Vander Maten ready to rewrite season against Jacks

EDITOR’S NOTE: This week The Volante chose to do something different in respect to the upcoming USD football game against SDSU. We interviewed both opposing quarterbacks in order to get an inside look on how each player and their team is preparing for Saturday’s game.

Troy Heinrich: What makes a rivalry game different than every other game?

Josh Vander Maten: People have been looking forward to this for a while. It’s a rivalry game, and anything can happen. It has this unexplainable feeling because it’s so much fun and carries an energized and exciting atmosphere.

TH: How does it feel to be leading the University of South Dakota against South Dakota State University for the first time since 2003?

JV: It feels good. It’s a big responsibility.  I’m glad I get to do it, and I couldn’t ask for much more. I want to go out there and do the best I can for this university and all the fans.

TH: What’s the difference between a high school rivalry and a college rivalry?

JV: I came from a small town in Iowa, and you pretty much know every player on the opposing team, sometimes even on a personal level. However, in college you don’t know the other team as well, and it’s a bigger deal. There is more hype around this game, and it means more to the university, which makes it bigger and much more exciting to watch.

TH: What kind of things do you individually need to do differently to get this win?

JV: Individually I need to go out there and make sure the team is ready. Get excited. Get us focused. I just want to go out there and be a positive leader. Go through my reads, hit my passes, be more efficient in the passing game and try to extend plays a little longer.

TH: What kind of things as a whole team do you need to do differently?

JV: The season hasn’t been going like we wanted it to, so we just need to make sure everyone is focused on this last game and not looking at the past. Bring a sense of confidence, and be confident that we can win. We are a good team, and we just need to show it. Lay everything out on the table for this last game.

TH: How does having to play this game in front of a sold-out crowd in Brookings affect the outlook of the game?

JV: It will be different being outside, and of course, the crowd is going to be loud. We have faced some of the loudest crowds in Wisconsin and Montana. That’s what home field advantage is about, and they are going to have that, but we can’t worry about it. We just have to go in there, do our thing and focus that much more.

TH: When the state of South Dakota wakes up Sunday morning, what do you expect people to be saying about the game?

JV: I’m sure they will be saying it was a good four-quarter game. A hard fought game. One of the most exciting games they’ve been to and that it was a lot of fun. Also, hopefully how the Coyotes were able to come out on top.