BROOKINGS South Dakota State and North Dakota State will meet in a top-two showdown in the Dakota Marker game on Saturday night for the third time in the past four seasons.
The No. 1 ranked Bison will head to Brookings, where they have not won since 2019 but have won the past two games in the series, winning both meetings last year. Before that, SDSU had won five straight in the series, including a victory in the 2023 FCS National Championship.
Both teams have been on a wrecking path en route to 7-0 records. The Jacks have won their seven games by an average of 19.5 points and the Bison have an even better scoring margin, winning by 33.6 points per game. Each team has played three teams who were ranked at the time, but the Bison have two wins over top-10 teams in Illinois State and Southern Illinois.
South Dakota State faces a big question mark entering the game as starting quarterback Chase Mason left and did not return after the Jackrabbits first drive in a 35-14 win against Murray State this past weekend.
The injury was not disclosed by the team and head coach Dan Jackson has not provided updates on the senior this week. Practice has been closed as well.
Chase is doing everything he can to play, Jackson said. Truly, nobody wants to play in this game more than he does. He loves South Dakota State more than you know. When you grow up in this state, you want to play and be in this rivalry game, so hes going to do everything he can to get himself out there.
Redshirt freshman Luke Marble stepped in relief for the Jacks. The transfer from Northern Illinois finished the game 13-of-21 with 189 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. It was the fourth game that Marble saw action this season but he had thrown a total of four passes before the game against the Racers.
Jackson said Marble was put into a tough position because of the lack of reps in some of the earlier games but felt like he played well given the circumstances.
The quarterback is no different than any other position, Jackson said. We talked about playing a lot of different guys in some of the early season games and we didnt get to do that as much as I would have liked at the quarterback position. So, for Luke to go in, I think it was a positive for our team. I think it was a little clunky early, but he didnt get the advantage of having that first drive where you gain a lot of information about the defense.
I think as he settled in and when the offensive staff gave him some things that he felt good about, he settled in nicely. He made some nice passes into a tough wind. It was a tough day to throw the ball in general and he did a good job and his decision making got better [as the game went along].
On the other side, the Bison have Walter Payton Award (FCS Player of the Year) frontrunner Cole Payton as the signal caller. He is ninth in the FCS in total offense, averaging 291.4 yards per game with 1,565 passing yards and 475 rushing yards. He leads the country in total touchdowns with 17 and is the leader in completion percentage as he is completing 74.4% of his passes. Hes also only thrown two interceptions.
Payton had done a lot of damage on the ground in the previous three seasons as he was the backup to Cam Miller but has shown his strength as a passer this year. Senior SDSU defensive lineman Kobe Clayborne said the Jacks need to be themselves and not get out of position if they want to stop Payton on Saturday.
I think we just have to play our defense, trust our keys and trust the call that [defensive coordinator Brian Bergstrom] signals in and play it to the best ability. Hes a dangerous quarterback and is a very good player. We just have to do what we do because when you try to do too much, thats when he beats you and when he finds seams, Clayborne said.
NDSUs defense has been even more dominant than its offense as the Bison lead the country in yards given up per game (229.0) and points given up per game (10.0). Jackson said it will be a tough test and the Jacks have to execute with great detail if they want to have success.
Theyre a great defense, Jackson said. They have some experience at key positions. I think theyre very technically sound. For us to have success, we have to execute and have great fundamentals and technique. We have to be decisive and confident and play fast and have a next play mindset. Im excited. Youre going to know what youre going to get from their defense a lot of the time because theyre confident in what they do.
This will be the 118th meeting between the two schools and NDSU leads the series 65-47-5. This will be the 22nd time that the Dakota Marker trophy has been on line and the Bison lead that portion of the series 11-10.
NDSU had dominated the series before SDSUs five-straight victories, winning 12 of 14 contests from 2010-2019. The upperclassmen for SDSU know the jubilation of lifting the rock and the feeling of coming up short against the Bison.
Raising the rock, its something that everyone wants to do, said tight end Greyton Gannon. Coach Jackson did a good job of explaining the rivalry and everyone is fired up to play Saturday. Its a big game because its the next game, but theres a little more to it with the rock [being on the line].
Kickoff between the Jacks and Bison is scheduled for 7 p.m. You can watch the game on ESPNU or listen to the game on AM 570 WNAX.
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