Southern Utah

[H2ORabbit]

Re: Southern Utah

Despite the loss it sounds like the Jacks had a great day in Utah. At the beginning of the season I was going to be happy if we just stayed competative for a few games, but look at them Rabbits play. They must be making a name for them selves at this level as they continue to test several of their opponents. I am truly proud of the Jacks.

Now bring on the Buffalo. Let's Go Jacks!!! ;D

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Southern Utah

I am very disappointed with the Argus in that nothing regarding the SUU game appeared prior to the game on Saturday and nothing in Sunday's paper. Whats going on.

Here is a story from the St George Paper

http://www.thespectrum.com/news/stor...s/1590395.html

Sunday, November 14, 2004

Local Sports

T-Birds win in double OT

By DOUG CARY
dcary@thespectrum.com

Great West

Saturday's Scores

SUU 23, South Dakota State 17 2OT

N. Dak. St. 25, UC Davis 7

N. Colo. at Cal Poly (n)

CEDAR CITY -- Play on the Eccles Coliseum field mirrored the bleary elements for four quarters of Saturday's soggy Great West Football Conference contest between Southern Utah University and league-rival South Dakota State.

In the end, the T-Birds scored touchdowns in two overtime possessions, including Gordon Reid's twisting seven-yard, game-winning touchdown run, to take a thrilling 23-17 double-overtime victory over the Jackrabbits.

The win jumped the T-Birds to 2-3 in the GWFC and leveled their record to 5-5 overall. SDSU, meanwhile, dropped to 2-2 and 5-5 on the season.

The victory means that with a win over Idaho State next week, SUU can enjoy their first winning season since 2000, when former coach C. Ray Gregory guided the team to a 7-4 finish.

What's changed to turn the early-season near victories into wins for this T-Bird team?

"The guys have had a lot of confidence in themselves," SUU coach Wes Meier said. "They know they're a good team. The players really like each other. They stick up for each other. This isn't a team that's going to quit."

South Dakota State got on the board first when Anthony Watson bounced outside on a six-yard touchdown run and Parker Douglass added the point after.

Following stops by each defense, the T-Birds took possession after a SDSU punt pinned them on their three.

No problem for SUU and quarterback Casey Rehrer, who drove the T-Birds 97 yards in six plays to tie the score at 7-7.

On the scoring play, Rehrer scrambled right, found Jerome Eason all alone at the 10 and the junior receiver trotted into the end zone for a 33-yard score.

Steve Pulver gave SUU the lead in the second quarter with a 37-yard field goal.

SDSU followed with a tying 11-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a 26-yard Douglass field goal to make the score 10-10 at the half.

The teams then trudged through a scoreless and turnover-filled second half and the game spilled into overtime.

SUU won the coin toss to start the first overtime and scored when Rehrer followed his front wall to the lead on a fourth-down quarterback sneak and Pulver's PAT gave SUU a 17-10 lead.

The Jackrabbits answered with Nelson's 20-yard scoring pass to Janecek. Douglass booted the extra point to knot the score at 17-17 and force a second overtime.

On SDSU's second possession, SUU's Marcus Harris collected his second sack on the Jackrabbits' QB for a 10-yard loss and Douglass knuckled his 52-yard field goal attempt short.

Filipe's 17-yard option run on a 2nd and 9 set up Reid's game-winning score. Reid rushed for 84 yards to lead SUU while Watson gained 118 on 23 carries for SDSU.

Rehrer completed 18-of-26 passes for 315 yards with two interceptions. Nick DiPadova led SUU with 2 1/2 sacks and 17 tackles.

"It was really important for our seniors to go out right," said Godfrey, who had just five catches all season but caught a season-high six passes for 124 yards on Saturday. "Even when you're not getting the ball, you have to get your blocks and do the team thing."

"We got one more left," Harris said. "We definitely want to end on a winning season and go out on top."

