After an impressive 41-6 homecoming victory against Northern Iowa, South Dakota State will travel to Carbondale, Illinois to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis for their own homecoming.
The last time these two MVFC powerhouses faced off was in 2021 when SIU overcame a 20-point deficit to beat the Jackrabbits in a 42-41 overtime victory at the Dykhouse.
Though head coach Jimmy Rogers isn’t bothered by their last meeting with SIU.
“I don’t really talk about the past. I just try to stay present with the guys and push them to be at their best at practice and get them to compete.”
Currently, the 6-0 Jacks are one of two teams in the FCS that are undefeated (Harvard 5-0).
The Salukis are 5-1 this season with their only loss coming earlier this month against Youngstown State where they were manhandled 31-3.
However, SIU did find success in week two against FBS opponent Northern Illinois where they escaped with a 14-11 victory. Southern Illinois was one of four FCS teams to beat an FBS opponent this season.
The game is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 21 and can be watched on ESPN+ and listened to on the Jackrabbits Sports Network.
For SIU, senior Nic Baker has looked solid this season for the Salukis, passing for 1,341 yards (223.5 per game) with 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on a 66.12% completion percentage.
Baker has gotten two receivers over the 300 mark this season, Izaiah Hartrup and sophomore wide-out Vinson Davis III. Hartrup leads the team in receiving yards this season with 340 on 28 catches and three scores while Davis III follows closely on his tail with 329 yards on 29 receptions and a touchdown.
Tight end Aidan Quinn has been putting in the work in this powerful offense as well. The junior from Tennessee currently has 194 yards this season with one touchdown on just 16 receptions.
Southern Illinois backs, Elliott Ro and Justin Strong have seen most of the carries for the team this season. In just four games, Ro has racked up 270 yards and five touchdowns on 42 carries while Strong has 192 yards and three touchdowns on 37 rushing attempts.
Defensively for the Salukis, safety PJ Jules leads the team in total tackles (55), assisted tackles (27), solo tackles (28) and tackles for loss (8.5). Linebacker Colin Bohanek has the second-most tackles, but not close to Jules with 36 total along with Banson Combs with 35. Ubayd Steed and Davis III each have two interceptions on the year with a team total of ten on the season.
“They’ve always had great talent,” said Rogers. “I think they are really good in the back end and they are physical up front.”
The Jackrabbits have been on fire all season and with stars at almost every position, they look to expand their already dominant year of football.
South Dakota State currently has the No. 3 scoring offense in the nation averaging 43 points per game as well as the No. 2 scoring defense in the nation allowing 13 points per game, one of two teams to be in the top-10 in both categories (Montana State: No. 1 in scoring offense and No. 10 in scoring defense).
Star tailback Isaiah Davis has been plowing through defenses for the whole season, racking up 594 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 77 carries. Those 594 yards put Davis at 13th for the most rushing yards in the FCS. Though the senior is not the only back putting in the work. Amar Johnson ran the ball 58 times this season while putting up 377 yards and a touchdown on the ground along with Angel Johnson who has 232 yards and three scores.
Quarterback Mark Gronowski has been spectacular in the sky this season, passing for 1,160 yards. The Illinois native has also thrown for 15 touchdowns and one interception on 122 attempts.
It isn’t a surprise with the amount of talent SDSU has in the passing attack that Gronowski has been so successful. Jaxon Janke leads the team in yards currently with 349 along with receptions with 24. After coming back from injury, Jadon Janke has racked up 131 yards in just four games. Both Janke brothers and freshman receiver Griffin Wilde have 3 touchdowns each this season.
Wilde, a true freshman from Sioux Falls, SD, has been an impressive addition to the offense, with 206 receiving yards on the year. Tight end Zach Heins leads the team in receiving touchdowns with four on the year along with 200 receiving yards on his own.
South Dakota State’s defense has been unstoppable this season thanks to their impressive group of linebackers. Saiveon Williamson has stepped up in a big way for the Rabbits this season, leading the team with 43 total tackles. Jason Freeman and Isaiah Stalbird sit at 2nd and 3rd this season in total tackles with 31 and 29 respectively.
South Dakota State has six interceptions so far this season with all of them coming from different players.
SDSU will be on the road again for their next matchup against the University of South Dakota at the Dakota Dome in Vermillion, SD.
