South Dakota State’s offense flashes explosiveness early as Jacks open season with big-play win over Stetson

South Dakota State did what preseason questions asked of it, at least for one night. In its season opener against Stetson at Brookings, the Jacks came out with early efficiency and a reminder that their offense can strike from anywhere. The first drive became a statement before the crowd even settled in, when Chase Mason hooked up with Jack Smith for a 73-yard touchdown pass on the first play of 2026.

The design is not hard to connect to the motivation inside the program. South Dakota State head coach Dan Jackson had publicly wanted more explosive plays after last season’s offense did not create enough of them. By delivering a long touchdown immediately, the Jacks indicated that their passing game could stretch the field and turn routine possessions into moments that swing momentum.

Mason’s performance suggested more than one highlight. According to the game account, he completed 5-of-10 passes for 157 yards, and the yardage total matters because it indicates how much of the production came from getting behind coverage. Even without detailing every throw, that combination of limited attempts and substantial distance is typically what teams look for when they want big plays without forcing risky volume.

Jack Smith’s role fit that theme, too. The 73-yard connection was more than a single route run; it was the kind of spacing and timing play that makes a defense hesitate, and it sets up the rest of the field. When a team can consistently threaten downfield early, it changes how defenders distribute their attention on subsequent downs, especially in the red zone and on intermediate throws.

The broader feel of the opener, described as a rout in the season-opening coverage, was that South Dakota State controlled the tempo of its own offense. Explosiveness rarely appears in isolation. It tends to come when the quarterback can see matchups quickly, receivers can separate long enough to win at speed, and the line can keep plays alive long enough for routes to develop downfield. South Dakota State’s opening touchdown and Mason’s efficient yardage were the clearest evidence that those components were working together.

For what comes next, the most important question is whether the Jacks can reproduce this kind of big-play output beyond the first week. Early-season results can be influenced by opponent tendencies, but Jackson’s insistence on addressing explosiveness makes the internal standard clear. If South Dakota State keeps pushing the ball vertically and maintains a similar ratio of impact plays to overall attempts, it will put pressure on opponents throughout the year and strengthen the team’s postseason profile. If the long-strike production drops, the staff will likely focus on the intermediate consistency needed to prevent teams from packing coverage when big plays are not landing. Either way, the opener provides a clear baseline to evaluate the offense as the schedule moves from opener momentum to longer test weeks.