SDSU 7 3 0 0 7--17
SUU 7 3 0 0 13--23
First Quarter

SDSU--Watson 6 run (Douglass kick), 9:02
SUU--Eason 33 pass (Pulver kick), 1:35
Second Quarter
SUU--Pulver 37 FG, 12:12
SDSU--Douglass 26 FG, 2:02
First Overtime
SUU--Rehrer 1 run (Pulver kick).
SDSU--Janecek 20 pass from Nelson (Douglass kick).
Second Overtime
SUU--Reid 7 run (no kick).
A--2,311.
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[WYOBISONMAN]

Re: Southern Utah

Thanks to 89Rabbit for keeping us informed about the progress of your game on the Bisonville Board!

[jackmd]

Re: Southern Utah

Nice game but disappointing result. I really think a win this weekend would have solidified success in the eyes of many doubters. No mistake, I am satisfied with the performance of this team this year and look forward to playing some of these team on our home turf. Still, I wish we could have pulled this one out.

Time to get ready for next weeks game. Good luck Jacks, lets finish on a winnning note.

[OK_Jackrabbit]

Re: Southern Utah

I don't know why there wasn't a preview story, but I have a couple of ideas about why they didn't get a Sunday story in.

Here's what they would probably tell you: The combination of the high school finals in SD and the tiny media market that SUU is in combined to screw something up. There are five guys on the Argus sports staff who were probably all working HS football. They were probably hoping for an AP story about the SDSU game to come in and cover that for them. But SUU's local media (Cedar City is kind of off the beaten path) probably didn't move one onto the AP wire until after the Argus deadline (10 or 11 p.m. on Saturday nights) which would leave them without anything.

Now here's my response to that: They could have planned a lot better. It would have been very easy for them to arrange for a quick phone interview with Coach Stig after the game, and to get a fax of the statistics from SUU. I know they were busy with HS football, and that they have a small sports staff, but that would have taken about 10 minutes of work by one person. Take the stats and the interview and write a little story. It should have been done.

They seem to have dropped the ball on this one.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Southern Utah

Ok Jackrabbit:

I think you have hit all the reasons for not covering the game.  Since I no longer subscribe to the print version of the Argus Leader, I dont know if they put a small piece about the game in at the last moment or if there was any coverage at all.

The SUU media market is another factor as you pointed out. I searched the Salt Lake Tribune for a game story and found none on the internet, but that does not speak for print version which may have had a story. I have noticed a number of papers kind of restrict what they put on the internet so as to keep their print subscriptsions market alive.

Having made a trip to Las Vegas last spring by car, I can appreciate what you are saying about their media market.  Between Mesquite, Nevada and Cedar City, there is some rugged terrain, and Cedar City is at least 3 hrs from both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

Brookings being  58 miles from Sioux Falls is a cup cake compare to where Cedar City is located.  SDSU's situation could be much worse in terms of local publicty.  The valleys that include St George and Cedar City are I believe among the fastest growing areas in the US and that is quite visable from I-10.

SUU has been D1AA for some time, and I believe they are not near 63 scholarships yet, but as Steve Emming pointed out during the broadcast, SUU has a ton of JUCO players.  

I do think the Argus should consider adding a staff writer as with HS playoffs and coverage of BB which is starting somewhat early this year I think nothing would be left out with an additional writer. I guess that is one for Randell Beck to consider.  I do think the Sunday features articles on SDSU were well done so I guess we cant complain about that part.

I hope our guys can end the end the season on a winning note. Its been a while since we won in Greeley.

[OK_Jackrabbit]

Re: Southern Utah

I think we have solved the mystery of the missing SUU game story. I'm told a story did appear in the print version (right next to the Iowa-Minnesota game... Go Hawks!). But it was left out of the Web version of the paper, probably because of the confusion and tight deadlines of the HS football finals.

I have noticed that the Web site doesn't always include all of the print stories (news or sports). Now and then somebody from my family in SoDak will ask if I saw something or other in the Argus and now and then I haven't because not all of the print stories make it to the Web.

[Mike_H]

Re: Southern Utah

Headline: SDSU Falls in Overtime.

Front page, lower right below the fold. Byline says "staff and wire reports". Two columns in width. I think they did it just as you suggested, OK. This is in the edition I got in Dell Rapids. There is nothing in there about the 11AA game, which of course finished about 11:15pm.

