FCS Memories A gallery of photos from fans, staff. Pages 8-9, 16
Stig living the dream Jacks coach reflects on successful career. Pages 10-11
Keith Jensen has followed the Jacks since 1952. Page 13
MARSHALL MINIHAN Sports Reporter
Jackrabbit fans packed the Sanford Jackrabbit Athletic Complex Tuesday evening to show their support for the 2022 FCS national champions.
South Dakota State rolled over the North Dakota State Bison 45-21 in the FCS National Championship game to capture its first title.
The national championship trophy made its first appearance in Brookings during the event.
Athletic Director Justin Sell, SDSU President Barry Dunn and FCS Coach of the Year John Stiegelmeier all spoke during the event.
“This is very honoring to our players, to our coaches, to our administration and to our support staff,” Stiegelmeier said at the event. “You did it all year.”
This season, Jackrabbit support was at an all-time high for football games, with well over 120,000 total fans attending SDSU football games at Dana J. Dykhouse stadium. It was the first season in South Dakota State history with attendance going over 100,000 at all the home games combined.
“It’s pretty cool to walk out of that stadium and see that and feel that,” Stiegelmeier said. “That was a championship crowd.”
Athletic director Justin Sell also mentioned how thankful he is for all the support the Jackrabbits get.
“The national championship just puts in the spotlight everything that is right about college athletics and everything that is right about being a Jackrabbit,” Sell said.
This championship not only marks the first FCS championship for the football team but the first Division I championship in all Jackrabbit sports.
“The hugs were so great this weekend because we have all lived in the other locker room. We have all lived with tough losses, we have all lived with adversity, and they were just that much tighter when we were able to walk through the door and with the championship,” Sell said.
After losing the first week of the season to Iowa, the Jackrabbits went on a 14-game winning streak to the national title, making them the only team in the country that did not lose to an FCS school all year.
“These young men committed themselves to be the best,” Dunn said. “Just as we talked about in our strategic plan to be a premier university, you’ve got to be the best. These young men were the best in countless repetitions, on countless practices and on countless days throughout this season.”
Fans gathered on the west side quickly after the rally to take their turns taking pictures with the championship trophy, something that will forever be remembered throughout SDSU.
Following a late start to Jan. 9 Students’ Association meeting after technical difficulties, senators were addressed by Jay Molock about an upcoming rally and “marade” to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. and were briefed on the university updates from university officials.
Willis: Michaela Willis, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, shared university updates.
Jack’s Cupboard, SDSU’s free on-campus food
pantry, has slashed its operating hours. Students can visit the food pantry Tuesdays between 3 and 7 p.m.
The university has launched an interactive map of the university including buildings, parking lots and ADA accessibility. The map can be accessed at https:// map.concept3d.com/?id=1971#!ct/0?sbc/.
The Board of Regents is working on policies regarding minors attending university events.
“The intent is not to shut down events or minimize your ability to host events,” Willis said.
The university provided a list of campus events for Spring of 2023 for the regents to review. The move follows the controversy surrounding the drag show hosted in the Volstorff Ballroom in the University Student Union by the Gender and Sexualities Alliance last semester.
Other business:
Next week, the Students’ Association will discuss Resolution 22-12-R. The resolution, titled “The SDSU Students’ Association continued support for the Gender and Sexualities Alliance and opposition of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation,” is a response to the backlash GSA has received from state legislatures regarding recent diversity events including the drag show.
“The SDSU Students’ Association opposes any state or Board of Regent legislation and policy changes that are found harmful, discriminatory or objective to GSA and LGBTQ+ identifying students on the South Dakota State University campus,” the resolution reads.
The Senate will also discuss Senate Outreach Month Training next week.
South Dakota State University will host the inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rally and Marade event to honor the life and legacy of the civil rights activist. The event begins at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16 in the University Student Union.
A marade is a combination of a peaceful march and parade, which includes a public procession, rally and marching band. Marades are meant to honor and celebrate the life of King. Monday’s event will be the first of its kind both on SDSU’s campus and in the state of South Dakota.
