JACKS, GRIZZLIES MEET FOR THIRD YEAR IN A ROW

Saturday, December 6

Missoula, Mont.

noon MT/1 p.m. CT

South Dakota State University

Montana

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

12/3/2025 6:37:00 PM | Football

GAME 14: #14 South Dakota State (9-4) at #3 Montana (11-1)

When	Saturday, Dec. 6 \| noon Mountain Time (1 p.m. Central)
Where	Washington-Grizzly Stadium \| Missoula, Montana
TV	ESPN+
Radio	Jackrabbits All Access (free audio) \| Jackrabbit Sports Network
Live Stats	NCAA.com
Game Notes	SDSU \| Montana \| Missouri Valley Football Conference
Game Program	Digital Tournament Program
Social Media	Twitter \| Facebook \| #GoJacks

We meet again.

For the third consecutive season and fifth time overall, South Dakota State and Montana will face off in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

The latest installment of the series will take place in second-round action Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana. Kickoff is set for noon Mountain Time (1 p.m. Central) with video coverage available through the ESPN+ streaming platform.

Seeded 14th, South Dakota State enters the matchup with a 9-4 overall record. The Jackrabbits advanced out of the first round with a 41-3 home victory at snowy Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium on Nov. 29. SDSU hosted a playoff game for the 10th consecutive season, improving to 17-1 in postseason games at its home stadium in that span.

Montana, meanwhile, earned a first-round bye after compiling an 11-1 record during the regular season. The Grizzlies are seeded third in the 24-team playoff field.

THE SERIES: Saturday's game will mark the 11th all-time meeting between SDSU and Montana. The Grizzlies won the first eight matchups in the series and hold an 8-2 overall advantage since the two programs first met in 1969.

Seven of the 10 previous matchups were played in Missoula, including first-round playoff games in 2009 and 2015, while the national championship meeting between the two programs on Jan. 7, 2024, was played in Frisco, Texas.

The 2009 opening-round playoff game, played Nov. 28, 2009, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula featured an epic second-half comeback by Montana. SDSU led 48-21 with five and a half minutes to play in the third quarter, but the tide began to turn on the ensuing kickoff as Marc Mariani went 98 yards for a touchdown. He then brought the Griz to within 48-34 with a 15-yard TD catch on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Mariani's third touchdown of the game — a 4-yard reception from Andrew Selle with 1:08 remaining in regulation — gave Montana its first lead of the game at 55-48. The Grizzlies capped the comeback with an interception return for touchdown moments later to pull out a 61-48 victory.

The 2015 playoff matchup was played six years to the day from the squads' first postseason meeting. This time it was Montana that led early, building a 24-0 halftime advantage.

SDSU staged a second-half comeback, pulling to within 24-17 with 4:44 to play on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Taryn Christion to Dallas Goedert. However, Montana was able to run out the clock and secure the first-round victory.

The two squads would not meet again until the 2023 FCS national title game in Frisco, Texas, when South Dakota State capped a perfect 15-0 season with a 23-3 victory over the Grizzlies. For the third time in four postseason games that season, the Jackrabbits' stifling defense kept an opponent out of the end zone, highlighted by a tackle at the goal line by Adam Bock on a fourth-down play attempt on the first play of the second quarter.

SDSU led 7-3 at halftime, then put the game out of reach with a 16-point third quarter that included touchdowns by Mark Gronowski and Jadon Janke.

The Jackrabbits and Grizzlies met in a rematch in the second round of the 2024 FCS playoffs in Brookings. SDSU raced out to a 21-3 halftime lead and added two more touchdowns just over a minute apart early in the fourth quarter en route to a 35-18 victory.

VERSUS THE BIG SKY: South Dakota State began the 2025 slate with back-to-back games against ranked teams from the Big Sky Conference. The Jackrabbits defeated No. 14/15 Sacramento State, 20-3, in a matchup between first-year head coaches in the Aug. 30 season opener, followed by a 30-24, double-overtime victory at Montana State on Sept. 6.

During the Division I era of Jackrabbit football (since 2004), South Dakota State has played 36 games against current members of the Big Sky Conference, compiling a 22-14 overall record. Of the 36 games, 11 have been contested in the FCS playoffs, with the Jackrabbits posting a 7-4 mark.

Following is a list of Jackrabbit records against Big Sky opponents since 2004:

UC Davis: 6-1 (1-0 in playoffs)
Cal Poly: 3-6
Eastern Washington: 0-1 (0-1 in playoffs)
Montana: 2-4 (2-2 in playoffs)
Montana State: 6-2 (2-1 in playoffs)
Northern Arizona: 1-0 (1-0 in playoffs)
Northern Colorado: 2-0
Sacramento State: 2-0 (1-0 in playoffs)

Note: SDSU, UC Davis, Cal Poly and Northern Colorado were all members of the Great West Football Conference between 2004-11.

