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Re: Humboldt St.
And now the rest of the story
http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Sundayarticle9.shtml
SDSU smashes Humboldt State
Chris Solari
Argus Leader
published: 11/16/2003
Jacks close season on hot streak
BROOKINGS -- Another game, another record for Brad Nelson.
And another victory in South Dakota State's Division II swan song.
The Jackrabbits won their fifth straight game Saturday, ending their season by demolishing Humboldt (Calif.) State 47-6 at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. It was SDSU's last football game at the Division II level.
SDSU, which finished 7-4, will elevate to Division I-AA status next year, the second-highest classification of football offered to NCAA institutions.
"Our guys really need to say, 'Hey, we're I-AA players, we need to prepare like that,'" SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said. "It starts with thinking about yourself as a I-AA player and a program."
Nelson, a 6-foot-5 junior from Winona, Minn., passed for 330 yards and four touchdowns Saturday. His third scoring strike of the foggy afternoon broke the school's single-season TD mark for quarterbacks. Todd McDonald set the old mark in 1993, throwing for 25 scores and 2,715 yards.
"I wasn't really worried about that. I was more worried about sending the seniors off on a good note," said Nelson, who threw for 27 touchdowns this year and 3,141 yards, also a new SDSU record.
"We talked about that last night at the captains' meeting - playing for the seniors because it's their last game. This game was 100 percent for the seniors."
Nelson found junior Solomon Johnson, senior Jeff Hesse and sophomore Chris Molitor for his last three touchdowns, but none of those were as strange as his first.
Late in the first quarter, with the Jacks ahead 3-0 after a 23-yard Keith Witt field goal, Nelson completed a pass to receiver Hesse on the right side of the field. As Hesse was being tackled, the ball was stripped from his arms. It rolled 4 yards to the 14, where junior Brian Janecek picked it up and ran in for the score.
By scoring and statistical rules, the play went as a 14-yard TD pass from Nelson to Janecek.
Nelson also ran for a 12-yard TD in the second period as SDSU built a 24-0 halftime cushion. It was the only rushing score of the season for Nelson, who said it might be the first of his career.
"I don't like to run - I'd rather throw the touchdown," he joked. "I got so much crap from everyone on the sideline. They couldn't believe I ran."
The Jackrabbit defense held the Lumberjacks (3-6) to just 53 rushing yards, many coming late in the game. HSU quarterback Chris Dixon did pass for 294 yards, but SDSU kept pressuring him and had six sacks to thwart scoring threats.
"I think we've got a great D-line," said linebacker Joey Abell, who had three sacks. "We knew they'd try to sneak in a couple runs here and there, but we knew the majority would be passing."
SDSU wideout Josh Davis caught five passes for 104 yards, finishing the year with 63 receptions and 1,028 yards. Only a sophomore, he needs just 40 grabs in his final two seasons to break Jeff Tiefenthaler's career record of 173.
Redshirt freshman running back Anthony Watson ran for 150 yards and a touchdown, falling just 26 yards shy of 1,000 for the season.
SDSU said goodbye to 13 seniors after Saturday's game, including starters Hesse and linemen Ben Studer and Andy Wagstrom on offense. Defensive backs Kevin Brown, Scott Connot and Justin Landis are done, as is linebacker Rodney Francois and linemen Andy Lueth, Blake Seeds and Josh Stephan.
"I thought we could have won a few more games this season," said Hesse, who went out with a team-high six catches for 83 yards. "That North Dakota game, that was a tough loss in the last seconds. But I was happy with our season - 7-4 is better than last year."
Because of NCAA rules, the Jackrabbits will not be able to play for a I-AA championship until 2008.
However, the players and coaches are welcoming the challenge.
"I just came to play football. I don't care where we're playing it," Watson said. "You definitely always want to play against the best players. I think that's what we're going to have an opportunity to do."
And now the rest of the story
http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Sundayarticle9.shtml
SDSU smashes Humboldt State
Chris Solari
Argus Leader
published: 11/16/2003
Jacks close season on hot streak
BROOKINGS -- Another game, another record for Brad Nelson.
And another victory in South Dakota State's Division II swan song.
The Jackrabbits won their fifth straight game Saturday, ending their season by demolishing Humboldt (Calif.) State 47-6 at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium. It was SDSU's last football game at the Division II level.
SDSU, which finished 7-4, will elevate to Division I-AA status next year, the second-highest classification of football offered to NCAA institutions.
"Our guys really need to say, 'Hey, we're I-AA players, we need to prepare like that,'" SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said. "It starts with thinking about yourself as a I-AA player and a program."
Nelson, a 6-foot-5 junior from Winona, Minn., passed for 330 yards and four touchdowns Saturday. His third scoring strike of the foggy afternoon broke the school's single-season TD mark for quarterbacks. Todd McDonald set the old mark in 1993, throwing for 25 scores and 2,715 yards.
"I wasn't really worried about that. I was more worried about sending the seniors off on a good note," said Nelson, who threw for 27 touchdowns this year and 3,141 yards, also a new SDSU record.
"We talked about that last night at the captains' meeting - playing for the seniors because it's their last game. This game was 100 percent for the seniors."
Nelson found junior Solomon Johnson, senior Jeff Hesse and sophomore Chris Molitor for his last three touchdowns, but none of those were as strange as his first.
Late in the first quarter, with the Jacks ahead 3-0 after a 23-yard Keith Witt field goal, Nelson completed a pass to receiver Hesse on the right side of the field. As Hesse was being tackled, the ball was stripped from his arms. It rolled 4 yards to the 14, where junior Brian Janecek picked it up and ran in for the score.
By scoring and statistical rules, the play went as a 14-yard TD pass from Nelson to Janecek.
Nelson also ran for a 12-yard TD in the second period as SDSU built a 24-0 halftime cushion. It was the only rushing score of the season for Nelson, who said it might be the first of his career.
"I don't like to run - I'd rather throw the touchdown," he joked. "I got so much crap from everyone on the sideline. They couldn't believe I ran."
The Jackrabbit defense held the Lumberjacks (3-6) to just 53 rushing yards, many coming late in the game. HSU quarterback Chris Dixon did pass for 294 yards, but SDSU kept pressuring him and had six sacks to thwart scoring threats.
"I think we've got a great D-line," said linebacker Joey Abell, who had three sacks. "We knew they'd try to sneak in a couple runs here and there, but we knew the majority would be passing."
SDSU wideout Josh Davis caught five passes for 104 yards, finishing the year with 63 receptions and 1,028 yards. Only a sophomore, he needs just 40 grabs in his final two seasons to break Jeff Tiefenthaler's career record of 173.
Redshirt freshman running back Anthony Watson ran for 150 yards and a touchdown, falling just 26 yards shy of 1,000 for the season.
SDSU said goodbye to 13 seniors after Saturday's game, including starters Hesse and linemen Ben Studer and Andy Wagstrom on offense. Defensive backs Kevin Brown, Scott Connot and Justin Landis are done, as is linebacker Rodney Francois and linemen Andy Lueth, Blake Seeds and Josh Stephan.
"I thought we could have won a few more games this season," said Hesse, who went out with a team-high six catches for 83 yards. "That North Dakota game, that was a tough loss in the last seconds. But I was happy with our season - 7-4 is better than last year."
Because of NCAA rules, the Jackrabbits will not be able to play for a I-AA championship until 2008.
However, the players and coaches are welcoming the challenge.
"I just came to play football. I don't care where we're playing it," Watson said. "You definitely always want to play against the best players. I think that's what we're going to have an opportunity to do."
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