— South Dakota State’s Austin Sumner and Jake Wieneke were each honored Sunday by the Missouri Valley Football Conference following the Jackrabbits’ 59-24 victory over Western Illinois a day earlier.
A senior quarterback from Brandon, Sumner was named Co-Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for a career-high six touchdowns and setting the school career record for TD passes. In his first home action of the season, Sumner completed 21-of-37 passes in snowy conditions at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium for 366 yards — the second-highest passing total of his career. He ended the day with 59 career touchdown passes, breaking the previous Jackrabbit record of 56 set by Ryan Berry from 2005-08.
Sumner shared the weekly offensive award with Illinois State running back Marshaun Coprich.
Wieneke, a redshirt freshman from Maple Grove, Minnesota, was on the receiving end of three of Sumner’s six touchdown passes en route to earning Newcomer of the Week honors for the second time this season. Wieneke became the first freshman in league history to top the 1,000 mark in receiving yards, collecting 10 catches for 159 yards in Saturday’s contest. His three touchdown catches all came in the third quarter and covered 11, 11 and 22 yards in establishing a new single-season school record with 14 touchdown receptions. He has caught a touchdown pass in all seven league games and hit the century mark for receiving yards for the sixth time in 2014, upping his season yardage total to 1,141 on 60 receptions.
The Jackrabbits, 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the MVFC, host in-state rival South Dakota in the regular season finale on Nov. 22. Kickoff for the South Dakota Showdown Series game is 2 p.m. at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium.
