The rivalry renewed at Coughlin-Alumni Stadium in November 2012.

Game action from 2012.

USD’s marching band performed at halftime of the game in 2012.

Zach Zenner breaking loose in 2012.

A standing room only DakotaDome for the 2013 matchup.

SDSU standout wide receiver Jake Wieneke catches a ball over the USD logo at midfield in the 2015 game.

Players from both teams reach for a pass to the end zone in 2015.

An interesting action shot from 2016.

The view from the 50-yard line just before kickoff in 2017.

Dallas Goedert with a signature acrobatic catch in 2017.

Chris Streveler getting ready to let it fly in 2017.

The ice and cold before the 2018 game.

Frozen breath during warmups in 2018.

The Pride of the Dakotas still playing in the bitter cold in 2018.

Pierre Strong (now with the New England Patriots) breaking free for a touchdown run in 2018.

Rivals and friends in 2018.

Taryn Christion surveys the defense in the cold in 2018.

Ice particles from the field caught in the air during game action in 2018.

Celebration after a big defensive stop in the late afternoon sunlight in 2018.

Jacks in Yotes territory in 2019.

Yotes touchdown reception in 2019.

The sideline view early in this year’s game.

Interception in the end zone in 2022.

Over 19,000 strong on a nearly perfect football afternoon in 2022.

A Decade of State-U

Oct 12, 2022

By Christian Begeman

Just under decade ago, on an overcast and cool November afternoon, I got into a small two-seater airplane, camera in hand, and lifted off for a memorable and unique photo opportunity. Drones with cameras were not quite a thing yet, so to capture aerials of the renewed SDSU-USD rivalry football game — on hold for nearly a decade as each school transitioned from Division II to Division I — I was obliged to open the side window while the pilot circled the stadium and occasionally dipped the left wing so I could lean my lens out into the air and start snapping. I found myself reminiscing about this experience during halftime of this year’s rivalry game in Brookings, a 28-3 Jackrabbit victory on October 8. Ten years has seen a lot of change, but much remains the same.

This game always draws a crowd, but this year’s nearly set a record. The 19,332 people who packed Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium created the second largest crowd ever assembled in the Mount Rushmore State to watch a football game. Since the rivalry was renewed, I’ve attended and recorded media at all but three of the games. Since 2012, both stadiums have undergone major renovations and upgrades, resulting in larger capacity, better lighting and bigger scoreboards, all of which make this game an even better experience.

Over the last decade, these games have also showcased talented players who have gone on to the NFL. SDSU tight end Dallas Goedert is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. USD quarterback Chris Streveler won a Canadian Football League championship and now plays on the New York Jets practice squad. I also remember admiring the athletic prowess of SDSU running back Zach Zenner in 2012; he subsequently played with the Detroit Lions. As for memorable plays, just last year we witnessed a Hail Mary for the ages inside the DakotaDome that propelled USD to an upset victory and made the rounds on national TV and social media.

Every game of this magnitude is fun to work, but the meeting that really stands out happened on a cold and bitter day in November of 2018. The temperature topped out at 16 degrees before kickoff and steadily declined throughout the game. The 10-mile-an-hour breeze cut right through my multiple layers of clothing by the second quarter, but the light was gorgeous. The cold made every exhaled breath a misty work of art, and the icy atmosphere added elements in the air around the players. It is ironic that the most physically trying day of photographing this series was also the best day to have a camera. That said, I left sometime in the latter half of the third quarter. The sun had set behind the stadium, so I lost the good light … as well as the feeling in my fingers.

Christian Begeman grew up in Isabel and now lives in Sioux Falls. When he's not working at Midco he is often on the road photographing South Dakota’s prettiest spots. Follow Begeman on his blog.