PLAYOFF REGULARS: South Dakota State is making its 16th postseason appearance in its football history in 2025, with 15 of those berths coming as a member of the Football Championship Subdivision. SDSU's lone appearance in the NCAA Division II football playoffs came in 1979, when the Jacks fell 50-7 at Youngstown State.

The Jackrabbits have compiled a 25-13 record in the playoffs and are making their 14th straight appearance in the FCS playoffs in 2025. SDSU advanced to at least the semifinal round each of the last five years and seven times in the last eight seasons.

SDSU made its first appearance in a national title game during the 2020-21 spring season, falling to Sam Houston, 23-21, then claimed its first-ever national championship in football with a 45-21 victory over North Dakota State in January 2023.

The Jacks repeated as national champions during the 2023 campaign with a 23-3 victory over Montana.

ELITE COMPANY: South Dakota State is one of only two Football Championship Subdivision programs to reach the playoffs each of the last 14 seasons. Missouri Valley Football Conference rival North Dakota State holds the longest active streak with 16 consecutive trips to the playoffs after earning the league's automatic bid. The Bison are again the top seed in this year's 24-team tournament.

YEAR 22 IN FCS: The 2025 season marks the 22nd year South Dakota State has competed in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Since joining the Division I ranks in 2004, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 193-86 record (.692 winning percentage).

In the decade of the 2020s, SDSU has put together a 69-14 record, which is good for an .831 winning percentage.

MVFC MILESTONE: South Dakota State's 35-30 win at Youngstown State on Oct. 4 marked the Jackrabbits' 100th victory in Missouri Valley Football Conference play.

The Jackrabbits hold a 103-39 record (.725 winning percentage) in MVFC games and have won six or more league games 10 times. SDSU claimed three league titles in a row, winning outright championships in 2022 and 2023, while finishing in a three-way tie for the top spot in 2024 with North Dakota State and South Dakota.

Since the start of the 2022 season, SDSU has compiled a 27-5 record in league play, including putting together a 19-game league winning streak from November 2021 until October 2024.

The Jackrabbits also shared league titles in 2016 and during the 2020-21 spring slate.

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY: South Dakota State ended its longest losing streak in more than a decade when it claimed a 34-31 overtime victory at North Dakota in the regular season finale on Nov. 22.

The Jackrabbits had dropped four games in a row in the same season for the first time since the 2011 campaign, when SDSU suffered setbacks in succession against Illinois (56-3), Cal Poly (48-14), Illinois State (20-13) and Indiana State (38-28).

SDSU also avoided its first losing season in league play since joining the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2008. SDSU is the only program in that span to never finish below .500 against league foes.

NOVEMBERS TO REMEMBER: South Dakota State has a history of finishing strong down the stretch of regular seasons in recent years.

Since starting their run of consecutive playoff appearances in 2012, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 33-9 record in regular season games played during the month of November and have added five more playoff victories for an overall mark of 38-9 (.809 winning percentage).

SDSU went 4-0 in the month of November during the 2024 season and previously posted a 3-0 mark in November five times in that span, with 2019 (2-2) and 2025 (2-3) being the only times in the last 14 seasons the Jackrabbits have dropped more than one game in the next-to-last month of the calendar year.

RANKINGS STREAK: By being ranked in each of the 14 Stats Perform FCS polls of the 2025 campaign, SDSU has now appeared in the top 25 of 188 consecutive media polls dating back to October 2012.

The Jackrabbits held the top spot in 29 consecutive polls from Oct. 17, 2022, until relinquishing the top spot following their regular season loss at North Dakota State on Oct. 19, 2024.

The Nov. 17 poll marked the first time that the Jackrabbits had not been in the top 10 of the Stats Perform rankings since the final regular season poll of the 2021 season — a total of 56 polls.

CAPTAINS: Leading the Jackrabbit football team are six first-time team captains:

Quinten Christensen, Jr., offensive lineman, Wessington Springs;
Kobe Clayborne, Sr., defensive lineman, Sioux City, Iowa;
Logan Green, Jr., defensive tackle, Northboro, Iowa;
Sam Hagen, Sr., offensive lineman, Fordville, North Dakota.;
•Chase Mason, Sr., quarterback, Hurley;
•Joe Ollman, Jr., linebacker, Mequon, Wisconsin.

ALL-MVFC: Led by four first-team selections, a total of 10 South Dakota State football players were named Monday to the 2025 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Team. Selections were determined by a vote among the league's 10 head coaches, sports information directors and a select media panel.

Earning first-team recognition from the Jackrabbit offense were lineman Quinten Christensen and tight end Greyton Gannon. A junior from Wessington Springs, Christensen started all 12 regular season games at tackle, helping pave the way for SDSU to average 27.5 points and 372.8 yards of total offense.

