South Dakota State football wins second-straight FCS national title, dominates Montana

South Dakota State's Jackrabbits had a shaky start but dominated in the second half, leading to a 23-3 victory over Montana.

The game between South Dakota State and Montana was a true tale of two halves, with the Jackrabbits offense being the main focus. In the first half, South Dakota State took an early lead but seemed to struggle to find their footing. Montana managed to break through the typically strong Jackrabbits defense and were on the cusp of scoring before a crucial stop by Adam Bock. Quarterback Mark Gronowski also threw an uncharacteristic interception, allowing Montana to capitalize with a field goal. However, the game turned into a defensive showdown with both teams forcing punts on the next four drives before halftime.

Despite the early struggles, the Jackrabbits' defense remained strong throughout the game, aside from the first Montana drive. However, it was the offense that truly shone in the second half. Gronowski's 34-yard pass to Zach Heins set up a touchdown run by Gronowski himself, extending the SDSU lead. Another touchdown pass from Gronowski to Jadon Janke seemed to put the game out of reach, and the defense continued to perform at a high level, forcing a fumble on Montana's next drive. The Jackrabbits offense quickly capitalized on this turnover, adding a field goal to secure their largest lead of the game at 23-3.

Jonathan Fernandez, a sports writer for the Argus Leader, provides coverage of high school and college sports. For more of his work, you can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @JFERN31.

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