South Dakota State University standouts Taryn Christion and Christian Rozeboom were honored Sunday as Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week for their efforts in helping lead the nationally ranked Jackrabbits to a key victory at Western Illinois a day earlier.
A junior quarterback from Sioux Falls, Christion earned the offensive award after accounting for six touchdowns and 423 yards of total offense in the Jackrabbits’ 52-24 road win. The reigning MVFC Offensive Player of the Year, Christion completed 26-of-41 passes for 386 yards and ran eight times for 37 yards and another score. His five touchdown passes, which covered 30, 13, 1, 46 and 6 yards, tied a career high, while his passing total is seventh-most in program history and his total offense mark ranks eighth in the Jackrabbit annals.
Rozeboom, a sophomore linebacker from Sioux Center, Iowa, registered a team-high 10 tackles and recorded a pair of takeaways in earning the weekly defensive honor. The Buck Buchanan Award nominee recovered a fumble in the third quarter and notched his first interception of the season in the fourth quarter. Rozeboom, who notched double figures in tackles for the fifth time this season and 12th time in 21 career games, led a Jackrabbit defensive effort that held Western Illinois to 285 yards of total offense – nearly 150 yards below its season average.
