Happy Hour with John Gaskins

Hobo Day hiccup in 2025? Hardly a chance, or so it appears, with No. 2 South Dakota State barging through the second half in Youngstown to improve to 5-0 while 2-3 Northern Iowa stumbles through growing pains with an entirely new coaching staff, most recently a 35-7 loss to North Dakota. But whenever UNI is listed on SDSU's football schedule as the homecoming opponent, some Jackrabbit fans — especially alumni from 2015 and 2017 — might wince in trauma from past Panther upsets. But is UNI worth any worry this Saturday? Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer has covered the Jacks for a decade and has his thoughts in the latest weekly edition of Happy Hour's "Nobody's Listening Anyway" with John Gaskins. SDSU coach Dan Jackson, in his weekly Happy Hour chat on Monday, conveyed a clear message about what he wants out of Jacks fans on Saturday — strong attempts at the biggest and loudest crowd in Dykhouse Stadium history — and this leads to a discussion about Jackson as the football program's "brand manager" and how natural that unofficial role is for him. Jackson credited his "great program" and "great culture" for the come-from-behind win at then-No. 24 YSU. But was it a great win? Zim and John break down what went wrong in the first half and why SDSU dominated the second half, assessed the latest performance from quarterback Chase Mason, and the emerging strength of running back Julius Loughridge and the "605 Hogs" up front. From there, what is there to make of South Dakota's 49-24 win over Murray State, which has lost all of its nine Missouri Valley Conference games since joining the league last season, beside that Travis Johansen was right when he told John last week that his program has too strong of a culture to let the season go off the rails? (Here is Johansen's follow-up chat from Tuesday, with plenty of insight about his defense, penalties, playing violent, and an update on retired predecessor Bob Nielson). The Coyotes have gone "back to the pack" of the rest of the MVFC challengers to NDSU and SDSU's supremacy, but where does USD, UND, Illinois State, Southern Illinois, and Youngstown State appear to be in the current picture? Then, a recap of the latest, incredible chapter in the "Key to the City" series between backyard rivals Augustana and the University of Sioux Falls in which the Vikings came back from a 28-10 fourth quarter deficit to win 29-28: All of the crucial, compelling "swing plays" that built the Cougar's 18-point lead, then took it down The performance of true freshman Rich Lucero, Jr., in his first-ever college game, pulled from his redshirt and guiding the Vikings' three fourth quarter scoring drives after three difficult prior quarters The decision by coach Jerry Olszweski to pick Lucero over two other experienced Augie quarterbacks to put Augie's 5-0 record, top 10 national ranking, and bid for a third consecutive NSIC title and playoff berth all on the back of a true freshman The decision by "Coach OJ" to go for two points after Augie scored a touchdown with 1:50 left when an extra point kick would have tied the game, and the nifty reverse play that won the game How much did Augie seize the win and how much did USF blow it? "Coach OJ," by the way, will join Happy Hour tomorrow (Thursday) for more of the anatomy of a legendary win, especially the Lucero decision and performance. While Carson Wentz played "fine" in guiding the Minnesota Vikings to their own fourth quarterback in London in another "boring, non-descript" overseas game, what fascinated Zim more than anything on Sunday morning was Will Reichard's fourth quarter field goal kick that was veered off line by striking a seemingly invisible camera — and how nobody seemed to know what the hell happened for a while. The episode ends with Zim's takeaway from Tuesday's Summit League men's and women's basketball media day, plus the battle between two native South Dakota head coaches in the WNBA Finals, Nate Tibbetts and Becky Hammon. As John mentioned to start Tuesday's show and Zim wrote in a Wednesday column, this source of Rushmore State pride has been decades in the making, a product of a state that has valued an supported girls and women's basketball since well before other states finally found it fashionable.     

Perhaps you've heard. Likely, you've heard it a hundred times within the last week: The WNBA Finals features two head coaches who were born and raised in South Dakota, Nate Tibbetts (Jefferson and Sioux Falls) and Becky Hammon (Rapid City). It is amazing if you consider the state's thin population, and moreso a source of immense pride for South Dakota sports fans. But it should not be surprising. South Dakota has always been amazing at producing high-level women's basketball. It started well before South Dakota State and South Dakota combined for 16 of the 17 Summit League Touranment titles that have been staged in Sioux Falls, an event that annually draws some of the largest women's hoops tournament crowds in the nation. The Jackrabbits and Coyotes were Division II powers in the 1980's and 1990's as well. Northern State won two national titles in the mid-1990's and continues to be a force. Augustana reached a Final Four as part of Dave Krauth's 34-year run of excellence in Div. II. Two blocks away, the University of Sioux Falls has sported successful women's teams off-and-on. Dakota Wesleyan has hung some banners, too. For over 40 years, these programs have won big and taken down teams all over the region and nation with girls from South Dakota. That's not an accident. Happy Hour host John Gaskins traces South Dakota girls basketball supremacy back to the bloodlines of Nate Tibbetts — his father Fred, who won 551 games (lost just 101) in 29 years as a high school coach at tiny Jefferson and then big city Roosevelt. A larger-than-life personality, Fred Tibbetts mopped up 11 state titles inspired rivals and other towns statewide to catch up, spreading a girls basketball wildfire that helped fuel those juggernaut college programs, still to this very day. Tibbetts stated on record about 50 years ago how he wanted "girls basketball to be big in South Dakota." Mission accomplished. Now his son — who played at Roosevelt and then USD and went up the coaching ranks through USF, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Tulsa 66ers, and as an NBA assistant for 12 years — stands at the coaching pinnacle of women's basketball with Hammon, one of the game's most decorated all-time players and coaches. Nobody knows the roots of the quality of these coaches more intensely than Matt Wilber, the Northern State head men's coach who spent a year with the Mercury coaching under his long-time friend Tibbetts. Wilber is a lifelong South Dakota hoophead who played (and reached the Top 10 chart in career three-pointers as a walk-on) at Augustana, was an assistant coach at Augie and USF and SDSU, and for 11 years guided Dakota Wesleyan to national heights. And he has been close to Tibbetts for over two decades. The two were assistant coaches at USF in the early 2000's and started a local basketball camp together in 2006 when Tibbetts was an assistant with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Tibbetts eventually became the team's head coach, then cracked through in the NBA as an assistant for 12 years before taking the Phoenix Mercury head coaching job in 2024 and convincing Wilber to join him. After a season, Wilber came back to South Dakota to take the Northern State job in Aberdeen. In this John-o-Logue, hear some of Wilber's remarks on why it is indeed no accident that Tibbetts and Hammon are where they are. Then, check out the Matt Wilber interview from today.