“This is a holiday that is celebrated as a ‘day on’ even though it is a day off to commemorate a great leader from the United States,” Jay Molock, the Black Student Alliance adviser said. “Everyone is not just invited, but encouraged to attend and in doing so we create an atmosphere of being inclusive and belonging.”
The event includes nearly 20 presentations and speakers, a 1.1 mile walk around campus followed by refreshments to honor King’s birthday.
Presentations will include speeches from Students’ Association President, Blake Pulse, Brookings Mayor, Ope Niemeyer and Vice President of Student Affairs, Michaela Willis. There will also be two essayist finalists from middle and high school and performances by the
Brookings High School jazz band and drumline and SDSU student singers.
During Monday night’s Students’ Association meeting, Molock addressed the Senate and encoraged them all to attend.
“You guys are the campus leaders,” Molock said. “The question is what are you going to do about it? … We will be the talk of the entire state by the end of the visit … My goal is that South Dakota State [gets] national attention.”
The marade is sponsored by a number of student organizations, including Black Student Alliance, Latin American Students Association, Gender and Sexuality Alliance, International Dance Crew, American Indian Student Center and Students’ Association. The Office of Multicultural Affairs and Accessibility, Brookings Human Rights Commission and Visit Brookings are also sponsoring the event.
Molock said he hopes the event will show students the value of coming together and celebrating the first national holiday devoted to a black civil rights activist.
“We would like to move from inaugural to annual so that this event will be something the university and community can celebrate every year at this time,” Molock said. “I am convinced that the audience will walk away different than when they came in based on the life and legacy of what Dr. King did.”
Finally, South Dakota State is the national champion.
After years of playoff disappointment and a narrow runner-up finish in the championship game two seasons ago, the Jackrabbits finally made it to the top of Division I college football.
They did it by crushing rival North Dakota State 45-21 Jan. 8 in the Football Championship Subdivision title game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
“I’m proud of our program,” coach John Stiegelmeier said. “It was a fun game for the Jackrabbits and we’re really honored to come away with the national championship.”
For the Jackrabbits (14-1), it was their first Division I national championship in any sport. For the Bison (12-3), it was their first loss in the national title game, having previously gone 9-0 in the game.
The national champions dominated from the start, jumping out to a quick three-touchdown lead and never looking back. The Bison tried to claw their way back, but every time they searched for momentum, the Jackrabbits responded.
After tearing his ACL in the national title game 19 months ago, quarterback Mark Gronowski got another chance this game, and he was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player. He finished 14-21 for 223 yards and three passing touchdowns, adding 57 yards and a score on the ground.
“It means the world to me,” Gronowski said. “I’ve got to thank my parents and I’ve got to thank Charlie
(Miller), our athletic trainer for getting me back to where I am right now. There’s no better feeling in the world.”
On the first drive of the game, the Jackrabbit defense forced an NDSU three-and-out. SDSU’s offense took over and struck first on a 16-yard touchdown run untouched from Isaiah Davis to put the Jacks ahead 7-0.
The Bison quickly responded with a 27-yard pass from NDSU quarterback Cam Miller to Joe Stoffel to tie the game. After one, the Jacks and Bison were tied at 7-7.
At the start of the second quarter, The Jackrabbits struck again on a 32-yard scoring run from Amar Johnson to retake the lead. They would never relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.
Johnson finished with 126 yards on just nine
attempts, averaging 14 yards per carry.
“I think at the end of the day, we feed off each other when the defense goes out there and makes plays and the offense makes plays,” Johnson said. “And then having Jacks nation right behind us making all that noise for us. Shout out to Jacks nation, much needed.”
On the Bison’s next drive, SDSU’s Steven Arrell forced a fumble from Kobe Johnson. Dalys Beanum recovered, and the Jacks looked to further gain momentum.
They capped off the fumble on an easy 18-yard touchdown pass from Gronowski to Jaxon Janke.
The SDSU defense forced another NDSU punt and was looking to potentially put the game away. They then stretched the lead when Gronowski connected with a wide-open Mike Morgan for a 44-yard touchdown. The lead was 28-7.