Gannon, a junior from Eagle, Wisconsin, recorded 28 receptions for 305 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season. He caught at least one pass in 11 of the team's 12 games while ranking fourth on the squad for catches.

Representing the Jackrabbits on the first-team defense was senior lineman Kobe Clayborne. The senior from Sioux City, Iowa, played at both the tackle and end positions, totaling 37 tackles, including sharing the team lead with 8.0 tackles for loss and tying for second with four sacks. Clayborne was an honorable mention all-MVFC selection in 2024.

Closing out SDSU's first-team honorees was punter Max Pelham. A senior from Ankeny, Iowa, Pelham finished the regular season by averaging a league-best 48.7 yards over 38 attempts. Of his 38 punts, 18 traveled at least 50 yards and he landed 13 inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

Second-team all-MVFC honors went to a pair of Jackrabbit defensive players — linebacker Cullen McShane and safety Jalen B. Lee. McShane, a junior from Marquette, Iowa, registered a team-best 81 tackles during the regular season. In his first season as a starter, McShane recorded double figures in tackles three times, while adding 7.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble.

Lee shared the team lead with three interceptions and ranked third on the team with 54 tackles (35 solo) in 11 starts. He notched six or more tackles in each of the last five regular season games in which he played.

Rounding out the Jackrabbit contingent were four honorable mention selections, including wide receiver Alex Bullock and lineman Sam Hagen from the offense.

In his lone season with the Jackrabbits, Bullock emerged as the team's leading receiver with 63 receptions, 801 receiving yards and four touchdown catches in 12 games. The senior from Omaha caught five or more passes eight times and hit the century mark for receiving yards twice in a game.

Hagen, a senior from Fordville, North Dakota, started the first nine games of the season at right tackle before missing the month due to injury. With Hagen in the lineup the Jackrabbits topped the 200-yard mark for rushing three times in a game, including a season-best 240 yards in the season opener versus Sacramento State.

Linebacker Joe Ollman was an honorable mention selection to the defensive unit after a strong first season in the starting lineup. The junior from Mequon, Wisconsin, ranked second on the squad with 78 total tackles, including sharing the team lead with 8.0 tackles for loss and tying for second with four sacks. Ollman also accounted for five takeaways with three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and an interception.

Senior long snapper Kaydon Olivia closed out the list of Jackrabbit honorees with an honorable mention selection. He was perfect on snaps during the regular season as the Jackrabbits made all 37 PAT tries and 11-of-17 field goal attempts. In addition, SDSU has ranked among the Football Championship Subdivision leaders for net punting throughout the season. A senior from Schertz, Texas, Olivia was a second-team all-league selection in 2023.

THREE ON NEWCOMER TEAM: Three key members of the South Dakota State offense were named Tuesday to the 2025 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team. Selections to the 30-player squad — 15 on offense and 15 on defense — were determined by balloting among the league's 10 head coaches, sports information directors and a select media panel.

The Jackrabbits' leading rusher and receiver were both included on the honor squad with the respective selections of Julius Loughridge and Alex Bullock. A senior and transfer from Fordham, Loughridge totaled 916 rushing yards on 196 carries (4.7 ypc) and scored six touchdowns during the regular season. He topped the 100-yard mark in three games, highlighted by a 176-yard, four-touchdown performance in the league opener at Youngstown State. The Houston, Texas, native entered postseason play as the active FCS career leader in rushing yards with 4,038.

Bullock, a transfer from Nebraska, emerged as the team's leading receiver with 63 receptions, 801 receiving yards and four touchdown catches in 12 games. The senior from Omaha caught five or more passes eight times and hit the century mark for receiving yards twice in a game. He earlier received honorable mention all-MVFC accolades.

Completing the Jacks' trio on the MVFC All-Newcomer Team was redshirt freshman offensive lineman Shane Willenbring. A native of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Willenbring started all 12 regular season games for the Jackrabbits — 11 at center and one at right guard — and was part of a unit that helped clear the way for SDSU to average 27.5 points and 372.8 yards of total offense per game. The Jackrabbits topped the 200-yard mark for rushing four times, including a season-best 240 in the season opener against Sacramento State.

MASON AT THE HELM: Dual-threat quarterback Chase Mason has helped lead the Jackrabbits to victories in each of his first eight career starts.

A senior from Hurley, Mason has been efficient by completing a combined 127-of-189 passes for 1,649 yards and 14 touchdowns against only two interceptions. Mason completed at least 17 passes in each of the Jackrabbits' first four games highlighted by a Sept. 27 performance against Mercyhurst in which he set career highs for completions (21) and passing yards (321) while tossing a career-best three touchdowns for the second of three times this season.

