South Dakota State football wins 28th straight, punches ticket to FCS national title game

With just over three minutes to play in the FCS semifinal matchup between South Dakota State and UAlbany, and the game was well in hand.

“If You’re Gonna Play in Texas” by Alabama blared over the speakers in Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium as SDSU players sprinted across the sidelines. A couple players danced on the medical table, others square danced together in front of a playoff-record 12,265 fans, in celebration of punching their ticket to Frisco, Texas for the FCS national championship game after their best performance of the season.

South Dakota State first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers said the dominant 59-0 win by his side was fueled by the fact this was the final home game for many of the senior mainstays on the roster.

“The guys were emotional,” Rogers said postgame. “It played a factor, for sure.”

Zach Heins, one of the many seniors on the roster, ended his final game at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in the best way he possibly could: with a 25-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter, his second of the game.

“It was emotional, especially because we knew going into the fourth quarter some of the starters are getting pulled at some point,” Heins said.

South Dakota State dominated the game in all three phases. The special teams and defense each scored touchdowns and on offense, the Jackrabbits didn’t have any trouble passing or running the ball against the No. 1 rushing defense in the FCS.

The Jackrabbits outgained Albany in total yardage 661-314.

South Dakota State will play the winner of Saturday's FCS semifinal matchup between North Dakota State and Montana. The FCS national title game will take place on Sunday, Jan. 7 in Frisco, Texas.

Here are three takeaways from the Jackrabbits FCS Semifinals win over UAlbany:

Running all over the No. 1 rushing defense in the FCS

Coming into Friday night’s game, Albany was the No. 1 ranked rushing defense in the FCS. Rogers said while that didn’t change their playcalling or the way they prepared for this week, it did “change the mentality of what they heard all week.”

“Our defense takes every little bit and takes it really personal,” Rogers said. “And our offense got sick of hearing it.”

The Jackrabbits certainly played like they heard about Albany's rushing defense all week long. The defense held the Great Danes to only 66 rushing yards while the offense rushed for 220. Isaiah Davis ran for a game-high 107 yards and scored two touchdowns.

UAlbany senior linebacker Dylan Kelly was a big part of the Great Danes' defense that held opposing teams to only 78 rushing yards per game.

“Their (offensive) line is probably the best I've played since I've been here,” Kelly said of the Jackrabbits. “(Their) running backs are very poised, hard to tackle.”

Tucker Large making an impact

Large lived up to his last name in the win Friday night, making the play that felt like the dagger, early in the second quarter.

The South Dakota State defense came up with a key third down stop that forced the Great Danes to punt the ball back to the Jackrabbits, which would set the stage for the walk-on out of Sioux Falls Roosevelt.

The punt ricocheted off the ground twice, right into Large’s hands. He burst past the first incoming defender with ease. Then he got by another defender. And another.

He side-stepped past the outstretched arms of two more Albany defenders and then let the special team's unit clear his path the rest of the way as he trotted into the endzone, arms extended back and towards his sides as the playoff-record 12,265 fans in attendance erupted. Large’s punt return clocked in at 79 yards and put the Jackrabbits up 28-0 with over eight minutes to play in the second quarter.

“It kind of just bounced right to me,” Tucker said of the play postgame. “It was a good bounce and I saw the long snapper in front of me and I thought I could make him miss and just followed some blocks and went down the sideline and ended up scoring.”

Forcing turnovers

The SDSU defense came up big every time the team needed them to.

When UAlbany was building any kind of momentum the Jackrabbits defense came up with a tackle for a loss or created a turnover. After a pass play got Albany a first down in the first quarter, Cade Terveer responded with a huge tackle for a loss. After the Great Danes got another first down, Large came up with an interception.

That interception was one of three team interceptions and four turnovers the defense created.

Jonathan Fernandez covers high school and college sports for the Argus Leader. Contact him at jfernandez1@argusleader.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota State football dominates Albany in FCS semifinals