ST. LOUIS — Three members of the South Dakota State University football team were named Friday to the 2020-21 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team.
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Headlining the group is freshman quarterback Mark Gronowski, who was selected as MVFC Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year a day earlier, as well as being honored as the MVFC Offensive Player of the Year.
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A native of Naperville, Illinois, Gronowski averaged 239 yards of total offense per game in six starts. He completed 76-of-133 passes (57.1 percent) for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns, while ranking second on the squad with 383 rushing yards and a team-best six touchdowns on the ground. He topped the 100-yard mark for rushing three times.
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Joining Gronowski on the All-Newcomer offense was running back Isaiah Davis. A freshman from Joplin, Missouri, gained 372 yards and scored five touchdowns. He topped the 100-yard mark in games against Western Illinois (118 yards) and Southern Illinois (150 yards), and none of his 53 carries resulted in a tackle for loss.
The Jackrabbit defense was represented on the All-Newcomer Team by redshirt freshman linebacker Adam Bock. A Solon, Iowa, native, Bock ranked third on the squad with 38 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack. He tallied double figures in tackles in each of SDSU's final two regular season games, registering 10 tackles at Southern Illinois and 13 at North Dakota State.
South Dakota State, 5-1 overall, has earned the top seed in the 16-team Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. The Jackrabbits open postseason play Saturday by hosting Holy Cross. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.
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