By Tiffany Williams –
BROOKINGS, S.D. — New Haven stayed within three points through the opening quarter, but South Dakota State turned the game into a rout with 33 points in the second quarter and eventually rolled to a 57-14 victory Friday night at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
South Dakota State improved to 2-1, while New Haven fell to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Jackrabbits led 3-0 after the first quarter, exploded to a 36-0 halftime advantage and stretched the margin to 50-0 in the third before New Haven scored twice in the fourth.
The game kicked off at 6:08 p.m. under clear skies with a temperature of 69 degrees and a north wind at 10 miles per hour. An announced crowd of 19,013 attended in Brookings.
South Dakota State received the opening kickoff and immediately put together a long, methodical drive.
Chase Mason connected with Greyton Gannon for 12 yards on the first offensive snap. Josiah Johnson then carried four times for 30 yards, including a 16-yard run into New Haven territory.
After a penalty backed South Dakota State up, Mason scrambled 17 yards for another first down. The Jackrabbits eventually reached the New Haven 13, but three straight plays failed to produce another first down.
Tristan Alvano came on and converted a 31-yard field goal, completing a 15-play, 67-yard drive and giving South Dakota State a 3-0 lead with 8:42 remaining in the first quarter.
New Haven responded with a promising opening possession.
Zaon Laney rushed for 11 yards and later broke a 22-yard run on third-and-11, moving the Chargers into South Dakota State territory. Caleb Williams added five yards on third-and-nine, leaving New Haven facing fourth-and-four from the Jackrabbits’ 34.
AJ Duffy stayed on the field and tried to find Jonathan Lawson, but the pass fell incomplete, turning the football over on downs with 4:34 remaining.
South Dakota State then mounted another long drive.
Corey Blair rushed for 10 and 15 yards, while Mason found Jack Smith for 21 yards on third-and-nine. The Jackrabbits reached the New Haven 6 late in the quarter and converted fourth-and-one behind Johnson.
The drive carried into the second quarter.
Blair gained two yards to the 2 and appeared to score on the next play, but replay overturned the touchdown and placed the football at the 1. He was stopped again on third down.
On fourth-and-goal, Mason kept the football and powered across for a one-yard touchdown.
Alvano converted the extra point, finishing a 14-play, 66-yard drive that consumed 6:04 and making it 10-0 with 13:30 remaining in the half.
New Haven picked up one first down on its next possession but eventually punted from its own 48. Duffy’s 51-yard kick pinned South Dakota State at its own 1.
That field position did not matter.
Mason immediately found Grahm Goering for 34 yards. He later hit Landon Dulaney for 13 and Brayden Delahoyde for 19 as the Jackrabbits marched the length of the field.
Ramon McKinney Jr. then took over on the ground. He rushed for 10 yards, then five, and finally broke a 22-yard run into the end zone.
Alvano’s extra point completed a nine-play, 99-yard drive and stretched South Dakota State’s lead to 17-0 with 6:17 remaining.
New Haven’s next possession made matters worse.
The Chargers were backed up at their own 4 after the kickoff. Laney lost a yard, and a delay-of-game penalty moved the football to the 2.
After Laney gained one yard back, he was dropped for a three-yard loss in his own end zone by Carter Sitzman.
The safety made it 19-0 with 4:16 remaining.
South Dakota State received the free kick and immediately moved into scoring range.
Mason hit Goering for 43 yards to the New Haven 25. Johnson added seven rushing yards before the Chargers forced a fourth down.
Alvano converted a 36-yard field goal with 1:56 remaining, pushing the Jackrabbits’ lead to 22-0.
Then the game unraveled completely for New Haven in the final two minutes of the half.
Laney fumbled on the second play of the next possession, and South Dakota State recovered at the New Haven 25.
Mason needed only one snap.
He found Coleman Kuntz for a 25-yard touchdown.
Alvano’s extra point made it 29-0 with 1:39 remaining.
New Haven went backward on its next possession and punted from its own 17.
South Dakota State took over at its own 45 with 1:10 remaining.
Mason found Sammy Dresie for 20 yards and Smith for 11. On the third play of the possession, he connected with Gannon for a 24-yard touchdown.
Alvano converted again, and South Dakota State went to halftime leading 36-0.