When the Jacks last played NDSU in October, it was the Bison who came out with a quick start. This time, the roles were reversed.
“It was huge for us, and we talked about it last time and in these last few weeks that we need to come out with a fast start, and we can’t start slow,” Gronowski said. “These guys are going to fight no matter what.”
The Bison managed to score on their next drive when Miller hit Eli Green for 44 yards to cut the lead back to 14. For a moment, it looked like NDSU could
But with a little over three minutes to go in the first half, the Jackrabbits were driving down the field again, aided by a 55-yard run from Johnson. The drive stalled at the NDSU 13, and kicker Hunter Dustman connected on a 30-yard field goal to end a high-scoring first half. The halftime score was 31-14 Jackrabbits.
The Jackrabbits quickly added to their lead to start the second half when Gronowski escaped for a 51-yard touchdown run to increase their lead. At the end of three, the Jacks led 38-14.
Time was running out on the Bison. They responded with a Kobe Johnson touchdown from nine yards with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter
They quickly got the ball back and again looked to gain momentum. But SDSU’s Jason Freeman intercepted a Miller pass, setting up the Jackrabbits at the
The Jacks again capitalized off a turnover when Janke scored his second touchdown on a 30-yard pass from Gronowski to provide the winning margin.
Isaiah Davis ran for 119 yards on 23 carries. Jadon Janke finished with 61 receiving yards on five receptions. Jaxon Janke was close behind with 60 yards on three catches. Tucker Kraft, playing in his final collegiate game, had two receptions for 30 yards.
The Jackrabbit defense forced three turnovers, the ninth time they forced multiple turnovers in a game this season. Freeman led the defense with 10 tackles, followed by Isaiah Stalbird with seven and Adam
For the Bison, Miller finished 18-29 for 260 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He added 13 carries for 64 yards rushing. Kobe Johnson finished with 63 rushing yards on 11 carries. Zach Mathis caught seven balls for 123 yards while Stoffel caught three for 41.
Defensively, it was a struggle for the Bison, especially up front. They allowed 522 yards of total offense, 299 of them rushing yards. Michael Tutsie finished with 12 tackles and James Kaczor had 10.
“I love our football team, and I thank God for them every day,” Stiegelmeier said. “They’re an unbelievable group of young men. And then our fan support was beyond our imagination. We made a memory.”
Collegian photos by ZOEY SCHENTZEL (She/Her)
(Right) Senior tight end Michael Morgen runs the ball for his one touchdown of the game. (Below) Offensive linemen John O’Brien and Evan Beerntsen guard quarterback Mark Gronowski as he prepares for a pass.
ew teams have a more experienced offensive line than South Dakota State.
The “605 hogs,” which currently consists of the starting five of left tackle Garret Greenfield, left guard Mason McCormick, center Gus Miller, right guard Evan Beerntsen and right tackle John O’Brien, have barely missed a snap throughout this season.
“Those guys have played 98 percent of our reps this year. They’re
warriors,” coach John Stiegelmeier said. “They take pride in taking care of our offensive skill, taking care of Mark (Gronowski), and it’s one of the closest groups I’ve ever been around.”
Before those starting five took the field at Toyota Stadium for the Football Championship Subdivision championship game Jan. 8 in Frisco, Texas, they knew it was important to withstand NDSU’s defensive line.
Collegian photo by MARSHALL MINIHAN (He/Him) South Dakota State’s Mason McCormick (60) and Garret Greenfield (74) prepare to lead the Jackrabbits onto the field at Toyota Stadium in the FCS National Championship game Jan. 8 in Frisco, Texas.Before those starting five took the field at Toyota Stadium for the Football Championship Subdivision championship game Jan. 8 in Frisco, Texas, they knew it was important to withstand NDSU’s defensive line.
“I would say that they are a very good defensive line,” McCormick said. “They play really hard and that’s the way game is supposed to be played.”
The group just put together its most dominant performance of the season to help lead the Jackrabbits to their first national championship.
