Happy Hour host John Gaskins explains why the Dakota Marker is "the best rivalry going in college football." Plus, reaction to the Minnesota Vikings' 37-10 bloodbath loss in Los Angeles to the Chargers. Who is to blame most for these last two brutal losses and a 3-4, NFC North last place start? Can we stick a fork in Carson Wentz and the Vikings' playoff hopes? Who should play quarterback in the next game in Detroit?

Out of the Jackrabbit bubble and across the border we go for Friday's "Behind Enemy Lines" show to grasp more insight into the No. 1 Bison — the X's and O's and the Jimmy's and Joe's. Who are these guys? Why have they demonstrated machine-like dominance on both sides of the ball with an average score of 43-10 on their way to 7-0? (Hint: It is more than a perceivably soft schedule). While Chase Mason's injury hovers over the game — and yes, Izzo and McFeely have thoughts on if he'll play and how the injury affects the outcome — there has been a lower-key injury on NDSU's defensive line that may have high impact on the Bison's chances of rattling Mason or SDSU backup Luke Marble. Few know the Bison better than their TV play-by-play announcer Dom Izzo, who calls every NDSU game except this one (ESPNU's broadcast means no local call for either squad) and also hosts a 9-11 a.m. daily local sports show you can watch live here on Sioux Falls Live and KSFL-TV. Izzo provides the nuts-and-bolts primer for the matchups.

Some call the Dakota Marker series the best college football rivalry in the nation — at least this past decade — because of how often both teams are national championship contenders and, like this week, No. 1 and No. 2. Some don't. It's a layered topic and argument when you put SDSU-NDSU against rivalries like Montana-Montana State, Michigan-Ohio State, Alabama-Auburn, the old Nebraska-Oklahoma, etc. But it is certainly a unique rivalry, given that it goes back 122 years, but only in the last 22 have the Jackrabbits and Bison become "arch rivals." That's because they decided to take the Div. II to Div. I leap together while their in-state rivals stayed put. Nobody remembers the actual creation of the Dakota Marker trophy nor has more intimately lived the budding of the "we needed each other" rivalry more than SDSU's legendary former head coach John Stiegelmeier. In his (warm and candid, as always) 70-minute conversation with Happy Hour host John Gaskins, "Stig" — at SDSU since 1979 and at the helm from 1997-2022 — doesn't just take the listener back to the plot of land on the border for the ceremony that established the trophy. He walks through the early years of both programs' navigation through the FCS wilderness, like the bizarre scheduling and financial realities of the higher level of competition. How did NDSU get a leg up by 2011-15, when the Bison won five consecutive national titles and beat the Jacks eight consecutive times? How did SDSU catch up to NDSU's talent level and finally beat the Bison in 2016 and '17, then start a five-game winning streak over the Bison in 2021? You may think you know all the stories. Trust us, you don't. Stig dishes plenty of details and opinions, some which even got him in trouble with his own athletic director as SDSU made the climb to No. 1. The now-retired coach still lives in Brookings and keeps close tabs on the Jacks. So, what are his latest observations of current head coach and former Stig assistant Dan Jackson and his gifted quarterback Chase Mason? How would Stig, a former defensive coordinator, prepare for the mystery of Mason or backup Luke Marble being the starting quarterback on Saturday? It's been quite the hot topic from Sioux Falls to Fargo all week. Before the Stig session, Gaskins and Sioux Falls Live sports reporter Trent Singer conduct their usual beer summit better known as the "Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast." They hack away at the Dakota Marker matchups (and the Mason-Marble mystery) and make their predictions. Plus, they forecast:

• #18 Illinois State at #21 South Dakota
• Minnesota at Iowa
• Northwestern at Nebraska
• Augustana at Southwest Minnesota State
• USF at Minot State
• HSFB: #3 Jefferson at #1 Brandon Valley
• HSFB: #5 Harrisburg at #2 Lincoln

