MSU Mankato

[dnk]

Hey, go Rabbits!!. Get it started against MSU!!.

[89rabbit]

Re: MSU Mankato

Just got back from a wedding, I hate to ask, but did we beat Mankato???

Go SDSU!

[89rabbit]

Re: MSU Mankato

I found it.

Football: Jackrabbits Defeat Mavericks 38-6
10/18/03 22:21
Brookings, S.D. --- Minnesota State dropped a 38-6 decision to South Dakota State in the final North Central Conference meeting between the two schools in front of 5,202 spectators at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium on the campus of SDSU. The Mavericks fell to 0-8 overall and 0-4 in the NCC while the Jackrabbits, who are leaving the conference to reclassify to NCAA Division I-AA next season, improved to 3-4 on the season and 1-3 in league play.

SDSU quarterback Brad Nelson enjoyed a fine first half by throwing four touchdown passes to four different receivers to lead the Jackrabbits to a 28-0 halftime lead. Nelson first found Jeff Hesse from two-yards out 3:22 into the game to give South Dakota State a 7-0 lead. The score did not change until with 6:36 remaining in the first half, Nelson connected with Anthony Watson on a 25-yard touchdown via a screen pass. On their next possession, Nelson hit a streaking Josh Davis down the Jackrabbit sideline for a 48-yard scoring strike. Solomon Johnson was the recipient of Nelson's fourth touchdown pass of the half when he hauled in an 11-yard reception in the back of the endzone with just 32 seconds remaining before half.

The lone scoring of the third quarter came via the foot of Jackrabbit kicker Keith Witt who was successful on a 26-yard field goal at the 6:45 mark. SDSU extended the lead to 38-0 with 12:10 remaining in the game when Anthony Robinson scored on a one-yard touchdown plunge. The Mavericks averted the shutout when senior quarterback Chad Metelak (Santa Paula, Calif.) hooked up with junior tight end Kurt Sand (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 5:57 left in the fourth quarter to make the score 38-6 in SDSU's favor, though the two-point conversion attempt failed for MSU.

Leading the way on offense for the Mavericks was senior running back Bobby Ruffin (Benson, Minn.) who tied a career-high with 43 carries for 151 yards. It was the 11th 100-yard rushing performance of Ruffin's career, and the third-highest single-game total of his time at Minnesota State. Sand caught a team-best four passes for 67 yards, including his team-leading third touchdown reception of the season. Metelak completed 5-of-10 passes for 71 yards and a touchdown and an interception besides gaining 52 rushing yards on eight carries.

Defensively, senior defensive back Jared Ziemke (Janesville, Minn.) and junior linebacker Adam Stroik (Marshfield, Wis.) tied for the MSU team lead with nine tackles, with Stroik adding 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

For SDSU, Watson gained 187 yards on 22 carries. Davis snared a game-high six receptions for 94 yards and a touchdown, with Johnson adding five catches for 104 yards and a score. Marty Kranz and Chris Coauette each had nine tackles to tie for the Jackrabbit team lead.

[89rabbit]

Re: MSU Mankato

Jacks bounce Minnesota St. for first NCC win
Chris Solari
Argus Leader

published: 10/19/2003

South Dakota State's Nelson throws four TD passes

BROOKINGS - Brad Nelson played near-perfect quarterback for South Dakota State in Saturday's first half. It led to the game of his career.

The junior completed 13 of 17 throws in the first two quarters for 193 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Jackrabbits hammer Minnesota State-Mankato 38-6 for their first North Central Conference victory of the season Saturday at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.

Nelson had a sizzling 249.48 QB rating out of a 300-point scale in the opening half, and finished 18-of-26 for a career-high 334 yards. The Winona, Minn. native converted nine passes in a row at one point early, and the Jackrabbits built a comfortable 28-point lead by halftime behind his arm to end a three-game skid.

"Brad has really had a great year. He's hit the ground running and has gotten better," SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said. "He's so calm about it. He doesn't jump up and down and do cartwheels. He just says, 'I'll keep doing my job.' "

That sets up next week's big showdown for SDSU against rival South Dakota in Vermillion. With the Jackrabbits moving to Division I-AA football next year, this could be the final meeting between the two schools for a while.