They won the battle up front from the start, clearing the way for 522 yards of total offense, 299 of them coming on the ground and allowing only one sack of Gronowski, who gave tremendous credit to the offensive line as the reason why SDSU won.
“I give it all to them,” Gronowski said. “They don’t get enough credit for what they do for us. If we don’t have a great O-line, a great ‘605 hogs’ group, we don’t go anywhere, and this championship is on them.”
The Jacks dominating the battle in the trenches is nothing new they’ve been doing it all season. After dealing with underperformance and injuries early in the season, McCormick said the O-line started to click early on in SDSU’s conference schedule.
“I know from my standpoint, starting back in 2019, I was a young buck, and everything looks pretty fast, you’re a little intimidated and not knowing what’s going on,” the 6-foot-4, 305-pound senior said. “Seeing these
guys get a little confidence and swagger to them has been really fun.”
From that point forward, the Jackrabbits, and the offensive line, kept plowing their way through their opponents.
A highlight for the offensive line this season came in the Dakota Marker game, the first matchup between the Jacks and NDSU this season.
Despite early struggles from the O-line and the Jacks trailing in the first half, they fought back, and the offensive line helped the team end up with over 200 rushing yards, which speaks to the mentality of the “605 hogs.”
“I think it is something that has been instilled for a long time,” McCormick said. “I think of it as just playing as hard as you can, and mistakes are going to happen, that’s just the game. So just keep your head down and keep pushing.”
The offensive line continued to punish defenses for the rest of the season. They claimed two first-team spots on the Associated Press All-American team with McCormick and Greenfield.
The success of the offensive line continued to be pivotal throughout SDSU’s dominant playoff run. Against Delaware in the first round, the Jacks ran for 222 yards, and against Holy Cross in the quarterfinals, they ran for 216 yards.
SDSU then met Montana State, the team that ended their season a year ago in the semifinals. The O-line
avenged their loss by paving the way for 281 rushing yards in a 39-18 win to send the Jacks back to Frisco.
The reason why the unit has been so dominant this season could be because of how close they are off the field.
“I would argue that this is probably the closest our offensive line has ever been,” McCormick said. “We’re honestly a bunch of best friends and there’s really no bickering back and forth when people mess up. Everybody’s got confidence in each other and that definitely allows for a more relaxed approach.”
The Jackrabbits averaged 34.2 points per game and 384.5 yards per game this year, both ranked in the top 50 in the FCS. Gronowski has been sacked only 19 times this season, the 16th fewest in the nation.
“There’s no better feeling in the world, because it gives me so much time and I can feel comfortable back there,” Gronowski said. “I don’t have to be back there scrambling; I can stay in the pocket and trust those guys.”
Now, the “605 hogs” capped off all the experience they’ve had together with a national title.
“They play hard every single time they’re out there and they just want to bury guys, which is fun for me,” Gronowski said. “They always give me enough time and let our skill guys look good. They don’t always get all the limelight but man, those guys are good.”
(Left) Fans flash the “horns down” and rabbit ears during the game. Over 18,000 SDSU fans and alumni made the trip to Frisco.
After building his program into a national power, the longtime head coach leads team to championships. ore than a quarter century into his head coaching tenure at South Dakota State, John Stiegelmeier still loves his job as much as when he started it.
M“Surely, based on the color of my hair, things have passed me by,” the 65-year-old Selby native said. “(The players) tell me I’m drippy, and I’m not sure what that means.”
Since becoming the coach at his alma mater in 1997, Stiegelmeier has helped shape the Jackrabbits into one of the top programs in the FCS and a program with increasing national attention, making him a recognizable face in Brookings and throughout his home state.
But before all of his accomplishments as a football coach, Stiegelmeier originally planned to be a high school math teacher and coach.
Stiegelmeier served as a student coach on SDSU’s only Division II playoff team in 1979 and learned under then-Jackrabbits head coach John Gregory and defensive coordinator Mike Daly, who both became great mentors for him. It was that experience when Stiegelmeier knew he wanted to coach college football.
