2023-12-27 13:30:00
FRANK GOGOLA
406mtsports.com/Missoulian
MISSOULA — South Dakota State scored eight touchdowns four different ways and intercepted three passes while pitching a shutout in a dominant semifinal performance.
The No. 1 Jackrabbits blasted the No. 5 Albany Great Danes, 59-0, under the lights Dec. 15 in Brookings, South Dakota. They punched their ticket to the FCS championship game for the second year in a row as they look to defend their title.
Opposite SDSU will be the No. 2 Montana Grizzlies, who beat North Dakota State, 31-29 in double overtimein the other semifinal Dec. 16 in Missoula. This is the Grizzlies’ first trip to the chipper since 2009.
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The Jackrabbits were fast and furious once morest the Great Danes, scoring on the opening drive, intercepting a pass on the next drive and converting that into a 14-0 lead. They scored once more and Tucker Large then returned a punt 79 yards for a 28-0 lead through four possessions.
Quarterback Mark Gronowski finished 15-of-19 passing for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Jadon Janke had a game-high 151 receiving yards and one touchdown on six catches. Tight end Zach Heins caught two touchdowns on four passes that netted 50 yards.
Running back Isaiah Davis ran for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries. Large, DyShawn Gales and Dalys Beanum each picked off Albany quarterback Reese Poffenbarger.
More exclamation points followed as Isaiah Stalbird forced a fumble that Jason Freeman returned 34 yards for a touchdown and a 42-0 lead. Backup quarterback Chase Mason completed one pass, a 71-yard touchdown to wide receiver Griffin Wilde for a 56-0 lead.
Season in review
SDSU entered the season as the defending national champion riding a 14-game winning streak. The Jackrabbits have added 14 more wins to own the longest active win streak in any NCAA division at 28.
They came into the season ranked No. 1 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and have been ranked No. 1 the entire season. They’re the only undefeated team in the FCS.
The Jackrabbits have nine wins over opponents who were ranked at the time of the game. That’s the most in the FCS, with Montana sitting at second with seven such victories. Their ranked wins have come once morest Montana State, North Dakota, Southern Illinois, South Dakota, North Dakota State, Youngstown State, Mercer, Villanova and Albany.
SDSU has 10 wins over playoff qualifiers. It beat first-round teams Drake and North Dakota; second-round teams Montana State, Southern Illinois, Youngstown State and Mercer; quarterfinalists South Dakota and Villanova; and semifinalists North Dakota State and Albany.
The Jackrabbits have played just two games decided by less than 11 points. They beat Montana State, 20-16, in Week 2 when a touchdown pass on the final play of regulation was overturned upon review. They also scored a 17-10 road win at Southern Illinois on Oct. 21. Their next-closest game was a 23-12 win over Villanova in the quarterfinals on a windy day.
Key players
Eleven players from South Dakota State earned at least one All-America honor from six outlets that handed out awards.
Quarterback Mark Gronowski was recognized by the Associated Press, FCS Football Central, Phil Steele, Stats Perform and the American Football Coaches Association. FCS Football Central and Phil Steele named him the FCS offensive player of the year.
Offensive lineman Mason McCormick was lauded by the Associated Press, FCS Football Central, Phil Steele, Stats Perform and the American Football Coaches Association. Phil Steele named him the FCS offensive lineman of the year.
Running back Isaiah Davis was feted by Pro Football Focus, the Associated Press, FCS Football Central, Phil Steele, Stats Perform and the American Football Coaches Association.
Offensive lineman Garret Greenfield was commended by the Associated Press, FCS Football Central, Phil Steele, Stats Perform and the American Football Coaches Association.
Center Gus Miller was applauded by Pro Football Focus, FCS Football Central and Phil Steele.
Linebacker Jason Freeman got accolades from FCS Football Central and Stats Perform.
Tight end Zach Heins was honored by FCS Football Central and Phil Steele.
Linebacker Isaiah Stalbird, defensive back DyShawn Gales and defensive back Tucker Large were saluted by FCS Football Central.
Fullback Mike Morgan got awarded by Phil Steele.
Coaching staff
Jimmy Rogers, 35, is in his first season as a college head coach. He took over for John Stiegelmeier, who retired last season following leading the Jackrabbits to their first national title in his 26th year as head coach while accruing a school-record 199 career victories with SDSU.
Rogers won the Eddie Robinson Award this season as the FCS national coach of the year. He has led the Jackrabbits to a 14-0 record, a Missouri Valley Football Conference championship, a No. 1 ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
Rogers served as an SDSU assistant coach the previous 10 years, including as the defensive coordinator in 2022. He was named the 2022 FCS coordinator of the year by FootballScoop.
He returned to SDSU in 2013 to coach linebackers. He was elevated to assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator from 2019-21. He began coaching was a graduate assistant at SDSU from 2010-11 and at Florida Atlantic in 2012. He played linebacker at SDSU from 2006-09.
Playoff history
SDSU is one of only two teams that has made the FCS playoffs in each of the past 12 seasons. The other team is NDSU.
The Jackrabbits have made the FCS postseason 13 times and own a 21-11 record. They’re 21-12 overall in NCAA playoff games, going 0-1 at the Division II level.
The Jackrabbits qualified for the FCS playoffs for the first time in 2009. They had moved up to Division I in 2004. They advanced to the second round for the first time in 2012, the quarterfinals for the first time in 2016 and the semifinals for the first time in 2017.
They made their championship game debut in spring 2021, losing to Sam Houston. They returned in 2022 and won their first championship, defeating rival NDSU, the defending national champion.
Series history
Montana leads the all-time series 8-0, including 7-0 in Missoula. The series dates back to 1969, with the 1970 meeting being the lone one in Brookings, South Dakota.
Two games live in Griz lore. They rallied from a 38-7 deficit for a 52-48 win on Sept. 4, 1993, in Dave Dickenson’s first start as quarterback. They pulled off a similar comeback from a 48-21 deficit for a 61-48 win on Nov. 28, 2009, in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
The teams have met twice in the postseason. In addition to 2009, the Griz won 24-17 in 2015 in the first round of the playoffs.
Hauck has faced SDSU three times as the UM head coach. In addition to 2009, his squad won 36-7 in 2006 and 7-0 in 2005.
The teams played two times when SDSU was a Division II team. In addition to 1993, the Griz won 41-16 in 1988.
Montana won twice when they met up in the NCAA’s College Division era: 24-0 in 1970 and 58-0 in 1969.
School profile
South Dakota State University was founded in 1881 and is the state’s oldest continually operating university. It was first known as Dakota Agriculture College and then South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.
The public land-grant research university is the largest university in the state. Fall 2023 enrollment was 11,505, with an undergraduate enrollment of 10,109. The university’s endowment is $213 million.
The football team played its first season in 1889, eight years before Montana’s inaugural campaign in 1897. The Jackrabbits have called Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium their home since 2016. Capacity is listed at 19,340.
Frank Gogola is the Senior Sports Reporter at the Missoulian. Follow him on Twitter/X @FrankGogola or email him at frank.gogola@406mtsports.com.
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