FULL SHOW: Dan Jackson & Kurtiss Riggs on the opening weekend of local football episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 31, 2026 · 1H 19M

FULL SHOW: Dan Jackson & Kurtiss Riggs on the opening weekend of local football

from Happy Hour with John Gaskins · host John Gaskins

You want more explosions? You got 'em in blowout wins to open the season, whether you're a Jackrabbit or Coyote fan.   South Dakota State's offense put on a fireworks show of 628 total yards — 393 rushing, 235 passing — with touchdowns of 78, 73, 52, 27, 27, and 20 yards, plus a 65-yard punt return to the end zone in a 70-7 bombardment of Stetson, the lowest-rated FCS team last season.   South Dakota lit up 2025 FCS playoff team Central Connecticut State with 594 total yards — 327 passing, 267 rushing — in a 56-20 assault that included scoring plays of 68, 61, 45, 49, 38, 24, and 23 yards.   Both Rushmore State squads scored 42 points by halftime. Both quarterbacks displayed their big arms and commands of their offense. Both defenses tortured their opponents for three hours.   But, what does it all really mean, considering the Jacks were favored to win by seven touchdowns and the Coytes were expected to win by three scores?   Inquiring football minds want to know, and Happy Hour brought in two of the more fertile football minds in South Dakota to answer that question and many more on Monday.   SDSU head coach Dan Jackson spent over a half-hour with the host expounding on his observations, including the depth at running back, development of quarterback Chase Mason, how the entire team got faster, and how all of it, if any, translates into this Saturday's steep leap in competition from Stetson to Northwestern.   South Dakota Sports Hall of Famer Kurtiss Riggs — a veteran TV analyst for Jacks telecasts and local high school football — brings his SDSU breakdowns, but also sheds light on:   * USD quarterback Austin Modrzewski's "hello, world" debut, tying Wes Boschoner's school record with six touchdown passes, plus a 68-yard burst for his first collegiate rushing touchdown— all part of 387 all-purpose yards day.   * North Dakota State's 33-7 smothering of Jacksonville State in the Bison's FBS debut, which included a crowd almost as large as SDSU's in Brookings   * Why USD's uniforms and NDSU's stadium production matter much more than you may think   * Augustana's 63-58 track meet win at Missouri Western   * USF's upset loss to Black Hills State at home   * Why the Lincoln Patriots' odds of reaching a fourth consecutive state championship game look long after a season-opening 42-35 upset loss to O'Gorman   * What to expect out of Alabama after Riggs, who, as always, spent some time talking to his best friend and USF national championship teammate Kalen DeBoen throughout the spring and summer

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FULL SHOW: Dan Jackson & Kurtiss Riggs on the opening weekend of local football

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