BROOKING, S.D. (KELO) — The SDSU football team escaped Saturday’s top five showdown with 20-16 win over Montana State. Now the Jacks are preparing for their next game as they hit the road for Minneapolis.
SDSU is now 2-0 on the year, following their early season test against number three in the country.
“I think it’s important to be challenged, so that you’re kind of prepared for what the Missouri Valley has in store for you. I think that’s a very good football team,” SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers said. “They played extremely hard and I’m just excited to come out with the win.”
The Jacks will now load up and hit the road for a home game on Saturday… at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins.
“It’s exciting to play at a different venue and a place that’s huge for us in recruiting, but also just Target Field and what that experience will be like,” Rogers said. “I feel like the guys will enjoy it and it’ll be a really cool experience for them. We’re going to embrace every bit of it, enjoy the moment while we’re there and have fun competing against a good football team.”
SDSU will cross paths with Drake, an FCS team from the Pioneer Football League, who is off to an 0-2 start.
“I know they’re doing everything they can to prepare for us and we need to do the same,” Rogers said. “At the end of the day, we need to play our best football regardless of where we play. You work all year long to get these opportunities and to take a game for granted, we’re not going to do that.”
Saturday will be a chance for the Jackrabbits to stay unbeaten, while also sharing their brand at a nationally known facility.
“It is a continued brand of seeing the Jackrabbit logo. It’s our men’s basketball team, it’s our women’s basketball team, it’s our wrestling… it’s South Dakota State athletics,” Rogers said. “We’re blessed to be a part of being able to represent South Dakota State football on a national stage like that.”
SDSU and Drake will meet on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. You can follow the action in our live blog on KELOLAND.com.
