The 10 biggest plays from South Dakota State football's playoff games at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium

Dec. 13—BROOKINGS — Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium hosted its first FCS playoff game in 2016, when the Jackrabbits defeated Villanova 10-7 on a snowy day in the second round. They would lose to North Dakota State in Fargo a week later.

That season was the start of something special, though, as the Jacks have hosted at least one playoff game every year since. They're 13-1 in playoff games at Dykhouse Stadium and 14-1 at home overall (they beat Eastern Illinois 58-10 in 2012 in the only Division I playoff game ever played at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, and the lone loss came in 2019 to Northern Iowa).

Naturally, with a playoff record like that, there have been dozens of memorable moments, big plays and heroic performances. As SDSU prepares for their final home game of 2023, we took a look back at the Jacks' history of playoff dominance to compile 10 of the biggest and most memorable plays Dykhouse Stadium fans have witnessed in the postseason, listed in chronological order.

Chase Vinatieri's game-winning field goal vs. Villanova, 2016

With snow on the ground and a stiff wind blowing all day, the Jacks and Wildcats were tied 7-7 when the Jacks took the ball at their own 40-yard line with 3:28 to play.

On a 2nd and 9 play, Taryn Christion fired deep to the sideline for Marquise Lewis, only for tight end Dallas Goedert to cut in front of Lewis to make the catch (he didn't realize the pass wasn't intended for him). He picked up a block from Connor Landberg and went 33 yards to move the Jacks into field goal range.

Freshman Chase Vinatieri was called on to try a 40-yarder into the wind and falling snow, and his kick juuuust snuck inside the upright to give the Jacks a 10-7 lead that with 1:21 to play, and the defense made it stick.

Jake Wieneke's 48-yard touchdown run vs. New Hampshire, 2017

With 59 career touchdown catches, Wieneke is the most decorated receiver in Jackrabbit history, but he only scored one rushing touchdown in his career. He made it a big one.

With SDSU leading New Hampshire 7-0 in the first quarter of the 2017 quarterfinals, Christion took the snap and broke to the left on a quarterback sweep, only to pitch to Wieneke coming back on an end-around.

Wieneke got a series of blocks to clear an easy path to the end zone

, giving SDSU a 14-0 lead on their way to a 56-14 win that clinched the Jacks' first appearance in the FCS semifinals.

Mark Gronowski's 67-yard touchdown run vs. Southern Illinois, 2020/21

The Jacks trailed SIU 20-10 at halftime but went to work on a comeback in the third quarter. They were within a field goal when freshman quarterback Mark Gronowski called his own number, faking a handoff to Isaiah Davis and then following a block from a pulling Garret Greenfield and another downfield block by Jadon Janke before

outrunning the defense to the house

for what proved to be the game-winning score to send SDSU to the semifinals.

Pierre Strong 24-yard touchdown pass to Mark Gronowski vs. Delaware, 2020/21

In the FCS semifinals, one week after the win over SIU, the Jacks had a 7-3 lead over Delaware in the second quarter when they lined up on 1st and 10 with three wide receivers wide to the left and running back Pierre Strong lined up wide behind them.

Gronowski took the snap out of the shotgun and fired it directly to Strong, who caught it and paused just long enough to draw in the defense,

then threw the ball back across the field to a waiting Gronowski

, who caught it with an army of blockers in front of him. The freshman quarterback caught it and weaved 24 yards for the score to give the Jacks a 14-3 lead on their way to a 33-3 win that clinched their first-ever berth in the national championship.

Dalys Beanum's pick-six vs. Cal-Davis, 2021

The Jacks failed to earn a playoff seed in 2021, but were at home for their first round game against Cal-Davis. They beat the Aggies 56-24 thanks to a defense that notched six interceptions in the game.

Cornerback Dalys Beanum had three of them, the last of which he

returned 59 yards for a touchdown

that put an emphatic exclamation point on a win that spurred SDSU to road wins at Sacramento State and Villanova before their season ended in the semifinals at Montana State.

Jason Freeman's pick-six vs. Holy Cross, 2022

Tied at 14-14 with just over a minute to go in the first half, the Jacks were having a heck of a time with Crusaders quarterback Matthew Sluka, but they got a huge play before the break that gave them a huge momentum boost. Sluka threw a high pass over the middle that grazed off a receiver's hands and

into the arms of Freeman who raced 37 yards

untouched for a touchdown that gave the Jacks a 21-14 lead. The teams would go to the fourth quarter tied at 21 before SDSU outscored the Crusaders 21-0 in the final stanza to pull away for the win.

Tucker Kraft touchdown catch vs. Montana State, 2022

Last year's semifinal against the Bobcats couldn't have been much bigger. It was a rematch of the previous year's semis, and both teams came in red hot while Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium was ice cold. On a 9-degree night with ice and snow on the field, the Jacks wanted to start fast and they did, with Gronowski finding tight end Tucker Kraft

on a seam over the middle

on SDSU's opening possession of the game. The 36-yard score gave SDSU a 7-0 lead and set the tone for their 39-18 win.

Amar Johnson's 38-yard touchdown run vs. Montana State, 2022

The Bobcats answered Kraft's score with one of their own (though they missed the PAT) to make it 7-6, but the Jacks took control with touchdown runs by Gronowski and Isaiah Davis to make it 21-6.

SDSU was looking for more before halftime when

Johnson took a handoff and cut back

behind a Gus Miller block and then raced to the corner of the end zone for a 38-yard score that was ultimately the backbreaker in the Jacks' win. It made the score 28-6, burying the Bobcats and sending SDSU back to Frisco where they'd win their first national championship three weeks later.

Matthew Durrance's punt block vs. Villanova, 2023

The Jacks were trailing the Wildcats 6-3 in the second quarter and their offense was stuck in neutral. It was becoming apparent SDSU needed a defensive or special teams play to give them a boost and Durrance delivered.

He came

racing in off the edge

to swallow up the Wildcats' punt attempt, then was off to the races for a touchdown when the blocked kick bounced directly into his arms. The score gave SDSU a 10-9 lead and they never looked back.

Isaiah Davis' 66-yard touchdown run vs. Villanova, 2023

The Jacks were struggling to pull away from the Wildcats, clinging to a 17-12 lead after forcing Villanova to settle for a field goal at the end of a 16-play, 8-minute drive.

A stiff wind made it hard for SDSU to throw the ball, which had made it easier for the Villanova defense to sell-out in stopping the run. Consequently Isaiah Davis had been quiet throughout the first half. But he broke free early in the fourth,

bursting through a big hole

and racing untouched to paydirt for a 66-yard touchdown that gave SDSU a 23-12 lead that would prove to be the final points of the game, sending the Jacks to their fourth consecutive semifinal.