The Jackrabbits look onto the Racers of Murray State after a thrilling overtime victory over USD 20-17 last Saturday.
This will be the first Murray State and South Dakota State matchup since the Racers entered the Missouri Valley Football Conference a season ago.
SDSU will host for the second time in a row against the Racers at 2 p.m. at the Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on Saturday. You can watch the game on Midco TV and ESPN+ or listen on the Jackrabbit Sports Network.
South Dakota State
South Dakota State comes into their ninth game of the season with a 6-2 (3-1, MVFC) record after a win over South Dakota.
The Jackrabbits hold the No. 3 spot in the FCS national rankings with Montana State (8-0) at No. 2 and North Dakota State (8-1) at No. 1.
“The margin of error is small in this league [MVFC] and if you can take momentum and run with it inside of the game, good things happen for you,” said SDSU head football coach Jimmy Rogers. “If you don’t and you miss that opportunity, the team can respond quickly.”
Averaging 231.5 yards per game, South Dakota State’s rushing attack has looked almost unstoppable this season, boasting the fifth-best rushing offense in the nation. The Jackrabbits average 6.59 yards per carry, second most in the nation behind Montana State.
SDSU has five rushers over the two-century mark through eight games: Amar Johnson (538), Kirby Vorhees (363), Chase Mason (350), Mark Gronowski (266) and Angel Johnson (240). The Jacks have found the endzone 19 times on the ground this season, 14th most in the nation and fifth in the conference.
Amar Johnson leads the team in rushing touchdowns with seven on the year while backup quarterback Mason follows suit with five of his own.
Through eight games, Gronowski has thrown 1,384 yards, 11 touchdowns and six interceptions on 63.05%. The Illinois native threw for 163 yards against the ninth-ranked defense in the nation last weekend. It was his second-highest passing game since entering conference play (Northern Iowa: 221 passing yards).
Griffin Wilde and Grahm Goering currently lead the Jacks with four receiving scores each this season, while Wilde leads the team in receiving yards (493) and receptions (41). Goering’s 346 receiving yards have come off 24 receptions, averaging 14.42 yards per reception.
With 58 tackles to his name this season, Adam Bock leads the team in tackles with 58 on the season. The senior tallied eight total tackles against South Dakota. Bock also leads the Jacks with five tackles for loss on the year. Linebacker Caleb Francl follows behind with 49 tackles, four being tackles for loss.
Graham Spalding joined five other Jackrabbits last week with interceptions on the season (Bock, Steven Arrell, Dayls Beanum, Colby Huerter and Colby Humphrey).
Murray State
The 1-7 (0-5, MVFC) Racers look to pick up their first conference win of the season and their second since joining the Valley on Saturday against SDSU.
Murray State’s sole win this season came in week three against HBCU Mississippi Valley State, where they won 59-8.
A similar score last week saw the Racers on the other side of a blowout, losing 6-59 against No. 1 North Dakota State.
Murray State’s starting quarterback Jaden Johannsen has thrown for 1,061 yards, eight scores and six interceptions this season. Johannsen, a South Dakota native started his collegiate career at South Dakota School of Mines after graduating from Washington high school in Sioux Falls.
J’Kalon Carter has been the favorite target of Johannsen this season, amounting to 21 receptions for 264 yards and a score. Justice Hill, Marcus Floyd Jr. and Kylan Galbreath have caught two receiving touchdowns this season (tied for first on the team).
Touches are nearly split between three players on the ground for the Racers. Jawaun Northington leads the team with 332 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 78 carries. Q’Daryius Jennings suits behind with 66 rushes for 329 yards while Johannsen sits at 220 with 67 carries. Both Jennings and Johannsen have two scores a piece.
Defensively, James Camden leads Murray State with 51 tackles with linebacker Tyson Meiguez close behind with 48.
On average, Murray State’s defense gives up 211.8 yards per game and just over three rushing touchdowns a game.
Dakota. In the game, Gronowski was the second-leading rusher for the Jacks and registered a
rushing touchdown, his 31st of his career at South Dakota State
Next up
After their matchup with the Racers, the Jackrabbits will hit the road to Grand Forks, North Dakota to face the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota on Nov. 9.
