BROOKINGS – The Jackrabbit offense rallied for 33 second-half points in the 2019 Spring Game as the blue team pulled off a 47-37 comeback victory over the white squad.
Playing in front of a full house with modified rules at the Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex, the Jackrabbit defense built a 25-14 lead at half, but the offense found its rhythm in the final period to win the intrasquad scrimmage.
Inside the Box Score
J’Bore Gibbs threw for 148 yards and a touchdown, Matt Connors (8 for 12, 108 yards passing) scrambled for a score on the ground and Kurt Walding threw for 55 yards and completed five passes.
Jake Aanderud caught the lone touchdown pass in the second half, going 55 yards for the score on his only catch of the game.
Michael Wandmaker led the offense with three catches, finishing with 38 total receiving yards. Adam Anderson’s 50 receiving yards was second-most on the blue team.
Mikey Daniel had seven carries for 22 yards and a pair of scores, while Blair Mulholland (who had 27 yards on 10 carries) added another rushing touchdown.
Pierre Strong had the longest rush of the day (35) on his way to 43 total yards on six carries.
Kyle Tuttle led the way with eight tackles, picking up a pair of tackles for loss, to lead the defense. Logan Backhaus, Levi Brown and Preston Tetzlaff each had seven tackles.
Five Jackrabbits recorded sacks: Tolu Ogunrinde, Austin Smenda, Elijah Wilson, Xavier Ward and Cade Terveer.
Marshon Harris paced the defensive backfield with a pair of pass breakups.
SDSU’s defense forced seven three-and-outs, logged five sacks and tallied points with six tackles for loss.
The Jackrabbits tallied 513 total yards of offense.
Chase Vinatieri and Jake Wolfe each hit all five of their PATs and were 2 for 4 on FGs. Both split the uprights from distances of 40 and 44 yards.
Memorable Plays
J’Bore Gibbs and Adam Anderson connected for the first big play of the night midway through the opening half, as Gibbs found Anderson on a 41-yard pass on his first attempt of the day.
Pierre Strong Jr. broke out on a 35-yard rush moments later, setting up Blue’s first score of the day: a one-yard dive from Mikey Daniel at 20:32 of the first.
Matt Connors found Michael Wandmaker for a 28-yard pass on a fly route down the sideline midway through the second. Connors scrambled for a 17-yard touchdown rush on the next play to give the Blue team its first lead of the day (30-29).
Gibbs tossed his first touchdown of the day near the 17-minute mark of the second, finding Jake Aanderud on a 65-yard strike.
Up Next
South Dakota State reports to fall camp late July and opens the season Aug. 29 at Minnesota.
