South Dakota State Football: Can Jackrabbits reload in 2018?

Defense

South Dakota State’s defense was admittedly a middle-of-the-road affair in 2017. The Jackrabbits conceded 24 points and 380 yards per game, putting them squarely outside the top 40 defenses in the country. The unit was exposed by James Madison in the FCS semifinals, but they had been living on the edge throughout the year.

Big wins at home against Duquesne and Drake padded the stats early in the season. The close call at Montana State in non-conference play was more indicative of SDSU’s quality as a defensive unit. The Jackrabbits started MVC play 1-2 after losses to Youngstown State and Northern Iowa, giving up 38 points in the latter contest.

In the front seven, South Dakota State struggled to break down opposing offensive lines. The Jackrabbits ranked 85th in team sacks and 118th in tackles for loss. That inability to control the line of scrimmage led to the Jackrabbits giving up more than 170 rushing yards per game.

Focusing on the secondary

Three senior starters graduated from a South Dakota State secondary that was the strength of the 2017 defense. The Jackrabbits were middle of the road in terms of opponent passing efficiency and yards allowed through the air.

But the unit excelled at ending drives prematurely, as they snagged 16 interceptions in 14 games. Redshirt junior safety Larenzo Williams led the team in picks per game despite starting just one game last year. Williams returns to anchor the defensive backfield this year. Cornerback Jordan Brown is also back as the only returning starter after leading the team with nine pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

A deep rotation in 2017 should help mitigate the loss of Chris Balster, Nick Farina, and Anthony Washington to graduation. The development of this unit will be critical to determining how far South Dakota State might advance in 2018.