“I stumbled into this thing being a student coach, didn’t play college football, and have had unbelievable mentors along the way that I didn’t know I needed,” Stiegelmeier said. “When I look back, which is the way life always is, I did need (them).”
After graduating from SDSU, Stiegelmeier served as a graduate assistant at Northern Iowa, then coached at the high school level in Wisconsin before returning to his home state as a defensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at Northern State.
He then returned to his alma mater in 1988, where he served as secondary coach and recruiting coordinator under Wayne Haensel. When Daly replaced Haensel in 1991, he promoted Stiegelmeier to defensive coordinator.
After six seasons, Daly stepped down, and the 40-year-old Stiegelmeier was named the head coach. He had achieved his dream.
From there, talk about the Jackrabbits moving to Division I surfaced. And after years of those discussions, the move finally happened in 2004. That same year, NDSU decided to join Division I FCS, then known as Division I-AA.
“In 2004, both our programs drew a line in the sand, stepped over it, and said, ‘let’s go Division I together,’” Stiegelmeier, the winningest coach in Jackrabbit history (194-112), said. “For a brief second, I think, we looked at each other and honestly said we need each other. I don’t think that’s the case now, but that started it.”
The Division I era had begun. As a result, the Dakota Marker rivalry was born, and the Jackrabbits continued to build their program. By 2007, they won the Great West Conference, in 2009 they made their Division I playoff debut, and in 2012, they made the playoffs again and haven’t missed them since.
It was then that SDSU also began featuring more players that would be the greatest in program history and would go on to the NFL. Players like Zach Zenner, Jake Wieneke and Dallas Goedert led to SDSU recruiting future NFL prospects like Pierre Strong Jr., Christian Rozeboom and currently Tucker Kraft.
All of this success stems from Stiegelmeier’s philosophy and the culture he helped create for the program. The team views each other like a family, sets goals throughout the season and preaches to “play in the present.”
As players continued taking to Stiegelmeier’s phi -
losophy, the Jackrabbits kept on winning, becoming a perennial playoff team. But a national championship always eluded them. Since 2012, they have lost in the semifinals three times, went 0-4 against the Bison in playoff games and finished as the national runner-up in the 2021 spring season.
It was after that loss in Frisco two seasons ago, that Jackrabbit players stayed on the field as they watched Sam Houston State celebrate. It wasn’t Stiegelmeier’s idea, but he knew the players wanted to embrace that feeling of coming up short.
“I don’t know what their motivation was, but it was a cool moment after shaking Sam Houston’s hands, to stand out there, stay out there, kneel out there in tears, many of them and to watch the trophy presentation,” Stiegelmeier said. “I think in the end it got to their heart that ‘I want to be part of that someday,’ and here we got a chance to do it.”
Those previous postseason losses motivated the Jacks. This season’s SDSU squad knew it was capable of winning a national championship, and the team seemed to embrace that attitude.
“The goal and the focus of every single season is to win the national championship and if we don’t do that, then we don’t feel like we have a successful season,” quarterback Mark Gronowski said. “I think it’s just a part of our culture now and it makes us work harder every single day.”
Sunday’s game against the Bison could be considered the biggest highlight of Stiegelmeier’s career. The win gave the Jackrabbits their first-ever national championship after so many years of trying. Stiegelmeier continues living out his dream now as a FCS national champion coach.
“I am certain God made me to be a coach, so there’s some accountability to that assignment in life,” Stiegelmeier said. “I felt a responsibility to do what I felt called to do. So it’s easy to jump out of bed and feel you’re living a calling.”
sdsucollegian.com
The Pride of the Dakotas marching band arrived in Frisco, Texas, Jan. 7 to perform at the FCS national championship game at Toyota Stadium.
The band did one final run-through in Brookings Friday before hitting the road. When they got to Frisco Saturday afternoon, they performed at the Alumni Association Jackrabbit Pep Rally that evening.
Hundreds of Jackrabbit fans gathered as the Pride played all of the classics that they later featured at the championship game.
“This was crazy,” Kevin Kessler, director of athletic bands for SDSU, said.
