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South Dakota State football primer: Montana State comes to Brookings for FCS semifinal rematch

zech lambert, the daily republic, mitchell, s.d.
·4 min read

Dec. 16—BROOKINGS — It's not deja vu.

South Dakota State and Montana State are meeting again in the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals in a rematch of last year's contest that ended the Jacks season.

Here's what to know ahead of the game.

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

Where: Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings.

Records: SDSU, 12-1; Montana State, 12-1.

Coaches: SDSU: John Stiegelmeier, 26th season, 197-112; Brent Vigen, second season, 24-4.

Last meeting: Last time SDSU and Montana State met, the Bobcats took down the Jackrabbits 31-17 on Dec. 18, 2021, in Bozeman, Montana, in the FCS semifinals. The game was tied 17-17 at half, but Bobcats quarterback Tommy Mellott ran for a touchdown in the third quarter and threw one in the fourth to put an end to the Jackrabbits' season.

Mellott finished the game with 155 rushing yards and two scores, as well as 233 passing yards and a pair of touchdowns. For SDSU, Jaxon Janke and Tucker Kraft each had six catches for 97 and 96 yards, respectively, but Montana State bottled up running back Isaiah Davis for his worst postseason performance: nine carries for 13 yards.

Last week: Top-seeded SDSU took down eighth-seeded Holy Cross 42-21 in a game where the Jacks found themselves tied at 21 in the fourth quarter but used a 21-point final quarter to come away with the win. Fourth-seeded Montana State rolled over No. 5-seed William and Mary 55-7 and held a 55-0 lead with 5:03 to go in the third quarter.

Notes:

* In the final Stats Perform FCS poll, SDSU ranked No. 1, while Montana State slotted in at No. 3.

* The game will be aired on ESPN2.

* The temperature on Saturday in Brookings is forecast to be 12 degrees with 15 to 20 mph winds and gusting to 25 mph, prompting sub-zero wind chills to go with a chance of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

About the Jackrabbits:

* Despite giving up 261 yards on the ground last week, SDSU still lays claim to the nation's top rushing defense. The Jacks allow 85.4 yards per game and are still the only non-Ivy League school to give up fewer than 100 yards per game, with Jackson State's 103.8 being the closest and Southern Illinois' 105.4 right behind.

* Defensively, the Jacks are also tied for No. 5 in the FCS in red zone defense, giving up 16 scores — 11 touchdowns and five field goals — on 23 trips. The three red zone touchdown passes allowed are tied with Jackson State for the fewest in the FCS, while the eight red zone rushing touchdowns surrendered puts SDSU tied for the 11th-fewest allowed.

* Isaiah Davis continued his playoff tear last week against Holy Cross, racking up 154 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. It was his seventh playoff game with at least 100 yards and one touchdown in the 10 postseason contests he's been a part of.

* SDSU is No. 4 in the FCS in turnover margin at plus-13, with 23 takeaways and 10 giveaways.

About the Bobcats:

* While SDSU has "Playoff Zay," Montana State has a player with his own well-earned nickname in "Touchdown Tommy" Mellott. Though he missed two games this year due to injury, Mellott has thrown for 1,507 yards and 10 touchdowns, while running for another 1,058 yards and 12 more touchdowns. He's second in the FCS in rushing yards among quarterbacks, behind only Holy Cross quarterback Matthew Sluka.

* The Bobcats utilize two quarterbacks in their attack, with Sean Chambers also getting consistent action. Chambers can also run the ball, and he sits fourth among FCS quarterbacks in terms of rushing yards with 835 to go along with 18 scores on the ground, which is tied for third in the country among all positions.

* With Mellott and Chambers, as well as running backs Elijah Elliott and Isaiah Ifanse, Montana State boasts the nation's No. 1 rushing offense at 331.8 yards per game. The Bobcats put it on display in the quarterfinals against W&M, rushing for 328 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 7.8 yards per tote along the way.

* Montana State is tied for No. 2 in the nation in fourth-down-conversion percentage at 70%, converting on 14 of its 20 tries this season.

* The Bobcats are one of the nation's best teams at forcing turnovers. They're tied for No. 2 nationally with 28 turnovers gained, and their turnover margin of plus-16 is tied for first.

Next: The winner will move on to Frisco, Texas, for the FCS championship game against the winner of No. 7-seeded Incarnate Word and No. 2-seeded North Dakota State on Jan. 8, 2023.