Ask Chase Mason about his performance in his first career South Dakota State start, or about his cohesion with a lot of other new starters on his offense, or Montana State's defense — you know, standard game week interview fare — and he gives thoughtful yet concise answers.

Ask the Jackrabbits' uber-talented quarterback about what new head coach Dan Jackson and late running back Nate White mean to him and SDSU, and Mason gives you particularly deep, profound insight and stories.

Thursday's 30-minute interview with Mason covers all of that. What kind of emotions or even jitters did he have in actually starting a game and operating as QB1 for the first time in his career? What does he need to improve the most, and immediately, for No. 2 SDSU to win at No. 3 Montana State on Saturday?

What challenges will the Bobcats' defense present that will be different from Sacramento State in the Jacks' suffocating 20-3 opening win? What kind of personality does Fordham transfer running back Julius Loughbridge bring?

And, how good a running back would have been White — a transfer from Wisconsin who shockingly died in his sleep at the age of 21 in June? What was his personality, and how much of an impact did he make on his new teammates in the few months he was in Brookings?

Mason tells a couple of personal stories that will bring the same smile that White naturally generated out of his teammates. In the middle of the conversation, Mason receives a visit to his house from a couple of insect inspectors who happen to be all-time Jackrabbit football icons.

PLUS...

It was no Mona Lisa, that University of Sioux Falls 27-21 season-opening victory at Black Hills State last Thursday.

As third-year USF head coach Jim Glogowski puts it, the win was more like your little kid's finger painting. Messy, but it makes you proud enough to hang on the refrigerator.

That is a classic glimpse into "Coach Glo." He had a few other memorable one-liners about the state of the Cougars in a nearly 30-minute conversation with Happy Hour host John Gaskins.

Specifically, how did the Coo handle nearly 6,000 raucous fans in Spearfish? Particularly, how did veteran quarterback Camden Dean handle it and other turbulence?

Glogowski dives into the fascinating story of how he successfully convinced Dean to come with him to Sioux Falls when Glogowski — then the NSIC rival Minnesota State defensive coordinator — accepted the USF head coach gig following the 2022 season.

There is also a funny story that typified Glo's 3-8 first season at USF, plus his assessment of Saturday's home opening opponent, Northern State.

The Wolves lock horns with the Cougars at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Bob Young Field. You can watch the game live — with USF's long-time broadcasting crew of Tom Frederick, Tim Hiatt, and Chad Birger — via the Midwest Sports+ app. Here is how you find the app and what all comes with it.

All USF home football and home men's and women's basketball games will be available live on the Midwest Sports+ app.

BEFORE ALL THAT..

Happy Hour host John Gaskins and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer saddle up at The Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls to sink their teeth into this local college and high school football matchups and make predictions:

• South Dakota State at Montana
• South Dakota at Lamar
• Northern State at Sioux Falls
• Jamestown at Augustana
• Iowa at Iowa State
• Sioux Falls Lincoln vs. O'Gorman
• Sioux Falls Washington vs. Harrisburg
• Sioux Falls Jefferson vs Sioux Falls Roosevelt

Enjoy! But whatever you do, don't bet on what they say!

Happy Hour host John Gaskins and Sioux Falls Live sportswriter Trent Singer saddle up at The Orion Pub in downtown Sioux Falls to sink their teeth into this local college and high school football matchups and make predictions:

• South Dakota State at Montana
• South Dakota at Lamar
• Northern State at Sioux Falls
• Jamestown at Augustana
• Iowa at Iowa State
• Sioux Falls Lincoln vs. O'Gorman
• Sioux Falls Washington vs. Harrisburg
• Sioux Falls Jefferson vs Sioux Falls Roosevelt

Enjoy! But whatever you do, don't bet on what they say!

Ask Chase Mason about his performance in his first career South Dakota State start, or about his cohesion with a lot of other new starters on his offense, or Montana State's defense — you know, standard game week interview fare — and he gives thoughtful yet concise answers.

Ask the Jackrabbits' uber-talented quarterback about what new head coach Dan Jackson and late running back Nate White mean to him and SDSU, and Mason gives you particularly deep, profound insight and stories.

Thursday's 30-minute interview with Mason covers all of that. What kind of emotions or even jitters did he have in actually starting a game and operating as QB1 for the first time in his career? What does he need to improve the most, and immediately, for No. 2 SDSU to win at No. 3 Montana State on Saturday?

