South Dakota State Rolls to 42-7 Win Over Eastern Illinois

Dominant second-half rushing converted turnovers into points, setting momentum for the Jackrabbits as they enter Missouri Valley play.

Overview

The Jackrabbits beat Eastern Illinois 42-7 at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on Saturday and improved to 4-1 on the season.
SDSU outgained the Panthers 597 yards to 196, piling up 408 rushing yards that overwhelmed Eastern Illinois after halftime.
Sophomore backs Josiah Johnson (121 yards, two TDs) and James Basinger (116 yards, two TDs) combined for 317 yards and five rushing touchdowns.
Transfer quarterback Josh Holst made his first start in place of the injured Chase Mason and capped the scoring with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Ben Brooks.
The defense forced and recovered two second-half fumbles and shut out Eastern Illinois after the break, a performance that reinforces SDSU’s run-first identity and depth as it heads to Illinois State next week.