The 2024 FCS National Championship in Frisco, TX is set to be an instant classic.
It’s just the eighth time the top two playoff seeds have made the FCS championship, with the last time happening in the 2021 spring season between No. 1 South Dakota State and No. 2 Sam Houston.
Moreover, a No. 1 seed has never beaten a No. 2 seed on the biggest stage, losing the previous seven meetings.
This season, the defending national champ Jackrabbits comes in as the No. 1 seed once again, riding behind a 28-game winning streak, while the No. 2 seed Montana Grizzlies are winners of 10 straight in their own right.
This is the ninth meeting between South Dakota State and Montana, with the Griz having won all eight previous meetings.
While the Jacks have never been able to take down Montana to this point, seven of the previous eight meetings have been held in Missoula.
Kickoff of the 2024 FCS National Championship is set for Sunday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas You can watch the game live on ABC and stream it on ESPN+.
South Dakota State
The defending national champs have been the outright best FCS football team this season and had no reason to believe they wouldn’t be in the position they’re in right now.
“We’ve played really well up to this point in all phases,” head coach Jimmy Rogers said. “And we’re really excited for this moment. Our guys are locked in, we’ve had several weeks of prep for this, this is a very mature football team that we have, and I’m blessed to be the head coach at South Dakota State.”
The Yellow and Blue have outscored opponents 537-136 this season, including three shutout victories.
In the playoffs, they’ve only gotten better. The offense is averaging 41 points in three playoff games, while the defense has given up just 12 total points, with all 12 points given up against the Villanova Wildcats in the quarterfinals.
Quarterback Mark Gronowski, a finalist for the Walter Payton award, has been one of the best players in the FCS his whole career. Gronowski has completed 69% of his passes this season for 2,883 yards, 28 touchdowns to just four interceptions.
“Mark is an extremely focused individual,” said coach Rogers. “Mark came in as a very mature young man, to lead a team to a national championship as a true freshman, covid or not, it’s really hard to do. To win over an entire football team as an incoming true freshman that’s really hard to do, and he’s been able to do it and hasn’t changed at all.”
Gronowski has a 36-3 record as the starting quarterback for the Jackrabbits, with only one of those losses coming against an FCS opponent in which he finished the game.
The other two losses? A 23-21 loss against Sam Houston in the 2021 spring season national championship in which Gronowski got injured in the first quarter and against FBS foe Iowa Hawkeyes in Kinnick stadium back in week one of last season.
In the backfield, the Jackrabbits have a three-headed monster all averaging over 6 yards per carry, led by arguably the best running back in the FCS.
Another Walter Payton award finalist, senior tailback Isaiah Davis has run for 1,491 yards this season, averaging 6.8 yards per carry and 17 rushing touchdowns.
Behind him, junior tailback Amar Johnson averaging 6.3 yards per carry, 751 yards and four touchdowns. Lastly, Angel Johnson has blazing speed that helps him average 8.9 yards per carry, 381 yards and five touchdowns.
The leading receivers on this Jackrabbit offense are once again Jadon and Jaxon Janke. Jadon Janke has 52 receptions for 891 yards and nine touchdowns, while brother Jaxon Janke has 47 catches for 752 yards and five touchdowns.
“I think they’re really special, they’re very similar but slightly different in their skill set and how we utilize them,” said coach Rogers on the Janke twins. “But really dynamic playmakers for us, I think if we get the ball to them in space, they’re hard to take down.”
True freshman wide receiver Griffin Wilde has 20 catches for 399 yards and six touchdowns. Senior tight end Zach Heins has played a big role in the passing game as well, catching 25 passes for 369 yards and seven touchdowns.
On defense, a linebacker-heavy team has been filling up the stat sheet all season long. Jason Freeman leads the team in tackles with 96, Isaiah Stalbird has 75, Saiveon Williamson with 58 and Adam Bock with 54.
Two Jackrabbits are tied in interceptions with four each, safety Tucker Large as well as defensive back Dalys Beanum.
Cade Terveer and Quinton Hicks are the leaders in sacks with six and four respectively, while the defense has combined for 24.
Kicker Hunter Dustman is 17-23 on field goals this year, good for 74%, while kicking at a 97% clip on extra points.
The Jackrabbits currently hold the third longest win streak in FCS history at 28 straight, and they look to make it 29 heading into the 2024 season.
Montana
The Montana Grizzlies are winners of 10 in a row and one of the hottest teams in the FCS.
“I like our team, we’ve done a nice job,” coach Hauck said. “I think our guys are looking forward to the game on Sunday. Hopefully we have a good performance because we’re going to need that to compete with South Dakota State.”
The Griz haven’t lost since a 28-14 loss to Northern Arizona back September 23, and since then have outscored their opponent by a score of 342-164, including back-to-back overtime wins in the playoffs against Furman and North Dakota State.
“The goal isn’t to play your best football on September 1,” coach Hauck said. “The goal is to improve through the season, and I think we just kind of personify what happens when you stick with things, and you keep working and you persist.”
Many people counted out the Griz following a close 17-10 victory against division-II Ferris State, but Montana put those early season struggles behind them as they entered the national championship.
Hauck has now coached the Grizzlies to their fourth national championship; however, Montana has never won the big game under Hauck.
The Griz have won two national championships in their seven appearances, the first in 1995 under the late, great Don Read, and again in 2001 under head coach Joe Glenn.
This year, the Griz offense is led by Central Arkansas transfer, quarterback Clifton McDowell. McDowell took over the reigns from Sam Vidlak following their lone loss to Northern Arizona and has played great down the stretch.
McDowell has completed 59% of his passes for 1,861 yards, 13 passing touchdowns to just 3 interceptions. McDowell is also the second leading rusher for the Griz, with 751 yards and nine touchdowns.
In the backfield, freshman tailback Eli Gillman is 50 yards shy of 1000 rushing yards on the season, averaging 5.1 yards per carry with 12 rushing touchdowns. Second string running back Nick Ostmo has also played a big role on the ground, rushing for 637 yards and eight touchdowns.
Three wide receivers are doing the most damage for the Griz in the receiving game. Keelan White has caught 50 passes for 779 yards and four touchdowns, Junior Bergen with 55 catches for 766 yards and five touchdowns, and Aaron Fontes adding another 41 catches for 541 yards and five more touchdowns.
Defensively, senior linebacker Braxton Hill is 13th in the FCS in tackles with 116, followed by safety Ryder Meyer with 84, and linebacker Tyler Flink with 77.
The defense has intercepted opposing offenses 16 times this season, with five of them coming from redshirt junior cornerback Trevin Gradney.
But arguably the best part of this Montana team has come from the special team’s department, more specifically, Junior Bergen.
Bergen is currently third in the nation in total return yardage, averaging almost 29 yards per kick return, and over 15 yards per punt return.
Bergen also has four touchdowns on special teams, including an opening kickoff return touchdown against Furman in the quarterfinals, and a punt return touchdown late in the game against North Dakota State in the semifinals.
Coach Hauck and company look to earn their third national championship, and their first in the Frisco-era.