If I count right, the Argus had three writers at the Dome to cover an historic night for Sioux Falls sports. I also see they had a writer at the Stampede game and at the USF basketball double header. Don't forget, it is the Sioux Falls paper.

I am very surprised that this is the only paper you guys focus on. Since SDSU is the state university, as some of you always like to point out, why are you not concerned with the fact there are NO stories about SDSU in the Rapid City Journal, the Aberdeen American News, etc.?

[Jacks99]

Re: Southern Utah

I myself was very impressed with the front page articles on State for the Sunday edition. We can't be complaining about that coverage. It had two very well written articles from Chis Solari about the D-I situation. Lots of facts and figures.

[filbert]

Re: Southern Utah

Headline: SDSU Falls in Overtime.

Front page, lower right below the fold. Byline says "staff and wire reports". Two columns in width. I think they did it just as you suggested, OK. This is in the edition I got in Dell Rapids. There is nothing in there about the 11AA game, which of course finished about 11:15pm.

If I count right, the Argus had three writers at the Dome to cover an historic night for Sioux Falls sports. I also see they had a writer at the Stampede game and at the USF basketball double header. Don't forget, it is the Sioux Falls paper.

I am very surprised that this is the only paper you guys focus on. Since SDSU is the state university, as some of you always like to point out, why are you not concerned with the fact there are NO stories about SDSU in the Rapid City Journal, the Aberdeen American News, etc.?

Don't know about this specific case, but I've actually been pretty impressed long-term with the sports coverage in the Aberdeen paper (the web side, at least).

The R.C. Journal needs work. I'd love to see an annual annual basketball game with Wyoming in Rapid City, to develop the Hills market for SDSU. It works for Mizzou and Illinois in St. Louis - why not a Black Hills Battle? Come on, Rapid City alumni, get working on it!

[OK_Jackrabbit]

Re: Southern Utah

Mike_H asks a good question. Does anybody know if other state papers, particularly Huron, Watertown, Mitchell, Aberdeen, and Rapid City run wire stories about SDSU sports?

It's probably too much to ask for them to cover games with their own reporters (although it might be good to court them to cover at least big games like Hobo Day... invite them personally, give them lots of access the day before, etc.)

[89rabbit]

Re: Southern Utah

I saw today that the Aberdeen paper picked up one of Chris' stories about funding the move to D-I off the AP.  We have also seen some ink, from time to time, in the Yankton and Mitchell papers.

Go State!  ;D

[SDSUFAN]

Re: Southern Utah

Headline: SDSU Falls in Overtime.

Front page, lower right below the fold. Byline says "staff and wire reports". Two columns in width. I think they did it just as you suggested, OK. This is in the edition I got in Dell Rapids. There is nothing in there about the 11AA game, which of course finished about 11:15pm.

If I count right, the Argus had three writers at the Dome to cover an historic night for Sioux Falls sports. I also see they had a writer at the Stampede game and at the USF basketball double header. Don't forget, it is the Sioux Falls paper.

I am very surprised that this is the only paper you guys focus on. Since SDSU is the state university, as some of you always like to point out, why are you not concerned with the fact there are NO stories about SDSU in the Rapid City Journal, the Aberdeen American News, etc.?

Lets not forget that the Argus Leader brags about being South Dakota's leading paper.   Now that contridicts what Mike was telling us that the Argus is the Sioux Falls paper.  

I guess the Argus is trying to get me to pay a premuim for their print version, too which I say no thank you. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

As far as Yankton paper, SDSU seems to make the news when its a negative commentary, thanks to the old icon Hod Neilsen. Lets say he is not going to give SDSU a whole lot of print if its positive. I noticed the Yankton paper did not bother this week with a story.

[JackJD]

Re: Southern Utah

Watertown's paper tends to cover SDSU athletic news about the same as in prior years...the games are always reported but I think the stories are all from the AP wire.

[jackmd]

Re: Southern Utah

Aberdeen does the best job of covering SDSU sports as far as NE SD is concerned. Yankton is hot and cold. All that said, you can get the Argus in any of these places and not vice versa.