The South Dakota State Jackrabbits football program represents South Dakota State University in American football. This article covers the history of the program in the first two decades. Prior to 1904, the school was known as the South Dakota Agricultural College. In 1904, the school was renamed South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. The team played its home games at Brookings, South Dakota.
Significant milestones in the period covered include the following:
South Dakota Agricultural began competing in intercollegiate football in 1889, eight years after the school was founded. The team played a single game against the University of South Dakota in 1889, ending in a 6–6 tie. It was the first game in the South Dakota–South Dakota State football rivalry. South Dakota State did not win a game in that rivalry until 30 years later in 1919.[1]
After a seven-year hiatus, the program resumed intercollegiate play in 1897 with a game against the University of Sioux Falls, ending in a 22–0 loss.[1]
In 1898, South Dakota Agricultural won its first football game, a 62–0 victory over a team from Watertown, South Dakota.[1]
The 1899 team compiled the program's first winning record of 3–1, including shut out victories over Huron College (55–0) and Madison Normal (23–0) and ending with a 57–0 loss to Mitchell University.[1]
In 1903, the team commenced its rivalry with North Dakota State, now known for the Dakota Marker trophy. North Dakota State won the inaugural game by an 85–0 score. It remains the worst loss in program history, followed by an 81–0 loss to Minnesota in 1905 and an 86–6 loss to Kansas in 1947.[1]
In 1908, the team won its first rivalry game with North Dakota State, prevailing by an 11–5 score.[1]
The 1889 South Dakota Agricultural football team represented South Dakota Agricultural College as an independent during the 1889 college football season. In their first season of existence, they played in one game, a 6–6 tie against the University of South Dakota.[1]
The 1897 South Dakota Agricultural football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota Agricultural College as an independent during the 1897 college football season. In their first season since 1889, they played in one game, a 22–0 loss against Sioux Falls.[1]
The 1898 South Dakota Agricultural football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota Agricultural College as an independent during the 1898 college football season. In its first season under head coach Bert H. Morrison, the team compiled a 1–1–1 record.[1]
The 1899 South Dakota Agricultural football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota Agricultural College as an independent during the 1899 college football season. In its second and final season under head coach Bert H. Morrison, the team compiled a 3–1 record.[1]
The 1900 South Dakota Agricultural football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota Agricultural College as an independent during the 1900 college football season. In their first and only season under head coach James Hutchinson, they compiled a 3–2 record.[1]
The 1901 South Dakota Agricultural football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota Agricultural College as an independent during the 1901 college football season. The team compiled a 3–2 record.[4]
The 1902 South Dakota Agricultural football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota Agricultural College as an independent during the 1902 college football season. The team compiled a 3–2 record.[1]
The team began the season with L. L. Gilkey as its coach, but he was released in late October due to the lack of funds in the Athletic Association. Gilkey then returned to his regular work purchasing chickens for the Huron Produce Co.[11]
The 1902 football season in South Dakota witnessed the death of Harry Jordan, a young man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and led to the cancellation of games in that city.[12] At the end of the season, an editorial was published in The Daily Argus-Leader from a correspondent in Britton, South Dakota, proposing a bill "to abolish football within the precincts of South Dakota." The appeal was based on the loss of life and "mutilation" during the prior football season, the loss of study time, and the game's tendency to promote "immorality", including betting, rioting, debauchery, and "the refinement of cruelty, needless senseless cruelty." The author denounced: "That so savage and barbarious a game can meet with the approval of Christian educators and ministers of the gospel in the year of our Lord 1902 is one of the amazing exhibitions of the century."[13]
The 1903 South Dakota Agricultural football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota Agricultural College as an independent during the 1903 college football season. The team compiled a 1–2 record.[1]
The 1904 South Dakota State football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts as an independent during the 1904 college football season. In its first and only year under head coach J. Harrison Werner, the team compiled a 4–2–1 record.[1]
The 1905 South Dakota State football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts as an independent during the 1905 college football season. In its first and only year under head coach William Blaine, the team compiled a 2–3 record.[1]
The 1906 South Dakota State football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts as an independent during the 1906 college football season. In its first year under head coach William Juneau, the team compiled a 3–1 record.[1]
The 1907 South Dakota State football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts as an independent during the 1907 college football season. In its second and final year under head coach William Juneau, the team compiled a 5–2 record.[1]
The 1908 South Dakota State football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts as an independent during the 1908 college football season. In its first year under head coach Jason M. Saunderson, the team compiled a 3–3–1 record.[1][48]
The 1909 South Dakota State football team was an American football team that represented South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts as an independent during the 1909 college football season. In its second year under head coach Jason M. Saunderson, the team compiled a 1–3 record.[1]
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u"2022 Football History and Record Book" (PDF). South Dakota State University Athletics. p. 4. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
^"Football: Agricultural College Eleven Defeated Flandreau Indians". Argus-Leader. November 10, 1900. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Football; Brookings and Vermillion at Athletic Parkk Tomorrow Afternoon". Brookings Weekly Register. November 15, 1900. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Are To Debate: Inter-Collegiate Debate Between Brookings and Vermillion". Argus-Leader. December 17, 1901. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Game on Saturday". Argus-Leader. October 17, 1901. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Brookings Won: Agricultural College Takes Game from Huron". Argus-Leader. October 22, 1901. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Yankton Defeated". The Brookings Register. November 7, 1901. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"untitled". Brookings Weekly Register. November 14, 1901. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Brookings Beaten: University Wins the Football Game, Score 22 to 0". The Black Hills Union. November 29, 1901. p. 8.
