Heckuva' Year!

[JackJD]

2012 is in the books as a great year for Jackrabbit football. Lots of fun watching the team go well beyond the pre-season predictions. The minimum goal is to be positioned to compete for national titles and that means getting into the playoffs. We've done that. Second-place in the MVFC and a first-round playoff victory.... in case anyone's forgotten, here's the pre-season poll from last August:

2012 Valley Football Preseason Poll
Team (first-place votes) — Points
1. North Dakota State (37) — 379
2. Northern Iowa — 300
3. Youngstown State — 291
4. Illinois State (1) — 287
5. Indiana State — 228
6. South Dakota State — 182
7. Southern Illinois — 167
8. South Dakota — 97
9. Western Illinois — 90
10. Missouri State — 69


This spring we should be breaking ground on the indoor facility which will be a tremendous recruiting tool. We have a great nucleus of returning players and I doubt we'll be picked to be in the bottom half of the MVFC like we were this year.

Congrats to Coach Stig and his staff. It seems the seniors are irreplaceable but I think the examples they provided, and those of their prededessors, have helped the program get to "reloading" status. I'm already looking forward to the next year.

[Prairiehaas]

Re: Heckuva' Year!

Well put. Need to keep perspective after the tough loss yesterday. This Jackrabbit team achieved above expectations and the coaching staff has them well positioned for greater success on the field and just as importantly, in the classroom. Kudos to Coach Stig and his boys.

[JackJD]

Re: Heckuva' Year!

I'm even adding a little perspective tonight (Sunday) by watching the truncated replay of Nebraska v. Wisconsin on the Big 10 Network. I preferred Nebraska in the contest. OMG: as much as I didn't like what happened in our game in Fargo, the Huskers game was worse: UNL struggled in about all aspects of the game. I sure didn't like watching Wisconsin dominate Nebraska. It can happen to any program. (Including the Bison next year...for now, I hope the Bison get another title but next year, the Marker comes back to Brookings and then I hope we get some playoff revenge.)

Did see former Jackrabbit Willie Jones, now a strength and conditioning coach at Nebraska, on the sidelines quite a bit.

[RowdyRabbit]

Re: Heckuva' Year!

Absolutely. This senior class (who were freshman on the 09 playoff team) helped solidify a very strong foundation for SDSU football in the FCS era.

They are the only class in SDSU history to see the playoffs twice. How crazy is that?

[da_coach]

Re: Heckuva' Year!

Great season, and great team.

Very fun to watch them, and enjoyed the ride this season.

The seniors have laid a great foundation for the young guys to continue on.

[Roy]

Re: Heckuva' Year!

Sagarin still has us as #4 in the fcs. NDSU, Sam Houston St., Mt. State, Jacks. Thanks a lot MVFC and your YSU Rep who sold us out to his neighboring buddys!!

[jackmd]

Re: Heckuva' Year!

Sagarin still has us as #4 in the fcs. NDSU, Sam Houston St., Mt. State, Jacks. Thanks a lot MVFC and your YSU Rep who sold us out to his neighboring buddys!!

Dang right he did. The brotherhood has little interest in the new western front. They want the softer Big sky to be the shining light out here not the "new MVFC".