BROOKINGS, S.D. – The ninth-ranked South Dakota State Jackrabbits topped the Drake University football team, 56-28 in the inaugural game at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on Saturday evening.
 
Jackrabbits wasted little time to get ahead as they opened the game with a five-play 63-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a three-yard touchdown pass from Taryn Christion to Jake Wieneke.
 
Christion then went on to rush for a 36-yard touchdown and found Wieneke for the second time in the opening period for a 15-yard touchdown pass, putting the Jacks ahead 21-0 at the end of the first-quarter.
 
Eric Saubert caught a three-yard pass in the corner of the end zone from Cody Thibault to put the Bulldogs on the board, 21-7, at the 13:09 make in the second-quarter. Prior to the touchdown pass, Thibault found Saubert three other times to help lead Drake down the field in 11-play scoring drive.
 
Two possessions later, Christion found Wieneke for the third time in the end zone to put SDSU up 28-5 with five minutes left in the opening half.
 
On the ensuing Drake possession, junior Grant Kraemer led the Bulldogs to an 87-yard scoring drive. Kraemer threw a dart to Grant Menard for the 30-yard play to begin the series. Kraemer finished the drive completing 5-of-7 before Conley Wilkins plunged into the end zone from three-yards out to make it a 28-14 at halftime.
 
The Jackrabbits outgained the Bulldogs 285 total yards to 175, led by Christion, who was nearly perfect in the first-half completing 16-of-18 for 169 yards and three touchdowns.
 
SDSU pushed it back to a 21-point game, 35-14, near the end of the 3rd-quarter when Jared Blum intercepted a screen pass for a touchdown.
 
The Jacks then took advantage of another Bulldog miscue, topped off by a three-yard touchdown pass by Christion to Dallas Goedert, taking a 42-14 advantage.
 
After SDSU recovered a blocked punt in the end zone, sophomore Drew Lauer took the ensuing kickoff 87 yards to the house to make it 49-21 with over 14 minutes left to play.
 
In the Bulldogs' final offensive series of the game, Kraemer orchestrated a 13-play 73-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a three-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Yarwood.
 
Kraemer finished the game completing 12-of-18 for 133 yards. Saubert led the team's receivers with six receptions for 53 yards and a touchdown. Wilkins recorded 18 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown.
 
Defensively, junior Jabari Butler tallied a team-best 11 tackles, while fifth-year senior Taylor Coleman registered eight stops.
 
The Bulldogs return to Drake Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. when they host McKendree.