Gibbs-Janke connection boosts South Dakota St. to 28-10 win

Oct 5, 2019, 11:10 pm

BROOKINGS, S.D. -- J'Bore Gibbs threw a pair of touchdown passes to Jaxon Janke to break open the game in the fourth quarter and South Dakota State beat Southern Illinois 28-10 on Saturday in a Missouri Valley Football League opener.

The Salukis (2-3) led 10-9 at halftime after Kare Lyles passed 19 yards to Nigel Kilby with 12 seconds left in the second quarter. But Pierre Strong burst through the line for the go-ahead score on a 64-yard run midway through the third quarter. Strong, who had four runs of over 25 yards, finished with a season-high 229 yards on 20 carries for the Jackrabbits (4-1), ranked third in the FCS.

Gibbs threw a 58-yard TD pass to Cade Johnson in the first quarter and Chase Vinatieri, nephew of NFL kicker Adam Vinatieri, had a 39-yard field goal and finished the game with the Jackrabbits' record for career points via kicking at 322.

South Dakota State has now won the last four meetings with SIU.