Monday Mailbag (8/23): USD’s Schedule Separates Playoff Teams From Posers

Q: Game of the Week?

A: That wasn’t the actual question, but I got a few game of the week questions, and so I’ll just sum it up by class:

11AAA

Brandon Valley vs O’Gorman
Good QB battle + I think OG is underrated this season + I want to see what BV brings defensively after losing some really good players.

11AA

Mitchell vs Yankton
This matchup features two different styles of play in my opinion, and gives us a good look at how deep AA will actually be. Side note: I thought about Pierre vs Aberdeen, but I think next week’s Pierre vs Brookings game will be the upcoming game of the week, so I want to mix it up.

11A

SFC vs Canton or Madison vs Dell Rapids
“But you can’t pick two games?” I can and I will.

11B

St. Thomas More vs Spearfish
Ok, I know this is also bending the rules, but I think that STM is my team to watch this week. They added an interesting piece in Easton Ogle and they also return a lot of talent. Therefore, I want to see how they perform against a bigger school.

9-Man #1

Canistota vs Howard
Dueling #1 teams is a no doubter for the Game of the Week. In fact, this could be the game of the year. Should be fun.

9-Man #2

St. Mary vs Hamlin
St. Mary is the reigning champion, and I think Hamlin is a very good team in it’s own right. This may get overshadowed by 11-man starting and Canistota vs Howard, but it’s going to be a great game.

9-Man #3

Herreid-Selby Area vs Timber Lake
Brenden Bregman and H-SA are really good, and they didn’t play last week. I would like to see how they will play against a solid team like Timber Lake.

Q: What are your predictions for the SDSU vs Iowa game? Such as what to look for and what the keys to success are for the Jacks!

A: Predictions, ummm…..

This isn’t Colorado State, let’s start with that. We are looking at arguably one of the best 2 or 3 defenses in the nation last season, and that defense is Iowa’s bread and butter. It’s a top ten squad this season, complimented by an average FBS offense.

And as for that Hawkeyes’ offense? Well, last week I said the biggest improvement I wanted to see was SDSU’s pass defense. I think this is a good test as they go up against a veteran QB in Spencer Petras. He is a big guy who can scramble, and has good arm strength, and if Iowa’s offense gets going, their defense is going to stop any hope of an SDSU victory.

But this game has got the potential to be a lot closer game than people realize, it’s just really is going to depend on how the Jackrabbit’s secondary plays.

Q: Thoughts on USD’s schedule?

A: Brutal.

I’m 100% serious Coyote fans, don’t get caught up in the wins and losses of this team, and instead focus on how they play. They got a road trip to Manhattan, then go to #2 Montana, before later playing #1 NDSU and #3 SDSU in back-to-back weeks. Throw in a home game against Cal Poly, and your looking at the toughest schedule in the country.

Plus there is #9 Southern Illinois, and #21 UNI in the back stretch of the schedule. But opponents like this seperate playoff teams from posers…Perform well, and you show that you belong with the heavyweights competing in the playoffs for a national title. Play bad, and it proves that you shouldn’t be in the conversation to begin with.

My opinion? The Yotes are going to sneak away with a win against a big team, and possibly two wins about ranked opponents. That would put them at 7-4, and it could even work out to two top 10 victories.

Last season, they matched that record, earning them a playoff appearance after wins against #13 North Dakota, #16 UNI, and #7 SDSU. Therefore, if it works out the way I said it could go, I think this Yotes team will reach the playoffs.

Q: Besides Tucker Kraft and the Janke twins, which players from South Dakota do you think will make the biggest impact on the SDSU football team?

A: Oh that’s actually a great question that sent me down a rabbit hole (No Jackrabbit pun intended). I decided to look through SDSU’s roster and listed out all the player’s from the 605. What I discovered was that the majority of SDSU’s hometown players are very young.

Only 11 of the 29 players from South Dakota are upperclassmen. And when you have a team that is in the top 5 nationally, it’s rare to see young guys play early.

But the Jackrabbits did see some guys play young last season. Canyon Bauer played in 15 games, starting 3. Tyler Feldkamp also played in 13 games as a return specialist. I would think Feldkamp as a returner is pretty valuable, so he would be near the top of the list…but there is only 1 correct answer to this question:

Mason McCormick.

That’s right, the senior offensive lineman is a two-time All-American, and has started 27 consecutive games for the Jackrabbits. If SDSU continues with their even split of rushing and passing, then the offensive line is going to be very important to the success of this squad.

One more note, but if anyone is wondering how SDSU compares to USD in terms of in-state recruitment, I listed out every player from both teams that graduated from a high school in the 605. The Jackrabbits have twice as many players, and then some.

SDSU player’s from South Dakota