Zimmer: A brutal start, a positive response and another loss for slumping Jackrabbits

BROOKINGS — So what do we make of this one? South Dakota State's season, once seemingly headed towards Nashville for an FCS national championship game appearance, is now firmly on life support after Saturday's 35-21 loss to No. 14 Illinois State. Given that SDSU came in losers of three straight and the Redbirds came in having won three in a row, an Illinois State victory was not all that surprising. But how the Jacks got there in what will almost certainly be the last home game of the 2025 season is difficult to digest. There is a lot to unpack here, starting with the start. Can you remember a worse start to a game for a college football team? The Jackrabbits were behind 21-0 less than five...