| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUU | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| SDST | 7 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 43 |
Strong, special teams help S. Dakota St. beat Southern Utah
BROOKINGS, S.D. -- Pierre Strong scored two touchdowns and the South Dakota State special teams blocked three kicks as the Jackrabbits beat Southern Utah 43-7 on Saturday night.
Strong had 11 carries for 85 yards and a score and added a 45-yard touchdown catch. J'Bore Gibbs completed 15 of 24 passes for 215 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for South Dakota State (2-1), which came in ranked No. 3 in the FCS Coaches poll.
After forcing the Jackrabbits to punt on the game's opening drive, Southern Utah (1-2) drove to the SDSU 36 where, on fourth-and-5, Thomas Duckett was stopped for a 4-yard loss. On the next play, Gibbs connected with Cade Johnson for a 23-yard gain and, three plays later on fourth-and-3, hit Johnson again, this time for a 30-yard touchdown.
Mikey Daniel scored on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter and C.J. Wilson's 8-yard TD run with three minutes left in the first half made it 21-0.
Chris Helbig scored on a 1-yard keeper to get the Thunderbirds on the board just before halftime but, on the first drive of the second half, South Dakota State's Jaxon Janke blocked a punt that rolled out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
Christian Rozeboom scored on a 27-yard interception return on SUU's next drive to make it 30-7.
SDSU's Xavier Ward and Logan Backhaus each blocked a field-goal attempt in the first half and punter Ben Dinkel pinned the Thunderbirds at their own 5 twice in the first half, the first time with a 75-yard punt.
Game Information
2023 United Athletic Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Austin Peay | 6-0 | 9-3 |
| Central Arkansas | 4-2 | 7-4 |
| Southern Utah | 4-2 | 6-5 |
| Eastern Kentucky | 4-2 | 5-6 |
| Tarleton State | 4-2 | 8-3 |
| Abilene Christian | 3-3 | 5-6 |
| North Alabama | 1-5 | 3-8 |
| Utah Tech | 1-5 | 2-9 |
| Stephen F. Austin | 0-6 | 3-8 |
2023 Missouri Valley Football Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State | 8-0 | 15-0 |
| South Dakota | 7-1 | 10-3 |
| Northern Iowa | 5-3 | 6-5 |
| North Dakota | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| North Dakota State | 5-3 | 11-4 |
| Youngstown State | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| Southern Illinois | 4-4 | 8-5 |
| Illinois State | 4-4 | 6-5 |
| Missouri State | 3-5 | 4-7 |
| Murray State | 1-7 | 2-9 |
| Indiana State | 1-7 | 1-10 |
| Western Illinois | 0-8 | 0-11 |
NCAAF News