It's good to be Travis Johansen right now. South Dakota's head coach won his first "State vs U" rivalry showdown on Saturday to continue the 17th-ranked Coyotes' climb back into the FCS playoff fold. The Yotes have beaten back-to-back ranked teams in the DakotaDome to flip their season from 5-4 and in danger of missing the postseason and maybe even finishing with a losing record to 7-4 (ensuring a winning record) and the kind of squad that could be dangerous in the playoffs. While the 26-21 win over then-No. 8 North Dakota was certainly a shot in the arm for the Coyotes' season that had been on the ropes, coming back the new week to beat another eight-ranked team that happens to be the in-state rival and well-established FCS powerhouse gives USD serious rocket fuel for the stretch run, including Saturday's regular season finale at No. 21 Southern Illinois. A win there and nobody doubts USD will secure a playoff berth, if not a first round home game. Does Johansen believe his team already has the resume to be in the postseason field, even if it doesn't come home from Carbondale victorious? He answers that question directly and other important matters like: The "Little Brown Jug" trophy awarded to the State-U winner has resided in Brookings ever since the Jackrabbits moved to Div. I over 20 years ago — would Johansen like the tradition to come back? Will Johansen, indeed, "lose the hair," as one wiseguy tweeter suggested on Saturday after Johansen's hat came off during the game to expose his... recession? How would Johansen describe the feeling of being hoisted by one of his players in a boisterous locker room celebration after Saturday's win? But seriously, how about the moxie and leadership that Aidan Bouman has provided after both the graduate senior quarterback and the entire offense sputtered through the first half of the slate? What has led to the subtle uptick in yards, points, and winning playmaking? How has L.J. Phillips consistently racked up yards (169 on Saturday) — he's the third leading FCS rusher in the nation — despite that, by now defenses know he'll be toating the rock on more than one-third of USD's plays, especially when the Yotes are leading in the fourth quarter and trying to salt away the clock, like Saturday? And, how about that defense? Johansen dives into the stories of defensive back DeJuan Lewis and defensive lineman Mosai Newsom. What makes the Salukis dangerous? After the conversation with Johansen, Happy Hour host John Gaskins chats with USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell about the U.S. Olympic Trials, which are currently unfolding in the PREMIER Center through Sunday and televised globally on Peacock (Saturday and Sunday action will be on USA Network). Sioux Falls is the site the top curlers in the nation have come to compete to reach their Olympic dreams. How did this happen? How did our city earn its first Olympic trials and add this event to other national stages like the Sanford International and NCAA Tournament regionals for men's hockey and women's basketball?   The gregarious Gemmell — a perfect guest for a show called "Happy Hour" who feels like a barstool buddy — explains that process and gives a broad tutorial on the sport and how it has grown and changed significantly in the last couple decades. He should know. He is a former U.S. national champion who started and for 12 years hosted a podcast called "The Curling Show" back when there not only were no podcasts about curling, but when there were hardly any podcasts, period.   But first, Gaskins opines on the much-needed burst of sunshine South Dakota State football fans needed this week — the scholarship offer to Sioux Falls Lincoln junior quarterback Brody Schafer, who is on pace to obliterate his older brother (and current USF starting QB) Tate's school and state records.   Hear from Patriots coach Jared Fredenburg and prep and college TV analyst Kurtiss Riggs on the rare and historic talents Schafer possesses. Fredenberg compared him to another prolific Sioux Falls prep QB who went on to shine at SDSU. Is it fair to compare the cannon-armed, fleet-footed, two-dollar-steak tough dual threat to a more recent SDSU legend?   It's just an offer. But Gaskins daydreams about the impact Schafer could make in Brookings sooner than later if he becomes a future Jackrabbits signal caller. By the way, there are no current QB commits in SDSU's class of 2026 at the moment.   And, there's no guarantee Mason will be back next season. Hear why.   Schafer will be under the bright lights of the Class 11AAA state championship game on Saturday, where he'll look to repeat his clutch performance as a sophomore last year. The game can be seen on the Midwest Sports Plus app and streaming site, with coverage starting at 4:30.

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