The South Dakota State University football team rewrote portions of the record book during the recently completed 2017 season.
The Jackrabbits finished with the most wins in program history, compiling an 11-3 overall record and reaching the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals for the first time. SDSU set five other single-season team records on the offensive end, including scoring 521 points and racking up 6,141 yards of total offense. The Jackrabbits’ average of 438.6 yards of total offense per game broke the previous standard of 437.7 yards per game that had stood for 66 years (1951).
Individually, four Jackrabbits set or tied single-season records. Sophomore kicker Chase Vinatieri broke his own record for most extra points in a season with 58, while redshirt freshman Cade Johnson tallied 839 kickoff return yards to set a new SDSU mark.
Wide receiver Jake Wieneke matched his own single-season record with 16 touchdown receptions - a mark he first set in 2014 and matched in 2016. Quarterback Taryn Christion, who was on the throwing end of all of Wieneke’s touchdown catches, set an SDSU single-season mark with 35 touchdown passes.
Wieneke and Christion also led the Jackrabbits in establishing new career marks. A senior from Maple Grove, Minnesota, Wieneke added to his own existing school receiving records in 2017, finishing with 5,157 receiving yards and 59 receiving touchdowns. In addition, he set an SDSU record with 288 career receptions and broke the Football Championship Subdivision record (also an SDSU record) for consecutive games with a reception with 53. Wieneke also tied the SDSU single-game record with four touchdown catches in the Aug. 31 season opener versus Duquesne.
Christion also took over the career lead in touchdown passes, ending his junior campaign with 72. He also surpassed Austin Sumner (2011-14) in the career total offense department with 9,697 yards in only 35 career games.
Following is a complete list of records set during the 2017 season, along with other career milestones.
SINGLE-SEASON TEAM RECORDS
Pass Attempts: 455 (previous record: 444 in 2016)
Scoring: 521 points (previous record: 431 in 2016)
Total Offense: 6,141 yards (previous record: 6,092 in 2014)
Total Offense-Per Game: 438.6 yards (previous record: 437.7 in 1951)
Touchdown Passes: 35 (previous record: 33 in 2016)
Victories: 11 (previous record: 9, eight times (last in 2016))
SINGLE-SEASON INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Extra Points-Kick: 58, by Chase Vinatieri (previous record: 56, by Vinatieri in 2016)
Kickoff Return Yards: 839, by Cade Johnson (previous record: 824, by Rick Wegher, 1984)
Touchdown Passes: 35, by Taryn Christion (previous record: 30, by Ryan Berry, 2008, and Christion, 2016)
Touchdown Receptions: 16, by Jake Wieneke (tied own record previously set in 2014 and 2016)
SINGLE-GAME INDIVIDUAL RECORD
Touchdown Receptions: 4, by Jake Wieneke, vs. Duquesne, 8-31-2017 (tied record previously set by Don Bartlett, vs. North Dakota State, 1949, and by Dallas Goedert, vs. Western Illinois, 10-1-2016)
CAREER INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
Games Started: 53, by Jacob Ohnesorge (tied record previously set by T.J. Lally, 2012-15)
Receptions: 288, by Jake Wieneke (previous record: 225, by Josh Davis, 2002-05)
Receiving Yards: 5,157, by Jake Wieneke (added to own record previously set in 2016)
Receiving Touchdowns: 59 (added to own record previously set in 2016)
Games Catching a Touchdown Pass: 35 (in 53 games), by Jake Wieneke (added to record previously set in 2016)
Consecutive Games with a Reception: 53, by Jake Wieneke [also an FCS record]
Touchdown Passes: 72, by Taryn Christion (previous record: 65, by Austin Sumner, 2011-14)
Total Offense: 9,697 yards, by Taryn Christion (previous record: 9,284 yards, by Austin Sumner, 2011-14)
JACKRABBITS IN ADDITIONAL SDSU TOP 10s
Taryn Christion
Second in career passing yards (8,515)
Second in single-season passing yards (3,515)
Second in single-season total offense (4,015)
Dallas Goedert
Third in career receptions (198)
Fourth in career receiving yards (2,988)
Sixth in single-season receiving yards (1,111)
Tied for sixth in single-season receptions (72)
Brady Mengarelli
Eighth in career rushing yards (2,677)
Chase Vinatieri
Sixth in career field goals (24)
Eighth in single-season scoring (103 points)
Tied for 10th in single-season field goals (13)
Jake Wieneke
Seventh in single-season scoring (104 points)
Photo from www.gojacks.com.
