South Dakota State football dominates Illinois State in second half

No. 2 South Dakota State went on the road for the second time in 2026 and made a statement, beating No. 10 Illinois State 31-14 on Saturday, Oct. 3.

Starting quarterback Chase Mason was out for the second game in a row, and Josh Holst improved off his first start by going 18-for-23 with 153 yards and two touchdowns.

South Dakota State ripped off 24 consecutive points, starting with a field goal as time expired going into halftime. Holst connected with Greyton Gannon late in the third quarter, Myles Green returned an interception 31 yards for a score and James Basinger ripped off a 66-yard rushing touchdown to put the game on ice.

The Jackrabbit defense forced three turnovers, intercepting two passes and forcing a fumble. Green and Noah St-Juste had the two picks, and Noah Thompson forced a fumble that Green recovered.

The Jackrabbits ran for 239 yards, 63 below their season average. Josiah Johnson had 19 rushes for 131 yards, Basinger recorded 90 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and Holst notched 18 yards on four runs.

Lofton O’Groske recorded seven catches for 89 yards and a score, Jack Smith caught five passes for 28 yards, Grahm Goering had three receptions for 16 yards, Coleman Kuntz caught two passes for 13 yards and Gannon caught just his 7-yard touchdown pass.

Dontay Johnson led South Dakota State with 13 tackles and Cullen McShane had 12 tackles, with two for a loss.

South Dakota State, likely to jump to No. 1 after Montana State’s loss on Friday night, has an off week coming up. The Jackrabbits will play again at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at No. 5 North Dakota.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota State football dominates Illinois State in second half