Perhaps you've heard. Likely, you've heard it a hundred times within the last week: The WNBA Finals features two head coaches who were born and raised in South Dakota, Nate Tibbetts (Jefferson and Sioux Falls) and Becky Hammon (Rapid City). It is no doubt a source of immense pride for South Dakota sports fans. It is amazing if you consider the state's thin population.  But it should not be surprising. South Dakota has always been amazing at producing high-level women's basketball. It started well before South Dakota State and South Dakota combined for 16 of the 17 Summit League Women's Tournament titles that have been staged in Sioux Falls, an event that annually draws some of the largest women's hoops tournament crowds in the nation. The Jackrabbits and Coyotes were Division II powerhouses in the 1980's and 1990's as well under coaches like Nancy Neiber and Chad Lavin. Northern State won two national titles in the mid-1990's under Curt Fredrickson and continues to be a force.  Augustana reached a Final Four as part of Dave Krauth's 34-year run of excellence in Div. II. Two blocks away, the University of Sioux Falls has sported successful women's teams off-and-on. Dakota Wesleyan has hung some banners, including the 2018 NAIA National Championship. For over 40 years, these programs have won big and taken down teams all over the region and nation with girls from South Dakota. That's not an accident. Happy Hour host John Gaskins traces South Dakota girls basketball supremacy back to the bloodlines of Nate Tibbetts — his father Fred, who won 551 games (lost just 101) in 29 years as a high school coach at tiny Jefferson and then big city Sioux Falls Roosevelt. A larger-than-life personality who was a master motivator and stickler for fundamentals, Tibbetts mopped up 11 state titles and inspired rivals and other towns statewide to catch up, spreading a girls basketball wildfire that helped fuel those juggernaut college programs, still to this very day. Tibbetts stated on record about 50 years ago how he wanted "girls basketball to be big in South Dakota." Mission accomplished. Now his son — who played at Roosevelt and then USD and went up the coaching ranks through USF, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Tulsa 66ers, and as an NBA assistant for 12 years — stands at the coaching pinnacle of women's basketball with Hammon, one of the game's most decorated all-time players and coaches. Nobody knows the roots of the quality of these coaches more intensely than Matt Wilber, the Northern State head men's coach who spent a year with the Mercury coaching under his long-time friend Tibbetts in 2024. Wilber is a lifelong South Dakota hoophead who played (and reached the Top 10 chart in career three-pointers as a walk-on) at Augustana, was an assistant coach at Augie and USF and SDSU, and for 11 years guided Dakota Wesleyan to national heights. He has been close to Tibbetts for over two decades. The two were assistant coaches at USF in the early 2000's and started a local basketball camp together in 2006 when Tibbetts was an assistant with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Tibbetts eventually became the team's head coach, then cracked through in the NBA as an assistant for 12 years before taking the Mercury head coaching job in 2024 and convincing Wilber to join him. After a season, Wilber came back to South Dakota to take the Northern State job in Aberdeen. In a 40-minute conversation, Wilber describes his 25-year friendship with Tibbetts, what makes Tibbetts a successful head coach — no doubt, the brilliance of Tibbetts' legendary girls basketball coaching father, Fred, played a part — and what Wilber experienced and learned about women's basketball at the highest level during his year in Arizona. Wilber also breaks down the matchup between the Mercury and Hammon's Las Vegas Aces, the two-time WNBA champions (2022 and '23) who are playing in their fourth consecutive Finals. Before the Wilber conversation, hear Gaskins' weekly chat with USD football coach Travis Johansen.  A week ago, just two days after the Coyotes' nightmare 51-13 loss at North Dakota State, Johansen told Gaskins his program's culture was too strong to let the 2025 season go off the rails. So far, he's right. The Yotes dominated last-place Murray State from the jump in their MVFC home opener, leading 14-0 after the first quarter and 35-7 at halftime en route to a 49-24 victory (that was not as close as the score indicates) to improve to 3-3. As crisp and wildly productive as the offense was in the Dakota Dome (568 total yards), the defense impressively shut down the Racers. Johansen provides insight into the maturation of the defense over the first six games, despite taking heavy lumps from teams like Iowa State and North Dakota State. Who are some of the playmakers consistently stepping up now that 2024 MVFC Defensive Player of the Year Mi'Quise Grace, '24 leading tackler Gary Bryant, and lock down All-American defensive back Dennis Shorter are no longer on the roster? Johansen also gives insight into another massive output by running back L.J. Phillips (244 yards, 4 TD), who has run for 140 or more yards in three of his four starts. Phillips plays a major role, sure, but so does the offensive line and even receivers. Also, a word about the dangerous potential of receiver and returner Tennel Bryant. The interview concludes with the challenges of playing a road game at Indiana State and preparing for a Sycamore squad that is now starting its third string quarterback and backup running back.  Finally, an update on retired USD coach Bob Nielson — how he continues to have an impact on Johansen, the Coyotes operation, and FCS football at-large.   

