By Andrew Holtan
The Brookings Beacon
BROOKINGS – South Dakota State picked up a big win on Saturday night as the Jackrabbits topped No. 9 ranked Youngstown State 27-20.
SDSU has a lot of players on its roster who have experience, but on Saturday night there were a couple of young players that made some of the biggest plays of the night.
When you look at the box score from the game, sophomore running back Josiah Johnson’s stat line jumps out. He carried the ball 30 times and had 238 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first time in Johnson’s career that he went over 100 yards, let alone 200.
Johnson got so many carries not only because he averaged 7.9 yards per rush in the win, but also because Ramon McKinney Jr. was out with an injury and Corey Blair Jr. fumbled twice in the first half. He said after the game that having a performance like that means a lot and you have to take advantage of your opportunities.
“This is everything to me. As a kid growing up, I wanted to play football and play Division I ball. Obviously, when you get the opportunity, you have to make the most of it,” Johnson said.
Heading into the season, SDSU head coach Dan Jackson talked about how he wanted to have at least three or four running backs take carries every game. Johnson has started every game and has led the Jacks in carries in each of their first four games. Saturday night’s performance may have gained him even more carries.
A Brookings native made a play on defense just before the end of the first half that changed the complexion of Saturday’s game. The Jackrabbits had just taken a 14-10 lead with under a minute to go in the first half and Youngstown State was trying to get at least three points before the two teams headed to the locker room.
On the first play of the Penguins drive Beau Brungard dropped back to pass and tried to find his tight end Alex McDonald. Bergan Tetzlaff, a freshman defensive tackle from Brookings, got his hand into the passing lane and tipped the ball into the air. It then landed in the hands of linebacker Joe Ollman and he returned the interception nine yards to the YSU 26.
The Jackrabbits were able to kick a field goal before the end of the half and went into halftime up 17-10. They did not trail the rest of the way.
Tetzlaff said he had the instincts to get his hand up and it was a special moment for him, being from Brookings and having a lot of family and friends in the stands.
“I saw him look downfield and [get ready to throw]. I was just pushing power and I just put my hand up, I got a little tip and looked back and Joe had the ball. It was pretty exciting. … It was pretty special. You know, growing up in Brookings, watching these games, to make a play like that and help the team come out with a win was a special moment,” Tetzlaff said.
Tetzlaff played in blowout wins over Stetson and New Haven, but had not recorded a stat going into Saturday’s game. Senior defensive tackle Logan Green said the team has a lot of confidence in Tetzlaff and what he can become.
Here is a video of Dan Jackson celebrating the win with his team on Saturday night and he gave a shoutout to Tetzlaff in the process: https://x.com/GoJacksFB/status/2101539118899405031?s=20
“He came in and he’s a very confident kid,” Green said. “He lifts everyone up around him and he’s very coachable. It’s been really fun to see what he’s done since he got here in June, and then what he’s going to be in the future, you know when he starts to gain muscle and gets more size. He’s a big spark to us and he’s a big-time player, and he’s going to be a name to know in the future.”
Another big play from a freshman defenseman happened in the fourth quarter. The Jacks led 27-17 and the Penguins faced a third and four from their own 27 with just over seven minutes to go. Brungard dropped back to pass and threw towards the right sideline and freshman safety Michael “Tank” Farr broke up what looked like a for sure completion. That play basically sealed the win for SDSU as the Penguins decided to punt and then didn’t have enough time to complete a comeback.
Farr also had three tackles in the win. He’s rotated with four other guys at safety so far this year and has 14 tackles and three pass breakups. Farr had a season-high six tackles in SDSU’s loss to Northwestern two weeks ago.
Jackson said it’s pretty rare to have two true freshmen make big plays on defense in a conference game, but that shows how much work Farr and Tetzlaff have put in leading up to this point and how much talent they have.
“I’m really proud of how we’re building this team and roster,” Jackson said. “It takes a lot for a coach to put a true freshman defensive lineman [and defensive back] into a Missouri Valley Conference matchup. I mean, just think about that. We’re in a one-score game or whatever it may be and Tank Farr and Bergan Tetzlaff are out there, not because we don’t have other players, but because they’ve done a good job working themselves to be in a position to make a play. So I’m really proud of those guys.”
SDSU will conclude non-conference play this upcoming Saturday against Eastern Illinois at 6 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
