Emptying the notebook from the Jackrabbits' FCS title game win, with stories including Mark Gronowski's MOP performance, dominant line play and the SDSU fanbase making an impression in Frisco.
"It's the beginning of the national championship, but it's also a step in becoming the best football program we can be,” said SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier.
South Dakota State rushed for 283 yards at a clip of better than 7.4 yards per carry, led by the three-headed attack of running backs Amar Johnson and Isaiah Davis and quarterback Mark Gronowski.
“You’ve just got to go beat them; you can't outsmart them,” SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said of the Bison. “… We're looking forward to the challenge.”
“We have this opportunity again, and I'm just really excited for the chance to play there,“ said Gronowski, who was injured on the first series of the spring 2021 FCS championship game.
With many similarities between the Jackrabbits and Bison, Sunday's FCS title game is likely to hinge on simple elements such as running the football, red zone opportunities and creating turnovers.
“We haven’t had this situation before,” SDSU head coach John Stiegelmeier said. “North Dakota State’s been through this a bunch, so they’ve got it down.
SDSU has won five of seven regular-season meetings with NDSU, including a comeback victory in Fargo earlier this season. But that winning belief has taken time to build.
It's time to quit using the worst as an indictment against the best. With South Dakota State and North Dakota State controlling the FCS, the MVFC remains the league to beat.
SDSU opted to distribute all 4,500 tickets from its FCS championship game allotment to select season ticket holders, which was met with plenty of contention.
