One of the best FCS teams in the country, the South Dakota State Jack Rabbits traveled to Iowa City, Iowa to take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Hinnick Stadium. In a time when shootouts are the norm, this was the exact opposite. If you’re a defensive lover like me, then this defensive war was right down your alley. A defensive slugfest from start to finish, that ended with the Hawkeyes winning by a score of 7-3, and no there were no touchdowns scored. This game saw a combined two field goals made and two safeties.
The offenses in this game struggled all day long and that’s no surprise with how the defense’s played. Iowa QB Spencer Petras was off all game, completing just 11 of 25 pass attempts for 109 yards and an interception. Wide receiver Arland Bruce IV was his main target, who caught five catches for 68 yards. Sophomore RB Leshon Williams was the running game workhorse, but his 24 carries for 72 yards wasn’t enough to carry a sputtering offense. On the other side, South Dakota State’s offense wasn’t much better. QB Mark Gronowski’s numbers were even worse but not completely his fault. He completed just 10 of his 26 pass attempts for 87 yards, but his receivers dropped passes all game long, including some that would have extended drives. Jackrabbit RB Isaiah Davis was the team's best player offensively, as he ran for 50 yards on 18 carries while adding five catches for 32 yards.
The defenses were the stars of this game and they did everything they could to give their teams the chance to win this game. Each team had stars making plays on seemingly every drive, forcing their opponent to punt a combined 21 times. Before I get to the defensive stars, I want to praise these two punters for their efforts. South Dakota State punter Hunter Dutsman punted 11 times for 457 yards and one touchback. He is also the team's kicker and scored their only points of the game on a 44-yard field goal. Quiet the game but Iowa punter Tory Taylor was spectacular and deserves the game ball. He punted ten times for 479 yards and most importantly he had seven punts land inside the 20 and most inside the ten. His ability to routinely pin the Jack Rabbits was game-changing.
Enough about the special teams, let's look at the stars of the defense. South Dakota State was led by star linebacker Adam Bock who made big plays throughout the game. He led the team in tackles (13), solos (6), and two fumble recoveries, one of which was a strip and recovery to end an Iowa drive in the red zone. Teammate Caleb Francl played a solid game, finishing with three tackles, two solos, and a big interception just before the end of the first half to stop another Iowa drive. Nose tackle Caleb Sanders had a nice game up front for the Jack Rabbits, adding five tackles, two solos, one TFL, and multiple pressures and gap closing plays. The South Dakota defense was on point and allowed just 166 yards of offense but that wouldn’t be good enough to win, as their opponent's defense was just better today.
The Hawkeye's defense would not be outdone and they didn’t bend or break. They were led by All-American linebacker Jack Campbell who led the way with a team-leading 13 tackles, four solos, and ½ TFLs, which was the first of two safeties by Iowa and gave them the lead. Not to be outdone senior DE Joe Evans led the team in TFLs (2½), and sacks (2) while adding four tackles and the nail in the coffin safety, late in the game. Cornerback Terry Roberts would hold down the outside with four tackles and two big PBUs to stall drives for the Jack Rabbits. Junior DT Jordan Lee added six tackles, 1½ TFLs, and 1½ sacks while freshman phenom LB Jestin Jacobs produced five tackles and one PBU.
This is not the shootouts that we’re used to nowadays but it was an excellent display of two defenses unwilling to bend or break. You have to appreciate the effort given by both sides and it made for one hell of a defensive battle. Iowa was fortunate enough to make a few more defensive stops and get the win. Be sure you take notes of the players highlighted in the recaps and see how they can help your devy fantasy teams.
Thanks for reading my article. I am a member of the FSWA (Fantasy Sports Writers of America). Follow me on Twitter at @HollywoodTitan, on Facebook on my IDPNation page, on Reddit in the fantasy football IDP sub — I’m user KingTitan1 — and tune in each week and listen to IDP Nation and Devy IDP Grind, the podcasts that I co-host, on several different platforms. Feel free to email or dm me with any questions that you have, as I’m always glad to help fellow IDPers. #IDPNation #IDP #IDPDevy.
