Happy Hour with John Gaskins

Back in April, when South Dakota appeared to have a red-hot three-horse starting quarterback race, the Happy Hour host asked new head coach Matt Vitzthum how to pronounce the consonant-heavy last name of the redshirt freshman who was duking it out with a pair of seniors—both of whom had previously been worthy of a roster spot at FBS Northern Illinois.   "You're going to want to remember this name,...

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 Dak...

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...

SDSU head coach Dan Jackson spent over a half-hour with the host expounding on his observations of Saturday's blowout win over Stetson, 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. How does he prepare for a new offense...

Every Friday, "South Dakota Sports Lounge" displays some of the most captivating and entertaining conversations from daily sports talk shows in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Fargo. Plus, Midwest Sports+ reporter Zach Borg provides a compelling feature story to send Dakotas sports fans into the weekend with a smile.   Here are this week's segments:   Happy Hour with John Gaskins (Sioux Falls):  Seco...

Let the games begin!   Finally, the Jackrabbits, Coyotes, Vikings, Cougars and all the Sioux Falls area 11-man high school teams are kicking off their seasons.   This means the second season of Happy Hour's "Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast" kicks off. The Happy Hour host and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer dive into the matchups and "what to watch" for the games involving our local c...

Imagine being a kid at school and being denied lunch.   Sadly, this may happen soon for some K-12 students in the Sioux Falls School District due to the district's $22,300 school lunch debt. Every student has an "account" for school food. In some cases, those accounts accrue negative amounts, and the dreaded "insufficient funds" notice appears, forcing school officials to deny food or provide an i...

Let the games begin!   Finally, the Jackrabbits, Coyotes, Vikings, Cougars and all the Sioux Falls area 11-man high school teams are kicking off their seasons.   This means the second season of Happy Hour's "Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast" kicks off. The Happy Hour host and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer dive into the matchups and "what to watch" for the games involving our local c...

At this point, all of us college football fans feel like the whiny, impatient toddler in the back seat of a long road trip.   Are we there yet?   No. 3 South Dakota State and No. 12 South Dakota kick off their seasons with home games on Saturday, while  Augustana  (at Missouri Western) and  USF  (hosting Black Hills State) get a head start on Thursday. In between, there is a full high school slate...

The rookie head coach at USD is riding with a freshman quarterback.   That's a bold move, but on Monday, Matt Vitzthum detailed why  Austin Modrzewski beat out a pair of senior FBS transfers  (both from Northern Illinois): Jackson Proctor and Nevan Cremascoli.   On Tuesday, the Happy Hour host took Vitzthum—who was the Coyotes' quarterbacks coach for two seasons before taking over the program afte...

It's a whopper decision to start a freshman quarterback, especially when a pair of seniors appeared to be qualified for the position.  The Happy Hour host breaks down the relevance and gravity of Austin Modrzewski earning the gig at USD and why this isn't a traditional decision about starting a freshman. 

A conversation with one of the most respected analysts and writers covering FCS football.   Sam Herder built a large and loyal following over the last eight years at HERO Sports. Then, that operation's parent company, BetMGM, laid off Herder on Monday.   The NDSU alumnus immediately pivoted to being his own boss. Herder explains why he is so passionate about the FCS level and why he wants to keep...

Matt Vitzthum deep dive on QB1 choice, O-Line strength & Central Connecticut State

We all know why Chase Mason is one of the most highly anticipated FCS players in the country to watch in 2026.   Physical specimen. Looks like a jacked superhero. Rocket arm. Runs like a deer. Just a stick of dynamite waiting to explode.   And  this is it—  His last chance to not just be the golden boy, but have a golden year. To win the Walter Payton Award. To bring the FCS National Championship...

Sioux Falls Jefferson coach Eric Struck—in his second year at the helm— previews his Cavaliers, who finished as the No. 3 ranked team in South Dakota's largest high school class last year and is the preseason No.3 in the first media poll.   Why does Struck prefer playing with two quarterbacks instead of one, and why will he handle the two-pronged attack differently this season?   How much of a for...

We all know why Chase Mason is one of the most highly anticipated FCS players in the country to watch in 2026.   Physical specimen. Looks like a jacked superhero. Rocket arm. Runs like a deer. Just a stick of dynamite waiting to explode.   And  this is it—  His last chance to not just be the golden boy, but have a golden year. To win the Walter Payton Award. To bring the FCS National Championship...

SDSU coach Dan Jackson describes Mason's development during fall camp ahead of Saturday's game.   Jackson also details:   * Why some of SDSU's best veteran players sat out multiple August practices and what their status is for Saturday   * Who is emerging to be the starting running back and backup quarterback   * What is in place to prevent a collapse in what Jackson has stated to be a strong cult...

Every Friday, "South Dakota Sports Lounge" displays some of the most captivating and entertaining conversations from daily sports talk shows in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Fargo. Plus, Midwest Sports+ reporter Zach Borg provides a compelling feature story to send Dakotas sports fans into the weekend with a smile.   Here are this week's segments:   Happy Hour with John Gaskins (Sioux Falls):  The...

The NSIC is a Division II league, yet Minnesota State has about 3,000-5,000 more students than Division I (FCS) powerhouses South Dakota State (12,100) and South Dakota (10,400). Minnesota-Duluth's student body almost matches USD's enrollment.   If you  combined  the student bodies of Augustana and the University of Sioux Falls (4,050), MSU would still have nearly four times the enrollment and Min...

The Happy Hour host and Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer — who has covered both programs for over 20 years — do their own deep dive into the Vikings and "Coo," including an overview of both squads' demanding schedules. Plus, a cursory overview of the NSIC, Northern State, and Dakota State. The latter two squads have high expectiations for this season, as well.

"Coach OJ" joined the Happy Hour host to give his "State of the Program" overview ahead of Augie's season opener next week on Thursday, Aug. 27 at Missouri Western under the lights.   Hear a deep dive into the quarterback room, particularly glowing remarks about starter Gunnar Hensley, plus a thorough scan of the roster to identify "players to watch."   While Augie is proud of its ongoing program...

Former Minnesota State defensive coordinator Jim Glogowski enters his fourth year as USF coach after posting 8-3 and 7-4 records the last two seasons. His first year in 2023, following a hasty hiring and massive roster overturn, resulted in USF's only losing record (3-8) in the last 32 seasons, a stretch that included the impressive tenures of Bob Young, Kalen DeBoer, Jed Stugart and Jon Anderson....

The more things change with USD Football, the more they stay the same.   The Coyotes begin the 2026 season — stop if you've heard or read this sentence a trillion times — with a third different head coach in the last three seasons.   Bob Nielson retired after back-to-back FCS quarterfinal appearances in 2023 and '24. Travis Johansen left to become Rutgers defensive coordinator after a third consec...

A couple of veteran USD players who faced each other in youth football in Miami about a decade ago explain what they see and go against every day in the DakotaDome or the outdoor practice field next to it.   Running back Charles Pierre Jr. and linebacker Gabe Hardman also share this in common — being raised on football from an early age by fathers who played their sons' positions at the FBS level....

The preseason All-American describes what being "the heart and soul" of the Yotes means to him, the fierce youth football competition in South Florida, being the son of a former FBS linebacker, and how he landed then thrived in Vermillion.