The South Dakota State University football team will face its fourth consecutive ranked opponent as it closes out the regular season by traveling Saturday to in-state rival University of South Dakota.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. before a sold-out crowd at the DakotaDome in Vermillion and the game can be heard on 570 WNAX.
Currently on a season-best four-game winning streak, the Jackrabbits enter Saturday’s matchup with an 8-2 overall mark and 5-2 record in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. SDSU is tied for second in the MVFC standings with Northern Iowa and could earn a share of its second consecutive league title with a win Saturday and a North Dakota State loss at Illinois State.
The Jackrabbits remained fifth in the FCS coaches’ poll and sixth in the STATS FCS media poll after closing the home slate with a 27-24 overtime victory over No. 17/20 Illinois State on Nov. 11. SDSU also has recorded wins over nationally ranked Western Illinois and North Dakota State during its current winning streak, putting the Jackrabbits in position for their sixth consecutive Football Championship Subdivision playoff berth.
South Dakota also is in contention for a postseason bid as the Coyotes enter Saturday’s game with a 7-3 overall record and 4-3 mark in the MVFC. USD has lost its last two games, falling 34-29 at Northern Iowa on Nov. 4, followed by a 49-14 setback at North Dakota State last week.
