After a dominant performance on Saturday, the Jackrabbits look onto the Bears of Missouri State for their final game of the regular season.
This is Missouri State’s last season as an FCS team as they are in the process of making the jump to FBS to join the C-USA conference for the 2025 season. Their first matchup at the FBS level will be against USC in August of 2025.
SDSU boasts a 13-1 record over the Bears with their only loss being in the 2013 season where Missouri State beat the Jacks 35-21.
Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Robert W. Plaster Stadium in Springfield, Missouri. You can stream the game on ESPN+ or listen to it on the Jackrabbit Sports Network.
South Dakota State
The No. 3 Jackrabbits come into this matchup with a 9-2 (6-1, MVFC) record on the season and rolling with a four-game winning streak.
While 9-2, SDSU sits in the two-spot in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with one conference loss to No. 1 NDSU.
SDSU has the best scoring defense throughout the FCS, allowing 15 scores, 12.73 points per game and 140 total points through 11 games.
Quarterback Mark Gronowski has thrown 255 passes this season and completed 62.35% for 1,932 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. Gronowski has been dangerous on the ground too, amounting to 303 yards and five touchdowns on 68 carries.
The Johnson and Johnson duo of Amar Johnson and Angel Johnson have yet to touch the brakes, with Amara Johnson rushing for 852 yards and 11 touchdowns while Angel Johnson follows suit with 532 yards and three scores.
Amar Johnson is ranked 13th in the nation for yards per carry, averaging 6.45 on the season on 132 rushing attempts.
Kirby Vorhees has made an impact as SDSU’s third-leading rusher this season with 469 yards on 48 carries. The redshirt freshman has racked up five rushing touchdowns, tied for third-most on the team.
Griffin Wilde has been Gronowski’s favorite target through 11 games, amounting to 761 yards and seven scores on 52 receptions. Wilde took over the starting spot after the departure of Jaxon and Jadon Janke last season.
Grahm Goering has caught 24 receptions this season for 346 yards and four touchdowns while Amar Johnson has racked up 174 yards and one touchdown on 25 receptions.
Defensively, Adam Bock leads the Jacks with 69 total tackles and seven tackles for loss on the season. Bock was booted from last Saturday’s contest early due to a targeting penalty.
With 61 tackles in the season, linebacker Caleb Francl has been a huge part of this SDSU defense. Francl joins Bock with three quarterback hurries on the year.
Matthew Durrance intercepted his first two passes of the season against Southern Illinois and earned the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week award. Durrance joins Steven Arrell and Tucker Large with two picks.
“We got to focus this week on giving our guys great opportunities to learn their scheme,” said SDSU head coach Jimmy Rogers. “When it comes to Saturday, we need to be locked in and play with great energy to win this football game.”
Missouri State
The Bears go into their final FCS game holding an 8-3 (6-1, MVFC) record after getting an eight-game winning streak snapped by the Bison 59-21. Along with the Bison, Missouri State has seen losses to Montana and FBS opponent Ball State earlier this season.
The Bears boast the fourth-best passing offense in the nation thanks to quarterback Jacob Clark who has averaged over 310 passing yards per game this season.
“We got a really tough one in Missouri State [who is] led by a great quarterback,” said Rogers. “Just overall great skill, at running back, two really, really dynamic running backs and they have elite speed on the perimeter. They have given a lot of people trouble.”
Clark, a former transfer from the University of Minnesota has racked up 3,418 passing yards (second in the nation), 26 touchdowns (eighth in the nation) and holds a 71.88% completion percentage (third in the nation).
Senior Hunter Wood has seen the bulk of Clark’s passes this season, bringing in 61 for 753 yards and three scores. Tight end Lance Mason has been a red zone threat for the Bears, racking up six receiving touchdowns, the most on the team. Mason’s 590 yards is the second most on the team and has 34 receptions to his name.
“Their defense plays hard,” said Rogers. “It’s a sound defense; they don’t do a ton but it is a sound defense.”
Jamariyae Robinson has the second most receptions on the team with 37, tallying 575 yards and four touchdowns as well.
The dominance of the Bears is seen on the ground as well as through the sky with Jacardia Wright rushing for 808 yards and 14 scores on 173 carries. Jayden Becks joins Wright in the backfield with 445 rushing yards and seven touchdowns with 62 rushing attempts.
Missouri State’s defense has allowed 28.82 points per game this season with their best defensive game being against MVFC opponent Illinois State where they only allowed seven points throughout the contest.
Tahj Chambers leads the team with 82 tackles on the year. The linebacker is also tied for fourth in tackles for loss with 6.5 on the year.
Cornerback Lemondre Joe has racked up three interceptions this season while Tavier Williams and P.J. Hall both have two each.
