Heading into the third quarter of the National Championship in Frisco, Texas, South Dakota State led 7-3 over Montana. But after an opening drive touchdown, the Jackrabbit offense stalled. The momentum of the game would soon change, and a team effort turned the tide in favor of the Jacks. A 16 point quarter being enough to win.

On the sidelines stood backup quarterback Chase Mason.

This game would become his second National Championship, and was one of the happiest moments of his life, an opportunity few get to experience.

But as the days passed, his emotions got complicated.

“It seems weird to say, but you wake up the next day and some days after that and you’re like, I didn’t feel as satisfied. I wasn’t playing QB, I wasn’t really playing.”

In the world of college sports, one unifying desire for all student-athletes is to win. Mason now has an opportunity to win not as a backup, but as the starting quarterback for South Dakota State. This Saturday, he’ll lead the Jackrabbits at Dana J. Dykehouse stadium at 6 p.m. against Sacramento State for his first game of the season.

Mason’s collegiate career didn’t start in South Dakota, though. It didn’t even start with football. He played baseball for the Nebraska Cornhuskers for a semester but during his time there he realized that his calling was football. In 2022, he transferred to South Dakota State.

“I’ve always loved being a South Dakota kid, playing in South Dakota… I wouldn’t leave here for anything,” said Mason.

His first year at SDSU, he didn’t see any playing time because of a knee injury. The following year, though, Mason got to work. In his 2023 season, he picked up 184 rushing yards and threw for 267, including a 71-yard bomb to now-current Northwestern wide receiver Griffin Wilde during the postseason.

Mason’s playing time increased last season, when he saw continued success as a runner and a passer. He threw for a 65.4% completion rating on his 133 passing yards and was still dangerous as a runner, rushing for 464 yards. The team trusted him in some of their highest stake games in the season, Mason taking the field in the postseason’s quarter and semifinals.

Even when not on the field Mason has influenced the game through his leadership. This carries over from his time with previous starting quarterback Mark Gronowski, when Mason felt like he had to help lead his teammates. Now, as one of the veteran faces of the team, he continues to provide guidance.

“He’s a very-lead-by example leader,” transfer linebacker Matt Goehring said of Mason. “He’ll always be at the front of the line showing guys behind him how things are done. He’s not afraid to put himself out there. He’s not afraid to fail and show the young bucks how to learn from that.”

That trait has become even more important for a team that suffered a mass exodus of personnel this previous offseason, after former head coach Jimmy Rogers, along with many of his coaching staff and players, left for Washington State. With a roster full of new players, the team voted Mason one of their captains.

“He’s advanced, but he’s always been himself,” said first year head coach Dan Jackson. “Where I’ve seen him grow is because his knowledge of football is better, and he’s confident because he is playing so well. That allows him to be more vocal … I’ve seen his growth in every way.”

Being a student-athlete requires growth in not just on-the-field skill, but off-the-field academics as well. Mason has balanced both sides of being a student-athlete and has excelled, earning Missouri Valley Football Conference Honor Roll for three years in a row. He most recently won the Missouri Valley Football Conference Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award in addition to these honors. 

Graduating with a sport and recreation degree, Mason also plans on starting his masters this upcoming spring semester. He still wants to play football for as long as he can, though, knowing that when it is over, he is going to miss it. But his current focus is to win a National Championship alongside his team.

This saturday, the team will take another step towards achieving that goal as they host Sacramento State in their first game of the year. With an “iron sharpens iron” mindset and a unifying objective, everyone is looking to start the season strong.

“Nothing’s new to them now,” said Coach Jackson. “It’s truly about building the confidence, thinking. Go out there and beat anybody in the country.”

Jackson has seen development in not just leadership, but in the football abilities of Mason. He said Mason is more knowledgeable about the system, the team’s strategies and tactics, and that’s a reason behind his development, the coach called Mason a “totally different player.”

Jackson called Mason the greatest quarterback he has been around because of his accuracy, intuition and ability to make any throw that he attempts.

“You let him out in the open field and he’s going to be a problem for people. But know he’s got the added tool to be able to sit in the pocket and pick people apart,” Jackson said. 

With Mason’s improvements, Jackson has set the bar high for what he can accomplish.

“He’s putting himself in a position to have a great season and a great last couple of years here as a Jackrabbit before he heads off to the NFL.”

Every day, Mason says that he sees a new player making a lasting impression, a feeling that is exciting for a quarterback.

 The freshmen on the team have made a notable impression on Mason as well. With the roster previously facing multiple holes left vacant by transfers and graduations, he mentions how many people that did not always have chances are now stepping up, with the best players getting to take the field.

One other group of people that has left a mark on him is the South Dakota community. The ability to connect with fans in his state is an important part of being a student-athlete for him.

“I think it’s cool how much (people care about you),” Mason said. “It just kind of like, shocked me, like, why do people care about me? I think the biggest thing being a great role model for the kids… After games going out, back to the stadium and taking pictures with kids. I feel like that’s the biggest thing, being a South Dakota kid. I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

This year, Mason won’t be working toward the championship from the sidelines. He’s earned the chance to lead his team as the starting quarterback for South Dakota State.

“Ever since I’ve gotten this opportunity to be the starting quarterback, I’ve wanted to cement my name as, like, to be one of the guys who did win a National Championship,” said Mason. “[A successful season] was always a National Championship. And I feel like that’s what it’s going to be from now on. It’s always going to be a National Championship.”