FRISCO, Texas South Dakota State will be making its third appearance in the FCS national championship on Sunday as the Jackrabbits take on Montana at Toyota Stadium. To say this group has experience in Frisco would be an understatement.
That doesnt mean the mood has changed for the Jackrabbits. SDSU won its first national championship a year ago as it beat North Dakota State 45-21. Sixth-year offensive lineman Garret Greenfield said the hunger is still there for the Jacks as they look to become the fifth team in FCS history to win back-to-back championships.
A lot of people talk about the chip on our shoulder that we had last year, but I like to think that we still have a chip on our shoulder this year, too. Were still going after our goal [of winning another national championship] and that drives us every day, Greenfield said.
The chip on the Jackrabbits’ shoulder last year was that they had never won a title and were going up against nine-time national champion and bitter rival North Dakota State. SDSU is now in the midst of a 28-game win streak and has become the top program in the FCS at the moment.
Senior linebacker Adam Bock said the Jacks cant be satisfied with winning just one national championship.
I think you just cant get complacent with winning one title. You have to act like you havent been there before. Theres definitely a difference in being the one thats being chased rather than chasing somebody, Bock said.
The Jackrabbits head into Sundays matchup as 13.5-point favorites according to FanDuel Sportsbook on Friday afternoon. SDSU first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers has talked all season long about how the mindset of his team has not changed as theyve gone from one of the underdogs to the favorite. He said what drives his team is proving people wrong and winning.
I dont think weve lost [motivation] at all. This team is hungry to deliver their best and take everything very personal. Weve beaten narratives all season long and whether [the players] listen [to the outside noise] or not, they read it. Weve done our job up to this point. If youre asking what gets them going, theyre winners. And thats enough, Rogers said.
With this being SDSUs third championship appearance, the Jackrabbits have been on both sides of the coin in this game. The Jacks made it to the title game in the spring season in 2021 and came up short, falling to Sam Houston State 23-21. Greenfield said no one wants to have the confetti falling on someone else after the game again.
I cant stress enough how opposite the two feelings are. One is the lowest of lows and the other is the highest of highs. So, weve had both and we know what both of them feel like and I think a lot of guys that were on that team [that lost] still have that memory and we want to do everything we can to not have to face that again, Greenfield said.
In that game in spring 2021 there was a limited crowd due to COVID and there was no media day a couple of days before the game. Last year Toyota Stadium was completely sold out with both SDSU and NDSU fans. On Sunday its expected to be a sell out once again with both the yellow and blue of Jackrabbit fans and the maroon and silver of Grizzlies fans.
Senior cornerback Dalys Beanum said the experience of both dealing with the lead up to the game and the sellout crowd should help SDSU on Sunday.
Being here three times in the past four years, it definitely helps knowing what to expect. You kind of know whats going on and stuff, so I think being down here and being familiar with this stuff helps a lot. [Having played in the game] definitely helps. Especially last year, because in 2021 we came during the COVID year so things were kind of different, but being here last year helped a lot. Now we know what to expect [with the crowd]. We know what to expect and know whats coming in this game, Beanum said.
With any big game theres a sense of nervousness within the fan base and everyone watching. For the coaches and players, they do their best to block that out. Greenfield said in his previous experience he doesnt get nervous before games, even if its the biggest stage in the FCS.
Ive played so many games in my career. I just try to stick to the same routine and do the same things that have worked for me over the years. I think nervousness comes from lack of preparation and I think weve prepared really well to take away any of that doubt. Coming into games I think were fully confident, Greenfield said.
For many Jackrabbit players this will be their third national championship game, but it will also be their final game in an SDSU uniform. The senior class, who brought SDSU its first national title and has been the driving force behind a 28-game win streak, is looking to cap off historic careers on Sunday. Rogers said having to say goodbye to a player after a loss in the championship drives him as a coach to make sure these seniors dont have to deal with that.
Its not so much winning, its not letting people down, Rogers said. That COVID season we graduated Preston Tetzlaff. I coached Preston, and he was a non-scholarship player and he was the only guy graduating that semester. That was hard for me. A lot of guys had the opportunity to come back, he didnt because he was going into law school. We wanted to end it on the right note for him and I felt that way when we lost to Montana in 2016 with T.J. Lally and it was his last game.
With a lot of the players Ive had to coach, thats what fuels me, maybe more than the hype of a championship. Its making sure everybody gets the most out of their god given ability and being at their best and ending on the right note. This senior group means the world to me. The world. Weve done everything up to this point right and we have one more game to do it, and weve been really focused on making that happen.
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