Advertisement

Inside the Missouri Valley: Home-field advantage to be prevalent for SDSU throughout FCS playoffs

zech lambert, the daily republic, mitchell, s.d.
·6 min read

Nov. 15—BROOKINGS — Whether it be the November or December cold of South Dakota or a packed Dykhouse Stadium, South Dakota State has an advantage when it comes to playing in Brookings.

And with the Jacks almost assuredly sitting as a top-two seed for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, the only game SDSU would have to play away from Dykhouse Stadium in the postseason would be the FCS championship in Texas if the Jacks run the table.

The first taste of winter football in South Dakota came in SDSU's final home game of the season last week against Illinois State when it was 20 degrees with flurries and a 10-15 mph wind. But coach John Stiegelmeier said playing in the cold is an advantage if his team embraces it.

"Most people would say if you're a cold-weather team and a warm-weather team comes in, it's advantage Jackrabbits, but you have to embrace it," Stiegelmeier said after the win over the Redbirds. "It's practicing outside in the cold. It's accepting your situation and not complaining about it."

SDSU is the only Division I team in the Dakotas to not play under a roof and is the northernmost team in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with an outdoor stadium. With potential playoff teams coming from South Carolina, Alabama or Texas, cold weather is something that SDSU is more accustomed to than some potential visitors.

To this point in the season, too, Stiegelmeier said his team has taken the challenge of practicing in the conditions.

"(If) we go outside for an hour and 40 minutes, we want to get an hour and 40 minutes worth of work. Well, if you're thinking about the weather, you're not going to get better," Stiegelmeier said of practicing in the cold. "Our guys were outside Friday when it was bitterly cold and windy. We were outside (last week) when it rained on us and I never heard one negative comment."

There have been a handful of winter-weather games in the past few years for SDSU. On Dec. 1, 2018, the Jacks beat Duquesne 51-6 at home on a field that was covered in snow by the end of the game and featured 15-20 mph winds in 30 degree weather.

When New Hampshire came to Brookings a year earlier, SDSU won 56-14 with the temperature in the low-to-mid 20s and 15 mph wind. That UNH game on Dec. 9, 2017, was also the latest in the calendar year the Jacks have hosted a game. But if SDSU makes it to the semifinals this season, Dykhouse Stadium would be the location of a game on either Dec. 16 or 17.

It's more than just the weather that plays into a home-field advantage for SDSU, though. Dykhouse Stadium is the second-largest stadium in the MVFC in terms of capacity, seating 19,340. And this year, those seats have largely been filled.

The Jacks set a new single-season average attendance record this season at 15,561 and eclipsed 19,000 fans twice this year.

The home momentum has guided SDSU to an undefeated record at Dykhouse Stadium this season and a nine-game home winning streak dating back to last year. On top of that, SDSU has won four straight home playoff games and boasts a 9-1 record at home all-time during the FCS playoffs.

Dykhouse Stadium is one of the more remote stadiums in the country, too. Teams traveling to SDSU will often fly into Sioux Falls and still have to make the nearly hour-long drive to Brookings. It's closest counterpart in the Big Sky is Northern Colorado, which is over 600 miles away, while Towson the is closest team in the Colonial Athletic Conference and is over 1,000 miles away. Having teams come to a packed Dykhouse Stadium is surely, as Stiegelmeier said, "advantage Jackrabbits."

"It's something about the fans, the roaring crowd here," linebacker Jason Freeman said following the Illinois State game. "(Even) everybody on the sideline (is) pumping us up because we get more guys on the sidelines when we have home games."

Saturday, Nov. 5

South Dakota State 31, Illinois State 7

North Dakota 28, South Dakota 19

North Dakota State 21, Southern Illinois 18

Indiana State 21, Western Illinois 0

Missouri State 25, Youngstown State 22

Teams are listed with MVFC record, followed by overall record:

*1. South Dakota State, 8-0, 10-1

2. North Dakota State, 6-1, 8-2

3. North Dakota, 5-2, 7-3

T-4. Youngstown State, 4-3, 6-4

T-4. Southern Illinois, 4-3, 5-5

T-4. Northern Iowa, 4-3, 5-5

7. Illinois State, 3-4, 5-5

T-8. Missouri State, 2-5, 4-6

T-8. South Dakota, 2-5, 3-7

10. Indiana State, 1-6, 2-8

11. Western Illinois, 0-7, 0-10

*denotes conference champions

One top performance from the conference for the week:

Youngstown State running back Jaleel McLaughlin picked up his fourth 200-yard game of the season, running for 227 yards on 28 carries with a touchdown in a 25-22 loss to Missouri State. In the process, he set the NCAA all-time rushing record across all divisions.

One top play from this past week's games:

South Dakota State running back Isaiah Davis showed off his strength on a touchdown scamper against Illinois State, breaking a tackle and driving into the end zone en route to a 31-7 win for the Jackrabbits.

Rankings are from the Stats Perform FCS Top 25.

Saturday, Nov. 19

Western Illinois at Illinois State, 11 a.m.

Southern Illinois at Youngstown State, 11 a.m.

Missouri State at Indiana State, 12 p.m.

Northern Iowa at South Dakota, 1 p.m.

No. 16 North Dakota at No. 4 North Dakota State, 2:30 p.m.

One Missouri Valley game we're eager to watch this week:

No. 16 North Dakota at No. 4 North Dakota State, 2:30 p.m.

North Dakota State is a lock for the FCS playoffs and a win would put the Bison in a good spot to clinch a seed and first-round bye.

North Dakota, on the other hand, is in a good spot, but a win over NDSU would cement the Fighting Hawks firmly in the playoffs and potentially a seeded position, while a loss leaves them on the bubble.

The matchup is the only ranked contest of the week in the MVFC and is one of five ranked matchups across FCS in the final week of the regular season.

* Christian Watson had a breakout performance for the Packers on Sunday. The rookie receiver from NDSU registered four catches for 107 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-28 overtime win over the Cowboys.

* Former Leatherneck Khalen Saunders was in on a sack for the third straight week for the Chiefs in a 27-17 win over the Jaguars.

* Dallas Goedert found the end zone once again for the Eagles on Monday night. The former Jackrabbit caught three passes for 23 yards but coughed up a fumble in Philadelphia's first loss of the season.