Some call the Dakota Marker series the best college football rivalry in the nation — at least this past decade — because of how often both teams are national championship contenders and, like this week, No. 1 and No. 2. Some don't. It's a layered topic and argument when you put SDSU-NDSU against rivalries like Montana-Montana State, Michigan-Ohio State, Alabama-Auburn, the old Nebraska-Oklahoma, etc. But it is certainly a unique rivalry, given that it goes back 122 years, but only in the last 22 have the Jackrabbits and Bison become "arch rivals." That's because they decided to take the Div. II to Div. I leap together, but alone in their own states in 2002. Nobody remembers the actual creation of the Dakota Marker trophy nor has more intimately lived the budding of the "we needed each other" rivalry more than SDSU's legendary former head coach John Stiegelmeier. In his (warm, as always) 70-minute conversation with Happy Hour host John Gaskins, "Stig" — at SDSU since 1979 and at the helm from 1997-2022 — doesn't just take the listener back to the plot of land on the border for the ceremony that established the trophy. He walks through the early years of both programs' navigation through the FCS wilderness, like the bizarre scheduling and financial realities of the higher level of competition. How did NDSU get a leg up by 2011-15, when the Bison won five consecutive national titles and beat the Jacks eight consecutive times? How did SDSU catch up to NDSU's talent level and finally beat the Bison in 2016 and '17, then start a five-game winning streak over the Bison in 2021? You may think you know all the stories. Trust us, you don't. Stig dishes plenty of details and opinions, some which even got him in trouble with his own athletic director as SDSU made the climb to No. 1. The now-retired coach still lives in Brookings and keeps close tabs on the Jacks. So, what are his latest observations of current head coach and former Stig assistant Dan Jackson and his gifted quarterback Chase Mason? How would Stig, a former defensive coordinator, prepare for the mystery of Mason or backup Luke Marble being the starting quarterback on Saturday? It's been quite the hot topic from Sioux Falls to Fargo all week.

Happy Hour host John Gaskins and Sioux Falls Live sports reporter Trent Singer conduct their usual beer summit better known as the "Thirsty Thursday Football Forecast." They hack away at the Dakota Marker matchups between No. 1 North Dakota State and No. 2 South Dakota State (and the Mason-Marble mystery) and make their predictions. Plus, they forecast:

• #18 Illinois State at #21 South Dakota
• Minnesota at Iowa
• Northwestern at Nebraska
• Augustana at Southwest Minnesota State
• USF at Minot State
• HSFB: #3 Jefferson at #1 Brandon Valley
• HSFB: #5 Harrisburg at #2 Lincoln

Let the games within the big game continue. On Tuesday, both South Dakota State coach Dan Jackson and North Dakota State coach Tim Polasek addressed questions about the "lower body" injury to SDSU quarterback Chase Mason and how it affects their preparation for Saturday's Dakota Marker Game. The game within the game is the words Jackson chooses to use and how Polasek and his staff chooses to interpret those words as they put together their game plan for either Mason or backup Luke Marble. Matt Zimmer wrote thoroughly about this for Sioux Falls Live. But just in case you missed the good stuff, Happy Hour host John Gaskins plays back the most important Jackson remarks and sends them through the "Zim Translator" to decipher what they may mean — as in, will Mason play or not. Polasek plans Meanwhile, how do the Jacks win this game if Mason is either sidelined or hobbled? Hear what Jackson's mentor and retired SDSU legend John Stiegelemeier had to say about what both coaching staffs might be going through. (The full 70-minute Stig interview about the Dakota Marker series will be available on Thursday). Speaking of Jackrabbit immortality, former All-American quarterback Taryn Christion drops by to go down memory lane of two mammoth wins over the Bison — the 2016 win in Fargo to end an eight-game losing streak to the then-five-time defending national champions, and the 2017 victory in Brookings to back it up. The Jacks also lost three games to NDSU with Christion at QB, but his leadership, talent, and supporting cast like Jake Weineke, Dallas Goedert, and the "605 Hogs" up front helped SDSU get over the psychological and historical hump with the FCS 800 lb. gorilla. Christion lives in Sioux Falls and watches the Jacks closely, and therefore has his own observations of Chase Mason. He can also relate to being Luke Marble, a freshman backup called into battle, as he was when Zach Lujan was hurt in 2015. (For a full interview about Christion's life and SDSU career and NFL journey, check out his hour-long sit-down with Gaskins from last May on Happy Hour). Between the "Cloak and Dagger" monologue and Christion's interview, Gaskins has his weekly chat with USD head coach Travis Johansen. The Coyotes have won three consecutive Missouri Valley Football Conference games — against the league's three worst teams — to keep their FCS playoff hopes alive. Now, four consecutive games against current Top 20 teams, starting with Saturday's home tilt against Illinois State loom. How can the Yotes continue to hold down the fort on defense against an experienced and potent Redbird offense? More importantly, how can an offense that consistently runs well be more effective through the air in order to finish drives, score more points, and have a chance to reach the postseason?