In addition, Mason has carried the ball 61 times for 164 net yards and four touchdowns thus far in 2025.

Mason was injured on the opening drive of SDSU's Oct. 18 game at Murray State and did not return to the lineup until last week's playoff game against New Hampshire. He showed no signs of rust, however, as he completed 16-of-20 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-3 Jackrabbit victory. Mason closed the first half by completing his last 11 pass attempts.

While serving as an understudy to 2023 Walter Payton Award winner and two-time All-American Mark Gronowski, Mason saw action in 19 games over the past two seasons. He showed previous play-making ability both throwing and running the football, including completing 17-of-26 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for 464 yards and six touchdowns during the 2024 campaign.

In averaging 10.1 yards per carry a season ago, Mason broke off touchdown runs of 38 and 48 yards against Youngstown State, followed by a 66-yarder a week later in the regular season matchup against North Dakota State.

O'GROSKE STARTS FAST: Wide receiver Lofton O'Groske put together a series of strong showings in what was shaping up to be a breakthrough sophomore season.

A native of Coon Rapids, Minnesota, O'Groske tallied team highs of 25 catches, 312 receiving yards and three touchdowns in nonconference action, but has dealt with injuries during Missouri Valley Football Conference play. After missing games against Youngstown State and Northern Iowa to open the league slate, he was held without a catch in his return to the lineup Oct. 18 at Murray State. He accounted for the lone Jackrabbit touchdown Oct. 25 against North Dakota State on a 17-yard reception, but later left that game due to injury and remains sidelined indefinitely.

O'Groske matched a previous single-game career high with five receptions in the Aug. 30 season opener against Sacramento State, while adding 31 rushing yards and a touchdown on three rushing attempts. He then established new career bests with 12 receptions, 133 receiving yards and two touchdowns in the Sept. 6 double-overtime victory at Montana State.

His 12 catches at Montana State are tied for the third-most in a game by an SDSU receiver and the most by a Jackrabbit player since Dallas Goedert recorded a dozen receptions at Southern Illinois in 2016.

BULLOCK COMING ON STRONG: Transfer wide receiver Alex Bullock has emerged as the top pass-catching threat for the Jackrabbits during the 2025 season.

The Omaha native who previously played at Nebraska currently leads the team with 65 receptions and 820 receiving yards, averaging 12.6 yards per catch. He has caught at least five passes in eight of SDSU's 13 games this season, including tallying career highs with 10 receptions for 162 yards Oct. 4 at Youngstown State. Bullock posted his second 100-yard receiving game of the season with 107 yards on seven catches Nov. 1 against Indiana State.

Bullock also leads the team with five touchdown receptions after scoring on a 7-yard pass play in the Nov. 29 playoff game versus New Hampshire.

SMITH STEPS UP: Redshirt freshman Jack Smith has taken on a more prominent role in a couple different areas in recent weeks.

The Sioux Falls native currently ranks third on the squad with 32 receptions for 394 yards. He also stands tied for second on the team with four touchdown receptions — two of which (10 and 46 yards) came in the Jackrabbits' Oct. 18 win at Murray State.

In a Nov. 8 game at South Dakota, Smith recorded a career-high 197 all-purpose yards. He started the game in the backfield as scored on a 75-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. Smith ended the game with 82 rushing yards on three carries, along with 61 receiving yards on a career-best six receptions and an additional 54 yards on two kickoff returns.

Smith, who turned a short screen pass into a 42-yard touchdown catch and run late in the first half of last week's game against New Hampshire, currently ranks second on the team with 815 all-purpose yards for the season.

LOUGHRIDGE DOES THE HEAVY LIFTING: Jackrabbit running back Julius Loughridge turned in a second half for the ages in South Dakota State's come-from-behind victory at Youngstown State on Oct. 4.

A Houston native, Loughridge rushed for 145 yards and four touchdowns in the second half as SDSU overcame a 17-7 halftime deficit. In the third quarter alone, he rushed for 93 yards while scoring on runs of 3, 14 and 2 yards in a 21-point stanza.

For the game, he rushed 25 times for 176 yards and capped the scoring with a 24-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Loughridge's four-touchdown performance marked the fourth by a Jackrabbit running back in the Division I era and was the first by a Jackrabbit running back since Mikey Daniel at Missouri State in 2017.

Loughridge is currently the FCS active career leader in rushing yards with 4,138, including tallying a team-best 1,016 yards this season. He has hit the 100-yard mark four times this season, including each of the last two games at North Dakota (24 carries, 112 yards) and versus New Hampshire (16 carries, 100 yards)

MR. EFFICIENCY: South Dakota State tight end/fullback Andrew Gustad has produced every time his number has thus far during the 2025 season.