“It was just fun to see so many people so enthusiastic and everybody’s so bought in and that was just a crazy atmosphere.”
The Pride first stopped in Wichita, Kansas, Jan. 6 to spend the night. They completed the drive the next day and later rehearsed with North Dakota State’s marching band for a combined national anthem before their performance at the pep rally.
“It’s been a busy day ever since we got into Texas,” Kessler said after the Saturday pep rally.
The past month and a half have been eventful for the band, between marching in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November before playing in the national championship game.
Will Kessler, a junior trombone player, said it’s been a busy time for the band.
“It was kind of exhausting to put a lot of work in,” he said. “We had a nice long break over Christmas, so that gave us some time to recoup, but (we’re) getting right back into things before the semester starts.”
Will also noted the differences in preparation between the Macy’s parade and Sunday’s game. While the Pride prepared for Macy’s for about three months, they didn’t have nearly that much time to prepare for the game.
“For this one, we knew we were going to be in the preliminary games, but we never knew how far we’d go until our football team won those games,” he said. “We didn’t meet up until (Friday) after break.”
Another difference is that not as many members went to Frisco as they did to
New York. While 344 Pride members traveled to New York, only 280 were sent to Frisco.
“Two hundred and eighty is still an incredible number,” Kevin said. “It’s a big band, 280 is still even larger than the band we had in 2021.”
Despite the recent busy schedule, the Pride was excited to play in front of Jackrabbit fans on national TV.
“I think we’ll definitely be bringing a lot of energy into the stadium,” Isaac Sousa, a freshman trumpet player, said Saturday after the pep rally. “We got a lot of fans that came out tonight to support the team, and I think that’s just going to keep building and carrying over until we eventually go play.”
Keith Jensen has been an avid follower of South Dakota State athletics for over 70 years.
The self-proclaimed “Jacks No. 1 fan” arrived in Frisco, Texas Thursday with his wife, Cherie, to watch his alma mater take on North Dakota State University in the FCS national championship game Jan. 8 at Toyota Stadium.
While Jensen has seen just about every historical Jackrabbit achievement, he said witnessing the program’s firstever football championship, especially against the rival Bison, ranks higher than anything else he’s seen.
“You have to say a national championship is the ultimate,” the 88-year-old Lake Preston native said. “There’s no other answer for that than the national championship.”
Jensen graduated from SDSU in 1956 before living out of state. He returned to Brookings in 1971 and has been a Jackrabbit season ticket holder ever since. In all that time, the SDSU campus and the atmosphere around Jackrabbit athletics have undergone quite a few changes.
“I think we only had 1800 students at the time when I came,” he said. “So the campus was smaller, it didn’t have a lot of
the buildings that we have now and didn’t have nearly as many students as we have now. So the growth of SDSU has come a long way since I enrolled.”
Jensen was SDSU’s first alumni director in 1971 and stayed for nine years. From there, he became manager of the South Dakota Newspaper Association in 1981 and worked there until his retirement in 2006.
After retiring, Jensen continued to support the Jackrabbits. He doesn’t travel as much as he used to, but Jensen still makes sure to attend every home football game and manages to make some trips here and there.
“I’m 88 years old. I’m not traveling quite as much as I was in the last five or 10 years, the last couple of years has been a little more questionable,” Jensen said. “I make a few football trips and a few basketball trips, certainly the ones that are close.”
During this football season, Jensen traveled to Springfield, Missouri, to watch the Jacks blow out the Bears and went to Cedar Falls and saw the Jacks narrowly escape the Panthers.
Even with a distance of nearly 900 miles between Brookings and Frisco, Jensen knew he couldn’t miss his alma mater potentially winning a national championship.
He was in Frisco when the Jackrabbits
made it there in the spring 2021 season. Jensen watched as the Jackrabbits fell 16 seconds short of the national championship to Sam Houston.
“When (Mark) Gronowski went down, my heart just took a dip,” he said. “I think we would have been the national champion, I’m sure we would have. We just had to struggle a little more because we lost our starting quarterback right away.”