Perhaps you've heard. Likely, you've heard it a hundred times within the last week: The WNBA Finals features two head coaches who were born and raised in South Dakota, Nate Tibbetts (Jefferson and Sioux Falls) and Becky Hammon (Rapid City). It is a source of immense pride for South Dakota sports fans, most intensely Matt Wilber, the Northern State head men's coach who spent a year with the Phoenix Mercury coaching under his long-time friend Tibbetts. A lifelong South Dakota hoophead who played (and reached the Top 10 chart in career three-pointers as a walk-on) at Augustana, Wilber was an assistant coach at Augie and USF and SDSU, and for 11 years guided Dakota Wesleyan to national heights, Wilber has been close to Tibbetts for over two decades. The two were assistant coaches at USF in the early 2000's and started a local basketball camp together in 2006 when Tibbetts was an assistant with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Tibbetts eventually became the team's head coach, then cracked through in the NBA as an assistant for 12 years before taking the Phoenix Mercury head coaching job in 2024 and convincing Wilber to join him. After a season, Wilber came back to South Dakota to take the Northern State job in Aberdeen. In a 40-minute conversation with Happy Hour host John Gaskins, Wilber describes his 25-year friendship with Tibbetts, what makes Tibbetts a successful head coach — no doubt, the brilliance of Tibbetts' legendary girls basketball coaching father, Fred, played a part — and what Wilber experienced and learned about women's basketball at the highest level during his year in Arizona.  Wilber also breaks down the matchup between the Mercury and Hammon's Las Vegas Aces, the two-time WNBA champions (2022 and '23) who are playing in their fourth consecutive Finals.          

A week ago, just two days after South Dakota's nightmare 51-13 loss at North Dakota State, USD coach Travis Johansen told Happy Hour host John Gaskins the Coyotes' culture was too strong to let the 2025 season go off the rails. So far, he's right. The Yotes dominated last-place Murray State from the jump in their MVFC home opener, leading 14-0 after the first quarter and 35-7 at halftime en route to a 49-24 victory (that was not as close as the score indicates) to improve to 3-3. As crisp and wildly productive as the offense played (568 yards) in the Dakota Dome, where USD is 3-0 this season, Happy Hour's weekly conversation with Johansen starts with the way the defense shut down the Racers, plus a several other insights into the maturation of the defense over the first six games. Who are some of the playmakers consistently stepping up now that 2024 MVFC Defensive Player of the Year Mi'Quise Grace, '24 leading tackler Gary Bryant, and lock down All-American defensive back Dennis Shorter are no longer on the roster? Johansen also gives insight into another massive output by running back L.J. Phillips (244 yards, 4 TD), who has ran for 140 or more yards in three of his four starts. Phillips plays a major role, sure, but so does the offensive line and even receivers. Also, a word about the dangerous potential of receiver and returner Tennel Bryant. The interview concludes with the challenges of playing a road game at Indiana State and preparing for a Sycamore squad that is now starting its third string quarterback and backup running back. Finally, an update on retired USD coach Bob Nielson — how he continues to have an impact on Johansen, the Coyotes operation, and FCS football at-large. 

Something seemed to be in the air in road games for perennial Dakotas college football powerhouses in their road games Saturday. That "something" was an upset alert.   * 14.5- point favorite South Dakota State, the No. 2 team in the FCS, trailed at No. 24 Youngstown State 17-7 at halftime.   * 24.5-point favorite North Dakota State, the top-ranked team and defending FCS champion, barely led No. 6 Illinois State 18-16 after three quarters.   * Augustana, the eighth or 13th ranked Division II team, depending on which poll you prefer, trailed 28-10 after three quarters against a University of Sioux Falls team that had lost by a combined 43 points the previous two weeks to Duluth and Mankato, the two top 15 squads the Vikings are battling for NSIC supremacy.   In all three cases, the powerhouse prevailed with "program wins" or "culture wins" to keep championship dreams realistic.   Winners win, so goes the old USF mantra.   But should fans of those juggernauts be as miffed after the fact as they were in the moment with losses staring them in the face?    Should "survive and advance" or "just win, baby" be the right way to look at those close calls, or is there reason to be unsatisfied with not winning big enough?   The foremost TV football analyst of South Dakota should know. Kurtiss Riggs guided the Sioux Falls Storm to 11 professional indoor football championships in 20 years and was part of staffs at both USF and Roosevelt High School that won multiple titles. He provides perspective of how difficult it is to stay at the top and keep hungry — if not spoiled — fan bases satisfied.   Speaking of coaches of spoiled fan bases, Riggs' best friend Kalen DeBoer survived another week of scorching scrutiny by fending off now-formidable Vanderbilt at home after ESPN's College Gameday came to town. Hear Riggs' insight into how the Crimson Tide are coming into their own in DeBoer's second season, plus thoughts on DeBoer's "Gameday" interview while sitting next to the looming shadow that is his predecessor, Nick Saban.   Riggs also offers opinions on how No. 2 Brandon Valley took down No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln in South Dakota's Class 11AAA high school game of the year, plus takeaways from some rather inspiring veteran quarterback play in the NFL — particularly from Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Dak Prescott.   Strange days, indeed.    Before that, Happy Hour host John Gaskins puts his spin on how the Jacks, Bison, and both Augustana and Minnesota Vikings won and what we should make of it.   Then, SDSU coach Dan Jackson deep dives into how SDSU survived in Youngstown.   Was it a fire-and-brimstone halftime speech for the ages? Was it masterful on-the-fly schematic adjustments? How else could one explain the flip from a 17-7 halftime deficit to barnstorming the Penguins for 21 unanswered third quarter points en route to a 35-30 conference-opening win? How else could one explain the Jackrabbits failing to establish their brand of physical football for the entire first half — with only 72 rushing yards and running back Julius Loughridge accounting for just 34 yards on nine carries — to hammering YSU with 139 rushing yards after halftime (with 142 coming from Loughridge?) Well, this is a something else. Jackson explains how the script flipped once SDSU returned to the field for the third quarter. Plus: How does Jackson assess a 14-30, 189 yard, 1 TD, 1 INT game from QB Chase Mason? Why was Nebraska transfer Alex Bullock the by-far go-to receiver, catching 10 of Mason's 14 completitions for 162 yards? How has Larchwood's Dawson Ripperda become the type of player that makes maybe the biggest play of the game, a strip sack late in the first half that kept the score at 17-7 as YSU was driving after Mason's first interception of the year? Same thing for sophomore linebacker Chase Van Tol (Tea Area) who before Ripperda's big play chased down a Penguin ball carrier on a long run to save a touchdown with the score at 14-7, a tackle that saved four points as YSU had to settle for a field goal three plays later? Why does punter Alex Pellum wear two different shoe sizes?   Finally, a look at 2-3 Northern Iowa, who comes into Brookings for Saturday's "Hobo Day" game.

