It's still the preseason, but South Dakotans and fans of the USD Football program had a ton to root for last night in the Monday Night Football contest between the Jets and the Falcons.

Chris Streveler joined the Jets earlier this offseason, and is hoping to catch on in a backup role to 2nd year starter Zach Wilson.

With Wilson currently out nursing a knee injury, Streveler has plenty of opportunities to shine, and he did just that on Monday Night Football.

After the Jets fell behind early by the score of 16-3 at the halftime break, Streveler would take over quarterback duties, and the comeback was on.

The fifth year pro and USD Coyote alum guided the Jets on a pair of long scoring drives, which included an impressive 34-yard touchdown pass to Lawrence Cager in the third quarter.

It all culminated with a tremendous 24-16 comeback win for the Jets, and Streveler guided the team to 21 consecutive points in the win.

The former Grey Cup Champion in the CFL also showed off his speed and athleticism last night, running 6 times for 33 yards. In total, he finished 8 of 11 passing for 119 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception.

With some uncertainty out there about the return time of starter Zach Wilson, Streveler sure gave the Jets a lot to think about when it comes to their backup quarterback situation with such a strong performance. Other quarterbacks on the Jets current roster include Mike White and Joe Flacco.

We'll see if Streveler can follow up the nice performance with more of the same in the team's final preseason game this weekend when the face the Giants on Sunday.

Sources: ESPN.com and Chris Streveler Wikipedia

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Know Your South Dakota College and University Mascots

The college football experience is an ultimate high for football fans and it takes several other teams to make that happen week after week during the season.
Just think about what goes into gameday? First and foremost, the players and coaching staff who put in hours and hours of practice and training to play in front of their fans. Then there's field prep, game officials, live broadcasts, concessions, and on-the-field entertainment. Yep, entertainment.

Second to the game, who do you watch? The cheerleaders? The band at halftime? What about the mascot? That's a job not many people can do.
I asked Sioux Falls native and former Cagey mascot for the Sioux Falls Canaries and Little Red & Herbie for the Nebraska Huskers Nate Welch about being a mascot:

  • What does it take to be a mascot?
  • "Losing a bet or filling an opportunity!" Welch says, "An internal energized desire to love life. After meeting great performers who are introverts out of costume, they become the center of attention when they take the stage. And also feeding off the performance of others."
  • Why does the mascot never talk?
  • "Know your role and shut your mouth. You are there to entertain. Tell the story with your actions and not your voice."
  • Advice to someone putting on that costume for the first time?
  • "Remember you are now in a costume. Have fun. Otherwise, you're just a dork in tights. If the fur ain't flying you ain't trying."

Nate Welch has moved on from his days as a mascot to Executive Director of the Vermillion Area Chamber of Commerce and Development Company in Vermillion, South Dakota.

So, can you name the mascots at our South Dakota Colleges and Universities? Check out the gallery below:

 

 

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