South Dakota State football coach John Stiegelmeier has built his program into one of the most respected in the Football Championship Subdivision since moving to that level in 2004.
In 18 seasons, Stiegelmeier has gone 120-86, and the Jackrabbits really have come on of late, with three straight FCS playoff appearances and a No. 15 ranking in this year’s preseason coaches’ poll.
When SDSU lines up against Kansas on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, Stiegelmeier and company will do so knowing that a victory against the Jayhawks would put another major bullet-point on the Jackrabbits’ résumé. Since moving to Division I, SDSU is 0-7 against FBS opponents — including a loss at KU to open the 2012 season.
Beating one of the big boys would mean the world to everyone who calls himself or herself a Jackrabbit — even if KU’s program is way down right now.
In the previous two seasons, the Jackrabbits lost at Nebraska and at Missouri. But they have registered nine wins in each of the previous three years, and have 15 returning starters — six on offense and nine on defense.
SDSU went 9-5 in 2014, including a 5-3 record in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which is stacked with ranked FCS teams. The Jackrabbits lost to eventual champ North Dakota State (the Alabama of FCS), 27-24, in the second round of the playoffs last season.
While the Jackrabbits might be picked No. 5 in the preseason Valley poll, keep in mind the four teams ahead of them — NDSU, Illinois State, Northern Iowa and Youngstown State — are all top 16 teams.
**FIVE JACKRABBITS TO WATCH**
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*No. 33: T.J. Lally | MLB – 6-0, 225, sr.*
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– Saturday’s game will mark middle linebacker T.J. Lally’s 42nd consecutive start. That streak began in 2012 at Kansas.
– A preseason All-Valley selection, Lally led SDSU with 117 tackles in 2014, including 9.5 for loss.
– A captain, he set an SDSU Division-I era record with 20 tackles against powerhouse North Dakota State last season.
– The fourth-year starter already has two 100-tackle seasons.
*No. 16: Zach Lujan | QB – 6-2, 190, jr.*
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After missing spring, Zach Lujan (@GauchoGunSlingr) embraces competition at QB for @GoJacksFB http://t.co/HwTaJf97L5 pic.twitter.com/XUjc18Au9r
— Matt Zimmer (@MattJZimmer) August 7, 2015
– An injury forced quarterback Zach Lujan into a starting role last season, and he responded by going 5-2.
– Lujan also played unexpectedly in the 2014 season opener at Missouri because of an injury, and completed 21 of his 28 pass attempts for 239 yards (one interception).
– In his first year at SDSU, the QB completed 61 percent of his passes — 147-for-241 — and threw for 1,943 yards, with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
– Now a team captain, Lujan is not a running threat: 62 attempts, 14 yards, 0 touchdowns in 2014.
*No. 19: Jake Wieneke | WR – 6-4, 205, soph.*
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– Lujan’s No. 1 target, wide receiver Jake Wieneke exploded onto the Valley scene in 2014, earning Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-Valley honors.
– The long and reliable receiver caught 73 passes for 1,404 yards and a program record-setting 16 touchdowns last season.
– Wieneke caught a TD pass in all eight Valley games and had seven different outings in which he racked up at least 100 yards.
– The receiver was the runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award — top FCS freshman — in 2014. Fordham running back Chase Edmonds took the honor.
*No. 22: Je Ryan Butler | RET/CB – 5-11, 180, sr.*
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– A senior corner back and return specialist, KU will have to worry about Je Ryan Butler most of the game.
– The preseason All-Vally returner Butler averaged 13.2 yards on punt returns and 18.1 yards on kick returns in 2014.
– Since taking over punt-return duties in mid-2013, the speedy Butler has 617 return yards (49 attempts) in that category, and is 182 away from breaking the SDSU record of 798 career punt-return yards (Paul Aanonson, 2004-07).
– As a starting corner, Butler leads current SDSU players with eight career interceptions.
– He broke up eight passes in 2014.
*No. 54: Cole Langer | DT – 6-2, 285, jr.*
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– A preseason All-Valley selection as a defensive tackle, Cole Langer had 49 tackles, 1.5 sacks and blocked two kicks in 2014.
– Jackrabbit wins might mean more to Langer than just about anybody in the program. The Dell Rapids, South Dakota, native is a third-generation SDSU athlete. His grandfather, Jim Langer, is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was the starting center for the undefeated Miami Dolphins in 1972. His father, Tracy, was an all-conference catcher for SDSU baseball.