Something seemed to be in the air in road games for perennial Dakotas college football powerhouses in their road games Saturday. That "something" was an upset alert.   * 14.5- point favorite South Dakota State, the No. 2 team in the FCS, trailed at No. 24 Youngstown State 17-7 at halftime.   * 24.5-point favorite North Dakota State, the top-ranked team and defending FCS champion, barely led No. 6 Illinois State 18-16 after three quarters.   * Augustana, the eighth or 13th ranked Division II team, depending on which poll you prefer, trailed 28-10 after three quarters against a University of Sioux Falls team that had lost by a combined 43 points the previous two weeks to Duluth and Mankato, the two top 15 squads the Vikings are battling for NSIC supremacy.   In all three cases, the powerhouse prevailed with "program wins" or "culture wins" to keep championship dreams realistic.   Winners win, so goes the old USF mantra.   But should fans of those juggernauts be as miffed after the fact as they were in the moment with losses staring them in the face?    Should "survive and advance" or "just win, baby" be the right way to look at those close calls, or is there reason to be unsatisfied with not winning big enough?   Happy Hour host John Gaskins has his thoughts.

Something seemed to be in the air in road games for perennial Dakotas college football powerhouses in their road games Saturday. That something was an upset alert.   * 14.5- point favorite South Dakota State, the No. 2 team in the FCS, trailed at No. 24 Youngstown State 17-7 at half.   * 24.5-point favorite North Dakota State, the defending FCS champion and top-ranked squad, barely led No. 6 Illinois State 18-16 after three quarters.   * Augustana, the 8th or 13th ranked Division II team, depending on which poll you prefer, trailed 28-10 after three quarters against a Sioux Falls team that had lost by a combined 43 points the previous two weeks to Duluth and Mankato, the two top 15 teams the Vikings are battling for NSIC supremacy.   In all three cases, the powerhouse prevailed with "program wins" or "culture wins." Winners win, so goes the old USF mantra.   But should fans of those juggernauts be as miffed after the fact as they were in the moment with losses staring them in the face?    Should "survive and advance" or "just win, baby" be the right way to look at those close calls?   The foremost TV football analyst of South Dakota should know. Kurtiss Riggs guided the Sioux Falls Storm to 11 professional indoor football championships in 20 years and was part of staffs at both USF and Roosevelt High School that won multiple titles. His perspective of how difficult it is to stay at the top and keep hungry — if not spoiled — fan bases happy is provided.   Speaking of coaches of spoiled fan bases, Riggs' best friend Kalen DeBoer survived another week of scorching scrutiny by fending off now-formidable Vanderbilt at home after ESPN's College Gameday came to town. Hear Riggs' insight into how the Crimson Tide are coming into their own in DeBoer's second season, plus thoughts on DeBoer's "Gameday" interview while sitting next to the looming shadow that is his predecessor, Nick Saban.   Riggs also offers opinions on how No. 2 Brandon Valley took down No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln in South Dakota's Class 11AAA high school game of the year, plus takeaways from some rather inspiring veteran quarterback play in the NFL — particularly from Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and Dak Prescott.   Strange days, indeed.   

Was it a fire-and-brimstone halftime speech for the ages? Was it masterful on-the-fly schematic adjustments? How else could one explain the flip from South Dakota State's 17-7 halftime deficit to barnstorming the Penguins for 21 unanswered third quarter points en route to a 35-30 conference-opening win? How else could one explain the Jackrabbits failing to establish their brand of physical football for the entire first half — with only 72 rushing yards and running back Julius Loughridge accounting for just 34 yards on nine carries — to hammering YSU with 139 rushing yards after halftime (with 142 coming from Loughridge?) Well, this is a something else. In his weekly one-on-one chat with Happy Hour host John Gaskins, SDSU head coach Dan Jackson explains how the script flipped once SDSU returned to the field for the third quarter. Plus: How does Jackson assess a 14-30, 189 yard, 1 TD, 1 INT game from QB Chase Mason? Why was Nebraska transfer Alex Bullock the by-far go-to receiver, catching 10 of Mason's 14 completitions for 162 yards? How has Larchwood's Dawson Ripperda become the type of player that makes maybe the biggest play of the game, a strip sack late in the first half that kept the score at 17-7 as YSU was driving after Mason's first interception of the year? Same thing for sophomore linebacker Chase Van Tol (Tea Area) who before Ripperda's big play chased down a Penguin ball carrier on a long run to save a touchdown with the score at 14-7, a tackle that saved four points as YSU had to settle for a field goal three plays later? Why does punter Alex Pellum wear two different shoe sizes? Finally, a look at 2-3 Northern Iowa, who comes into Brookings for Saturday's "Hobo Day" game.

