Jacks host UNI in a rematch

BROOKINGS, S.D. (GoJacks.com) — For the second time in three weeks, South Dakota State will host Northern Iowa in football action at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

This time, the Jackrabbits and Panthers will meet with a berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoff quarterfinals at stake. Kickoff for Saturday’s second-round matchup is set for 1 p.m., with coverage available through ESPN3.com.

SDSU enters its 2019 playoff opener with an 8-4 overall record. The Jackrabbits are seeded seventh in the 24-team field, earning a top-eight seed for the fourth year in a row.

Northern Iowa improved to 9-4 overall with a 17-3 home victory over San Diego in first-round action Nov. 30 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Saturday’s game marks the 56th meeting between meeting on the gridiron between South Dakota State and Northern Iowa. The two squads met regularly from the time the series started in 1935 until UNI (formerly Iowa Teachers College) left the North Central Conference in the late 1970s to join the Division I ranks.

UNI holds a 31-22-2 advantage in the series, including a 9-6 advantage since SDSU joined the Football Championship Subdivision in 2004.

In this season’s first meeting, Nov. 16 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, SDSU forced four Panther turnovers and pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 38-7 victory. The Jackrabbits outscored UNI, 31-7, in the second half, including 21-0 in the fourth quarter.

The two teams have met one other time in the FCS playoffs as SDSU recorded a 37-22 second-round victory on its home field in 2017. With that win, the Jackrabbits avenged a loss to UNI in the regular season.

The winner of Saturday’s game will advance to the FCS quarterfinals next week, facing the winner between the No. 2 James Madison and Monmouth.

(PHOTO: SDSU Sports Information)