BROOKINGS, S.D. — Isaiah Davis ran for two touchdowns and top-seeded South Dakota State defeated Delaware 42-6 on Saturday in a second-round FCS playoff game that ended with just over a minute to go after Blue Hens quarterback Ryan O’Connor was carted off the field.
O’Connor was beginning his slide after a 10-yard gain when he was hit. An unnecessary roughness penalty was called on Tucker Large, and after O’Connor was taken off the field the game was ended.
A post on a Delaware football’s official Twitter feed reported that “O’Connor was responsive and moving all of his extremities upon leaving the field and is being examined further.”
O’Connor was playing in relief of starter Nolan Henderson, who was hurt in the first quarter.
South Dakota State, on a school-record 11-game winning streak, will play eighth-seeded Holy Cross in the quarterfinals.
The Jackrabbits (11-1) scored touchdowns on their first three possessions, each on drives of 70-yards plus. Davis scored from 1 and 10 yards out and Mark Gronowski added a 1-yarder for a 21-6 halftime lead.
Armar Johnson scored on a 2-yard run,
Matthew Durrance on a fumble recovery after a bad punt snap into the end zone and Jadon Janke had a 4-yard TD catch, all in the third quarter for a 42-6 lead.
Davis rushed for 104 yards on 14 carries. Gronowski had 131 yards passing and 73 more on the ground. South Dakota State outgained Delaware 353-192, with 222 of the Jackrabbits’ yards coming on the ground.
O’Connor threw for 104 yards for the Blue Hens (8-5), whose only scoring came on Brandon Ratcliffe field goals.
