stadium for much of the first half.  His mastery of the winds at Dana J has been impressive to watch and I hope he has shared that knowledge with true freshman Jack Stevens as he is the next up.

Game Balls

Offense: Amar Johnson

Defense: Matthew Durrance

Special Teams: Hunter Dustman

Go Jacks!

Matt