How to Watch Western Illinois vs South Dakota St Football

South Dakota State looks to rebound from its first loss of the season as it hosts 0-1 Western Illinois on Saturday.

Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page

The game (3 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on TV, but anyone in the US can watch Western Illinois vs South Dakota State football live on ESPN+ right here:

Watch on ESPN+

ESPN+ will have coverage of all Missouri Valley, OVC, Southern and Southland football games this spring, as well as live college basketball, UFC, international soccer, Australian Open tennis, dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary, and additional original content (both video and written) all for $5.99 per month.

Or, if you also want Disney+ and Hulu, you can get all three for $12.99 per month, which works out to about 31 percent savings:

Get the ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu Bundle

Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch Western Illinois vs South Dakota State live on the ESPN app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.

You can also watch on your computer via ESPN.com.

Western Illinois vs South Dakota State Preview

South Dakota State won its opener against Northern Iowa but wasn’t able to string together wins, dropping a matchup against North Dakota last week 28-17. The Jackrabbits held the lead at the half against the Fighting Hawks but were outscored 21-3 in the second half.

“I thought (UND) did a great job scheme-wise, but I was most impressed with the physical part of the game,” South Dakota State coach John Stiegelmeier said. “We expect that out of UND. It’s kind of their mentality. This is old-school football. They’ll run the ball, play hard-nosed defense and be sound in special teams.”

Freshman Mark Gronowski continued his strong play for the Jackrabbits under center, passing for 309 yards and two touchdowns. But unlike last week, Gronowski tossed a pair of critical interceptions. Running back Pierre Strong Jr. notched 95 yards on 17 carries.

Western Ilinois dropped its opener against Missouri State, getting outscored 16-7 in the second half. With no rush offense to speak of — DeShon Gavin was the leader with 22 yards on six carries — the offensive load fell on quarterback Connor Sampson. He threw 46 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown, but also tossed a pair of interceptions.

“The biggest thing that was so glaring for us was the way our guys battled and the effort they played with was there, I was so proud of them and a lot of different phases of the game there were a lot of moments we showed resilience,” Western Illinois coach Jared Elliott. “I think the biggest thing was that is only the bare minimum to win though.

“For us as a team to step back and watch and see what it takes to win, how you win games, it comes down to guys playing with consistency and discipline and great technique and fundamentals. The biggest thing at the end of the day is you have to eliminate the self-inflicted wounds. For our guys to see that, there’s a lot of growth so I’m excited for another opportunity and the chance to go out again and be better, that’s our goal and intent, and go get this done.”

Elliott is excited to see his team compete at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

“I think it is a good thing for our team, it’s a great place to play a college football game, a great setting, the time that your players do have to spend together and be together to be successful on game day is good,” Elliott said. “We’re excited about it, it’s a great opportunity for us to show some major strides from Week 1 to Week 2.”

South Dakota State — still ranked as a top 10 FCS squad — is a 26-point favorite for the matchup. The total is set at 47 points.