On a night in which he set the Jackrabbits’ career record for receptions, wide receiver Jake Wieneke tied a single-game school standard with four touchdown catches in helping lead the fourth-ranked South Dakota State University football team to a 51-13 victory over Duquesne in the season opener for both teams.
The high-powered Jackrabbit offense used big plays on each of its first three possessions to open a 20-0 first-quarter lead. Junior quarterback Taryn Christion found wide receiver Adam Anderson open down the middle of the field for a 57-yard pass play on third-and-15 on SDSU’s first drive. Three plays later, Christion connected with Wieneke in the right back corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown.
Wieneke tallied two more touchdown receptions in the second quarter. One play after redshirt freshman linebacker Logan Backhaus picked off a Duquesne pass, Wieneke reached up and over a defender for a 22-yard score. On SDSU’s next drive, Wieneke recorded his 226th career reception to set a new Jackrabbit standard, then finished off an 11-play, 60-yard march with a 2-yard touchdown reception to push the SDSU advantage to 34-0.
Wieneke finished the night with six catches for 75 yards. Christion ended the night 17-of-26 passing for 254 yards and was the Jackrabbits’ leading rusher with 96 yards on only three carries. Mikey Daniel added 83 yards on 17 carries, with Mengarelli tallying 61 yards on nine attempts.
