Week 6 screening: Jacks, Bears look to bounce back
Here are some notes to get you in the mood for No. 19-ranked South Dakota State vs. Missouri State on Saturday. Somebody is going to take a second straight loss.
I'll have live coverage starting at 5:30 p.m.:
SDSU quarterback Zach Lujan broke out a new look this week in practice: Gloves on both hands. No, the Alaskan hadn't been doing that in previous games. But, apparently, he has made a habit of switching from barehand to gloves during the season as the weather requires.
To that end, he connected on several deep passes during Tuesday's wind-blown session.
Austin Benson is the latest SDSU player to switch positions in season. The linebacker from Washington High took reps at fullback this week and will change from No. 52 to No. 34. That's because starting FB Chad Strehlow is out for the second game in a row due to injury, leaving Kane Louscher as the only true FB on the travel roster.
Coach John Stiegelmeier noted that Benson has a 4.0 GPA and has picked up things quickly.
Senior Kierra Harris is in his third season as the Bears starting quarterback, but has yet to play against SDSU; he missed the last two meetings due to injury.
Meanwhile, MSU running back Ryan Heaston rushed for more than 100 yards in both of those meetings. That accounts for 2 of the 3 triple-digit games in his career. He has 33 carries this season and is listed as No. 2 on the depth chart.
Meanwhile, OL Andrew Mueller and RB Isaac Rodriguez are probable this week. Mueller missed the Illinois State game as he continues to battle through injuries, while Rodriguez has yet to see game time this season due to injury.
Annual reminder: Stiegelmeier and Bears coach Terry Allen worked together at Northern Iowa early in their careers, and remain friends.
Stiegelmeier will be honored Saturday morning during the Hall of Fame breakfast; he'll be given the Ralph Ginn Award for Coaching Excellence. Ginn was the SDSU school record holder for career wins – until Stiegelmeier passed him last month.
Last week, SDSU suffered a 35-point loss – its worst in Valley play since joining the league in 2008. By comparison, the Jacks have handed out four beatings of 30 points or more in that time and two more of 29 points.
SDSU is favored by 4 against MSU as of Thursday night, according to 5dimes.
The Jacks roster has quietly gotten lighter in recent weeks. Three true freshmen have been released from the program, according to Stiegelmeier: defensive lineman Andre Chisley, linebacker Malik Bondon and defensive back Noah St. Pierre (a preferred walk-on). The coach said that the three failed to adhere to team expectations.
From a playing potential standpoint, Bondon might be the biggest loss – he received early consideration to play as a true freshman.
The most recent NFL team through Brookings: The New Orleans Saints.
Terry Vandrovec also posts regular updates on his Twitter page.