The Jacks got into the win column on Saturday with a big 45-24 win over the University of Incarnate Word (UIW).  UIW showed that they have plenty of talent and athleticism on the perimeter and were a really quality opponent for the 2x FCS Champions to host.

Rants & Raves

Rave: What an awesome day in Brookings!  The town was buzzing, the downtown was packed, and the energy in the tailgating lots before the game was palpable.  For many folks, they were seeing some of their best friends for the first time since Frisco!  UIW brought a nice contingent of folks and they were all really friendly.

Rant: It is just one week but I think the athletic department overshot a bit with converting the triangle parking lot north of the library and next to the horticulture greenhouse into Jackrabbit Club parking.  The lot was less than 1/4 full by the time we started tearing down Bookclub tailgating at 4:00pm.  I hope the athletic department reevaluates this plan if the parking lot is not more full next week.   They took something that was really pure, fan driven, and just natural and really downgraded it.  I get the supposed “why” behind this change, increased Jackrabbit Club membership, but man did it sort of kill something that was really cool in that lot.

Rave: Huge shoutout to whoever made the decision to just let the line of students into the game!  They make such a difference and to just say “Yeah, go ahead and go in so you’re in place by kickoff.” was a terrific decision!  I’m not sure how that did or didn’t affect the count but it was the right decision.  Unfortunately, I got caught in the stream of students flooding in and felt like a salmon swimming upstream!

Rave: I love the new intro and runout.  The music choice (chefs kiss), the timing (chefs kiss), and the Pride waiting until the players were all the way through before starting the school song (10 stars).  I know this is something the athletic department wanted to get right and I think they nailed it!

Rant: For all of the good energy that was created, the team started slowly with both UIW and SDSU having slow starts and feeling each other out.  The dropped TD by Goering and the missed FG by Dustman were certainly deflating.

Rave: I loved that they incorporated Chase Mason into the gameplan.  It is clear there is more to come on this.  I think we are just scratching the surface with what Olson and Freund have dialed up.

Rave: Griffin Wilde is going to be a superstar.  Last week we talked about “if” he could reach Jake Wieneke levels of greatness and I’m really forcing myself to not switch that “if” to a “when.”  He finished with 10 receptions for 106 yards and 2 TD.  He’s off to a blazing start to this season!

Rave: Grahm Goering is going to be a great #2 for this passing game.  His speed is really exciting.  I’d like to see him move on more quickly from his drops when they happen. “Flush it.”  You could tell he was down for a bit after it.  He still finished with 3 receptions for 50 yards and a TD.

Rant: I think overall the #605Hogs played a good game.  I’d just like to see them cleanup some things in pass protection.  Mark was only sacked once but he had guys in his face early in the game especially.  I think this caused Mark to miss some throws and get a little antsy in the pocket.  They do seem to be trending in the right direction though!

Rave: We thought this would be a game where the run game would be crucial for getting the win.  It certainly was with the team hitting 230 yards on the ground with Amar leading the way with 112 yards (5.9 ypc) and Angel with 42 yards (7.0 ypc).  Both looked explosive and the #605Hogs played really well in the run game as there was only 1 negative rush on the day.  Great job!

Rave: Also assisting in this effort were the TEs.  Kevin Brenner was especially impressive.  His block in the first quarter where he absolutely buried a safety ten yards down field was really fun.  The young trio of Grayton Gannon, David Alpers, and Brody Gormley are still growing in their blocking but I think I saw enough from them to be encouraged about their future as blockers.

Rave: As pass catchers we got to see these young guys shine.  Gormley showed off his speed with 1 reception for 61 yards.  Gannon caught a TD on 2 receptions for 47 yards.  Alpers didn’t have a reception but showed some burst.  The concern has to be the health of Davin Stoffel.

Rant: Defensively, the Jacks need to clean up the tackling.  For the second week in a row, the Jacks missed way too many tackles.  I know the first two games have featured players with some elite speed but still the Jacks have to wrap up.

Rave: I thought Adam Bock and Caleb Francl played really good games again.  Bock finished with 9 tackles, 3 being TFL.  Francl had 7 tackles, 1 being a TFL.  Overall, the Jacks eliminated the Cardinal run game holding them to just 68 rushing yards (3.4 ypc).

Rave: Colby Humphrey plays with such physicality.  I need to watch his coverage a bit more but I sure do enjoy watching him put the hurt on receivers.

Rant: Super disappointed in the tunnel screen that UIW scored on from 69 yards out.  The Jacks usually dominate opponents when they try tunnel screens or bubble screens.  I’m curious what the exact breakdown was but the team did not run to the ball.  I think that has be the longest TD on a wide receiver screen that the Jacks have allowed under a Jimmy Rogers defense and it was jarring to see.  I’ve just grown accustomed to Steven Arrell or DyShawn Gales or Don Gardner blowing up the play.  It needs to be better going forward.

Rave: Matthew Durrance played his best game as a Jackrabbit he fished with 8 tackles and fumble recovery.  The Jacks are banged up at safety and they’ll need Durrance’s veteran experience to steady the ship while Reeder, Huerter, and Large are on the mend.

Rave: Special teams coverage was TERRIFIC.  UIW has some stud returners and the Jacks elimanated their impact.  On the flip side, UIW was scared to kick to Angel Johnson.  Kirby Voorhees needs to be ready to catch the ball and make some moves if teams are going to avoid Angel.

Rave: Cell phone reception!

Rave: New PA announcer Ryan Howlett did a very good job in his debut! As others have pointed out, it is never easy to replace a legend!

Rave: Finally, I absolutely love how Mark is leading this team.  It would be easy, and somewhat natural, to be frustrated with so many young and new players around him and the growing pains that come with it.  However, he seemed to have good body language even when things weren’t going great.  His positivity in the postgame press conference show a player that understands what the team needs from him this year is different than maybe what it needed from him in the past.

Game Balls

Offense: Amar Johnson

Defense: Adam Bock

Special Teams: Brody Gormley and Dontay Johnson

Go Jacks!

Matt