"It's always a battle, and we're going to look forward to that game," Stiegelmeier said. "It's been a while since we've been able to savor a victory, so I'm going to savor this one for a while."

On both sides of the ball Saturday, SDSU (3-4, 1-3 NCC) appeared on a mission to avenge blowing a big second-half lead to North Dakota a week earlier. The defense allowed just 78 total yards of offense and punished the Mavericks (0-8, 0-4) with aggressive lateral pursuit against the run and plenty of blitzing in passing situations.

"We did get after them more,"Stiegelmeier said. "We coached hard, and our players really performed well."

The Jacks' offense could do no wrong, either, gaining 318 yards through two periods. Nelson's big evening coincided with and was aided by the re-emergence of the Jackrabbits' running game, especially Anthony Watson.

The redshirt freshman set the tone for the game on the opening drive, bowling over and jitterbugging around Maverick defenders for 58 yards. Watson had his fourth 100-plus-yard game of the year by halftime, finishing with a personal-best 187 for the game behind a punishing corps of blockers.

But Nelson quickly dominated the Mavericks.

Stalled inside the MSU 10 on that first posession, Nelson zipped his first touchdown pass to senior Jeff Hesse to the left side of the end zone. Hesse reached around the defender and pulled in the 2-yard score, his fourth TD of the season, that made it 7-0.

Then SDSU put 21 points on the board in the second quarter. The first touchdown was a well-disguised 25-yard screen to Watson. Then came a 48-yard bomb to sophomore Josh Davis down the left side that made it 21-0, Davis' fifth score of the year.

With about 30 seconds to play in the half, Nelson and Solomon Johnson connected on a pretty 11-yard touchdown. The quarterback lofted the ball to the back right corner of the end zone, where Johnson leaped and initially bobbled the ball before falling backward and pulling in the catch while barely tapping his feet in-bounds in front of the referee.

Johnson finished with 104 yards on five catches, and Davis had 94 yards on six grabs as SDSU outgained MSU 545-272.

"I'm very proud of our offense all around,"Stiegelmeier said.

Nelson, who now has 15 touchdowns passes for the season, stayed in the game in the second half and tried to tie the single-game school record of five. Hesse almost scored it on a 55-yard strike in the fourth quarter, but he was knocked out of bounds at the Mavericks' 1. Then tight end Greg Peitz watched Nelson's high pass slip through his hands in the end zone on the next play, and SDSU settled for a 1-yard plunge from sophomore Anthony Robinson that made it 38-0.

Bobby Ruffin had 43 carries for 151 yards for MSU.

The victory did come with one significant loss for SDSU. With less than 10 minutes remaining and the Jacks' first-team defense still in the game, Chris Coauette injured his right knee and had to be helped off the field. The junior, who has been the heart-and-soul of the defense at middle linebacker and snagged an interception earlier in the game, was in obvious pain and had his helmet removed by a teammate on the field.

Trainers preliminarily diagnosed the injury as a dislocated knee cap, Stiegelmeier said. He was unsure whether Couauette would be ready for next week's game in Vermillion.

[SDSUFAN]

Re: MSU Mankato

My take on MSU-Mankato game is that we played a very good first half, and at times, a good second half. Our very new running backs are still having some problems hanging onto the ball. Once this problem is cured, we got a good duo in Robinson and Watson. The kid From Illionis could also break out.
The left guard No 76 Casey Deaver is a red shirt freshman and on some plays where they had him pull to the right and provide additional blocking for Watson.  Here again is something that could help down the road with more experience.


Mankato has some great individuals such as Ruffin, the running back and Zimeke the Strong Safety. Zimeke seem to get in the tackles no matter where the play was going. He is very quick. Ruffin is a good running back, that does not have a very experienced line to open holes for him. Its quite remarkable that he got 157 yards.
The real downer is Chris Clouette and his dislocated knee cap. You hope he can bounce back in a hurry for USD, but its hard to tell. We wish Chris the best as he is a good leader.