Story by
The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
Matt Zimmer: Inside the huddle as South Dakota State routs New Haven
- Story byThe Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
- Matt Zimmer: Inside the huddle as South Dakota State routs New Haven
Sep. 13—BROOKINGS — South Dakota State 's first two drives against New Haven , a team they were favored to defeat by 43 points, weren't failures, but they weren't really what the crowd of 19,031 envisioned when they filled up Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
On the first, the Jackrabbits traveled 67 yards on 15 plays and settled for a Tristan Alvano field goal. On the second they went 66 yards on 14 plays, taking a 10-0 lead on a 1-yard Chase Mason sneak that capped off one of the most boring scoring drives in program history .
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How boring? It took the Jacks eight plays to traverse the final 15 yards.
2-yard run
6-yard run
1-yard run
2-yard run
2-yard run
1-yard run
0-yard run
1-yard touchdown
SDSU coach Dan Jackson said the Jacks wanted to establish the run against an overmatched team, but the Chargers were almost over-the-top in their insistence on stopping the run, stacking the box and bringing pressure.
So SDSU decided that rather than stubbornly insist on running into that wall of bodies they'd open up the playbook, attacking the Chargers with a vertical passing game.
It worked, and the Jacks scored 33 second-quarter points on their way to a 57-14 win that improves them to 2-1 on the season ahead of next week's conference opener against Youngstown State.
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Jackson explained in the postgame press conference how his team adjusted to New Haven's defensive pressure, and I found myself wondering how those conversations played out.
This is what I pictured:
Offensive coordinator Eric Eidsness: Run it again.
Running back Corey Blair: Again?
Offensive tackle Quinten Christensen: Yes, again. If anyone on this offense doesn't think we can blow these guys off the ball and score they can get out of this huddle.
Guard Will Paepke: That's right!
Wide receiver Grahm Goering: We could try throwing it? Right Chase?
Mason: It doesn't matter what play we call. We should score every single time we snap the ball.
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Tight end Greyton Gannon: Then let's throw it. To a tight end. We're tight end U, remember?
Tight end Coleman Kuntz : I agree, let's throw it. If I score I'm gonna spike it. That's legal now, you know.
Wide receiver Jack Smith: They won't throw a flag?
Kuntz: Nope!
(The Jacks take over at their own 1-yard line, leading 10-0, and the Chargers come to the line stacking the box again, hoping for a safety)
Head coach Dan Jackson: OK, let's air it out.
Eidsness: Well, let's get out of our own end zone first.
(Three yard run by Mason)
Goering: OK, now can we throw it?
Eidsness: Here we go.
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Mason: Get ready, 12. (I like to think Mason calls Goering '12', even though I know he doesn't. I would)
(Mason hits Goering for a 34-yard gain)
Jackson: Yes. More of that.
(Mason hits Landon Dulaney for 13 yards)
Eidsness: Ok, they're backing off. Let's get Junior in there.
(Junior is Ramon McKinney, who comes in and rushes for 10 yards)
(Mason hits tight end Brayden Delahoyde for 19 yards)
Gannon: What'd I say? TEU!
Kuntz: He should spike it. It's fine. It's not a penalty anymore.
Eidsness: The defense is backing off. The run is gonna be there now.
Mason: It doesn't matter. We should score on every play.
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Eidsness: We're gonna score on this play.
(McKinney races 22 yards for six, completing a 9-play, 99-yard drive to make it 17-0)
Kuntz: Spike it!
(McKinney doesn't spike it)
Kuntz, internally to himself: I would've spiked it.
Jackson: Yes. More of that.
(Jacks defense gets a safety making it 19-0 and giving them the ball back)
Goering: A deep ball to me would be cool.
(Mason finds Goering for 43 yards)
Christensen: Let's run it down their throat!
Eidsness: Bet.
(Three straight runs by Josiah Johnson fail to get a first down and Jacks settle for a field goal, making it 22-0)
(New Haven fumbles, Tank Farr recovers and starts running it back for a TD. Refs blow it dead. Replay shows it was a fumble. Jacks ball, but the incorrect ruling cost SDSU the return)
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Jackson: That should be a touchdown!
Ref: It's a dead ball.
Jackson: Yes, thank you, I am familiar with the rules. I'm saying your screw up cost us a touchdown.
Ref: Dan, that's hurtful.
Jackson: .........
Mason: It doesn't matter, Coach. We're going to score a touchdown on the next play.
(Mason finds Kuntz for a 25-yard touchdown pass on the next play to make it 29-0)
Mason: You're welcome.
(Kuntz spikes the ball after his touchdown. Spectacularly. He is flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct)
Kuntz: .........
Jackson, to Kuntz: That was awesome. I'm so not gonna make you do up-downs for that.
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Kuntz: Word.
Jackson, to ref: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, dude?
Ref: Dan, that's hurtful.
Jackson: ..........
(Jacks get the ball back with 70 seconds left in the half)
Jackson: Let's get one more.
Eidsness: Good opportunity to work on our hurry-up offense.
Mason: It doesn't matter if we're in the hurry-up or not. We should score on every drive.
Eidsness: We're airing it out.
Goering: Hell yeah we are.
Gannon: Sorry, Grahm. This is TEU.
(Mason finds Sammy Dresie for 20 yards and Jack Smith for 11, then connects with Gannon for a 24-yard touchdown strike to make it 36-0 with 20 seconds left in the half.)
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Gannon: Tight. End. U.
Blair: Hey, this is cool and all but what about the running game?
Eidsness: We backed 'em off. Second half we're gonna run all over them.
Christensen: Damn right we are.
(Mason finds Gannon for a 29-yard score to start the second half, making it 43-0)
Gannon: T.E.U.
Running back James Basinger: My turn or what?
(Basinger adds touchdown runs of 27 and 55 yards as SDSU builds their lead to 57-0)
OK, what did Jackson really say?
"We were running the ball, it's just hard to run it for 50 yards when (the defense is loading the box) and be perfect in the run game. So then we just decided to open it up and throw the ball, and we liked the matchups that we had. So I don't want to say that we switched game plans, but we just decided to say instead of, sure, we can run the ball every play in this game and probably have some success, let's open it up and create some explosive pass plays. And I thought once we did that, Chase got really going and spread the ball around and was really accurate and having fun."
Makes sense. But I like my version better.