What challenges will the Bobcats defense present that will be different from Sacramento State in the Jacks' suffocating 20-3 opening win? What kind of personality does Fordham transfer running back Julius Loughbridge bring?

And, how good a running back would have been White — a transfer from Wisconsin who shockingly died in his sleep at the age of 21 in June? What was his personality and how much of an impact did he make on his new teammates in the few months he was in Brookings?

Mason tells a couple personal stories that will bring the same smile White naturally generated out of his teammates. In the middle of the conversation, Mason receives a visit at his house from a couple of insect inspectors who happen to be all-time Jackrabbit football icons.

It was no Mona Lisa, that University of Sioux Falls 27-21 season-opening victory at Black Hills State last Thursday.

As third-year USF head coach Jim Glogowski puts it, the win was more like your little kid's finger painting. Messy, but it makes you proud enough to hang on the refridgerator.

That is a classic glimpse into "Coach Glo." He had a few other memorable one-liners about the state of the Cougars in a nearly 30-minute conversation with Happy Hour host John Gaskins.

Specifically, how did the Coo handle nearly 6,000 raucous fans in Spearfish? Particularly, how did veteran quarterback Camden Dean handle it and other turbulence?

Glogowski dives into the fascinating story of how he successfully convinced Dean to come with him to Sioux Falls when Glogowski — then the NSIC rival Minnesota State defensive coordinator — accepted the USF heading coach gig following the 2022 season.

There is also a funny story that typified Glo's 3-8 first season at USF, plus his assessment of Saturday's home opening opponent, Northern State.

The Wolves lock horns with the Cougars at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Bob Young Field. You can watch the game live — with USF's long-time broadcasting crew of Tom Frederick, Tim Hiatt and Chad Birger — via the Midwest Sports+ app. Here is how you find the app and what all comes with it.

All USF home football and home men's and women's basketball games will be available live on the Midwest Sports+ app.

Hooray! A premier Top 5 FCS showdown on Saturday — No. 3 South Dakota State at No. 2 Montana State!

The best of what FCS has to offer will be on display in Bozeman, Montana: Two regular national title contenders locking horns in the latest chapter of a heated rivalry with recent playoff history.

But are the days of this being an FCS game numbered? Will it be an in-conference FBS game (Mountain West, anyone?) within five years?

Happy Host John Gaskins thinks so, and explains why it will be a good thing for SDSU and its fans.

Meanwhile, former SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski's FBS debut was not a distaster, but it certainly was not dynamite against FCS also-ran Albany. So how on earth won't things blow up for Gronowski and the Hawkeyes on the road against No. 16 Iow State, which just blew out South Dakota?

Gronowski's history in games like this, plus the nature of Iowa's program and the CyHawk Series give us hints. So does Vegas.

The Cyclones made sure the Travis Johansen era at USD started 0-1. What does the first-time head coach make of it? And what now?

Johansen joined Gaskins for a 22-minute conversation to break down the trip to Ames:

• Early success, then "self-inflicted wounds"... How can they be fixed/prevented?
• Aidan Bouman — "things he'd like to take back"
• Offensive line's satisfactory performance
• Self-evaluation of first game as head coach
• Defensive breakdowns = ISU's size & length or USD mistakes?

Toward the end, a look ahead to an FCS road game at Lamar in South Texas, a program the Coyotes faced in 2023. What is similar, what is different, what should both the USD offense and defense be prepared for most? How the team will get ready for the scorching heat and steambath humidity?

Plus, a peek inside a sneaky-integral new aspect of the USD football program — a full-time athletic performance director just for football.

Finally — as inevitable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, Jeff Fylling's dulcet tones hummed through radio and internet airwaves on a college football Saturday in Sioux Falls last week as he sat in a booth and called an Augustana game at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.

But a year ago, that was as far from inevitable as possible for a man who has been the venerable Voice of the Vikings for 40 years.

Fylling sat out both the football and basketball seasons as he battled cancer, and for a few months he lived in Rochester, Minnesota, so his brother Bob could drive him to the Mayo Clinic every day for treatment.

Did the Augie alumnus ever worry that he would live, let alone ever put on a play-by-play headset again? Considering the latter did happen on Saturday, what were his emotions?

A Lennox native, Fylling fills us in on his year-plus "setback" with the same to-the-point yet thorough description listeners have come to expect as he "paints the picture" of Vikings football and basketball games.

