South Dakota State disappoints in win over Augustana – Sioux Falls Live

BROOKINGS – South Dakota State won its 23rd consecutive home game Saturday night at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, but the 24-3 victory over Division II Augustana did not exactly help the 19,376 sold-out fans.

The Jackrabbits’ offense sputtered all night, a fumble on the opening kickoff gave the Vikings their only points, and sloppy defense extended some of Augustana’s offensive streaks.

The speed and power of SDSU’s defense kept the Vikings’ offense in check and ensured that victory was never in danger. Still, it was not without reason that the first meeting between these former rivals in 20 years had more positives in store for the visitors than for the hosts.

Jenn Kenyon/Sioux Falls Live

SDSU, the top-ranked team in Division I FCS, improved to 2-1 with the win. The Vikings, ranked 14th in Division II, fell to 1-1. They played without quarterback Gunnar Hensley, who threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns last week, and starter Thomas Scholten was knocked out in the third quarter. Then third-string quarterback Evan Bearth, who played well as a backup, went down. The Vikings also lost star running back Jarod Epperson midway through the game.

They presented themselves well, but paid a price for it.

The Jacks, meanwhile, dominated defense when not committing penalties. The only points the Vikings scored came when they kicked a field goal after a fumble on the opening kickoff at the SDSU 11-yard line, and Augie finished the game with just 171 yards of offense and just 24 rushing yards.

Amar Johnson was effective running the ball for the Jacks, rushing for 126 yards and a touchdown, but the passing game never really got going for SDSU. Mark Gronowski completed 19 of 27 passes for 141 yards, with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Jacks finished the game with 376 yards of offense.

Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sportswriter. He graduated from Washington High School, where he played football and baseball and developed a lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls and began a long career as an amateur baseball and sports reporter. Email Matt at [email protected].