While he admitted it was difficult to pick a favorite football game, Jensen highlighted SDSU’s recent success in the Dakota Marker rivalry. He hasn’t missed the annual game since the trophy was introduced in 2004, the year both teams moved up to Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
When the Jackrabbits made that move, Jensen wasn’t originally in favor. But a conversation with then-athletic director Fred Oien changed his mind.
“I said, ‘somebody’s going to have to convince me,’” Jensen said. “And I was very good friends with (Oien), so I went over to his house one day and said, ‘tell me why we should make this move.’ And
he convinced me, and I think everything he told me has borne out to be true.”
Since then, the Jackrabbits have built their program into one of the best and most nationally recognized in the FCS, something Jensen said nobody saw coming. But he is proud of how far the football program and the university have come.
“It means a lot to me because I believe it elevates our school to its proper level in the institution of universities in the United States,” Jensen said. “The university I’m proud of has grown a great reputation along with the growth in students in the years that have gone by.”
Cheering for the Jackrabbits has always been meaningful for Jensen since he first attended SDSU 71 years ago. And he still supports the university as much as he ever has before.
“I love the school,” he said. “The recognition that the school I graduated from and love so much just enhances that tremendously. I just get more and more proud.”
Throughout the weekend, Jacks and Bison fans made their way to Frisco, Texas, to see the North Dakota StateSouth Dakota State rivalry on the big stage.
They all watched as the Jackrabbits defeated the Bison 45-21 Jan. 8 at Toyota Stadium to secure their first national championship. By the end of the game, Jackrabbit fans were elated, while Bison fans were disappointed.
But that morning before the game, fans from both teams were eager to cheer their teams to victory. They made their way to the stadium hours before the 1 p.m. kickoff to indulge in tailgating festivities ranging from cornhole to listening to their school’s marching bands.
Jackrabbit fans gathered on one side of Toyota Stadium to eat, socialize and enjoy the nice weather in Texas.
One of those who showed up early was a 2004 SDSU graduate and current Dean of Students Toby Uecker, who arrived at Toyota Stadium at 8 a.m.
“We knew that we wanted to be here early so we had a good spot staked out and figured we’d enjoy every minute we could,” Uecker said, adding that plenty of food, water, beer and snacks are essential to have at a tailgate.
Uecker was impressed at the turnout of Jackrabbit fans, saying that it felt like a family environment.
“I think the Jackrabbit identity is about being family,” Uecker said. “I think it’s football, I think it’s the support of the institution, I think it’s the fact that we have alumni all over the country. I think being a Jackrabbit is being family.”
Another South Dakota State alum and former South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture Mike Jaspers was surprised at how many fans represented SDSU.
“I still thought when we got in that stadium that it was going to be a little more green and yellow,” Jaspers said. “But I think it was more blue than green in the stands, and that was really awesome to see the support that our guys, our team and our program had.”
Fans from Brookings and Fargo
weren’t the only ones who traveled to see the game. People from around the country wanted to take part in the game day experience.
Traveling all the way from Wisconsin was SDSU alum Pete Watson. The former student was excited to make the trip down to Frisco to see the rivalry matchup, describing the atmosphere as “communal, enthusiastic and a sea of blue.”
He mentioned how neighborly both Jackrabbit and Bison fans were throughout the weekend but was excited to see that the feeling of pride for their teams was amplified when entering Toyota Stadium.
“There is a respectful element to it,” Watson said. “Watching all the people come together, unified just in celebration and enthusiasm.”
The turnout from both fanbases was nearly even. Neither side seemed to have a distinct home-field advantage. While Jackrabbit nation was represented well, hundreds of NDSU fans also traveled to the place they’ve called “Fargo south” and brought the same energy they had in NDSU’s previous nine trips to Texas.
On the opposite side of Toyota Stadium, NDSU fan Oren Danielson was making his third trip down to
Frisco to support the team he loves. He said that Bison football to him is about honor, pride, hard work, dedication and teamwork.