A junior from Volin, South Dakota, Gustad has either gained a first down or scored a touchdown on all eight of his offensive touches this season. He has picked up a first down on all five of his short-yardage rushing attempts for a total of 14 yards and scored touchdowns on each of his three receptions — 4 yards in the season opener against Sacramento State, 11 yards Oct. 11 versus Northern Iowa and 2 yards last week versus New Hampshire.

HENRY THE NEXT MAN UP: Redshirt freshman Jack Henry became the third different quarterback to start a game for the Jackrabbits this season when he went under center Nov. 8 at South Dakota.

The Dell Rapids native, who appeared in a reserve role each of the two previous weeks, ended the afternoon 13-of-24 passing for 139 yards and an interception. He also threw his first collegiate touchdown pass — a 27-yarder to Alex Bullock — in successfully executing the two-minute drill late in the first half. In addition, Henry ran nine times for 30 yards.

Henry followed that performance by accounting for touchdowns both rushing (14 yards) and passing (4 yards) Nov. 15 against Illinois State. He ended the day 32-of-51 passing for 254 yards, rushing also finishing as the team's leading rusher with 41 yards on 18 carries.

In the Nov. 22 regular season finale at North Dakota, Henry struggled for much of the game before throwing a 42-yard touchdown pass to Greyton Gannon late in the third quarter and the game-winning 23-yard touchdown pass to Grahm Goering in overtime. He added a touchdown pass in a relief role for the final Jackrabbit score in the Nov. 29 playoff game against New Hampshire.

Chase Mason started the first seven games at quarterback, with Luke Marble taking over starting duties in games against North Dakota State and Indiana State.

BALL-CONTROL OFFENSE: South Dakota State has ranked among the Football Championship Subdivision leaders in time of possession throughout the 2025 season. The Jacks currently rank fifth among FCS programs with an average of 33 minutes and 3 seconds per game after a season-best 41:12 Nov. 1 against Indiana State. That bettered the team's previous high of 41:06 in the season opener versus Sacramento State.

The Jackrabbits have won the possession time battle in 10 of 13 games in 2025.

HIGH VOLUME: The Jackrabbits ran 92 offensive plays in their Nov. 1 game against Indiana State, setting a team record in that category in the Division I era (since 2004). SDSU accumulated 441 yards of total offense in the game.

Two weeks later against Illinois State, the Jackrabbits nearly matched that total by running 89 plays as their comeback bid came up short. SDSU's last two scoring drives in a 35-21 setback covered 15 and 16 plays, respectively.

The previous SDSU record for offensive plays in a Division I game was 91 in a 2016 loss at Illinois State.

9-FOR-9: South Dakota State possessed the ball nine times in its 51-7 victory against Mercyhurst on Sept. 27 and came away with points on all nine drives — three field goals and six touchdowns.

Starting quarterback Chase Mason directed the offense on the first eight drives before redshirt freshman signal-caller Luke Marble made his Jackrabbit debut and engineered a 14-play, 67-yard drive that took more than nine minutes off the clock before ending in James Basinger's second 1-yard touchdown run of the game. Marble was 3-for-3 passing for 22 yards and added a 7-yard carry in his first collegiate action.

FEAST OR FAMINE ON FOURTH DOWN: The Jackrabbits did not convert a fourth-down attempt in their first six Missouri Valley Football Conference games this season, going a combined 0-for-11 in that span. The streak reached 12 consecutive unsuccessful tries in the Nov. 15 game against Illinois State before SDSU converted each of its next six fourth-down tries, including a 4-yard touchdown pass from Jack Henry to Brayden Delahoyde on fourth-and-goal late in the second half.

For the season, SDSU is 16-for-37 on fourth-down attempts after converting all three of its tries last week against New Hampshire.

TAKE THAT BALL AWAY: South Dakota State has ranked among the best in taking the ball away from the opposition throughout the 2025 season.

The Jackrabbits currently rank sixth among FCS programs by forcing 23 turnovers so far this season — 15 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. Fourteen of those turnovers came in Missouri Valley Football Conference action, including five takeaways (4 interceptions, 1 fumble) Oct. 11 against Northern Iowa and another four-interception performance against Murray State a week later.

However, the Jacks have managed only five takeaways over the last six games.

SDSU also has limited the number of times it has turned the ball over this season, with the Jackrabbits currently ranking 24th in turnover margin at plus-0.46 per game.

LINEBACKERS PACE DEFENSE: All in their first year as starters, South Dakota State's three starting linebackers rank among the Jackrabbits' top six tacklers.

Junior Joe Ollman took over the team lead with 86 total tackles after an eight-tackle performance in the Nov. 29 playoff opener against Youngstown State. An honorable mention all-Missouri Valley Football Conference performer, Ollman also has forced four fumbles this season and came away with his first career interception Oct. 18 at Murray State.

