The 2017 FCS Playoffs are here and we've got game-by-game wrap ups.
[divider]COMPARE: Any Two FCS Players | Any Two FCS Teams[divider]
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NEW HAMPSHIRE 14SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 56 |
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Next up: vs. James Madison Date/Time: Dec. 16, 4:30 p.m. ET | TV: ESPNU |
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THE STANDOUTS
Taryn Christion, QB — SDSU: 13/25, 190 yards, 2 TD; 13 carries, 48 yards, TD
Jake Wieneke, WR — SDSU: 9 catches, 140 yards, 2 TD; 1 carry, 48 yards, 1 TD
Isaac Wallace, RB: SDSU: 6 carries, 76 yards, 2 TD
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THE TURNING POINT
This one was over almost before it started. The Jackrabbits punched in three first-quarter scores, taking a 21-point lead before the Wildcats mustered even 50 yards of offense. SDSU kept New Hampshire off of the scoreboard in the first half and never looked back.
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THE SKINNY
SDSU showed its offensive flexibility early, scoring three first-quarter touchdowns with relative ease on runs from Taryn Christion, Jake Wieneke and Isaac Wallace. The 21-0 lead held until late in the half, when SDSU tacked on another score — a Christion-Wieneke hookup — to go up 28-0 into the break. They did it all with star tight end Dallas Goedert on the sideline after catching a pass on the first drive and leaving with an injury.
And while the Jacks are known for their offense, the defense showed up, too. SDSU allowed just 142 yards in the first half, more than half of that coming on the Wildcats' final drive of the second quarter, a 13-play, 74-yard drive that ended with an SDSU goal line stand and turnover on downs.
New Hampshire finally got on the board with a long touchdown pass late in the third quarter, but SDSU returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a score, halting any momentum the Wildcats gained. New Hampshire managed a couple of second-half scores, but they were never really in the game.
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PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK
South Dakota State will head to Harrisonburg to take on the defending champion Dukes after James Madison survived a 31-28 thriller against Weber State on a last-second field goal Friday night.