“This is a game that I’ve been waiting for for a long time. I’ve honestly cheered for the Rabbits when we (NDSU) are not playing them,” Danielson said. “I cheered for them so that this game could happen.”
The Bismark, North Dakota, resident mentioned he would be very emotional to see his Bison raise the National Championship trophy for the tenth time. While the game’s final result was not what he wanted, he still enjoyed the stadium’s energetic atmosphere.
Virgil Davis, a Collin County, Texas, deputy, was happy that the weekend went very well and that it was good clean school spirit. He was also surprised at the turnout of Jackrabbit fans.
“For me, it’s like nothing ever seen before,” Davis said. “The comradery and the tradition that they bring here is just amazing.”
Davis compared this year’s
game to the title game last year between NDSU and Montana State. He said this year’s game had more energy.
“South Dakota (State) brought the whole state with them,” Davis said. “Usually North Dakota State brings the house, but I think (SDSU) had it this year.”
But not everyone at the tailgate was a Jackrabbit or Bison fan. Some were there because of their love for the game. Dressed up in a Jackrabbit costume was podcaster Dustin Helton, co-host of WACSun Weekly, a podcast about the FCS.
“All of us podcasters that are FCS fans are all family, and we all get together to come to this game every year no matter who is playing. We sit in the endzone, all wearing our (school) colors, and its family. It’s what gets us together every year,” Helton said.
The overall level of energy every Jackrabbit and Bison fan brought was felt by the players on both sides. One of those players thankful for his team’s fan support was Jackrabbit quarterback Mark Gronowski.
“It was so awesome. I knew there were more Jackrabbit fans there than there were Bison fans, and it was so awesome and I was so proud and so happy that all Jackrabbit nation came out to support us,” Gronowski, the game’s Most Outstanding Player, said. “They really fueled us, gave us energy and allowed us to play our best.”
• The championship is SDSU’s 12th team national title across all sports and the first at the Division I level.
• SDSU’s 45 points are the most scored by a team in the FCS title game since the event moved to Frisco in 2010.
The number of fans that packed Toyota Stadium for Sunday’s game in Frisco, Texas.
The number of wins the Jackrabbits had this season, the most in a season in program history.
The number of rushing yards the Jackrabbits had against NDSU, the most they’ve had in a game all season.
The number of points the Jackrabbits scored in the second quarter, giving them a 31-14 halftime lead. That was the most points they scored in a quarter all season. 26
The number of total turnovers by the Jackrabbit defense this season. They had three against the Bison, a fumble recovery and two interceptions.
The number of rushing yards per game the SDSU defense allowed this season, which led the FCS.
The number of consecutive victories the Jackrabbits have over NDSU. That’s the longest winning streak they’ve had over the Bison in over 70 years.
• Game’s Most Outstanding Player
• Finished 14-21 for 223 yards and 3 passing touchdowns.
• Had a passer rating of 203.
• Ran for a 51-yard touchdown in the third quarter to give the Jacks a 38-14 lead.
• Reece Winkelman posted the lone sack by a Jackrabbit in the game, which was the 23rd of his career to tie him with Danny Batten (23 sacks from 2006-09) for third place in program history.
• Gronowski passed and rushed for touchdowns in the same game for the 14th time in 25 career starts.
• Jaxon Janke moved into a tie with JaRon Harris (2005-08) by upping his career receiving touchdowns total to 24.
• Isaiah Davis recorded his 16th career 100-yard game — nine of which have come in FCS playoff games.
• SDSU scored on its opening drive of the game for the eighth time this season (seven touchdowns) and third time in the playoffs (all TDs).
• The victory was career No. 199 for Jackrabbit head coach John Stiegelmeier (199-112 record in 26 seasons).
• Ran for 126 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.
• Averaged 14 yards per attempt.
• His longest run in the game was 55 yards.
• Had an interception in the fourth quarter that led to an SDSU touchdown.
• Finished with 10 total tackles to lead the team.
Over 18,000 people attended the FCS Championship game Sunday, including thousands of Jackrabbitt fans, alumni and family. Here’s a snippet of their experience in Texas.
