No. 4 Missouri State football to host South Dakota State in historic home matchup
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When Missouri State and South Dakota State take the field on Saturday afternoon, it will be the first time two top-five programs have played each other at Plaster Stadium.
And Saturday's game could mean a whole lot to both teams.
The Bears' Missouri Valley Football Conference opener will feature what the FCS Coaches Poll considers the No. 3 Jackrabbits and the No. 4 Bears. According to the STATS Perform Poll, the Jackrabbits are ranked No. 2 when the Bears have never beaten a team ranked higher than third.
"We're playing the No. 3 team in the country," Bears head coach Bobby Petrino said, who has yet to face SDSU during his time at MSU. "We ought to be ready to go and we'll be fired up and ready to go."
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South Dakota State is the most challenging team on the Bears' remaining schedule following last week's thrilling loss at No. 10 FBS Arkansas. If the Bears pull off the win while not having North Dakota State on the schedule this season, they will be seen as the favorite against every team they play until a probable third-straight postseason appearance.
That would mean the Bears would be the frontrunners to win at least a share of the MVFC for the second time in Petrino's three years. An outright title wouldn't be out of the question with SDSU and NDSU scheduled to play later this season.
But the Bears have to win first and it's not going to be easy.
South Dakota State features maybe the best defense at the FCS level and an offense that seems ready to explode any week after having some struggles to start the year.
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SDSU currently ranks seventh in the country in total defense. It only allowed seven points (and no touchdowns) in its season-opener at FBS Iowa. The Jacks have allowed an average of 53 yards per game on the ground while limiting teams to just under 200 passing yards. The Jacks have yet to allow more than 22 points in a single game.
The Jacks haven't gotten to the quarterback as much as they'd like with just two sacks total through two games. They hope that will change when going against a Bears offensive line that has allowed 17 sacks already including eight last week.
"It starts with their d-line," Petrino said. "They're a penetrating group, much like how North Dakota State plays. We've got to be able to find a way to handle that. They've got some really good linebackers and they play their safeties down and want to stop the run. We're going to have to make some plays throwing the ball."
Offensively, the Jackrabbits aren't where they want to be. They hope quarterback Mark Gronowski will continue to progress as he's made his way back from an injury during the 2021 spring season in which he was named the MVFC's Offensive Player of the Year.
Gronowski's numbers haven't been up to par with what he had while leading the Jackrabbits to a runner-up in the spring national championship, but he's still a threat that the Bears need to be ready for.
"We've watched him a lot," Petrino said. "He's a real threat to run the ball. In that spring season, he not only could throw it but he would make runs and break tackles. He's a big, physical guy. We've got to get pressure on him. We can't have it where he's standing out there forever like we had last week. We need to be ready to pass rush these guys."
The Jackrabbits usually have most of their success on the ground but it hasn't been there yet. The rushing offense ranks 77th in the FCS with 119 yards per game. It comes a year after the Jacks were 10th in the nation with 211.5 ground yards per game.
Former Joplin star Isaiah Davis will be the main threat in the backfield as he's been touted as a potential All-American. His season-high 112 yards came in SDSU's Week 2 win over UC Davis but he rushed for 74 and 50 yards in the other two games. He has yet to rush for a touchdown after having seven last season when he played second-fiddle to current New England Patriots running back Pierre Strong.
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"He's a good player and he's made a lot of plays," Petrino said. "They've got big offensive lineman and they're going to run through him. He's big, can run through tackles and really does a nice job in the hole. He can get in and out of holes, come back to balance and accelerate. We've got to try to get to him before he gets started."
Saturday's matchup is already shaping out to be one of the more anticipated games at Missouri State in quite some time. With Family Weekend as an added bonus, Missouri State's director of athletic ticket sales teased on Wednesday that the crowd was trending toward one of the biggest in Missouri State history. MSU Athletics Director Kyle Moats tweeted a statement asking fans to be a part of what could be "the biggest and best game ever in Mo State history."
A big day at Plaster Stadium awaits. While the matchup on paper is already historic, more history could be made by the Bears throughout the afternoon.
"It's the first (highly ranked game) we've had here when we've had a few huge road matchups," Petrino said. I think we know how to prepare for big games and it's nice to have it at home. I'm hoping we pack the stadium and have a big home-field advantage."
No. 3 South Dakota State @ No. 4 Missouri State
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
Where: Plaster Stadium
Stream: ESPN+
Listen: KWTO-FM 101.3
Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State football to host South Dakota State in MVFC showdown
