Obstacles lie ahead for SDSU’s quick turn around

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BROOKINGS – The South Dakota State football team doesn’t have much time to sulk over its 23-21 loss to Sam Houston State in the FCS National Championship. The Jackrabbits will be getting back to work in two months to prepare for the 2021 fall season.

The first order of business for SDSU is going to be figuring out what the quarterback situation is going to be. Starting quarterback Mark Gronowski went down with a knee injury on the first drive of the title game. Stiegelmeier did not have a diagnosis Tuesday, but it looks like Gronowski is going to be out for awhile.

“He had a doctors appointment [Monday]. The doctor is going to call him [Tuesday]. He’s got some time to heal up. I’m going to wait until he knows stuff before I comment on it, but it’s a very serious injury,” Stiegelmeier said.

This puts a wrench into SDSU’s quarterback situation heading into the fall. Gronowski impressed everyone with the spring season he had. The freshman threw for 1,403 yards, 13 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also had 577 yards and seven touchdowns the ground.

Stiegelmeier said the SDSU staff is already looking at the transfer portal to find another quarterback. Sophomore Keaton Heide came into the championship game and went 11-for-22 with 107 yards and interception.

Heide played in seven games in 2019 and threw for 1,072 yards with seven touchdowns and three interceptions. Stiegelmeier said SDSU needs more depth at quarterback because J’Bore Gibbs, who was the backup to Gronowski, also went down with a knee injury that could keep him out of the fall season as well.

“[The Gronwski injury] kicked into gear a mentality of needing an insurance quarterback,” he said. “We’ve already started looking at some guys, just in terms of depth because two of the top three are down. Two of the other three are non-scholarship. That doesn’t count them out, but they haven’t had as many reps because of that. 

“… Ideally [we want to get] a guy who can come in and learn the offense really well in a short amount of time because with no spring ball, the turn around is really quick. We need to make a team-first decision and that’s to make sure we’re solid at that position.”

Besides Gronowski, SDSU loses just one other starter. Linebacker Preston Tetzlaff graduated. Stiegelmeier said the Jacks could add another linebacker as well.

“[We might] potentially [add someone] at one of the linebacker positions. We talked about that. We’re not actively looking there. We’re waiting to see how our roster sorts out and that’s the only [position] we talked about. Partially because of the youth. We have some really good players, but the youth at that position. Also, you recruit a linebacker, he’s going to play somewhere. Defense or special teams. So it’s kind of like an investment that will pay off,” Stiegelmeier said.

SDSU finished the spring season with a record of 8-2. The Jacks went to their first National Championship in program history and were the No. 1 seed in the Playoffs for the first time as well. But Stiegelmeier said when he looks back on this season he won’t remember those things the most.

“[I will remember] the continuous commitment by our football team. The leadership that I think had a huge impact in that. But to be told on Aug. 7, show’s over, no season, the day after our freshmen got here, and then all the changes and all that and to come to Christmas vacation and them to come back for three weeks. Just unbelievable dedication to each other and the program and that’s how I’ll remember [this season]. I feel humbled by that. By their dedication. It won’t be the finals. That’s one football game. I told the players ‘if this is the toughest thing you go through, you’re going to be really blessed in life.’ But it was a tough feeling in the locker room,” Stiegelmeier said.

Making it to the National Championship has been a goal of Stiegelmeier’s since SDSU went Division I in 2004. Now that the Jacks have made it, there’s only one goal left. Win it all.

“[Making it to Frisco on a regular basis] would be the dream now,” Stiegelmeier said. “I’ll call it a goal. I think being there makes it real. I think being there, getting there, our guys understand the importance of every play and every game because the higher that seed, the better chance you have and the benefits of that. There won’t be the COVID restrictions, but they understand now not having to go on the road in the Playoffs except for the final. 

“I think all those things added up will help us moving forward. Again, football’s a fickle game. It comes down to one play. In that game there were a number of one-play scenarios that would’ve swung it our way and we didn’t make the play.”

SDSU’s first game of the 2021 fall season is Sept. 4 at Colorado State. Stiegelmeier said the quick turn around is tough, but the Jacks have to be ready.

“… If we’re going to compete for national championships, everybody needs to be ready. We won’t hold it against them, but physically they need to be ready,” Stiegelmeier said.