South Dakota State Beats Montana to Win 2024 FCS Championship for 2nd Straight Title

Featured Columnist IVJanuary 7, 2024

FRISCO, TEXAS - JANUARY 07: Mark Gronowski #11 of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits reacts after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Montana Grizzlies during the FCS Football Championship on January 07, 2024 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by Tommy Martino/University of Montana/Getty Images)

Tommy Martino/University of Montana/Getty Images

Make it back-to-back national championships and 29 straight wins for South Dakota State.

The Jackrabbits repeated as FCS champions on Sunday, knocking off Montana 23-3.

SDSU Football @GoJacksFB
Touchdown, Jackrabbits! Mark Gronowski keeps, carries and scores from 10 yards out South Dakota State 14, Montana 3 7:11 to play Q3 Scoring Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 2:41 TOP Video: ABC <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoJacks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoJacks</a> 🐰🏈 <a href="https://t.co/UVTkBHc9ki">pic.twitter.com/UVTkBHc9ki</a>

SDSU Football @GoJacksFB
Mark Gronowski ➡️ Jadon Janke = 6⃣ 23 yards as the Jackrabbits go up by three scores South Dakota State 20, Montana 3 <a href="https://t.co/YKcpEMTLTv">pic.twitter.com/YKcpEMTLTv</a>

SDSU Football @GoJacksFB
Defense, defense, defense ... Cade Terveer the strip and Ryan Van Marel the recovery and return to set up a Jackrabbit field goal South Dakota State 23, Montana 3 56 seconds left in Q3<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoJacks?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoJacks</a> 🐰🏈 <a href="https://t.co/UapN9z0Muq">pic.twitter.com/UapN9z0Muq</a>

That concluded a perfect 15-0 season and made them just the fifth program in FCS history to repeat as national champions, joining Georgia Southern (1985-86; 1989-90; 1999-00), Youngstown State (1993-94), Appalachian State (2005-07) and North Dakota State (2011-15; 2017-19).

Ryan Sjoberg @Ryan_Sjoberg
Ill say it again: South Dakota State would've won the Big Ten West this year.

RedditCFB @RedditCFB
South Dakota State is eligible for AP votes, and likely won't finish ranked, but absolutely should. This is one of the most dominant FCS teams of all time, and they'd be favored against every G5 team this year and a majority of P5 teams.

Quarterback Mark Gronowski led the way for the Jackrabbits, throwing for 175 yards, a touchdown and an interception, while Isaiah Davis rushed for 87 yards and a score and the team's receiving twins wideout, Jaxon Janke (four catches for 66 yards) and Jadon Janke, (five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown) each posted strong efforts.

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Gronowski had another big game—he won the 2023 Walter Payton Award, given to the best offensive player in FCS football, after throwing for 2,359 yards, 23 touchdowns and just three interceptions in 11 regular-season games while adding 220 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

NCAA FCS Football @NCAA_FCS
"Without the guys around I couldn't get it done. I just got to thank them for that."<a href="https://twitter.com/stan_becton?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stan_becton</a> sat down with <a href="https://twitter.com/mgronowski11?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mgronowski11</a> ahead of the FCS Football National Championship.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FCSChampionship?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FCSChampionship</a> <a href="https://t.co/hdVLJxRcLh">pic.twitter.com/hdVLJxRcLh</a>

Still, this was a tight one at the half, as South Dakota State held just a 7-3 lead. But a pair of lost fumbles and a turnover-on-downs in the second half stopped Montana in its tracks, contributing to 16 unanswered points from the Jackrabbits in the final two quarters.

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Joe DeLeone @joedeleone
South Dakota State in the second half <a href="https://t.co/juhsXkhbvY">pic.twitter.com/juhsXkhbvY</a>

Nacho Sueño @Cruijffnique
South Dakota State right now.. <a href="https://t.co/hdX3gnddpn">pic.twitter.com/hdX3gnddpn</a>

Bryan Fischer @BryanDFischer
South Dakota State goes back-to-back. Jackrabbits defense was no joke, allowed only one TD for the entire FCS Playoffs.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the stingy South Dakota State defense put the clamps on Montana. Or that Gronowski played well under the brightest of lights. This team had exactly two wins decided by one score or less the entire season, and outscored teams in the playoffs by the incredible margin of 146-15.

Yes, you read that correctly. South Dakota State was about as dominant a team as you'll see at any level this season, and were more than deserving champions.