Let the games within the big game continue. On Tuesday, both South Dakota State coach Dan Jackson and North Dakota State coach Tim Polasek addressed questions about the "lower body" injury to SDSU quarterback Chase Mason and how it affects their preparation for Saturday's Dakota Marker Game. The game within the game is the words Jackson chooses to use and how Polasek and his staff chooses to interpret those words as they put together their game plan for either Mason or backup Luke Marble. Matt Zimmer wrote thoroughly about this for Sioux Falls Live. But just in case you missed the good stuff, Happy Hour host John Gaskins plays back the most important Jackson remarks and sends them through the "Zim Translator" to decipher what they may mean — as in, will Mason play or not. Polasek plans Meanwhile, how do the Jacks win this game if Mason is either sidelined or hobbled? Hear what Jackson's mentor and retired SDSU legend John Stiegelemeier had to say about what both coaching staffs might be going through. (The full 70-minute Stig interview about the Dakota Marker series will be available on Thursday).

The man who set all the SDSU offensive records before Mark Gronowski came along drops Gibs Sports Bar in Sioux Falls to go down memory lane of two mammoth wins over the Bison — the 2016 win in Fargo to end an eight-game losing streak to the then-five-time defending national champions, and the 2017 victory in Brookings to back it up.

The Jacks also lost three games to NDSU with Christion at QB, but his leadership, talent, and supporting cast like Jake Weineke, Dallas Goedert, and the "605 Hogs" up front helped SDSU get over the psychological and historical hump with the FCS 800 lb. gorilla. Christion lives in Sioux Falls and watches the Jacks closely, and therefore has his own observations of Chase Mason. He can also relate to being Luke Marble, a freshman backup called into battle, as he was when Zach Lujan was hurt in 2015.

The Coyotes have won three consecutive Missouri Valley Football Conference games — against the league's three worst teams — to keep their FCS playoff hopes alive. Now, four consecutive games against current Top 20 teams, starting with Saturday's home tilt against Illinois State loom.

How can the Yotes continue to hold down the fort on defense against an experienced and potent Redbird offense? More importantly, how can an offense that consistently runs well be more effective through the air in order to finish drives, score more points, and have a chance to reach the postseason?

Let the game within the big game begin. South Dakota State coach Dan Jackson played things just as coy with Matt Zimmer on Tuesday as he did with Happy Hour host John Gaskins on Monday regarding the status of Jackrabbit quarterback Chase Mason and the injury that took him out early in Saturday's game at Murray State. Predictably, Jackson said close to nothing about Mason's specific injury, its severity, or if he'll play on Saturday in the biggest regular season game of the year against No. 1 North Dakota State. Although, Zim did pluck and talk about one "a-ha" Jackson remark in Zim's weekly "Nobody's Listening Anyway" podcast on Happy Hour on Tuesday from Gateway Lounge. The Mason situation, Luke Marble's capability of piloting the Jacks to victory if needed, and other Dakota Marker Game topics took up a lion's share of the show. Others:

• Is USD ready for its four game primetime slate against nothing but (current) Top 20 opponents?
• What do we make of the latest "childish" remarks of Sacramento State president Luke Wood regarding the school's push to go FBS?
• Is it time to put Carson Wentz back on the sideline?

But first, Zim takes us behind-the-scenes of his trip last weekend to Alabama to cover the "South Dakota SEC Bowl" between Mount Rushmore State native head coaches Josh Heupel and Kalen DeBoer.

Not only did Zim take the trip to tell the story of the coaches and their clash, he ended up regaling Alabama and national media about his 30 years of being up close with DeBoer, a former amateur baseball teammated who Zim covered during DeBoer's prolific seasons as the University of Sioux Falls coach.

You'll find out just how big of a deal DeBoer is in Alabama (even bigger than you'd imagine) and how curious people are about the man.