Sure, it is easy for folks who live in Sioux Falls to think Saturday's Key to the City Game between Augustana and the University of Sioux Falls is a rather special rivalry, and we spent plenty of time pinpointing why on Wednesday's Happy Hour Key to the City Show with the coaches from both squads. But where does the central Sioux Falls backyard battle actually rank in the pantheon of all Division II football rivalries in the nation? Few people would be able to answer that question, but we found one of them right here in town. Matt Witwicki has been covering that level of college athletics feverishly since he moved to Sioux Falls about 20 years ago. Now the production manager for D2Football.com and the co-host of "NSIC Weekly" with the Voice of the USF Cougars Tom Frederick, Witwicki joined Happy Hour host John Gaskins at Gateway Lounge on Key to the City week. What makes the rivalry unique? What are other rivalries nationally that stack up in Div. II? And what is the magic — or at least, the essence — of D2 athletics? How at risk is D2 of being depleted in the future by the transient nature of college athletics via the transfer portal? Witwicki deftly answers all that, plus tells some fun stories of his time covering D2, particularly the highly-anticipated epic battle royale between the Cougars and Vikings in 2012, their first Div. II duel. He also sizes up the 2025 Key to the City Showdown, of course.   Before that, Gaskins and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer pick apart and predict the city showdown on another "Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast" from the Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls. The program starts with previews and predictions for No. 2 South Dakota State's FCS Top 25 trek to Youngstown State (are the Penguins primed for an upset?) and a hopeful bounce back game for South Dakota against 0-4 Murray State on Dakota Days in the Dakota Dome.  After a spotlight on the Key to the City Game, John and Trent end the show with a glimpse into the Game of the Year in the high school regular season of Class 11AAA — No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln at No. 2 Brandon Valley, a tilt of 5-0 teams. The Lynx are the only team to beat two-time defending state champion LHS in the last 29 games. So, how can the Lynx do it again?  But first, before pigskin prognostications, an homage and a story about Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young, plus a debate about his playlist at live shows. Are legends like Young obligated to play their biggest hits at every show? 

Happy Hour host John Gaskins and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer pick apart and predict the city showdown on another "Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast" from the Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls. The program starts with previews and predictions for No. 2 South Dakota State's FCS Top 25 trek to Youngstown State (are the Penguins primed for an upset?) and a hopeful bounce back game for South Dakota against 0-4 Murray State on Dakota Days in the Dakota Dome.  After a spotlight on the Key to the City Game, John and Trent end the show with a glimpse into the Game of the Year in the high school regular season of Class 11AAA — No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln at No. 2 Brandon Valley, a tilt of 5-0 teams. The Lynx are the only team to beat two-time defending state champion LHS in the last 29 games. So, how can the Lynx do it again?  But first, before pigskin prognostications, an homage and a story about Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Neil Young, plus a debate about his playlist at live shows. Are legends like Young obligated to play their biggest hits at every show? 

Sure, it is easy for folks who live in Sioux Falls to think the Key to the City Game between Augustana and the University of Sioux Falls is a rather special rivalry. But where does it actually rank in the pantheon of all Division II football rivalries in the nation? Few people would be able to answer that question, but we found one of them right here in town. Matt Witwicki has been covering that level of college athletics feverishly since he moved to Sioux Falls about 20 years ago. Now the production manager for D2Football.com and the co-host of "NSIC Weekly" with the Voice of the USF Cougars Tom Frederick, Witwicki joined Happy Hour host John Gaskins at Gateway Lounge on Key to the City week. What makes the rivalry unique? What are other rivalries nationally that stack up in Div. II? And what is the magic — or at least, the essence — of D2 athletics? How at risk is D2 of being depleted in the future by the transient nature of college athletics via the transfer portal? Witwicki deftly answers all that, plus tells some fun stories of his time covering D2. He also sizes up the 2025 Key to the City Showdown, of course.  

