FCS Game of the Week Week 2 – Incarnate Word Cardinals at South Dakota State Jackrabbits: How to watch, preview, predictions

Date: Saturday, September 7, 2024

Time: 7:00 p.m. (ET)

TV: ESPN+

The Quick Hits

For the first time in a long time (almost two years, to be exact), #1 South Dakota State (0-1) has suffered a loss, although that one was expected last week at Oklahoma State. The defending champions, the Jackrabbits, are looking to bounce back after a rough day in Stillwater, and the homecoming could be just what the doctor ordered. Several familiar players from last year's undefeated team are no longer there, but a few are still there, and SDSU will still be a tough opponent for anyone who sees them.

#12 Incarnate Word (1-0), meanwhile, played Northern Colorado last Saturday and is on the road for the first time this season. Like the Jacks, the Cardinals have a familiar face at quarterback and a young coach entering his second year who has high expectations for the season.

The trainers

Last week's loss to OSU was the first of Jimmy Rogers' young career in Brookings, but his 15-1 overall record as the team's leader still speaks for itself. Rogers took over last year from the great John Stiggelmeier and brought SDSU its second consecutive national championship after a historically dominant season. He won the Eddie Robinson Award last year for his efforts.

And then there's UIW's Clint Killough, also entering his second year. Last year, he led the Cardinals to an 8-2 overall record but still missed the playoffs as his team fell short in the race for the Southland title. Killough has been with the program in some capacity since 2018 and even played for the Cards from 2012-2015.

UIW attack against South Dakota State defense

Signal caller Zach Calzada is now in his second season as UIW's offensive leader and is looking to build on a season in which he passed for 2,353 yards and 18 scores. Last week, Calzada reached the end zone twice while throwing for 205 yards. He doesn't run often, but that's not completely out of his capabilities, especially in short-yardage situations.

Jalen Walthall and Roy Alexander will be Calzada's two main targets in the passing game, and both had solid performances last week against UNC. Walthall, who transferred from Hawaii in the offseason, led the Carindals with 105 receiving yards on five snags, while Alexander, who also transferred from UAlbany, had six catches for 64 yards in Week 1.

Both will have a tough time going up against a very strong SDSU secondary. Safety Tucker Large and corner Dalys Beanum have drawn a lot of attention for the Jacks defense in 2023. Large intercepted four passes last year, while Beanum intercepted five (11 in his career). The pair combined for 11 stops last weekend in Stillwater.

Dekalon Taylor and Isaiah Robinson tied for most of the runs for Incarnate Word last week, each rushing for 79 yards. These two will likely have to do a lot of running work again, even though UIW prefers passing to running. Taylor scored two of the team's touchdowns against the Bears last weekend.

South Dakota State linebacker Adam Bock will look to slow down the two running backs up the middle. After a 12-tackle performance in Week 1, Bock is once again emerging as arguably the best player on SDSU's defensive unit. The sixth-year senior has amassed an impressive 356 career stops and 25 tackles for loss since his first appearance in 2019.

Attack by the State of South Dakota against the defense of the UIW

Photo by Adam Davis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Last year's Walter Payton Award-winning quarterback Mark Gronowski will lead the Jackrabbits' potent offense. Gronowski, who threw for 264 yards and two touchdowns last week at Oklahoma State, is entering the final year of his college career, and it has been a truly illustrious career. Gronowski has thrown for nearly 8,000 yards since his career began in the spring of 2021 and is one touchdown away from reaching 100 total. The offense, as always, will go as far as he takes it.

The running attack for SDSU will consist primarily of Amar Johnson and Angel Johnson, as former star Isaiah Davis is now in the NFL. Amar led the runners with 73 yards last Saturday, following an 801-yard performance in 2023. Angel ran for 27 yards last week and amassed 381 a year ago, reaching the end zone five times.

UIW veteran linebacker Tylan Foster will handle those two at South Dakota State. Foster recorded nine stops against UNC last season and 75 overall. He and defensive end Josh Gonzalez, who recorded five stops last week, will play a key role in limiting the Jacks' damage in the rushing attack.

When Gronowski throws, he'll likely look to receiver Griffin Wilde, as he did often last weekend. The sophomore, who should get a lot more playing time now that the Janke twins are gone, caught seven passes for 150 yards against the Cowboys. He could change the course of the entire game if the Cardinals defense isn't careful in pass defense.

This defense will rely on secondary players like Stone Kendrick and Mason Chambers to thwart Gronowski and Wilde. Kendrick already has one interception this young season, while Chambers has two PBUs to his name. Both were key players in UIW's defense last year as well.

The special teams

Hunter Dustman will run both punts and kicks for the Jacks. The senior has been as reliable as can be in both aspects of the game for several years. He has made 39 field goals in his career and averaged 48 yards per punt in 2023. Dustman has had just five touchbacks in his five years as a punter. He has also made 131 PATs.

As for returns, the aforementioned Large will also show up here once or twice. Last season, Large was one of the best returners in the FCS with nearly 400 yards and a home run. He hasn't made one yet this year, but he'll certainly be a viable option when the time comes.

Sophomore kicker Brack Peacock got the nod for UIW last weekend and made all four of his extra point attempts, but missed his only field goal attempt from 50 yards. He also kicked once against the Bears, sending the ball 55 yards. Julian Lee, however, will handle the majority of kickoffs for the Cardinals.

Ryan Shamburger will serve as Incarnate Word's punter. Last week, he punted the ball six times, averaging 38.5 yards per punt. Of those six passes, all were fair catches and five landed inside the 20-yard line.

forecast

Both offenses will need to find their feet a little at first, which could lead to a slow start for both teams. Once the gates open, however, it could be a shootout. Both UIW and South Dakota State have plenty of firepower on offense, and Calzada and Gronowski look ready to trade blows until the end. The Jackrabbits will score a late touchdown thanks to Griffin Wilde to secure a hard-fought victory, but before they can do that, the Cardinals will throw everything at them.

Result prediction: Word Incarnate 30 – State of South Dakota 34