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3 takeaways from South Dakota State's overtime win over South Dakota

Posted on by Kennedy
3 takeaways from South Dakota State's overtime win over South Dakota

With South Dakota State on fourth down and inches away in overtime, Jackrabbits football coach Jimmy Rogers had a choice. SDSU was down by three points in overtime against South Dakota, and Rogers' team was just coming up short.

He had already sent the kicking team out to kick a field goal, but the referees reviewed the previous play and gave him additional time to think about his decision. At what seemed like the last moment, Rogers told his offense to get back out there. He knew he couldn’t be “afraid of the moment.”

South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski and the offensive line executed a quarterback keep perfectly, and the Jackrabbits earned a first down and Amar Johnson scored the game-winning touchdown a few plays later for a 20-17 win to achieve.

“I would have preferred to go out swinging,” Rogers said. “I'm glad we made this decision. At least I can sleep tonight.”

South Dakota State's defense kept them in this game for most of the game while the offense stalled. SDSU held South Dakota's deep running back room to just 82 rushing yards. The Coyotes managed 30 more passing yards than the Jackrabbits, but in the end they came up just short.

Here are a few takeaways from South Dakota State's 20-17 win over South Dakota:

South Dakota State's defense carried them through this game

As has been the case several times this season, South Dakota State's defense was the team's greatest strength tonight and probably the main reason they were able to hold on for the win.

After allowing a touchdown on the first drive of the game, SDSU did not allow the USD offense to score another touchdown as the game progressed. They deserve a lot of credit for this as they have slowed down one of the best offensive teams in the FCS in recent weeks. The Jackrabbits held South Dakota's normally explosive running back room to just 82 rushing yards.

Perhaps most importantly, the defense thrived in crucial moments. With the Coyotes inside South Dakota State's 10-yard line in the fourth quarter and on the verge of tying the game, Graham Spalding came up with a huge interception to completely stop USD's momentum.

“My first thought was, 'There's no way he's going to throw that, I'm standing right there,'” Spalding said after the game. “My second thought was, 'Don't drop it.'”

Of course, right after that interception, South Dakota's defense turned the game on its head as Dennis Shorter forced a fumble and Mi'Quise Grace recovered it and ran it 15 yards to the end zone with just 4:11 to play in the game.

In overtime, South Dakota State's defense did not allow the Coyotes to gain a first down, forcing them to settle for a field goal, setting up the game-winning drive.

The SDSU offense has faltered against top teams

The Jackrabbits have scored a total of 29 points in their last two games – each against some of the top competition the FCS has to offer. North Dakota State held the reigning FCS national champions to just nine points and South Dakota held them to 14 in regulation but 20 overall.

In fact, South Dakota State outscored the Bison by a total of 333-275 yards, including 103 yards, but the Jackrabbits were unable to capitalize on that distance. They also outscored the Coyotes 329-275 on Saturday, but still narrowly eked out the victory.

But these low-scoring games against top competitors don't seem to be bothering anyone yet.

“I wouldn’t say there’s a sense of frustration at all,” Gronowski said when asked about their recent performances. “I think it really just comes down to the execution factor.”

There seems to be a recognition that SDSU just played two of the best defenses in the FCS, and bouncing back from last week's loss is a step in the right direction. Rogers also said the team needs to stop shooting itself in the foot when it has a chance to make plays.

“We have to catch balls when they’re thrown to us,” Rogers said. “That’s the profit margin. If the ball hits their hands, they have to catch it. You have to strike.”

South Dakota confirms its status at the top of the FCS

As much as this loss hurts, South Dakota played a great game. They were on the field early and South Dakota State's defense struggled throughout. At the end of regular time, the Coyotes even had a chance to win with a field goal, but the goal went wide of the left net.

Ultimately, USD made too many timely errors and that cost him. There was an illegal shift penalty that returned a touchdown and at least two dropped snaps on key drives that returned them five yards and stopped any momentum.

“In games like this, inches matter,” South Dakota football coach Bob Nielson said. “There were some critical times where we didn’t make plays today.”

USD will have a bye week, but after that the Coyotes will come back eager to stake their claim among the FCS's elite.

“Right now it’s one of those things that hurts a lot,” Aidan Bouman said of the loss. “We struggled a lot in this team, but ultimately our goals haven’t changed at all.”

Next

South Dakota State hosts Murray State on Saturday, September 2nd. The game is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m. USD has a bye week and then hosts Indiana State on Saturday, November 9th.

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