There are classic college football rivalries and then, there is Augustana versus the University of Sioux Falls in Saturday's annual "Key to the City Game." Sure, there are longer, more hate-filled rivalries all across America at all levels. The most famous ones feature a power struggle in proximity — a border battle like the SDSU-NDSU "Dakota Marker" game (nationally, think Michigan-Ohio State), or state bragging rights (USD-SDSU, Alabama-Auburn).   Some of these coveted clashes involve legendary trophies in the form of buckets or axes or pigs or bells or splatoons.   How cute. Augie and USF play literally for a Key to the City. And while it isn't the only college rivalry marking a city championship, none pits schools any closer to each other than Augie and USF.  Pittsburgh and West Virginia have the "Backyard Brawl" over the 75 miles of turf between the Panthers and Mountaineers. But Augie and USF are literally in each other's backyards, separated by two city blocks. An aerial view of the central Sioux Falls campuses would lead a newcomer to the city to believe that real estate encompasses just one college campus.   How many other rivalries involve schools where students from both frequently walk by, live by, or even walk with and live with each other? Few, if any, scenes in this country can be found at a place like what can be seen at Sunny's Pizzeria, located between the colleges. On any given day students and student-athletes from the fierce rivals are chowing down on pizza next to or with each other.   What is fun if not cliche about college rivalries is "you can throw the records out" when the opponents lock horns. When it appears to be a lopsided matchup, a down-to-the-wire thriller if not a major upset can ensue because of the nature of the passion and emotion of the rivalry.   But when both programs almost always sport winning records — therefore leaving both a conference title and national playoff spot on the line — now we've taken it to another level. Think Nebraska and Oklahoma in the 60's, 70's, and 80's and certainly Michigan and Ohio State these last few years. That, too, is Augie and USF. It has all of the ingredients of a delicious rivalry and then some.    The true secret sauce is the "what if" that loomed while the rivalry lay dormant for 26 years from 1986 to 2012 and the perceived "you don't belong" attitude from some of the Augie crowd toward USF during that time.   How could the 800 lb. gorilla of the NAIA (three national championships from 2006-09) compete with a solid, winning NCAA Div. II squad, we all wondered. Sioux Falls got its much-anticipated answer, finally, in 2012 in front of a Kirkeby Over Stadium record 7,120 fans — a back-and-forth shootout for the ages. Reality struck with a furious bolt of lightning off the foot of Coo kicker Braden Wieking as time expired. USF 32, Augie 31.  Thunder rolled. The people in purple — including so many USF alumni players who never got their chance to beat the Vikings — stormed Jim Heinitz Field. Talk about a tone-setter for a rivalry. Talk about a standard to live up to ever since.   Whatever noses-in-air outlook some Vikings fans may have had toward the Cougars evaporated. Any denial of how much it matters to Augie fans, players, and coaches to be their rival from down the street is loudly refuted each time Augie has won and Vikings players have sprinted and roared like rampaging bulls toward that human-sized Key to the City that rests in the north end zone of either stadium.   That has been the case each of the last two seasons. After USF owned the series 8-2 in its first decade of revival, the Vikings have captured the key in back-to-back meetings for the first time.   So, what does this chapter have in store? USF coach Jim Glogowski goes behind the back-to-back hammerings his Cougars took from top 15 teams Minnesota-Duluth (34-17) and Minnesota State-Mankato (38-12) after a 3-0 start. Augie's Jerry Olszewski puts his finger on how the Vikings have started 5-0 despite a couple closer calls than they expected or wanted.   Both teams have suffered significant injuries. Will we even get the appetizing quarterback duel between USF dual threat Camden Dean and Augie's golden-armed Gunner Hensley? So, what is the path to victory, and what kinds of attitudes toward the rivalry do the coaches present to their players?    As importantly, what does this rivalry actually mean to the actual combatants between the white lines?    After the "Coach OJ" and "Coach Glo" chats, USD coach Travis Johansen sits down with Gaskins for their weekly Happy Hour conversation.           A close loss or even, say, 14-point loss at No. 1 North Dakota State would not be a satisfactory result for those in South Dakota's football program, but it wouldn't be as nearly painful or jarring as what transpired in Fargo on Saturday. Yes, 51-13 hurt. Every part of it, particularly the 34-3 halftime score and how it got there. Yes, it shocked Johansen, who did not expect his team to be so far from its standard. But it happened, and where does that leave Johansen and the Coyotes beyond their 2-3 record and now razor-thin margin of error to reach the FCS playoffs? Johansen has stated much of the damage was a result of "execution" errors by players. What are examples of that? He feels the team was well-prepared and players in position to make the right plays. So, was part of this just the Bison having a better team and better athletes? Did it leave USD to do some soul searching? Is it forcing wide-sweeping changes in schemes or personnel? What kind of big picture perspective might need a look after five games, considering the Coyotes were replacing so many All-Americans and All-MVFC players, plus the head coach and coordinators? Johansen goes deep diving with Gaskins about the team's culture, why Johansen feels strongly the Yotes will not fall apart, how he draws from past blowout losses — and his six prior seasons USD, some with winning records and some with losing final marks — to both operate and inspire. He's been here before, just not as the head coach. Toward the end, some time is spent on 0-4 Murray State, the Coyotes' Dakota Days homecoming opponent on Saturday. But for the most part, these 25 minutes are spent looking into how Johansen and his coaches will keep a season with high expectations on the rails toward at least a playoff berth.              

What does this latest chapter in the Key to the City Game between backyard rivals Augustana and USF have in store?   Third-year USF coach Jim Glogowski holds nothing back as he explains how much the rivalry means to him, his program, and school.   "Coach Glo" also goes behind the back-to-back hammerings his Cougars took from top 15 teams Minnesota-Duluth (34-17) and Minnesota State-Mankato (38-12) after a 3-0 start.    Both teams have suffered significant injuries. Will we even get the appetizing quarterback duel between USF dual threat Camden Dean and Augie's golden-armed Gunner Hensley? How can the Coo survive multiple key defensive injuries against one of the best offenses in the Northern Sun?   And what does Glogowski like most about his veteran quarterback?  

What does this chapter in the Key to the City Game have in store?    Augustana coach's Jerry Olszewski puts his finger on how the Vikings have started 5-0 despite a couple closer calls than they expected or wanted.   Both the Vikings and USF have suffered significant injuries. Will we even get the appetizing quarterback duel between USF dual threat Camden Dean and Augie's golden-armed Gunner Hensley?   What is Augie's path to victory, and what kind of attitude toward the rivalry does "Coach OJ" present to both his players and the outside world?     