Fellow junior Cullen McShane had been the team leader in tackles for much of the season, but missed last week's contest due to injury. McShane, who was a second-team all-MVFC pick, has tallied 81 tackles so far this season, while sophomore Chase Van Tol is tied sixth with 38 tackles despite missing the last four games due to injury.

LEE LEADS SECONDARY: Jalen B. Lee has elevated his play in the Jackrabbit secondary throughout the 2025 season.

Originally a cornerback for the Jackrabbits, Lee has moved to safety this season and currently is tied for the team lead with three interceptions while ranking third in tackles with 58, including 2.5 for loss. He was named to the all-MVFC Second Team this week.

A junior from Wentzville, Missouri, Lee was honored Oct. 20 as the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week. He ended two Murray State scoring chances with interceptions inside the 20-yard line as part of a four-interception performance by the Jackrabbit defense. His first interception came at the SDSU 18 on the opening drive of the game while later picking off a pass at the Jackrabbit 15 in the fourth quarter.

Lee also tied his previous career high with six tackles in the Oct. 18 game at Murray State, then established a new personal standard with nine stops (five solo) a week later against North Dakota State.

STADER REACHES MILESTONE: Kicker Eli Stader reached a milestone Sept. 6 at Montana State as he topped the 500-point mark for his career.

Now with 560 career points, Stader spent the first five years of his collegiate career at Northwestern College (Iowa), where he was a four-time all-Great Plains Athletic Conference selection and an NAIA All-American in 2024. He set school records with 62 field goals and 300 extra points at Northwestern, while adding a two-point conversion. A native of Cedar Grove, Wisconsin, Stader connected on five field goals of 50 or more yards, including a school-record 60-yarder in 2024.

Stader has scored a team-high 72 points so far this season by going 10-for-16 on field goals and making all 42 of his extra-point attempts. He was 3-for-3 on field goals, Sept. 27 against Mercyhurst, then connected on season-long 44- and 46-yarders Nov. 1 versus Indiana State.

LONELY AT THE TOP: South Dakota State remains ranked third among FCS squads in net punting, albeit with a small sample size thanks to not having an attempt in back-to-back games against Drake and Mercyhurst in September. The Jackrabbits also did not punt inlast week's playoff opener versus New Hampshire.

The Jackrabbits' 45 punt attempts in 2025 have resulted in a net average of 41.38 yards. In his first season as the Jackrabbits' punter, Max Pelham is averaging an MVFC-best 48.7 yards per punt and has landed 13 of his attempts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, including four in the Nov. 22 regular season finale at North Dakota. Pelham was named Wednesday as one of 10 semifinalists for the FCS Punter of the Year Award.

Pelham averaged a career-best 54 yards on six punts Oct. 18 at Murray State, including a career-long 68-yarder, then booted another 60-yarder en route to a 49-yard average over five punts Oct. 25 versus North Dakota State.

COORDINATORS RETURN: While the entire coaching staff turned over between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, several coaches with ties to South Dakota State are once again on the Jackrabbit sideline and coaching booth, including all three coordinators.

Offensive coordinator Eric Eidsness is back for his third stint in the role. Eidsness, who also coaches the quarterbacks, served as the Jackrabbits' offensive coordinator on two previous occasions — from 1999 until 2003 while SDSU competed at the NCAA Division II level and again from 2010-18. The Jackrabbits made seven straight trips to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs to close out his second go-around, including back-to-back semifinal berths in 2017 and 2018.

He also held the title of associate head coach under John Stiegelmeier from 2015-18.

With Eidsness directing the offense, the Jackrabbits have posted prolific numbers in both the running and passing games. SDSU has consistently re-written the record book under Eidsness' watch, including establishing 28 new single-game, season and career marks during the 2016 campaign and 15 more in 2017.

Among the team records set in 2017 were scoring (521 points), total offense (6,141 yards) and total offense per game (438.6), the last of which had stood for 66 years (437.7 ypg in 1951).

Most recently, Eidsness worked in similar coaching roles for six seasons at Northern Illinois. The Huskies played in three bowl games, including posting wins in the Camilla Bowl in 2023 and the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in 2024.

Defensive coordinator Brian Bergstrom is back in Brookings after a three-year stint as head coach at Winona State. He previously was a member of the Jackrabbit defensive coaching staff for five seasons.

Bergstrom first joined the SDSU coaching staff in 2017 as safeties coach and was promoted to co-defensive coordinator in 2019, positions he held through the 2021 season under John Stiegelmeier. SDSU qualified for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs each of his five seasons in Brookings, including a national title game appearance during the 2020-21 spring season and semifinal berths in 2017, 2018 and the 2021 fall campaign.

