Oct. 31, 2015 Final Stats | Quotes
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - South Dakota State turned in a commanding all-around performance in a 39-0 victory over Missouri Sate Saturday afternoon at Robert W. Plaster Stadium, racking up 439 yards of total offense while holding the Bears scoreless for the first time since the 2008 season.
Brady Mengarelli rushed 15 times for a game-high 142 yards, while the Jacks' quarterback tandem of Zach Lujan and Taryn Christion teamed up to complete 24-of-30 passes for 305 yards and three touchdown passes. Jake Wieneke, who burned the Bears for eight receptions for 183 yards and three TD's last year in Brookings, was the recipient of seven of those passes for a total of 161 yards, including a 48-yard third-quarter touchdown reception.
The SDSU defense enjoyed a banner day as well, limiting the Bears to 12 first downs and 211 yards of total offense on 66 plays-an average of 3.2 yards per play. SDSU's special teams played a pivotal role as well, getting three first-half field goals (and four overall) from Jay Carlson to take command of the contest.
Ryan Heaston totaled 73 rushing yards on 14 carries while hauling in a season-high three pass receptions to lead the MSU attack. Dylan Cole led the Bears in tackling for the eighth time in as many games this season, finishing with a game-high 18 stops, including 1.5 tackles for loss and half a sack.
The 13th-ranked Jackrabbits (6-2, 3-2 MVFC) wasted little time in claiming the upper hand, using a 45-yard Je Ryan Butler return on the opening kickoff to set up a seven-play, 52-yard scoring march. After an errant snap moved the line of scrimmage back eight yards on the opening play, Mengarelli ripped off a 17-yard rush and Lujan completed back-to-back passes to Wieneke and Cam Jones to set up Mengarelli's 13-yard touchdown run.
Heaston answered the Jacks' opening drive with a 21-yard run on the Bears' first play from scrimmage-MSU's biggest gain of the day-and Brodie Lambert's nine-yard completion to Malik Earl two plays later moved the chains again for MSU. But an illegal block penalty derailed the drive, despite two more Lambert completions.
South Dakota State went back to work with a methodical 12-play, 73-yard drive that ended in the first Carlson's three field goals in the first half, this one from 34 yards out after Tony Jones and Cole teamed up to stop Lujan short of the first-down marker on a third-and-10 play from the MSU 21.
After the Jacks defense came up with a three-and-out, the Bears turned in a shutdown defensive effort of their own to slow the visitors' charge. After taking over at their own 10 yard line, the Bears came up short on a third-and-one play, then elected to go for it on fourth and short. But Lambert mishandled the snap and was forced to fall on the loose football, handing the ball back to SDSU at the MSU 18.
The Bears defense once again stood its ground, however, as Cole combined with Colby Isbell to sack Christion on third down to limit the damage to a 41-yard Carlson field goal.
A 13-yard completion to Zac Hoover momentarily gave the MSU offense a spark, but SDSU shut down the Bears attack to force another punt. Lujan, who completed 13-of-16 passes for 155 yards in the opening half, responded by completing three passes for 32 yards-including a 19-yard strike to Wieneke-to set up a 47-yard Carlson field goal that extended the Jacks' lead to 16-0.
The SDSU defense continued its strong start, holding the Bears to just five yards over their ensuing two drives. Lujan then kick-started the Jacks' two-minute attack, connecting with Wieneke on a 47-yard gain that set up a Matt Raymond seven-yard touchdown reception with 1:01 to play in the opening half.
The Jacks picked up right where they left off following intermission, stretching their lead to 29-0 on a Lujan-to-Wieneke 48-yard touchdown pass on their initial drive of the second half. Christion then hit Mengarelli with a 22-yard toss to set up Carlson's fourth successful field goal of the afternoon, as the senior booted a 41-yarder to push the margin to 32 with just over seven minutes to play in the third period.
Christion's 14-yard TD pass to Christian Landberg completed the scoring, as well as an 11-play, 87-yard scoring drive, with 8:34 to play in the contest. Mengarelli's 30-yard run highlighted the drive before Christion connected with Landberg in the end zone on a third-and-14 call.
Lujan finished his day 15-of-19 for 208 yards and two touchdowns, while Christion added 9-of-11 passing for 97 yards and the late TD toss.
Up next, Missouri State (1-7, 0-5 MVFC) hits the road for a 1 p.m. (Central) game against Youngstown State at Stambaugh Stadium next Saturday (Nov. 7).
Noteworthy: Chris Sullens claimed sole possession of the Missouri Valley Football Conference career record for punts with nine kicks for 320 yards; the Camdenton, Mo., product now has 286 career punts after eclipsing Western Illinois's Mike Krause (277) for the league mark with his first punt of the day…Deion Holliman surpassed the Bears' single-season mark for kick return yardage with 94 yards on seven returns; the sophomore broke Tony Gilbert's previous MSU record of 779 yards, set in 1989, and now has 806 return yards on the season…MSU's 0-5 start in MVFC play is its first since 2006, when the Bears finished 1-6 in league play…SDSU's first shutout since Nov. 9, 2013 stopped the Bears' scoring streak at 77 consecutive games; MSU was last shut out on Nov. 15, 2008 at UNI.
