FULL WED. SHOW: SDSU alumni check-in (Rogers, Wilde, Gronowski), USD coach Travis Johansen, and Husker Online reporter Robin Washut (Matt Rhule/Penn State mania)

16/10/2025 1h 20min Temporada 1 Episodio 200
FULL WED. SHOW: SDSU alumni check-in (Rogers, Wilde, Gronowski), USD coach Travis Johansen, and Husker Online reporter Robin Washut (Matt Rhule/Penn State mania)

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Episode Synopsis

At 6-0, it has been so far, so good, for No. 2 South Dakota State in the Dan Jackson era — also known as the post-scorched earth exodus of head coach Jimmy Rogers, his entire SDSU coaching staff, and 15 SDSU players to Washington State. Oh, and life after the school's GOAT quarterback Mark Gronowski (Iowa), blazing top-end speed wide receiver (Griffin Wilde) bolted to the bigger money and bigger stage of Power Four conference football.   They're all gone. Forgotten? Depends on the Jacks fan. Some are keeping tabs if not cheering on the former Jacks. Some may say "out of sight, out of mind."  But, let's face it: We all have busy lives and it is tough to watch every game of some of these men who were major parts of two national titles and last year's 12-win run to the FCS semifinals.  With midseason here, just in case you were curious about their performances through the first several games, Happy Hour host John Gaskins does a deep dive.   Man, what a dive. Rogers and Wilde were both part of stealth Game 6 efforts on the road against Power Four powerhouses this past weekend. Hear about, and from, Rogers after his 33-point underdog Cougars — some call them the "Washington State Jackrabbits" — almost pulled off the upset of the year in the FBS at Ole Miss. What is as amazing as the nailbiter Rogers and his defense backed Lane Kiffin and his juggernaut offense into is how quickly Rogers and his staff have kept what appeared to be a sinking ship (especially on defense, Rogers' side) afloat after three stinkers to open the season.      Then, an update on Wilde, one of the Big 10's top 10 receivers in his first year at Northwestern, which is one of that league's least productive offenses (guided, by the way, by former SDSU offensive coordinator Zach Lujan). Hear Wilde's wide-eyed remarks about the Wildcats.   And what about Gronowski at Iowa? There's a lot to unpack. He hasn't been dazzling nor disastrous in the Hawkeyes' 4-2 start. Let's just say that for both Iowa fans and Gronowski fans, hopefully the jets are warming up for a late season flight. What has kept the former Walter Payton Award winner grounded? So many things.   After checking in on former SDSU standouts, hear Gaskins' weekly chat with South Dakota head coach Travis Johansen. Saturday's 19-14 win at Indiana State to move to 4-3 was a mixed bag of things for Coyote fans to pump their fists (defensive lockdown, 45 minutes of possession, L.J. Phillips' 187 yards to remain the nation's leading rusher) and yet shake their fists (penalties, settling for field goals, not getting the ball downfield). Johansen goes behind the headlines and numbers, as always, then looks ahead to a road game at Northern Iowa, a program and "weird" venue Johansen is firmly familiar with.   The show rounds out with a trip to Lincoln and a chat with veteran Husker Online reporter Robin Washut for insight into the latest coaching distraction at Nebraska. Matt Rhule has been connected to the Penn State opening and on Monday addressed speculation he just may be a candidate. What should we make of what Rhule said? How strong of a candidate is he, really? And how do we evaluate his 15-14 run at Nebraska, sitting at 5-1 in his third season? On Friday, Rhule's Huskers are at Minnesota, a place the Big Red has not won since 2015. How do the Huskers match up with the 4-2 Gophers, who sweated out a 27-20 win but gave up over 450 yards to Purdue last week? 

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