Special teams coordinator Isaiah Jackson is new to the SDSU coaching staff, but played linebacker for the Jackrabbits from 2006-09. He ranked fifth on the team with 63 tackles in 2008 and tied for seventh with 52 stops as a senior in 2009, when the Jackrabbits made their first-ever appearance in the FCS playoffs.

For the past eight seasons, Jackson served on the coaching staff at UC Davis, which won a Big Sky Conference championship in 2018 and earned berths in the FCS playoffs three times (2018, 2021, 2024). He primarily coached the linebackers before moving to special teams coordinator in 2024.

In addition, tight ends coach Vince Benedetto also is a former Jackrabbit student-athlete. He lettered from 2010-13 before embarking on a successful coaching career at the high school level, highlighted by winning a state championship at Sioux Falls Jefferson in 2022.

THE 12TH MAN: South Dakota State has benefited from large crowds coming off the program's back-to-back national championships. In 2023, the Jackrabbits averaged 18,208 fans for regular season games, followed by another record-setting year in 2024 with an average attendance of 18,504 over six regular season home games.

Since the start of the 2023 season, 13 games have been sellouts, starting when 19,332 fans came out for the for Sept. 9, 2023, showdown against Montana State. The crowd played a big role in the game, helping factor in nine false-start penalties by Montana State in the game, including six in the final quarter.

SDSU set program playoff attendance records in all three postseason games it hosted in 2023, highlighted by a crowd of 12,265 in the semifinals against UAlbany.

Large crowds continued to fill Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in 2024 as the first four Jackrabbit home games of season were sellouts and rank in the top nine for most-attended games in facility history.

Following suit, the first five home games of the 2025 season were announced as sellouts, with 19,163 fans filing into the stadium for the Aug. 30 opener against Sacramento State. That came two nights after a crowd of about 22,000 attended the Jacks Bash 3 concert featuring country music stars Ty Myers, Thomas Rhett and Blake Shelton.

A stadium-record crowd of 19,477 filed into the stadium for the Oct. 25 Dakota Marker matchup against North Dakota State in a game that pitted the two top-ranked teams in the FCS. That helped SDSU attain an average attendance of 16,278 during the regular season.

DANA J. DYKHOUSE STADIUM: Jackrabbit football moved into a new home in September of 2016 with the completion of Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium.

The stadium, which was constructed in phases on the site of SDSU's previous home field, Coughlin-Alumni Stadium, seats 19,340 spectators and cost $65 million to build. Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium is being funded through private gifts and long-term revenue streams, including concessions and suite, loge box and ticket sales. Bonds are financing nearly two-thirds of the project's construction, with the remaining dollars coming from private support.

Lead gifts totaling $12.5 million from former Jackrabbit football player and Sioux Falls banker Dana Dykhouse and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford were announced in October 2013.

The stadium officially opened Sept. 8, 2016, featuring a concert by country music stars Luke Bryan, Little Big Town and Lee Brice as part of the Jacks Bash opening weekend. The first football game was two days later, on Sept. 10, when the Jacks defeated Drake, 56-28.

SDSU has gone on to post a 66-10 record at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium during its 10 seasons of operation, including a 17-1 mark in FCS playoff games.

The Jacks put together a 33-game home winning streak (including playoff games) that started with a 27-19 victory over North Dakota State on Nov. 6, 2021, and ended with a loss to the rival Bison on Oct. 25, 2025.

In 2024, the Jacks completed their fifth undefeated season while playing at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, compiling an 8-0 record. SDSU previously posted perfect home records in 2018 (7-0), the 2020-21 spring season (5-0) and both 2022 and 2023 (9-0).

Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium was designed by Kansas City-based Crawford Architects, with the construction firm JE Dunn serving as the project manager at risk and Henry Carlson Company of Sioux Falls serving as general contractor.

JACKS IN THE PROS: Six former South Dakota State standouts appeared on 2025 National Football League opening day rosters, continuing the Jackrabbits' long tradition of developing players into pro prospects.

Headlining the list are a pair of tight ends — Dallas Goedert of the Philadelphia Eagles and Tucker Kraft of the Green Bay Packers — who scored two touchdowns apiece Oct. 26 on National Tight Ends Day.

After being selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Goedert has gone on to record 389 receptions for 4,488 yards and 31 touchdowns in eight seasons. He won a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles last season after recording 42 receptions during the regular season and adding 17 more catches during the postseason run.

Goedert posted season highs of 11 receptions and 110 receiving yards Oct. 9 versus the New York Giants and extended his streak of games with a touchdown catch to four.

In 2025, Goedert has recorded 40 catches for 403 yards and a career-high seven TDs.