^"untitled". Brookings Weekly Register. November 28, 1901. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
^"untitled". The Brookings Register. October 30, 1902. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
^"No Football Games Here: Death of Harry Jordan Produces Strong Sentiment Against It". The Daily Argus-Leader. October 2, 1902. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Denunciation of Football: A Britton Correspondent Writes a Scathing Criticism; Is a Brutal Game". The Daily Argus-Leader. December 15, 1902. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
^"The Football Players". The Black Hills Weekly Journal. Rapid City, South Dakota. November 7, 1902. p. 2. Retrieved January 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
^"University Team Wins State Championship: The Agricultural College Football Team Comes Home With Blackened Eyes and Bruised Bodies That Tell the Story of Rough Playing". The Brookings Register. November 29, 1906. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"untitled". The Brookings Register. October 8, 1907. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
^"State College Wins Game". The Brookings Register. October 24, 1907. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"A Ragged Game". The Brookings Register. October 31, 1907. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"North Dakota Wins: Young Timber from South Dakota no Match for Veterans". The Brookings Register. November 7, 1907. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Last Game of the Season: Brookings and Mitchell Will Lock Horns, Nov. 8". The Brookings Register. November 1, 1807. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"The College Team Defeats Mitchell in the Best and Most Stubbornly Contested Football Battle of the Year: Juneau's Lads Played Great Game As Did the Visitors Though They Leaned Too Heavily on a Broken Reed". The Brookings Register. November 14, 1907. pp. 1, 5 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Yankton Is Defeated: S.D.S.C Football Team wins Another Glorious Victory; Rooters Charter a Train And Two Hundred of Them Accompanied the Team". The Brookings Register. November 21, 1907. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"untitled". The Brookings Register. November 28, 1907. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
^"State College Notes". The Brookings Register. December 3, 1908. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"S.D.S.C. Wins First One". The Brookings Register. October 15, 1908. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"North Dakota Is Defeated At Football by State College Pigskin Artists". The Brookings Register. October 29, 1908. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"A Tie Game". The Brookings Register. November 5, 1908. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Big Game of the Season Will Be Played Next Saturday Between St. Thomas and State College". The Brookings Register. November 5, 1908. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Coughlin and Hyde Star In Football Game With St. Thomas: Brookings Team Wins 29 to 12 In a Scrappy, Hard Fought Battle". The Brookings Register. November 12, 1908. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Yankton The Champs: Yankton College Has Undisputed Claim to State College Football Championship". The Daily Argus-Leader. November 14, 1908. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Outplayed by Yankton In a Ragged, Uninteresting Game: The Score being 21 to Nothing; Field in Poor Shape and the Weather Bad". The Brookings Register. November 19, 1908. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"And Huron Like Mitchell Defeats the S.D.S.C. Football Aggregation: The Final Score Being 17 to 0". The Brookings Register. December 3, 1908. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"North Dakota Is Victor Over State College at Football: Visitors Win on Fumbles in Hard Fought Game That Is Played in Rainstorm". The Brookings Register. October 28, 1909. p. 1.
^"The North Dakota "Aggies" win game". Grand Forks Herald. October 23, 1909. Retrieved October 6, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Methodists Victorious: Mitchell Beats Brookings at Football; Drop-Kick from the Field". The Brookings Register. November 4, 1909. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"A Defeat and Tie for Us: College Football Team Lost at Yankton". The Brookings Register. November 11, 1909. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Close Season With a Victory: College Football Team Wins From Huron on Thanksgiving Day". The Brookings Register. December 2, 1909. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.