There are classic college football rivalries and then, there is Augustana versus the University of Sioux Falls in Saturday's annual "Key to the City Game." Sure, there are longer, more hate-filled rivalries all across America at all levels. The most famous ones feature a power struggle in proximity — a border battle like the SDSU-NDSU "Dakota Marker" game (nationally, think Michigan-Ohio State), or state bragging rights (USD-SDSU, Alabama-Auburn).   Some of these coveted clashes involve legendary trophies in the form of buckets or axes or pigs or bells or splatoons.   How cute. Augie and USF play literally for a Key to the City. And while it isn't the only college rivalry marking a city championship, none pits schools any closer to each other than Augie and USF.  Pittsburgh and West Virginia have the "Backyard Brawl." But Augie and USF are literally in each other's backyards, two blocks away from each other.    How many other rivalries involve schools where students from both frequently walk by, live by, or even walk with and live with each other? Few, if any, scenes in this country can be found at a place like what can be seen at Sunny's Pizzeria, located between the colleges. On any given day students and student-athletes from the fierce rivals are chowing down on pizza next to or with each other.   What is fun if not cliche about college rivalries is "you can throw the records out" when the opponents lock horns. When it appears to be a lopsided matchup, a down-to-the-wire thriller if not a major upset can ensue because of the nature of the passion and emotion of the rivalry.   But when both programs almost always sport winning records — therefore leaving both a conference title and national playoff spot on the line — now we've taken it to another level. Think Nebraska and Oklahoma in the 60's, 70's, and 80's and certainly Michigan and Ohio State these last few years. That, too, is Augie and USF. It has all of the ingredients of a delicious rivalry and then some.    The true secret sauce is the "what if" that loomed while the rivalry lay dormant for 26 years from 1986 to 2012 and the perceived "you don't belong" attitude from some of the Augie crowd toward USF during that time.   How could the 800 lb. gorilla of the NAIA (three national championships from 2006-09) compete with a solid, winning NCAA Div. II squad, we all wondered. Sioux Falls got its much-anticipated answer, finally, in 2012 in front of a Kirkeby Over Stadium record 7,120 fans — a back-and-forth shootout for the ages. Reality struck with a furious bolt of lightning off the foot of Coo kicker Braden Wieking as time expired. USF 32, Augie 31.  Thunder rolled. The people in purple — including so many USF alumni players who never got their chance to beat the Vikings — stormed Jim Heinitz Field. Talk about a tone-setter for a rivalry. Talk about a standard to live up to ever since.   Whatever noses-in-air outlook some Vikings fans may have had toward the Cougars evaporated. Any denial of how much it matters to Augie fans, players, and coaches to be their rival from down the street is loudly refuted each time Augie has won and Vikings players have sprinted and roared like rampaging bulls toward that human-sized Key to the City that rests in the north end zone of either stadium.   That has been the case each of the last two seasons. After USF owned the series 8-2 in its first decade of revival, the Vikings have captured the key in back-to-back meetings for the first time.   So, what does this chapter have in store? Find out in our interviews with both coaches from Wednesday's special show.   USF coach Jim Glogowski goes behind the back-to-back hammerings his Cougars took from top 15 teams Minnesota-Duluth (34-17) and Minnesota State-Mankato (38-12) after a 3-0 start. Augie's Jerry Olzsweski puts his finger on how the Vikings have started 5-0 despite a couple closer calls than they expected or wanted.   Both teams have suffered significant injuries. Will we even get the appetizing quarterback duel between USF dual threat Camden Dean and Augie's golden-armed Gunner Hensley? So, what is the path to victory, and what kinds of attitudes toward the rivalry do the coaches present to their players?    As importantly, what does this rivalry actually mean to the actual combatants between the white lines?    After the "Coach OJ" and "Coach Glo" chats, USD coach Travis Johansen sits down with Gaskins for their weekly Happy Hour conversation.            

A close loss or even, say, 14-point loss at No. 1 North Dakota State would not be a satisfactory result for those in South Dakota's football program, but it wouldn't be as nearly painful or jarring as what transpired in Fargo on Saturday. Yes, 51-13 hurt. Every part of it, particularly the 34-3 halftime score and how it got there. Yes, it shocked first-year head coach Travis Johansen, who did not expect his team to be so far from its standard. But it happened, and where does that leave Johansen and the Coyotes beyond their 2-3 record and now razor-thin margin of error to reach the FCS playoffs? Johansen has stated much of the carnage was a result of "execution" errors by players. What are examples of that? He feels the team was well-prepared and players in position to make the right plays. So, was part of this just the Bison having a better team and better athletes? Did it leave USD to do some soul searching? Is it forcing wide-sweeping changes in schemes or personnel? What kind of big picture perspective might need a look after five games, considering the Coyotes were replacing so many All-Americans and All-MVFC players, plus the head coach and coordinators? Johansen goes deep diving with Happy Hour host John Gaskins about the team's culture, how to prevent the season from going off the rails, how Johansen draws from past blowout losses — and both winning and losing seasons at USD — to both operate and inspire. He's been here before, just not as the head coach. Toward the end, some time is spent on 0-4 Murray State, the Coyotes' Dakota Days homecoming opponent on Saturday. But for the most part, these 25 minutes are spent looking into how Johansen and his coaches will keep a season with high expectation on the rails toward at least a playoff berth.

You get hired to get fired.  That has become the new old adage in modern day, big business college and pro sports for coaches and managers.  After seven seasons, three playoff appearances, and the first playoff series win in over 20 years, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli became the latest casualty of this concept. Was it warranted? Is he the "fall guy?" Is it best the Twins move on even if Rocco is quite clearly not the primary reason for the sad state of affairs at Target Field? Beyond asinine ownership, what else besides Baldelli can we blame for the sinking ship the Twins became the last couple years? Speaking of sinking ships, has a bruised and battered Minnesota Vikings offensive line given enough reason to already believe this could be a lost season, or can a quarterback — either J.J. McCarty or Carson Wentz — and an all-of-a-sudden leaky defense keep NFC North title and even Super Bowl hopes afloat?  In a monster week of football for the city of Sioux Falls and South Dakota's two Div. I teams, Happy Hour host John Gaskins and Sioux Falls Live sports editor Matt Zimmer lead off with these pressing Minnesota matters. Then, it is time to pick apart the South Dakota Coyotes' latest ugly loss in a revealing "measuring stick game" at No. 1 North Dakota State. Just like Monday's episode with Kurtiss Riggs, John and Matt try best to answer this question now that the 2025 season is about one-third in the books: With both the Jackrabbits and Coyotes losing head coaches, assistants & a bunch of their best players from top 5 teams in 2024, how and why have the Jacks remained national championship contenders (so it appears) while the Yotes have fallen off the radar (and out of the Top 25 rankings)? Meanwhile, Augustana will take its No. 8 ranking and 5-0 record across Sioux Falls to Bob Young Field on Saturday against now-unranked University of Sioux Falls (3-2) in the Key to the City Game. While the Vikings have the better record and momentum — the Cougars have lost back-to-back games in convincing fashion to Top 15-rated Duluth and Mankato — why does Zim feel the Coo have the advantage, and not just because USF has home field advantage? Finally, a preview of the most-anticipated game in South Dakota 11AAA high school football so far — No. 1 Lincoln at No. 2 Brandon Valley on Friday, a game you'll be able to watch on the Midwest Sports Plus app or at MidwestSportsPlus.com, where you can also download the app and start your 30-day free trial.        