Kraft put together a breakthrough second season with the Packers in 2024, tallying 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns. A third-round draft choice of Green Bay in 2023, Kraft was on his way to an All-Pro caliber season in 2025 before suffering a season-ending knee injury on Nov. 2. He had two 100-yard performances this season, including posting career bests of seven catches, 143 yards and two touchdowns Oct. 26 against the Pittsburgh Steelers en route to 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns.

His career totals include 113 receptions for 1,551 yards and 15 scores.

Linebacker Christian Rozeboom earned a Super Bowl ring with the Los Angeles Rams during the 2021 season and is now in his first season with the Carolina Panthers. A starter in both 2023 and 2024 with the Rams, Rozeboom totaled 214 tackles and two interceptions over the last two seasons, including 135 stops in 2024.

Rozeboom has registered a team-high 91 tackles despite missing the last two games. He tallied a season-high 15 tackles at Green Bay on Nov. 2 and now has career totals of 316 tackles and two interceptions.

SDSU had two players selected in the NFL Draft in 2024 when Mason McCormick was taken in the fourth round by Pittsburgh and Isaiah Davis was a fifth-round pick of the New York Jets. McCormick settled into a starting role at guard during the 2024 season while Davis saw spot duty for the Jets as a rookie.

McCormick and Davis squared off in the 2025 season opener, with Davis rushing two times for 18 yards in a Jets' loss.

Davis finished his rookie year with 30 carries for 174 yards and a touchdown, as well as notching nine receptions for 75 yards and a score. He added nine kickoffs for 232 yards (25.8 yards per return) and registered seven tackles on special teams in 2024.

Davis had one of his best days as a pro in a comeback win over Cincinnati on Oct. 26, rushing seven times for 65 yards, including a career-long 50-yard carry, and catching five passes for 44 yards. He has returned 11 kickoffs for an average of 29.4 yards per attempt (long of 41) thus far in 2025, while adding 26 carries for 137 yards (5.3 ypc) and 15 receptions for 118 yards.

Another member of the Jackrabbits' back-to-back national championship teams, Isaiah Stalbird, is in his second season with the New Orleans Saints. Stalbird played mostly on special teams in 2024, notching three tackles. This season, he recorded a pair of tackles in a season-opening performance against Arizona, then notched a career-best four stops Oct. 12 against New England. He has a total of 21 tackles in 12 games in 2025 after posting a career-high five tackles with a sack Nov. 23 against Atlanta.

In addition, Amar Johnson was activated earlier this month by the Los Angeles Chargers and carried twice for 8 yards in mop-up duty Nov. 16 against Jacksonville.

Johnson signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers before joining the Chargers after being one of the Packers' final training camp cuts.

Several other former Jackrabbit standouts who were among their respective teams' final cuts, includied: quarterback Chris Oladokun (Kansas City), running back Pierre Strong, Jr. (Cleveland) and cornerback Dalys Beanum (New Orleans). Beanum and Oladokun have since returned to their fall camp teams on the practice squad, while Strong has hooked on with the Packers as a practice player.

Leading the list of Jackrabbit pro football alumni are Hall of Famer Jim Langer and the NFL's career scoring leader, Adam Vinatieri.

Langer who played football at SDSU from 1967-69 and also was an All-American in baseball, played center on every offensive down during the Miami Dolphins' perfect season in 1972. He played in a total of three Super Bowl games with the Dolphins from 1970-79 before finishing his career with the Minnesota Vikings from 1980-81.

Langer also was a first-team All-Pro four times and was selected to play in six Pro Bowl games. He passed away in September 2019.

Vinatieri wrapped up his playing career after becoming the NFL's all-time scoring leader in 2018 as a member of the Indianapolis Colts. Over Vinatieri's 24 seasons from 1996-2019, his totals include NFL bests of 599-of-715 on field goal attempts, 83.8 percent, and 2,673 career points. He also ranks second in career extra points with 874.

In all, Vinatieri set 15 NFL records, including 21 100-point seasons.

DAN JACKSON SHOW: The Dan Jackson Show airs throughout the 2025 season.

The weekly, hour-long show originates in front of a live audience at Cubby's Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Brookings. Next week's show will air at 6 p.m. Monday.

Hosted by Tyler Merriam, the show airs along the Jackrabbit Sports Network, including flagship station WNAX 570 AM, and can be heard through the Jackrabbit app and online at GoJacks.com. In addition to radio, broadcasts also will be available for free live viewing on SDSU Athletics' Facebook and YouTube accounts (@GoJacksSDSU), as well as Midco Sports Plus. Replays of the shows will be televised on Midco Sports linear channels Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 a.m.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Football Championship Subdivision playoffs continue with quarterfinal action scheduled for Dec. 12-13 at campus sites. The winner of the SDSU Dakota State-Montana game will face the winner between No. 6 Mercer and No. 11 South Dakota at the higher remaining seed.

-GoJacks.com-