New Haven received the second-half kickoff but went three-and-out.
Alex Uchtman returned the punt 20 yards to the New Haven 43, giving South Dakota State another short field.
The Jackrabbits needed only three plays to score.
McKinney rushed for 10 and four yards before Mason found Gannon for a 29-yard touchdown.
Alvano’s extra point made it 43-0 with 12:46 remaining in the third quarter.
Six seconds later, New Haven turned the football over again.
Duffy completed a short pass to Lawson, but Lawson fumbled and Blake Leiferman recovered at the New Haven 27.
James Basinger took the next snap 27 yards for a touchdown.
Alvano converted the extra point, and South Dakota State’s lead had reached 50-0 with 12:31 remaining.
The game settled down after that.
New Haven finally moved the chains on its next possession when Duffy found Lawson for five yards, but the drive stalled at the Chargers’ 36.
South Dakota State went three-and-out. New Haven then moved from its own 14 to the 47 behind a 22-yard completion from Duffy to Issac Glaudin before punting again.
The Jackrabbits also punted on their next two possessions, while New Haven failed to generate points.
South Dakota State carried a 50-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
After New Haven punted again, the Jackrabbits took possession at their own 41.
Basinger gained four yards on first down. On the next snap, he broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown.
Alvano’s extra point made it 57-0 with 13:26 remaining.
New Haven finally found the end zone after recovering a muffed punt.
Jake Tripptree had entered at quarterback and moved the Chargers to their own 48 before Joseph Fragale punted. Uchtman muffed the kick, and Nicholas Souffirn recovered for New Haven at the South Dakota State 15.
Brian Thomas gained one yard before Tripptree threw incomplete. A false-start penalty pushed New Haven back to the 19, but on third-and-14 Tripptree found Lasalle Rose Jr. for a 19-yard touchdown.
Liam Quigley’s extra point made it 57-7 with 10:32 remaining.
South Dakota State went three-and-out on its next possession, and New Haven responded with its best offensive drive of the game.
Shaun Jackson opened with a 20-yard run to the New Haven 40. Tripptree found Shane Walker for four yards, and Jackson added runs of four and three to move the chains.
From the South Dakota State 49, Jason Champagne took the handoff and raced 49 yards for a touchdown.
Quigley converted the extra point, cutting the deficit to 57-14 with 5:08 remaining.
South Dakota State worked the clock on its next possession before punting.
New Haven got the football back at its own 22 with 2:48 remaining. Jackson carried twice, and Tripptree added a quarterback run, but the Chargers came up short and punted again.
South Dakota State took over with 1:12 remaining and ran out the clock, finishing the 57-14 victory.
South Dakota State finished with 512 yards of total offense compared with 236 for New Haven. The Jackrabbits rushed for 256 yards and passed for 256 while averaging 7.5 yards per play. New Haven finished with 150 rushing yards and 86 passing.
Mason completed 12 of 18 passes for 255 yards and three touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed four times for 14 yards and scored the Jackrabbits’ first touchdown.
Gannon caught three passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns. Goering finished with two receptions for 77 yards, while Kuntz caught the 25-yard touchdown late in the second quarter.
Basinger led South Dakota State on the ground with 88 yards and two touchdowns on only six carries, averaging 14.7 yards per attempt. McKinney added 51 yards and a touchdown on five carries, while Johnson contributed 48 yards on 11 attempts.
Duffy completed 6 of 20 passes for 48 yards before Tripptree entered and went 3-for-5 for 38 yards and a touchdown. Neither quarterback threw an interception.
Laney led New Haven with 54 rushing yards on 15 carries, while Champagne’s lone carry produced the 49-yard fourth-quarter touchdown. Jackson added 36 yards on five attempts.
The decisive stretch came in the second quarter. South Dakota State scored 33 points in the period, turning a 3-0 game into a 36-0 halftime blowout. The Jackrabbits added two more touchdowns in the opening 2:29 of the third quarter, pushing the margin to 50 points.
New Haven finally broke through twice in the fourth, but by then South Dakota State had long since taken control. Behind 512 yards of offense, three Mason touchdown passes, four rushing touchdowns and a safety, the Jackrabbits finished off a dominant 57-14 victory.