You don't know. You may think you know. But you don't know. That wasn't just a famous line from former Saints and Colts coach Jim Mora, Sr., over 30 years ago. It serves as the motto of Happy Hour with John Gaskins. It's is what the nature of football in 2025 — the ever-changing NFL and the transient college football landscape — continues to prove. Exhibit A: The South Dakota Coyotes being considered a preseason national championship contender. Made sense, with USD returning its sturdy and proven quarterback and All-American running back, plus hiring as head coach the defensive coordinator that made the Coyotes a defense to be reckoned with the last few years in their climb into Top 5 status. Oh, sure, USD lost its best few defensive playmakers, some skill weapons, and most of its offensive line to FBS schools, but isn't every FCS school going through that?  Well, yes, but Saturday's 51-13 sledgehammer beating at No. 1 North Dakota State, which dropped USD to 2-3 and in a position where it will have to fight to just make the playoffs proved our motto: We don't know. We may think we know. But we don't know. Happy Hour host John Gaskins leads off the show with where or how things went wrong. Hear from NDSU coach Tim Polasek on his dynamite quarterback (so far) Cole Payton, and also hear our Monday afternoon quarterback,  local radio and TV football analyst Kurtiss Riggs, explain why the Coyotes have dropped so far (so far this season) and why South Dakota State has mostly upheld its elite status through four games, all wins. Also, we can tamp down the Carson Wentz becoming the Vikings permanent QB1 chatter.

You don't know. You may think you know. But you don't know. That wasn't just a famous line from former Saints and Colts coach Jim Mora, Sr., over 30 years ago. It serves as the motto of Happy Hour with John Gaskins. It's is what the nature of football in 2025 — the ever-changing NFL and the transient college football landscape — continues to prove. Exhibit A: The South Dakota Coyotes being considered a preseason national championship contender. Made sense, with USD returning its sturdy and proven quarterback and All-American running back, plus hiring as head coach the defensive coordinator that made the Coyotes a defense to be reckoned with the last few years in their climb into Top 5 status. Oh, sure, USD lost its best few defensive playmakers, some skill weapons, and most of its offensive line to FBS schools, but isn't every FCS school going through that?  Well, yes, but Saturday's 51-13 sledgehammer beating at No. 1 North Dakota State, which dropped USD to 2-3 and in a position where it will have to fight to just make the playoffs proved our motto: We don't know. We may think we know. But we don't know. Happy Hour host John Gaskins leads off the show with where or how things went wrong, and, later in the show, our Monday afternoon quarterback and local radio and TV football analyst Kurtiss Riggs gives his assessment. Riggs also explains why the Coyotes have dropped so far (so far this season), yet South Dakota State has mostly upheld its elite status through four games, all wins. After a 3-0 start but with plenty of things to sharpen during last week's bye week, South Dakota State checked a lot of boxes and rolled through its check list on Saturday in the 51-7 win over Mercyhurst: 3rd down conversions — The Jackrabbits were 26% coming in but 69% against the Lakers (9 of 13) Red Zone conversions — SDSU was 8 for 8, although settling for three field goals in the first half wasn't awesome Explosive plays — Chase Mason threw four passes of 28 yards or more, including a 52-yarder Getting more receivers beyond Lofton O'Groske involved — Mason connected with seven different receivers, and four of them had at least three grabs Place kicking — Eli Stader, benched in the Drake game after missing his fourth field goal of over 30 yards, made all three of his attempts Defense — Well, there wasn't too much to complain about, but some things did improve In his weekly Happy Hour chat, SDSU coach Dan Jackson explained WHY all of these things improved in time for the Jacks' MVFC opener at No. 24 Youngstown State on Saturday. What about the Penguins would make a road win a hard-earned win, particularly from YSU's quarterback?  Meanwhile, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer survived and advanced. The South Dakota native and former University of Sioux Falls national championship player and coach took some heat off of himself in Alabama's wire-to-wire 24-21 win at Georgia on Saturday. What appears to be different about the Crimson Tide from both the @eek 1 loss at Florida State and last season's four losses? DeBoer's best friend and former teammate Riggs digs into the win, the kinds of things DeBoer has to deal with in-season during the transfer portal era, quarterback Ty Simpson, fellow USF coaching alumnus Ryan Grubb's play-calling, and Saturday's game against a Vanderbilt squad led by former SDSU assistant Clark Lea, who last year beat DeBoer in a game that sparked the flames that DeBoer still finds himself. Riggs also picks apart SDSU's win, NDSU's destruction of USD, Carson Wentz's not-so-fabulous follow-up act in Dublin, some of the most impressive high school football talents in the state through five games, and why Mark Gronowski's time at Iowa has so far resembled the movie "Misery."