His one-hour conversation with fellow Husker fan Gaskins at a mutual favorite haunt — Gateway Lounge — also threads through his childhood in Lennox, early Nebraska football fandom, then an encounter with an Augustana legend that changed his life forever and set him on a course to become the Voice of the Vikings. A major part of that journey was Fylling sitting alongside his mentor and Augie Hall of Famer Danny Olson for several years before assuming the lead role.

In his typical mild-mannered and matter-of-fact way, Fylling tells these stories with ease while also sprinkling in his favorite memories of Augie coaching icons like Jim Heinitz, Bill Gross, Dave Krauth, and current football leader Jerry Olszewski. A lot of those memories involve the good old days of the North Central Conference.

During and after the chat, you'll understand why Fylling was so flooded with well-wishes and prayers from so many in the Augustana and Sioux Falls communities while fighting through his "setback."

Hooray! A premier Top 5 FCS showdown on Saturday — No. 3 South Dakota State at No. 2 Montana State!

The best of what FCS has to offer will be on display in Bozeman, Montana. But are the days of this being an FCS game numbered? Will it be an in-conference FBS game (Mountain West, anyone?) within five years?

Happy Host John Gaskins thinks so, and explains why it will be a good thing for SDSU and its fans.

Meanwhile, former SDSU quarterback Mark Gronowski's FBS debut was not a distaster, but it certainly was not dynamite against FCS also-ran Albany. So how on earth won't things blow up for Gronowski and the Hawkeyes on the road against No. 16 Iow State, which just blew out South Dakota?

Gronowski's history in games like this, plus the nature of Iowa's program and the CyHawk Series give us hints. So does Vegas.

As inevitable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, Jeff Fylling's dulcet tones hummed through radio and internet airwaves on a college football Saturday in Sioux Falls last week as he sat in a booth and called an Augustana game at Kirkeby-Over Stadium.

But a year ago, that was as far from inevitable as possible for a man who has been the venerable Voice of the Vikings for 40 years.

Fylling sat out both the football and basketball seasons as he battled cancer, and for a few months he lived in Rochester, Minnesota, so his brother Bob could drive him to the Mayo Clinic every day for treatment.

Did the Augie alumnus ever worry that he would live, let alone ever put on a play-by-play headset again? Considering the latter did happen on Saturday, what were his emotions?

A Lennox native, Fylling fills us in on his year-plus "setback" with the same to-the-point yet thorough description listeners have come to expect as he "paints the picture" of Vikings football and basketball games.

His one-hour conversation with Happy Hour host and fellow Husker fan John Gaskins at a mutual favorite haunt — Gateway Lounge — also threads through his childhood in Lennox, early Nebraska football fandom, then an encounter with an Augustana legend that changed his life forever and set him on a course to become the Voice of the Vikings. A major part of that journey was Fylling sitting alongside his mentor and Augie Hall of Famer Danny Olson for several years before assuming the lead role.

In his typical mild-mannered and matter-of-fact way, Fylling tells these stories with ease while also sprinkling in his favorite memories of Augie coaching icons like Jim Heinitz, Bill Gross, Dave Krauth, and current football leader Jerry Olszewski. A lot of those memories involve the good old days of the North Central Conference.

During and after the chat, you'll understand why Fylling was so flooded with well-wishes and prayers from so many in the Augustana and Sioux Falls communities while fighting through his "setback."

So, South Dakota was humbled by the No. 16 FBS team in the nation 55-7 in a hostile environment on Saturday to start the Travis Johansen era at 0-1.

What does the first-time head coach make of the loss at Iowa State? And what now?

Johansen joined Happy Hour host John Gaskins for a 22-minute conversation to break down the trip to Ames:

• Early success, then "self-inflicted wounds"... How can they be fixed/prevented?
• Aidan Bouman — "things he'd like to take back"
• Offensive line's satisfactory performance
• Self-evaluation of first game as head coach
• Defensive breakdowns = ISU's size & length or USD mistakes?

Toward the end, a look ahead to an FCS road game at Lamar in South Texas, a program the Coyotes faced in 2023. What is similar, what is different, what should both the USD offense and defense be prepared for most? How the team will get ready for the scorching heat and steambath humidity?

Plus, a peek inside a sneaky-intregal new aspect of the USD football program — a full-time athletic performance director just for football.