The South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2021 spring football season came to an end Sunday after falling short in the Football Championship Subdivision national championship game to Sam Houston State University 23-21. 

Late in the fourth quarter, running back Isaiah Davis ran for an 85-yard touchdown to give SDSU a 21-17 lead. The Bearcats responded with a 5:25 drive that ended with an Eric Schmid touchdown pass to Ife Adeyi with 16 seconds left, giving them the win in a wild game that included mistakes, injuries and a weather delay.

On the Jacks’ first possession of the game, quarterback Mark Gronowski left the game with a knee injury and would not return. Backup Keaton Heide took over on the team’s next drive that ended with a Davis touchdown. 

Sam Houston responded early in the second quarter with a touchdown by Schmid and a pass to Jequez Ezzard to tie the game. On SDSU’s next possession, the one-hour, 11-minute weather delay ensued due to lightning. 

Once back on the field, the Jackrabbits’ drive stalled after Cole Frahm missed a field goal. The Bearcats would then score another ten unanswered points to take a 17-7 lead. In the end, they outlasted two fourth-quarter SDSU touchdowns before winning the game in the final seconds. 

After losing Gronowski early, it was difficult for the SDSU offense to gain any momentum. Heide took over after throwing only two passes all season. He finished 11-22 for 107 yards and an interception. Davis carried the offense, rushing for 178 yards and three touchdowns.

For the Bearcat offense, Schmid threw for 209 yards and three touchdowns on 20-37. Receiver Ezzard caught ten passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite losing Gronowski early, a lengthy weather delay and the field conditions that resulted from it, SDSU was still less than 30 seconds away from winning their first national title. 

Still, this is a big step for the Jackrabbit program, reaching the championship game for the first time in school history. They will continue to be a contender, with many of their best players returning for the fall season. But the loss is still painful for SDSU players, coaches and fans.  

For Sam Houston (10-0), they claim their first FCS title in school history. They’ve come close in the past, losing in the national championship to North Dakota State in 2012. Their coach K.C. Keeler became the first coach in FCS history to win a national title with two teams (Delaware, 2003).

Throughout the postseason, the Bearcats have needed to rally to win games. In the quarterfinals, they trailed by four in the final minutes to NDSU; in the semifinals against James Madison, they trailed by 17 in the third quarter and they overcame a four-point deficit to SDSU.

The 2021 FCS Spring football season is over, and a wild and unpredictable season ends with a wild and unpredictable game.